Nvidia has informed us that it's adjusting prices on the GeForce GTX 400 cards to prepare for the launch of AMD's Radeon HD 6800 series (you can expect our review to be published pretty soon). The company says the Radeon HD 6870 will arrive at $240 – aimed squarely at the GTX 460 and 470. The GTX 460 1GB has been fetching about $230 online since its July debut, but Nvidia has lowered the suggested etail price (SEP) to $200. Additionally, the GTX 470's SEP has been reduced to $270.
Nvidia says the Radeon HD 6850 is positioned against the GTX 460 768MB, but it doesn't feel the need to make any adjustments. The HD 6850 will supposedly be priced at $180, while the GTX 460 768MB can already be found as low as $160 online. Also, despite the GTX 460 1GB's $200 SEP, many stock cards will sell in the $180-$190 bracket while overclocked boards will be $210+, providing ample competition to AMD's latest offering.
The new prices should roll out over the next few days, but Newegg has already adjusted some of its rates, putting many GTX 460 1GB cards below the $200 mark with a mail-in rebate – some as low as $170. Likewise, TigerDirect offers the GTX 470 for as little as $219 with a rebate.