Nvidia Corporation’s Ethical Pricing Problem – Monopolistic Price Skimming or Fair Value?

[Meladath]

Completely untrue, you're just excusing the fact that AMD ARE lower quality products

Citation needed

*If* AMD offered a better product they could charge much more as well, branding wouldn't matter.

You mean like the majority of the products they offer?
The power consumption of maxwell is nowhere near as amazing as people make it out to be, yet people still buy them purely on that basis. At stock, sure the 970 and 980 just about have the same power consumption as nvidia likes to brag about, but as soon as you start overclocking? They use similar power amounts to hawaii, quite a few reviews show this.

They most certainly are more efficient, they produce less heat. However they are also more expensive and newer technology. Hardly "a better product". Since you mentioned they could charge what they want, I am assuming you mean a more powerful card, like how the Titan X has no competition?

Their problem is the user experience is not as good as other brands and never has been, even back in the day when they made terrific Athlon processors they were severely let down by poor quality chipsets which is why lots of people still bought slower Intel's.

So because the motherboard manufactures had some bad chipsets... it was AMD's fault? Back then both north and southbridges were solely on the motherboard with nothing like that on the CPU right? A reason why the Core 2 and prior eras were far more complicated to get a custom build?

I would be lying if I said I was around when the dreaded netburst was, but from what I understand, few enthusiasts bought Intel at that time?

In terms of GPU's their drivers and post-sale software support and experience as a whole (working with developers etc) is still severely lacking compared to NVidia but deny it and blame marketing if it makes you feel better.

Their driver support for games isn't as good, thats most certainly true. The drivers themselves though? They are just as good, not to mention leagues better multi-monitor support.

"Post-sale software support" The problem with this reason is that its pretty much impossible to measure. Personally I had nothing but problems with geforce experience and nvidia control panel, they crashed more times than I could count and didn't work half the time on my 770's. While AMD gaming evolved (basically a reskinned raptr) doesn't look anywhere near as nice, at least it works (although far from perfect, from what I have heard shadowplay is better as it has more recording options and stuff)

Again though, this is entirely subject to personal experience.

 

[humbug]

Completely untrue, you're just excusing the fact that AMD ARE lower quality products by trying to make out that everyone are brainwashed idiots buying NVidia whatever happens.

*If* AMD offered a better product they could charge much more as well, branding wouldn't matter. Their problem is the user experience is not as good as other brands and never has been, even back in the day when they made terrific Athlon processors they were severely let down by poor quality chipsets which is why lots of people still bought slower Intel's. In terms of GPU's their drivers and post-sale software support and experience as a whole (working with developers etc) is still severely lacking compared to NVidia but deny it and blame marketing if it makes you feel better.

Another example, Nvidia's marketing is in your text and you don't even realise it.

 

[chroniclard]

Bottom line, nvidia "currently" sell better products.

 

[Dave2150]

I have got plenty of 4gb and 6gb cards already and it is not enough now.

4-6GB is enough for 99% of all gamers out there.

It's not enough for the 1% who are able/want to spend £2000-£5000 on a machine solely for gaming, then spend a silly amount on multiple 4k or even 5k monitors.

Obviously Titan X is aimed at this 1%, many here don't seem to understand this.

I see no problem with the prices, as it's a similar to the 5960X from Intel - it's for the 1% of the population who can justify/afford one.

 

[africanos23]

4-6GB is enough for 99% of all gamers out there.

It's not enough for the 1% who are able/want to spend £2000-£5000 on a machine solely for gaming, then spend a silly amount on multiple 4k or even 5k monitors.

Obviously Titan X is aimed at this 1%, many here don't seem to understand this.

I see no problem with the prices, as it's a similar to the 5960X from Intel - it's for the 1% of the population who can justify/afford one.

That's the truth of the matter you should be good at or below 1440p with 4-6GB for now. I mentioned previously that 1% (4K+) users are just over 1 million people punching numbers from Steam stats.

 

[eddyr]

Obviously Titan X is aimed at this 1%, many here don't seem to understand this.

I see no problem with the prices, as it's a similar to the 5960X from Intel - it's for the 1% of the population who can justify/afford one.

Not at all, the concept is as simple to understand as the sentence. It is not specifically about individual purchases or that there are people/demographic who can afford or justify an expensive purchase (as much as some take it to be). Some of the language choice and expression is unfortunate in that it draws the defensive response or mantra.

The fact is the equivalent tier product that used to be purchasable for around ~£450 not that long ago now enters the market at ~£900 (admittedly a little BoM cost increase), relative to which gradually each product tier below proportionately marked up. The effect trickles down (ahh good old trickle down economics ). Precedent is set and everyone is affected to an extent. The group who are more than willing to pay top dollar are complicit in making it more expensive for themselves and others. As everyone rightly mentions free market and all that. These are observations that if brought up people get the hump. They shouldn't by nature as they were willing to pay and could afford it and weren't bothered. Well great, enjoy the cards, as I'm sure they do. It doesn't undo the first part of this paragraph or the fact that plenty of consumers/enthusiasts aren't happy about the change and will want to voice it and the very clear reasons for it.

I mean come on, shoot the consumer for daring to want more for less and better value for their £. Or in this case similar for their £.

 

[Sin_Chase]

It's an outrage, the pricing on the utility/human right that is a GPU is just spiralling out of control!

Sarcasm aside - Buy what you can afford. If you do not want to/cannot afford to buy the expensive stuff - Do not.

It's not your right to own such cards, you are not entitled to own such cards. Gaming, and by extension, GPUs, are a luxury.

 

[Gregster]

Jermey Kyle contestants need not apply.

 

[Squink]

I mean come on, shoot the consumer for daring to want more for less and better value for their £. Or in this case similar for their £.

Rest assured there is a small number of vociferous posters on this very forum trying to shout down anyone raising the points covered in your excellent post. Almost as if their willingness to pay out huge sums for (in this case) nVidia's heavily loaded products is a badge of honour with which to show their loyalty to "their" company and also to their hobby. In reality none of this is good news for PC gaming.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Rest assured there is a small number of vociferous posters on this very forum trying to shout down anyone raising the points covered in your excellent post. Almost as if their willingness to pay out huge sums for (in this case) nVidia's heavily loaded products is a badge of honour with which to show their loyalty to "their" company and also to their hobby. In reality none of this is good news for PC gaming.

The PC Gaming market has never been in a better place. Nor has it had SUCH a wide variety of capable hardware that suits SUCH a wide scope of price and performance point.

PC Gaming is hugely accessible. Why are you butthurt that there are some halo products for those who want them?

Does the Le Ferrari Le Ferrari dilute/mean bad news for the automotive industry? No.

 

[D.P.]

This a thousand times over.

AMD could release a card that uses 150W, is as fast as a titan X and only costs £300 but people would still but nvidia over it even if they knew about the AMD card. I mean after all people still buy the 970 over the 290 and the 960 over the 280.

I mean at least the 970 I can understand due to generally slightly better sub 1440p performance, less power use and runs quite a substantial amount cooler. But the 960? Slower, less VRAM and more expensive? LMFAO its a joke!

I have given up trying to understand why.

It's so far gone, that EVEN AFTER nvidia screwed people over with the 970 memory fiasco and people sent them back.. people ACTUALLY got a 980! I mean seriously? SERIOUSLY? That is literally paying the company more money because they screwed you over.

The reason why is very simole, support. Driver support, software support, games suppirt, slightly support, feature support, customer support.

Who cares if a card is a few FPS faster but you have to wait 4 months to get drivers?

 

[Tonester0011]

Rest assured there is a small number of vociferous posters on this very forum trying to shout down anyone raising the points covered in your excellent post. Almost as if their willingness to pay out huge sums for (in this case) nVidia's heavily loaded products is a badge of honour with which to show their loyalty to "their" company and also to their hobby. In reality none of this is good news for PC gaming.

You sure do talk some rubbish.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

Different people have different amount of disposable income, labeling them and proud fanboys because people are willing to pay for a top end card they can afford just seems to make you look jealous more than anything else...

 

[chroniclard]

I cant quite believe there is brand loyalty in this area. Personally when upgrading I just buy the best I can at the price point I want to pay. Had virtually every brand in history.

 

[Gregster]

Rest assured there is a small number of vociferous posters on this very forum trying to shout down anyone raising the points covered in your excellent post. Almost as if their willingness to pay out huge sums for (in this case) nVidia's heavily loaded products is a badge of honour with which to show their loyalty to "their" company and also to their hobby. In reality none of this is good news for PC gaming.

So we should buy 750Tis or 270s then? Would that be better? Just out of curiosity, what GPU and CPU do you have?

 

[Squink]

Does the Le Ferrari Le Ferrari dilute/mean bad news for the automotive industry? No.

Why are you so desperate to defend a near 100pc raise in the price point of the flagship card?

I hesitate to use the term "lol" in a post because in reality it's never so side splittingly funny that I laugh aloud, but comparing the automative industry to the comparatively insignificant GPU market in a totally different sector and drawing direct comparisons between a Ferrari and a Titan X? Nearly lol.

 

[Tonester0011]

I cant quite believe there is brand loyalty in this area. Personally when upgrading I just buy the best I can at the price point I want to pay. Had virtually every brand in history.

I buy whatever i can get my hands on, if AMD manage to sort out problems with 144hz/1440p then i'll gladly move back to them more often, as of late i've been reluctant to buy any 290/290Xs just because of the aforementioned problem

 

[Tonester0011]

Why are you so desperate to defend a near 100pc raise in the price point of the flagship card?

I hesitate to use the term "lol" in a post because in reality it's never so side splittingly funny that I laugh aloud, but comparing the automative industry to the comparatively insignificant GPU market in a totally different sector and drawing direct comparisons between a Ferrari and a Titan X? Nearly lol.

His comparison was to the 'halo' aspect of the Titan, the laferrari would be one such product.
I hate car analogues like the next bloke, would take that over your gibberish any day.

 

[ALXAndy]

Why are you so desperate to defend a near 100pc raise in the price point of the flagship card?

I hesitate to use the term "lol" in a post because in reality it's never so side splittingly funny that I laugh aloud, but comparing the automative industry to the comparatively insignificant GPU market in a totally different sector and drawing direct comparisons between a Ferrari and a Titan X? Nearly lol.

 

[Kaapstad]

4-6GB is enough for 99% of all gamers out there.

It's not enough for the 1% who are able/want to spend £2000-£5000 on a machine solely for gaming, then spend a silly amount on multiple 4k or even 5k monitors.

Obviously Titan X is aimed at this 1%, many here don't seem to understand this.

I see no problem with the prices, as it's a similar to the 5960X from Intel - it's for the 1% of the population who can justify/afford one.

Sadly for you your argument falls flat on it's face.

Check with Gibbo how many 4k monitors he is selling and what he expects to sell next year and you will realise how wrong you are.

Don't take my word for it, ask the guy who sells the monitors.