Cost Per Frame: Best Value Graphics Cards Right Now

[Neatfeatguy]

This appears to be a raster-only fps per dollar test. Will there be RT testing per dollar?

Why?

RT is at its infancy and right now with current hardware it's mostly a gimmick. Also, it's not widely used in games yet.

I don't know if I should feel bad for AMD for being so far behind Nvidia when it comes to performance with RT enabled....
OR
If I should feel bad for Nvidia for having dedicated cores to handle RT and they still suck at it....

(Remember, I'm talking about RT, not the use of Nvidia's DLSS with RT or AMD's FSR)

Neither side wins with RT this generation. Wait at least 2 more generations before we see viable performance on GPUs with RT.

 

[scavengerspc]

Why?

RT is at its infancy and right now with current hardware it's mostly a gimmick. Also, it's not widely used in games yet.

I don't know if I should feel bad for AMD for being so far behind Nvidia when it comes to performance with RT enabled....
OR
If I should feel bad for Nvidia for having dedicated cores to handle RT and they still suck at it....

(Remember, I'm talking about RT, not the use of Nvidia's DLSS with RT or AMD's FSR)

Neither side wins with RT this generation. Wait at least 2 more generations before we see viable performance on GPUs with RT.

Even though you said it better than I would have, I wanted to say that I agree RT is still not ready for prime time. There just aren't a lot of people that want to stop, stand in a certain place and stare at just the right angle.

And in my opinion, RT lighting is even worse. It LOOKS fake and does nothing for immersion. "God Rays" still look worlds more realistic.

RT lighting is like taking a beautiful woman, slapping 6 layers of lipstick, eye shadow and rouge on her. She certainly sticks out more, but she sure as hell looks worse, not better.

 

[Notyou]

Currently In The UK

RX 6600 Cheapest £280 ($350) And That's Via Limited eBay Deal Only Normally £300 ($375)

6500xt Cheapest £170 ($215) Everywhere

Best Bang For Buck Is A 6500XT Just Shows How Bad Market Still Is

 

[Beerfloat]

RT is mostly just fine on Ampere and ok to fine on Turing.

I'd certainly much rather have a GPU that at least gives you the option to try it out. But others might prefer to spend their hundreds of dollars on GPUs that barely have the feature working, and that's cool too.

 

[NightAntilli]

Not much new here. AMD is on average better value, as has always been the case (bar a handful of cards like the 6500XT). nVidia is mostly valuable when you want new shiny features that are not that useful in practice at the time, like ray tracing.

*Puts on flameshield*

 

[ZackL04]

There are a limited number of those in circulation, so it wouldn't be too helpful to most people.

Also someone will sell a 7-year-old card for $20, while someone else will sell it for $200. So it's not really feasible to calculate imo.

Steam survey says their level of GPU power is still most prevalent.

Steve also typically does a great job of pulling average second hand prices too when doing pieces on older hardware.

I partially agree with you based on rarity and random pricing, but the data exists and the cards are still attainable.

 

[ZackL04]

Not much new here. AMD is on average better value, as has always been the case (bar a handful of cards like the 6500XT). nVidia is mostly valuable when you want new shiny features that are not that useful in practice at the time, like ray tracing.

*Puts on flameshield*

DLSS asks you to “take a seat” Chris Hanson style

 

[scavengerspc]

DLSS asks you to “take a seat” Chris Hanson style

It is true that there are some people that like it when graphics get worse.

 

[Biostud]

In Denmark the 6800XT is constantly $80-100 more expensive than the regular RTX 3080.

 

[shark975]

Nvidia dominates the worst values and also the best sellers. fanboys, ladies and gentleman. same people who paid nvidia 2000 dollars for cards with 8gb of vram that are already obsolete. you know who you are. and you're going to pay nvidia 3000 next time, and 2000 in another few months after jen needs 3 more ferrari's...

 

[ZackL04]

It is true that there are some people that like it when graphics get worse.

Yep

its called Faux K. Its most commonly implimented on “4k” Netflix and basically every other streaming service outside of Bravia Core, most home theater projectors (most popular being Epson), PS4 Pros/Xbox One X’s and newer consoles..

The list goes on, everyone is consuming fake 4K wether they “like worse graphics” or not

 

[OptimumSlinky]

I'm trying to even understand what you typed but I just came back from Vacation: Business Class on Emirates JFK-to-Dubai-to-Maldives so I really can't even.

Are you like trying to say something or something?

How you haven't been banned is beyond me.

Also, you buy Alienware desktops; you really shouldn't be bragging about anything.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

The prices are only coming down because they want to dump stock before the 4000/7000 series comes along.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The prices are only coming down because they want to dump stock before the 4000/7000 series comes along.

They haven't been able to keep their models in stock for over a year - hence the crazy prices... now that supply chains are approaching normalcy, inventory is catching up to demand - hence the lower prices.

I suspect Nvidia and AMD will be selling 3000/6000 series cards in abundance long after 4000/7000 are released.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

They haven't been able to keep their models in stock for over a year - hence the crazy prices... now that supply chains are approaching normalcy, inventory is catching up to demand - hence the lower prices.

I suspect Nvidia and AMD will be selling 3000/6000 series cards in abundance long after 4000/7000 are released.

The decline in mining is one of the main reasons why they are becoming more available.

 

[waclark]

As always, you see the world through your little nerd-lens and forgot one category. Those of us with lives and other interests that CAN afford it easily, but have better things to spend our cash on...

I don't know that he forgot that or not, but, I think his point is relevant. That is, $ per frame can be misleading because while one card may have a great $/frame price point, the overall performance may not make it a good buy. In other words, if you're looking to get at least 60fps, a card that only averages 30-40 won't be a good option for you even if it has the lowest cost per frame.

Let's face it, all people buying high-end GPUs are "nerdy" to begin with.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The decline in mining is one of the main reasons why they are becoming more available.

That's just propaganda.... there is very little evidence that mining has impacted GPU prices in any way... it's just a convenient scapegoat for people to point to.

Kind of like companies blaming piracy for lost revenue...

 

[VaRmeNsI]

That's just propaganda.... there is very little evidence that mining has impacted GPU prices in any way... it's just a convenient scapegoat for people to point to.

Kind of like companies blaming piracy for lost revenue...

Rising energy costs and falling Ethereum price and increased difficult has made mining less tenable.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Rising energy costs and falling Ethereum price and increased difficult has made mining less tenable.

And....?
Everything is related, and demand for GPUs are lowering across the board... There are very few reports on % of GPUs used for mining vs gaming (I'd make a separate argument asking why gaming is any better than mining in the first place, but that's for another day)... Many people use their GPUs for BOTH as well... We have no hard evidence that mining has had much of an effect on anything...

 

[VaRmeNsI]

And....?
Everything is related, and demand for GPUs are lowering across the board... There are very few reports on % of GPUs used for mining vs gaming (I'd make a separate argument asking why gaming is any better than mining in the first place, but that's for another day)... Many people use their GPUs for BOTH as well... We have no hard evidence that mining has had much of an effect on anything...

Another reason for lower demand is the end of government restrictions so people can go back to work.

I think the upcoming difficulty update for Ethereum in June will render mining unprofitable for almost everyone.

 

[godrilla]

The prices are only coming down because they want to dump stock before the 4000/7000 series comes along.

My prediction is the pattern is similar to pre Ampere launch remember the 2080ti was selling as low as $400 used on Ebay in the beginning of Summer of 2020 ( especially when Nvidia announced similar performance to 3070 before anyone can predict chip shortages and crypto craze) . We might see a similar pattern here.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I think the upcoming difficulty update for Ethereum in June will render mining unprofitable for almost everyone.

If you mean POS.... I'll believe that when it happens... they've been touting that for ages...

 

[DrewTheBrave]

Glad to see prices are coming back down to earth. I was one of the lucky few who snagged a 3060Ti at MSRP shortly after launch, and it has been a great card for the money (and a massive upgrade over my old GTX 780). Even at MSRP it was by far the most money I've ever spent on a single PC component, but the performance at 1440p and even 4k with HDR and Ray Tracing support (especially with DLSS) is fantastic.
With AMD finally being somewhat competitive in the upper range of the GPU market, I'm eager to see what the next generation brings.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

If you mean POS.... I'll believe that when it happens... they've been touting that for ages...

There is a 'difficulty bomb' due end of June, you can keep track here: www.wenmerge.com

 

[Squid Surprise]

There is a 'difficulty bomb' due end of June, you can keep track here: www.wenmerge.com

Yeah... they've already delayed it like 10 times... when it happens, I'll believe... not until then.