After getting partially undercut by Nvidia’s GeForce 8800 GT and GeForce 8800 GS graphics cards, AMD’s Radeon HD 3870 and 3850 cards are expected to receive further competition from Nvidia tomorrow. (Recent rumors suggest Nvidia will introduce a purported GeForce 9600 GT on Thursday, raising pressure on AMD in the sub-$200 range.) Perhaps in light of those events, AMD seems have quietly trimmed the prices of its Radeon HD 3800 graphics cards. The Radeon HD 3870, which was available only at $210 and up last month, can now be nabbed for as little as $189.99 on Newegg. Several other models are also priced at $199.99, including this Sapphire card. As for the Radeon HD 3850, it’s widely available at $169.99—roughly $10 less than its launch price.
The new prices aren’t huge departures from the launch figures, but they do make the Radeons more competitive in the face of Nvidia’s offerings. For reference, the cheapest GeForce 8800 GT model Newegg offers today is priced at $219.99. According to DigiTimes, AMD expects e-tailers to overcharge for GeForce 9600 GTs when they come out because of short supply and high demand, which could push it over the $200 mark. (Thanks to Hexus for the heads-up.)
Update 02/21: Newegg now offers the Radeon HD 3850 for as little as $149.99 and the Radeon HD 3870 for as little as $184.99.
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