AGP and PCI Express Cards - Price

[akif]

Hi all,
I was wondering how long will it take to drop the prices of AGP cards after the launch of PCI Express cards in the market. I guess ATI has released its first PCI Express product (correct me if i m wrong).
So i m waiting for a dramatic drop in AGP product prices (in my dreams), as budget is a great concern for me.

Any ideas ???

[deddard]

I doubt there will be a huge drop any time soon after launch.
The underlying technology will be very similar at the heart of the two devices - it's how they interface with the bus that is the big change. NVidia's latest batch of chips will work with AGP and PCI express.

You have to remember that the vast majority of people now have standard ATX AGP mobos, so the change is going to be gradual. It isn't like the old days when ISA, EISA and VESA were all changing positions within a year or two.
It's more like when PCI took over from these technologies, but with the twist that AGP is pretty good for today's needs - the old ISA, VESA etc were slow as 3 legged dogs, but although the PCI express will have the capacity to far outstrip AGP, AGP can still perform the duties demanded of it, so no-one's going to bin their mobo and card (especially if it's a high-end card!) just to switch to PCI express. If manufacturers slow down their production of AGP, so the technology lags behind PCI express, then that's when the price differences will start to really occur.

An average PC has a worthwhile life of around 3 years, so expect to see improvements coming in 18 months or so, and AGP to be old hat 3 years from now.

[malcore]

Originally posted by deddard
NVidia's latest batch of chips will work with AGP and PCI express.


That's true, but with a caveat. NVidia's newest chips require a second chip or "bridge" to be added to function on PCI-E. Their newest chips are not "native" PCI-E capable.

ATI and NVidia have taken different approaches in regards to their first generation of PCI-E products. NVidia will utilize the same chips that are in their 6800 line, but will require an add-on chip or "bridge". ATI on the other hand, is producing entirely separate chips. One set for AGP and an entirely different set for "native" PCI-E.

I agree there won't be great savings for quite some time. The PC is slowly getting a complete facelift. PCI-E, DDR2 (which may come and go in a flash, to be quickly replaced by DDR3), SATA2, the BTX format, etc. It will be a slow changeover and will be dependent upon consumer demand.

It will be some time before either of ATI's or NVidia's new AGP cards will come down to respectable prices. In fact the opposite may be quite possible. When PCI-E becomes more widespread, AGP (because of the laws of supply and demand) may become MORE expensive. Look at the difference in price between DDR and regular PC100/133 SDRAM. DDR is in fact cheaper, but is the newer and superior technology.

The previous generation of AGP cards may come down much sooner however, like the 9800 Pro/XT or the 5900/5950.

[akif]

Thx malcore and Deddard for the information

Now if i want to buy a DirectX 9 supporting AGP card, whats the best choice with economy bieng the prime concern?