AMD's Radeon RX480 GPU is VR ready for just $199

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For its upcoming Polaris GPUs, AMD doesn't just want to entice hardcore gamers. Instead, it's aiming to bring virtual reality-capable PCs to just about everyone with its new Radeon RX480 video card, which will retail for a mere $199. The RX480 is capable of more than five teraflops of computing power, whereas NVIDIA's new GTX 1070 packs in over six teraflops for $380, and the high-end GTX 1080 sports around nine teraflops for $600. On paper alone, AMD's new card is an astounding value -- and one that NVIDIA can't yet counter without lowering prices.

The RX480 is based on AMD's new Polaris architecture, and it'll be available in 4GB and 8GB memory configurations. It will support AMD's Freesync technology to smooth out frame rates, as well as HDR gaming with DisplayPort 1.3/1.4 support.

Really, though, the key selling point of the RX480 is its price. Currently, the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift require video cards costing around $300 at the minimum. By delivering a $199 card that's VR capable, AMD has dramatically lowered the cost of entry to VR for consumers. It's also a smart strategy for AMD, since NVIDIA has sewn up the high-end and mid-range market with the GTX 1080 and 1070.

Posted: Jun 01, 2016 4:21 pm
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2016/05/31/amds-radeon-rx480-gpu-is-vr-ready-for-just-199/

Comments

SwiftPosted: Wed. Jun 01, 2016

Well I guess the value of my 970 just dropped by a lot with this announcement.

I wonder if this is going to be the GPU in the upgraded xbox one.

EternityPosted: Wed. Jun 01, 2016

Yea, this is great and all. But until we see some real-world performance in many titles, I am still set on a custom 1080. Other sites have pointed out that the 480 is positioned right between the Titan X and 1070.

I will agree, the price is a very compelling point. If I buy two of them, I am above the performance of a single 1080. This card is a very, very good choice for the mid-range market. But again, without rigorous testing results we have seen with the 1080 and 1070, I don't really have a reason to consider at this point, especially because I don't want to stick around at 1080p.

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