HEXUS put NVIDIA's latest-greatest, the GeForce GTX 280, through its paces yesterday and surmised that it easily takes the mantle of fastest single-GPU graphics-card.
However, priced at around £450 on launch day, we stated that the GTX 280 is simply too expensive and doesn't provide the required bang4buck.
Nonetheless, there's always an audience for the card that can boast being the fastest single-GPU option of them all, and one day on, we take a look at availability and pricing from some of the leading online retailers in the UK market. Please be aware that the following table is correct as of 11:00, Tuesday June 17th.
| etailer | Product | Availability | Price (inc. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scan.co.uk | BFG Tech GTX 280 OC | In stock | £469.13 |
| XFX GTX 280 | In stock | £457.38 | |
| ASUS GTX 280 TOP | Pre-order | £457.38 | |
| ASUS GTX 280 | Pre-order | £433.88 | |
| EVGA GTX 280 SC | Pre-order | £519.35 | |
| EVGA GTX 280 | Pre-order | £471.68 | |
| Gainward GTX 280 | Pre-order | £433.88 | |
| GIGABYTE GTX 280 | Pre-order | £433.88 | |
| UK-based HEXUS.community readers can benefit from free shipping with Scan.co.uk | |||
| Dabs.com | XFX GTX 280 | In stock | £457.36 |
| EVGA GTX 280 SC | Pre-order (due in 3-4 days) | £518.99 | |
| EVGA GTX 280 | Pre-order (due in 3-4 days) | £470.99 | |
| BFG GTX 280 | Pre-order (due in 1-2 days) | £469.11 | |
| ebuyer.com | ZOTAC GTX 280 | Pre-order | £N/A |
| Point of View GTX 280 | Pre-order | £N/A | |
| Inno3D GTX 280 | Pre-order | £N/A | |
That, we're afraid, is about it. Just two of the big-name etailers, Scan and Dabs, have the GTX 280 currently in stock. Though ebuyer has the cards listed, it offers no availability and no pricing. The likes of YoYoTech and Komplett don't yet have the cards listed, at all.
NVIDIA had promised generous availability on launch day, but that's anything but the case.
From the three cards currently in stock, you'll find an average price for the GTX 280 sitting at £461.29, though, that does take into account an overclocked derivative from BFG.
The limited availability, it seems, could be a UK issue. US etailer, Newegg.com, currently has GTX 280 cards from EVGA, BFG, XFX and PNY in stock, priced between $649.99 and $659.99. Yes, that's approximately £335, plus any local taxes and shipping.
In summary, NVIDIA's next-gen card is a pricey prospect that's currently hard to come by. Look hard enough, however, and you'll find it available if you really want to buy it.
Related reading
HEXUS.net - HEXUS.reviews :: BFG (NVIDIA) GeForce GTX 280: does it rock our world?
