
AMD’s Radeon RX 480 is so good, nVIDIA had to retaliate with the GTX 1060.
The Radeon RX 480 is AMD’s low-cost solution for a common problem of most PC users today.
The majority of home PC Users in 2016 are gamers. However, they are not avid gamers who want to play and stream the newest titles with all settings on Ultra or higher. They do want their gaming experience to be done at a comfortable 60 fps, the main reason why they chose a desktop and not a console in the first place.
Nevertheless, the big turn off for desktop users is the price of video cards. Even though it is very much worth it, PC users often have difficulty in paying $300 or more for a single component in their rig.
The Radeon RX 480 is currently available for $200. This is the lowest price tech of this level has ever been at.
Earlier this year, nVIDIA announced their 1070 and GTX 1080 models, guaranteeing better graphics at lower prices than ever before. The world was in shock to learn that quality ultra gaming and VR gaming were so much more accessible than initially believed. This accessibility still came with a hefty price but it was in the range of a much broader audience.
Radeon RX vs nVIDIA GTX
The Radeon RX 480 is not meant to be the card that competes with the GTX 1080 and takes it down both in quality in price. It is, however, winning the race against the nVIDIA GTX 970, a solid choice model which came out in the second half of 2014.
So why is it good that a new Radeon card is better than a two-year-old card from nVIDIA?
First of all, a newer card means newer core architecture, as well as more solid compatibility with newer titles and driver compatibility with operating systems.
Secondly, the Radeon RX 480 was designed and benchmarked with released VR technology and games, while older video cards either did not account for it or ran benchmarks with previous more buggy models.
Last,y. the price of the nVIDIA GTX 970 has gone down in the past couple of years since its release but is still nowhere near the price of a Radeon RX 480.
After logically looking at the performance benchmarks users only need to ask themselves if they would rather choose nVIDIA or save more than $100 on their video card purchase.
Nevertheless, nVIDIA has not been sitting idly in regards to Radeon’s endeavors. While prices for the GTX 970 will remain the same, nVIDIA announced their GTX 1060 model. The GTX 1060 currently is rated at being at least 15% more efficient in 1080p ultra gaming and in VR gaming than the RX 480. It will be priced at $249
While the Radeon RX 480 will still retain the best tech/price ratio, the nVIDIA GTX 1060 wants to be seen as doing the same for the current generation of gaming. The Radeon RX 480 is already available with the nVIDIA GTX 1060 coming July 19th.
Image Courtesy of AMD’s YouTube Channel.