The graphics card market can really accelerate its pace when both major players play ball on a consistent manner. It all started last November with the
GeForce 8800GT launch, which preceded AMD/ATI's launch of the
Radeon HD 3800 series. Just a few months later, we have another mainstream GeForce shipping in quantities (
the 9600GT), which pressured for price reductions across the board, and of course, that's just great news for consumers.
In such circumstances, the price cuts are almost a given but the question becomes when.
VR-Zone is reporting that the Radeon HD 3650 and HD 3850 will receive the treatment in early March by as much as 20%. The former is already selling below the $100 mark, while the HD 3850 will most likely end up selling in the $130-150 price range. We wouldn't be surprised either if the price of the HD 3870 is also lowered slightly to match exactly with the GeForce 9600GT's.