NVIDIA 9500 GT: Mainstream Graphics Update
by Derek Wilson on September 5, 2008 10:15 PM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Final Words
This is not an exciting launch. The 9500 GT doesn't offer much more performance than the 8600 GT it replaces. The price is okay at between $70 and $80, but the 8600 GT can be had for the same cost as well. While this is a different class of hardware than integrated graphics, these are still just cards for people who aren't invested in playing today's games.
We have gotten used to not expecting much from sub $100 parts. Graphics card companies need to make money, and we can't expect them to give away hardware will killer features and performance. But there are multiple issues with the current state of low end graphics.
Setting the bar too low makes it so that game developers have to put time and energy into targeting crappy hardware. Putting time into making the game work takes away from the time and energy they could available for making the game better. This is a much more difficult than developing for consoles, as their target is relatively high at launch and doesn't change for a good 4 or 5 years. With the current worries over piracy on the PC, we don't need any more difficulty thrown at developers. Giving consumers a reasonable baseline performance for less than $100 is essential to keep game developers interested in and writing for the PC.
Additionally, people who have cheap hardware don't know what they are missing with higher performance parts, but they have no way to experience something that looks good enough to show them why they should care. What we want to see are low end parts that can run all the latest and greatest features that the high end cards can run at reasonable frame rates at very low resolutions. I don't care if it's 640x480 at 30 frames per second, we need hardware that can push through very complex shaders and textures for the good of the PC gaming industry.
It is possible that Larrabee could be a disruptive technology in this market. If Intel is able to deliver a top to bottom launch on day one with volume on all parts, the way graphics hardware is addressed could see a fundamental shift. We might just see the competition realize that they need to change their ways and address the all important low end space with new generations as quickly as possible.
If NVIDIA and AMD can't adjust their strategy for the good of the industry, they might reassess things for the good of their bottom line once a true third competitor comes along in the graphics space. While we still don't know how Larrabee will perform, or even how Intel will approach real desktop graphics, we have a lot of hope that even if this x86 based graphics hardware falls on its face that the competition will not place its hope on Intel's failure.
NVIDIA and AMD need to have a healthy fear and respect for Intel, if only due to the size of their research, development, fabrication, and marketing budgets. The sheer volume of money Intel can pour into this project and not bat an eye is huge. We hope, for their sakes and ours, that NVIDIA and AMD realize this fact.
Who knows, maybe NVIDIA and AMD are already betting on Intel pushing forward with a top to bottom launch of competitive hardware. Maybe they are hard at work on a strategy to improve the quality of the low end hardware they offer and to bring out their parts for a given generation all at once.
And maybe next year we'll see Duke Nukem Forever.
It's nice to dream sometimes ...
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djfourmoney - Sunday, September 7, 2008 - link
HD4670 crushes it and its already available in Europe for 67-77 Euro depending on website. That's under $100-105US and while the 9600GT is around $150 online (before rebate) I don't ASSUME rebates will happen and I don't purchase based on rebates.For people with say Dell 530's like my mother's PC, most people can't afford to spend more than $100 or aren't willing too.
Hardcore PC gamers should not confuse themselves with "average" PC users, you aren't one of them and they aren't one of you. If feel spending $200 on a card is justifted, I for one don't. I am a console loyalist that occasionally plays games on the PC. Now that my PC and Console and connected to the same monitor, I don't have to leave the room to play either. I plan on combining both, but I still have a PS2 and I haven't moved on to a PS3 yet and price really as nothing to do with it.
I priced it out and its much cheaper for me to buy a few PC titles and a decent video card, than a PS3 used or new. MS just reduced the cost of the Xbox 360 to $199 and I recently talked a co-worker into buying a new PC and he gave his old one to his son. Great, however he wants to play Rock Band and ummm the current GPU won't cut it. I suggested a 9600GT at first, but I'll tell him to pick up a HD4670 and while it won't run quite as fast as the 9600GT, its close enough and the price is right. He was about to buy his son a Xbox 360, but I told him he could get a good card and that's one less thing he'll be buying his son for Xmas, since many Games For Windows titles are Xbox 360 titles too.
The PC game market needs better titles more accessable games, accesable graphics. They should also look into selling bundled video cards with a few included titles, not just one. Most PC owners may only have one game, maybe too. As more people are connecting there PC's to HDTV's and using there PC's at Media Centers, this is yet another chance for the PC Game market to captialize on this.
frozentundra123456 - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
Another way to improve graphics upgradability on consumer PCs would be to build OEM computers with a better power supply. Almost any computer you buy from a best buy type store will have a power supply that is only around 300 watts. This limits upgrades from integrated graphics to an HD3650 or 9500GT type card, and even then the power supply is still marginal.I agree that spending 50 to 100 dollars more on the graphics card will give much better performance per dollar, but one then has to upgrade the power supply which adds another 100 dollars or so to the price. Also upgrading the power supply is something most non-technical users might not want to attempt, while simply dropping in a graphics card is something almost anyone can do.
Since the manufacturer has to include a power supply anyway (obviously), how much more could it cost to make it 400 to 500 watts instead of 300?? The user would then be able to upgrade to a mid-level card instead of the low end without having to upgrade the power supply anyway.
GaryJohnson - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
The OEMs don't really have any incentive to do that. It would decrease profit and the average computer user wouldn't know the difference. Besides, they'd much rather you come back and buy a whole new PC from them when you decide you need an upgrade.idealego - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
You can buy passively cooled 9500 GTs for about $70, maybe less. This appeals to some people for a number of reasons: it's cheap, it's silent, it has a low power supply requirement and some people simply don't play newer, demanding games.For example, I have a friend who plays nothing but WoW and has a crappy, big-brand computer with the stock power supply. For him this video card is perfect, as it's cheap, it's silent and and he can be fairly sure his power supply isn't going to have a problem with it.
VooDooAddict - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
You summed it up well.There are many people out there who only play World of Warcraft and web games.
feelingshorter - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
Strengths? ATI is already in the works to release their 4670, which beats the 9500GT by a very large margin. It was benchmarked on some chinese website. Infact nvidia is already in the works to also release a 9550GT in response.idealego - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
I could have also said "the strengths of this class of video card". I don't care who has the best $70 card--the point is simply that these video cards fill a niche for some people.feelingshorter - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
Unbelievable what nvidia is doing, releasing so many cards. 9400gt/9500gt/9600gt/9600GSO/9800gt/9800GTX. I was looking for a sub 100 video card but i think ill just put out more $ and buy a 4850.tacoburrito - Saturday, September 6, 2008 - link
I think most of the low end cards are OEMs only. I'm guessing that the machines that churn out these GPUs are not reliable in producing chips capable of the same specs. This could be why Nvidia have to repackage them into a low end and sub-low end. Fuuny thing is that I don't see AMD with the same dilemna with their Radeon HD lineup.It is hard to even justify paying $70 for a card when a mere $50 more would net you a sub-high end 9800GT.
Clauzii - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
Nice article. It -looks- like nVidia need to up their midrange even more, since the prices keep them from doing much at the moment.