Nvidia drops prices on GTX770 and GTX780

Nvidia has announced price drops for the GTX770 and the GTX780 to combat AMD’s new Radeon R9 280X and R9 290X video cards. At the same time, Nvidia is also hitting back with a game bundle to make gamers green with envy.

The new prices are only applicable for the moment to the American, Canadian, Australian, and European markets. Nvidia has not announced price drops for South African retailers as yet, although sources close to MyGaming assured us that we’d see similar drops too.

The GTX770 falls from its $399 price (where it previously challenged the Radeon HD7970) down to $329, to combat the R9 280X. The GTX780, which sat at a comfortable $649 with a 10% performance deficit from the GTX Titan, now drops to $499 to combat AMD’s R9 290X.

The price for the GTX780 Ti has also been revealed to be $699. It may offer slightly higher performance than a GTX Titan, although Nvidia will retain their $1000 GPU in their lineup. Nvidia will be launching the GTX780 Ti on 7 November 2013.

Prices for all other cards in the Geforce 700 and 600 series, as well as the R9 and R7 series from AMD do not change. This is merely a reshuffling of the high-end segment to make room for the Geforce GTX780 Ti. Details on that card are scarce, but what has been revealed so far lines up with predictions made by MyGaming.

To illustrate how the shift has affected AMD’s lineup and the high-end segment, Tech Report has compiled a nice scatter graph which takes into account the average of frame time latency and compares it to the card’s price in Dollars.

GPU placing before new price cuts

Before the price cuts, Nvidia had no way of competing with the R9 290X or the rebranded and readjusted R9 280X. In this graph there is a $100 difference between the GTX770 and the R9 280X and a $100 difference between the GTX780 and the R9 290X.

Note now the launch prices of the Radeon HD5870 and HD6970 compare in terms of the price you paid and the performance you received. The R9 270X offers nearly twice the performance of the HD5870 at half the cost.

GPU placing after new price cuts

Following the price cuts, the GTX770 now offers similar performance for a slightly higher amount than the R9 280X. Nvidia plans to make up for the higher price through game bundles and value-adds such as a voucher for a Geforce Shield and software like Geforce Experience, Nvidia Shadowplay and future compatibility with GSync monitors.

The GTX780 drops down below the R9 290X and now offers comparative performance for a cheaper price. The GTX Titan remains at the $1000 price point owing to its high-end status and ability as a cheap version of a Quadro workstation-class GPU.

There is a noticeable gap now between the GTX770 and the GTX780 of $170. The Radeon R9 290, due to be launched on 31 October, will fit into this price point, offering similar performance to the GTX780 at a lower price, possibly at the $400 range previously occupied by the Radeon HD7970.