
Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/732
Weekly CPU & Video Card Price Guide: March 2001 1st Edition
by Manveer Wasson on March 9, 2001 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Introduction
Welcome to the first installment of the CPU and Video Card Price Guide for March 2001. We publish this article to help you the consumer, find the best deals on the 'net. All the tedious work like finding the best prices and locating reputable retailers has already been done so all you have to do is figure out what product is right for you. As always we encourage the reader to investigate every retailer's reliability before ordering, but we have tried to eliminate typically problematic ones from our price guides.
If you encounter any problems with a vendor on our list, please email us, and we will investigate their removal from our list. Remember that we will only list vendors with positive customer feedback. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know.
Also be sure to check out AnandTech's Hot Deals Forum for even more great CPU, video card and other technology buys.
Disclaimer
AnandTech does not endorse any vendor listed in the following price guide. AnandTech does not receive any advertising fees and/or sponsorship from the listed vendors. All views expressed by listed vendors do not reflect the opinions of AnandTech.
AnandTech, nor any of the vendors mentioned guarantee that the prices listed in this guide are accurate.
This Week
This week we see more price drops in the Pentium 4 line and the mid-range Pentium III line of processors. We also saw some significant price drops in the higher clocked Celeron CPUs.
AMD gives us more of what we want: 1.2GHz Athlon-C processors and unannounced 1.3GHz CPUs. We also saw some hefty price drops in Athlon-C processors (133MHz DDR FSB) introduced in the last price guide. The rest of the Thunderbird and Duron line of processors saw minor fluctuations in price this week.
As for video cards, we see some hefty price drops from the now defunct 3dfx. We also add another new ATI Radeon card to the lineup and note the first pricedrop in Matrox cards in months.
Intel CPUs
AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - Intel | |||||
CPU | Price | Change | Vendor | Shipping | Promotion |
Pentium 4 - 1.5GHz (400) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium 4 - 1.4GHz (400) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium 4 - 1.3GHz (400) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 1.0GHz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 933MHz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 866MHz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 850Mhz (100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 800MHz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 800Mhz (100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 750Mhz (100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 733MHz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 700Mhz (100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 667Mhz (133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 650Mhz (100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-133) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 550MHz (E-100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Pentium III - 500Mhz (E-100) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 800 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 766 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 733 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 700 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 667 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 633 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 600 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 566 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Celeron 533 FC-PGA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
![]() |
The Pentium 4 line of processors continue to drop in price again this week. The 1.5GHz part dropped another $22 this week putting it at $577. We can expect to see the price of this processor to continue to drop over the next few weeks, however it may be several months before we see widespread use of the Pentium 4. The 1.4GHz part saw no change in price this week, but if you are interested in buying a P4, this is the one to get. For more information on the Pentium 4, read our review of it here.
This week, we see some hefty price drops scattered throughout the Pentium III line. The 1.0GHz part continues to drop this week and can now be found for only $243. Other significant price drops came from the mid-range PIII parts. The 800MHz, 750MHz and 733Mhz processors saw $16, $19 and $16 price drops, respectively. The rest of the Pentium III line saw only small price fluctuations this week as they are either already phased out or on their way out.
Intel's newest Celeron, the 800MHz chip, saw a significant price drop of $20 this week putting it at $118. This Celeron has finally dropped to a price where it is a better value than it's Pentium III cousins. The rest of the Celeron line remained quiet this week showing very small price changes.
Related Reviews
Make sure you check out our latest Intel Pentium III Coppermine and Intel Celeron FC-PGA reviews for more information.
Pentium III Reviews | Publication Date |
Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz & 1.5GHz | November 20th, 2000 |
Intel Pentium III 1.13GHz (1133MHz) | July 31st, 2000 |
Intel Pentium III 933 | May 24th, 2000 |
Intel Pentium III 866, 850 | March 20th, 2000 |
Intel Pentium III 1GHz | March 8th, 2000 |
Intel Pentium III 800 & 750 "Coppermine" | December 20th, 1999 |
Intel Pentium III E FC-PGA (Socket-370) | October 26th, 1999 |
Intel Pentium III E "Coppermine" (Slot-1) | October 25th, 1999 |
Celeron Reviews | Publication Date |
Intel Celeron 800 | January 3rd, 2001 |
Intel Celeron 700 | June 26th, 2000 |
Overclocking the FC-PGA Celeron | April 17th, 2000 |
Intel Celeron 600 "Coppermine128" | March 29th, 2000 |
AMD CPUs
AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - AMD | |||||
CPU | Price | Change | Vendor | Shipping | Promotion |
Athlon Thunderbird 1.33GHz (266MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.3GHz (200MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz (200MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz (266MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.13GHz (266MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.1GHz (200Mhz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.0GHz (266MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 1.0GHz (200MHz) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 950MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 900MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 850MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 800MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 750MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon Thunderbird 700MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 1.0GHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 950MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 900MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 850MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 800MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 750MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 700MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Athlon 650MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 850MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 800MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 750MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 700MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 650MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
|
Duron 600MHz |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
OEM
|
![]() |
This week we see three new high-end processors from AMD. First we have the 1.3GHz Athlon and the 1.33GHz Athlon-C (133MHz DDR FSB). We expect AMD to officially announce these processors at the end of March. At that time the price of those chips should drop significantly.
Next we have the 1.2GHz Athlon-C. Even though this part just started showing up on the OEM market, it is only $12 more than its 200MHz FSB brother. Until the 1.3GHz CPU's are officially announced, we recommend buying the 1.2GHz parts for high-end solutions as they are significantly cheaper. The 1.13GHz Athlon-C has also had a large drop in price this week. It can now be found for $222. It should be noted that a motherboard that supports the 266MHz (133MHz DDR) FSB is required to take advantage of Athlon-C processors.
The rest of the Thunderbird line of processors remained relatively stable this week. The 1.0GHz Thunderbird dropped $11 making it a steal at just under $170. The 850MHz part is also a good deal for those looking to build a cost-effective, midrange performance system.
AMD's "classic" Slot-A Athlons saw a slight downward trend in prices this week. The largest price drop came from the 900MHz chip which can be found for $179. The 900MHz part is still the best buy in this category as it is relatively cheap and offers excellent performance for the current Slot-A motherboard owner. Those looking to upgrade an older Athlon system need only upgrade their motherboard's BIOS is order to support these higher clocked Athlons.
The low-cost Duron line of processors showed some slight price drops this week as well The 850MHz chip can now be found for $78, however the 800MHz part is still a better deal for only $63. Those interested in overclocking should look to the Duron 700MHz, which is a steal at only $46.
If you are looking for a truly cheap Duron system you may have to wait some time as there are currently no low-cost motherboards for these processors. Expect motherboards based on the SiS 730S and KM133 chipsets to be the best solution for cost-effective systems as they include integrated video and sound which can greatly reduce the cost of systems.
Related Reviews
Make sure you check out our latest Athlon and Duron reviews for more information.
Athlon Reviews | Publication Date |
VIA’s KT133A Socket-A Chipset: AMD 760 Performance without DDR SDRAM | December 21st, 2000 |
AMD's 760 Chipset: DDR for the Athlon is here | October 30th, 2000 |
ALi MAGiK 1: The Athlon gets a second DDR platform | November 29th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1.2GHz & Duron 800MHz | October 17th, 2000 |
DDR SDRAM - AMD Athlon Performance Preview | September 14th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1.1GHz | August 28th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1 GHz / 800 MHz | June 4th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon 1GHz, 950MHz, 900MHz | March 6th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon 850 | February 14th, 2000 |
AMD Athlon 800 | December 20th, 1999 |
AMD Athlon 750 | November 29th, 1999 |
AMD Athlon 700 | October 4th, 1999 |
AMD Athlon | August 9th, 1999 |
Duron Reviews | Publication Date |
AMD Duron 850MHz | January 8th, 2001 |
AMD Duron 800MHz | October 17th, 2000 12:56 AM |
AMD Duron 750 | September 5th, 2000 12:00 PM |
AMD Duron | June 19th, 2000 12:00 PM |
Video Cards
AnandTech Weekly Video Card Prices | |||||
Video Card Model | Price | Change | Vendor | Shipping | Promotion |
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 AGP |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 AGP |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 PCI |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
3dfx Voodoo3 3500TV AGP |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON 64MB DDR |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR (Retail) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR LE (OEM) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON 32MB VE |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON 32MB SDR |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
ATI RADEON ALL-IN-WONDER |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 ULTRA 64MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 PRO 64MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 64MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB VIVO (ASUS V7700 Deluxe) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 32MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
PowerVR KYRO 64MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
Matrox G450 32MB (DualHead) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
Matrox G400 32MB |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
The reader should note that 3dfx's acquisition by NVIDIA will result in them not being able to provide support for their cards so purchase a Voodoo3/4/5 card at your own risk. This week we saw some significant price drops on all 3dfx cards. The Voodoo5 5500 PCI is an excellent value for those looking to add 3D acceleration to a motherboard without an AGP slot. The Voodoo3 3500 showed the most significant price drop this week and now sells for a mere $65. This is an excellent bargain for those looking to add TV in and out capability to their PC and are not necessarily concerned with the highest 3D performance.
We have added the Radeon 32MB VE card to our ATI lineup. This card adds dual display support to the standard Radeon 32MB SDR. We'd recommend this card over the standard Radeon SDR to non-gamers as it adds a useful feature for a $6 premium but it is considerably slower in 3D performance. The rest of the Radeon line of cards remained stable pricewise this week.
We should note that several readers have pointed out that there are a few major differences between the Radeon 32MB DDR (Retail) and the Radeon 32MB DDR LE (OEM) which many online retailers fail to point out. The Radeon LE is actually a crippled version of the Retail card and does not feature ATI's Hyper-Z technology. It is important that readers understand this because Hyper-Z can have a significant effect on performance. The Radeon LE was originally meant to be an OEM product for some of the Asian markets. However the success of the product in those markets was overestimated and ATI was forced to bring the product to the North American market. The Radeon LE chips are generally composed of those chips that fail to work properly as fully functional Radeon solutions, meaning that they are often clocked at lower core frequencies and may not have fully functional HyperZ units. Many readers have been reporting success with overclocking their Radeon LEs as well as by forcing HyperZ to be enabled on the boards however proceed with your own risk as there are no guarantees. For more information consult the AnandTech Forums.
Although the GeForce 3 has been announced for both the PC and Mac,
we have still not seen it hit the OEM markets yet. We expect to see it hit the
streets late this month or early next month. This week, the GeForce Ultra dropped
a decent $16 in price putting it at $339. However, we do not recommend buying
this card as the GeForce 3 will be released very soon which could drive prices
even lower. The GeForce2 Pro saw a sharp drop in price this week. We expect
the rest of the GeForce2 line of cards to drop in price once the GeForce3 hits
the shelves. Those looking for a low-end bargain should consider the GeForce2 MX; this
card offers excellent 3D performance at a low price.
The PowerVR KYRO 64MB saw no change in price this week. This card is a unique alternative to the 3dfx Voodoo and NVIDIA GeForce cards. What makes this card unique is it's tile based rendering engine. Although this is not the most popular card on the block, it does have a decent user backing and maturing drivers not to mention a very competitive price.
For the first time in months we see a tangible drop in a Matrox card. The G450 32MB DualHead dropped $21 putting it at $102. Those looking for excellent dual display capability may wish to purchase the Matrox card as it has proven itself well in this category. For more information check out our Dual Display Comparison.
Related Reviews
Make sure you check out our latest video card reviews for more information.
Video Card Reviews | Publication Date |
3dfx Voodoo5
5500AGP |
July 11th, 2000 |
3dfx Voodoo5 5500PCI | August 4th, 2000 |
3dfx Voodoo4
4500AGP |
October 23rd, 2000 |
ATI Radeon
64MB DDR |
July 17th, 2000 |
ATI Radeon
VE 32MB |
February 19 , 2001 |
ATI Radeon 32MB SDR | October 13th, 2000 |
NVIDIA GeForce
2 GTS 32MB |
April 26th, 2000 |
NVIDIA GeForce
2 GTS 64MB |
June 21st, 2000 |
NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro 64MB | December 5th, 2000 |
NVIDIA GeForce2
Ultra |
August 14th, 2000 |
NVIDIA GeForce2
MX |
June 28th, 2000 |
ASUS V7700
Deluxe (32MB GeForce2 GTS VIVO) |
November 3rd, 2000 |
Imagination
Technologies / STMicro PowerVR Series 3: KYRO |
June 7th, 2000 |
Matrox Millennium
G400 & G400MAX |
May 20th, 1999 |
Matrox Millennium
G450 |
September 5th, 2000 |