GeForce GTX 970: Correcting The Specs & Exploring Memory Allocation

Why would I buy a 290x for 32k when a cooler, more efficient GPU is giving me the same performance at 28k (GTX970). If AMD could slash prices of the 290x to 25, then they'd really have something.

Its good that they're doing this, because right now their pricing stratergy makes no sense. They still hold the largely untouched lower mid-range with the 260x, 270 and cheaper 270x models. But slightly above that, GTX960 (however badly nerfed it is), is surely better than the (also-nerfed) 285x at 18-19k. No one is buying the 280x at 20-25 range, even the GTX770 was a slight considering at 20ish during all those sales but even that doesn't make a lot of sense. Anyone with some money is going to go all the way out and buy a GTX970 at 27-28k and stopping there or going crazy and getting the GTX980 at 50k. The 290 is sitting pointlessly at 32-35 and I don't even want to talk about the current ridiculous price of the 290x. Also, mining days are over what USP do these AMD cards have any more.
 
GPU pricing in India never made sense and has only gotten worse over the last couple of years, even now none of these price cuts matter to us since we won't see them reflected here.
That 290x now retails for $300 in the US which works out to 18k but here the cheapest one still costs 36k which is only a little bit lesser than its launch price in India.

Thing is, prices never get dynamically updated here according to the market conditions like in the US/Europe where such price wars immediately reflect on major etailers like Newegg, Tigerdirect, Scan, etc
I don't know if it's the AIB partners that aren't interested or the distributors that don't care to communicate and update pricing or pass on the info to our knowledgable retailers who are either super clueless or ready to fleece their customers. I think it was @Crapmypants who got a quote of 13k recently from a dealer for a 560Ti.
I always aim to hit the sweet midrange vfm spot every 2 years (6600GT-8800GT-GTX260-5850-6950) but this time I've already gone for over 3 years since 2014 was the worst year in gaming for me and I didn't see a point in upgrading.
Now there are finally some titles i'm looking forward to so I hope the upcoming cards are priced reasonably (not much hope there really going by the recent 960 pricing). If all else fails i'll probably end up sourcing the 970 from the UK.
 
http://www.techpowerup.com/209409/p...s-being-returned-over-memory-controversy.html

n what is a major fallout of the GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation controversy, leading retailers in the EU are reporting returns of perfectly functional GTX 970 cards citing "false advertising." Heise.de reports that NVIDIA is facing a fierce blowback from retailers and customers over incorrect specs. Heise comments that the specifications "cheating could mean the greatest damage to the reputation of the company's history."
Major German PC hardware retailer Caseking.de says that retailers don't have any explanation from NVIDIA to give to their customers. A similar sentiment is being expressed by the NVIDIA add-in card partners (AICs) we spoke to. Retailers and AIC partners are on their own, for now. One AIC partner rep told us that NVIDIA has no worldwide action plan, as of now, to deal with a potential flood of returns.


In absence of every other recourse, laws in most EU member states dictate that the retailers accept returns for a full refund, if they are not able to "repair" the defect, or exchange with another unit that works as advertised (which a retailer obviously can't, in this case). Retailers' options in the matter boil down to: 1. Taking back cards from whoever isn't happy with their GTX 970 and giving them a refund; 2. compensating with something of value (eg: game-coupons, in-game currency, etc.,) and 3. Springing up a surprise, such as exchanging GTX 970 cards purchased before a set date, with a GTX 980 (if that's your idea of a "repair."). This will come at the expense of a cascading lawsuit-chain (customers suing retailers, who in-turn sue AICs, and who in-turn sue NVIDIA).

NVIDIA, on the other hand, plans to issue a driver update that will "improve" the way the chip allocates resources, but there's no word on whether it re-enables disabled components that NVIDIA wasn't honest about, the first time around. They're counting on the issue to simply blow over, because at $329, there really isn't much you can complain about the GTX 970, given how it's positioned in comparison to the GTX 980.
 
^^ There would obviously be customers who would try to exploit this fiasco to their advantage like try to get a free upgrade to GTX980. nVidia should should just ensure that refunds are given and resell the cards. There is no lack of people who would like to buy them.
 
psyph3r said:
GPU pricing in India never made sense and has only gotten worse over the last couple of years, even now none of these price cuts matter to us since we won't see them reflected here.
That 290x now retails for $300 in the US which works out to 18k but here the cheapest one still costs 36k which is only a little bit lesser than its launch price in India.

Thing is, prices never get dynamically updated here according to the market conditions like in the US/Europe where such price wars immediately reflect on major etailers like Newegg, Tigerdirect, Scan, etc
I don't know if it's the AIB partners that aren't interested or the distributors that don't care to communicate and update pricing or pass on the info to our knowledgable retailers who are either super clueless or ready to fleece their customers. I think it was @Crapmypants who got a quote of 13k recently from a dealer for a 560Ti.
I always aim to hit the sweet midrange vfm spot every 2 years (6600GT-8800GT-GTX260-5850-6950) but this time I've already gone for over 3 years since 2014 was the worst year in gaming for me and I didn't see a point in upgrading.
Now there are finally some titles i'm looking forward to so I hope the upcoming cards are priced reasonably (not much hope there really going by the recent 960 pricing). If all else fails i'll probably end up sourcing the 970 from the UK.
Click to expand...


I feel the same. My previous GPU was a 8800GT which gave above average performance for hardly 10k (when I got it) and I used it till it died on me. Last year when I finally had the money for a new GPU there was simply no other card in 15k (accounting for inflation lol) that could do the same thing. I could've settled for the 660 which was just about assuring me 1080p @ 60fps on pre 2013 games, but probably not in the newer games as I was certain that these next gen consoles would bump up graphics and if not, then atleast have even worse PC ports. Above that, the 660ti was almost 20 (no thank you), the 760 was 20 (out of my budget) and I was left with no option but to get the 270x which was only marginally faster than the 660. Ultimately I scored a cheap but used 280x cause I wanted above average performance till early 2016 at the very least but there was no way I would've got that level of performance for under 25k. Meanwhile in America, new 280x were selling for $300 ....

You are right but they are not clueless. They take ages to make price cuts but should prices go up, they are very quick to implement it. I remember last year when the 270x was launched and it was selling for 14k (Sapphire) - 17k (Asus). Due to mining these cards started selling well and so everyone worldwide raised their prices due to the demand. The retailers here in Indian implemented the higher prices for the 270x within a day or two and held onto it till only a few months ago 15k (Sapphire) - 19k (Asus). They know the market, but why do they make it so unnecessarily expensive and refuse price cuts when they know Indians have lower purchasing powers stumps me.
 
Just saw this,don`t know if it was a pricing error or not.

290x.jpg



http://www.flipkart.com/asus-amd-at...290x&ref=4a68e94d-dafb-42da-90aa-e8010397c105
 
^^ Still too expensive, the price for the 290x just dropped to $300.

It should be priced 3-4k cheaper in India, coming in at 27-28k
 
RD274 said:
You are right but they are not clueless. They take ages to make price cuts but should prices go up, they are very quick to implement it. I remember last year when the 270x was launched and it was selling for 14k (Sapphire) - 17k (Asus). Due to mining these cards started selling well and so everyone worldwide raised their prices due to the demand. The retailers here in Indian implemented the higher prices for the 270x within a day or two and held onto it till only a few months ago 15k (Sapphire) - 19k (Asus). They know the market, but why do they make it so unnecessarily expensive and refuse price cuts when they know Indians have lower purchasing powers stumps me.
Click to expand...
^100% agree with this. I've also seen the 'slow to discount but quick to increase price' policy.
I dont think its our retailers though. i think its the distributors who are doing this since
a) we see this trend across the country be it richie street, nehru place, lamington road, sp road etc
b) not sure but i think even online prices show this trend -was watching the price of the 270x since september and the best deal i can still find online is a vtx3d 270x for 13.2k.
Gpu's are treated as low volume high margin sales for them unlike abroad. they know that anyone buying a gpu has money to spare since its not an essential component for the majority of pc's sold.
And w.r.t. the 13k quote i got for the 560ti, i think that guy was just trying to see if he could rip me off and get rid of old stock at the same time. doubt if that was the actual street price since online prices for the 660 was around 13k at the time.


P.s. not a fanboy but the amd tagline "4gb means 4gb" is hilarious!

Just found a 290(non-x) on flipkart for 28k
http://www.flipkart.com/sapphire-am...btw&affExtParam2=btw-54cb438d70341d2b4daa22fd

There are 290x's for under 30k on ibhejo.com but i have no buying experience with that site.
 
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