Graphics card makers slashing prices

Widening price ranges for graphic cards have been reported in the retail sector, as graphics card manufacturers continue to cut prices on older products to make room for new-generation DirectX 9-supporting cards.

According to industry sources, graphics cards based on Nvidia's latest GeForce FX 5900 (NV35) graphics chips, previously expected to ship at the end of June, are in fact expected to hit the market earlier. In addition, Nvidia is providing more GeForce FX 5600 (NV31) chips to its clients. In the rival ATI Technologies camp, some graphics card manufacturers have been expanding their new product lines by introducing 256MB DDRII-based Radeon 9800 PRO graphics cards.

Graphics card makers say that more significant price cuts have been seen in the Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440-based cards, as the market has seen relatively higher inventories of the products. In Taiwan, GeForce4 MX 400 cards made by well-known brands are now generally quoted at below NT$2,000 (US$58). The GeForce4 Ti 4200-based graphics card, given its similar market positioning to that of Nvidia's new generation high-end product line, is also on the clear-out list. In Taiwan, 128MB GeForce4 Ti 4200 cards are now quoted at NT$4,000-6,000 (US$114-171).

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