The move to a 40nm design process not only makes for smaller GPU’s, but also more efficient GPU’s, that will consume less power and generate less heat. Although ATI has beat Nvidia to the punch this time, they are still playing it safe, and rather than release their first 40nm part as a flagship product, they are targeting the more popular $100 US market segment.

This is great news for the majority of gamers who spend $100 US or less on a graphics card, as the new Radeon HD 4770 will be right in their price range. That said, it is not like this price range is not being adequately addressed at the moment, as we can easily rattle off half a dozen examples. Likely our most treasured budget graphics card right now is the Radeon HD 4830 (512MB), which can be had for $100 US, while we have come across examples selling for as little as $80 US.

Competing with the Radeon HD 4830 is the GeForce 9800 GT (512MB), which can be had for as little as $110 US, though most versions cost around $125 US, making it slightly more expensive when compared to the Radeon HD 4830. There is also the Radeon HD 4670 at $80 US, and the Radeon HD 4650 for around $60 US. Nvidia is still peddling their old GeForce 9600 GT for $90 US, and the GeForce 9500 GT for $60 US.

The problem for Nvidia is that while they have an excellent range of $250 US plus graphics cards, they do not have anything new for the budget sector. The GeForce 9800GTX+ for example is still taking the fight to the Radeon HD 4850 and in fact it is doing so as two graphics cards, the GeForce 9800GTX+ and the GeForce GTS 250, which is a bit of a joke. The re-named GeForce GTS 250 is a waste of time as far as reviewing it goes, and thus far we have turned down any samples that have come our way.

So then if the new Radeon HD 4770 is set to come in at $100 US, a price bracket that the more superior Radeon HD 4830 already commands, how will this work? ATI has made it clear that they are targeting the GeForce 9800 GT with the Radeon HD 4770, but it seems in terms of price they should be going after the GeForce 9600 GT.

Whatever the case, we are keen to check out not only how this new GPU performs, but also how efficient it is. The Radeon HD 4770, which goes by the codename RV740, has a thermal power design (TPD) of just 80 watts, which is just 10 watts more than the Radeon HD 4670. This is impressive as the Radeon HD 4770 features a significantly more complex core design, boasting 60% more transistors, with a total count of 826 million.