Haha well, I do think it fits people willing to pay $500 more for a 4080 Super over a 7900xtx. That's not the case today, but closer to launch people were paying $1400 for 4080 supers. I'd challenge you to find a better word.
I'm on Team Red ATM for the clear price/performance advantage, but that doesn't mean I hate Nvidia GPUs or fall for the AMD fanboys' dumb comments about them. My best friend recently picked up a 4070ti Super and it's quite impressive, even to me with a 7900xtx. Even more so that he got it for $450, but that's another story.
My whole thing is this: When buying a GPU, make a leap. Don't make a small step. That's why i look at the 4060 Ti and 7700XT as a bad choice; a step into a dead zone between two better options.
There are a lot of users looking to upgrade from 1060s, RX 580, and stuff like that.
Anything around $175-250, like used 2060s is throwing money away. The 4060's MSRP is $285, real price is higher but it's around $300. That GPU offers a ton of performance for weaker, cheaper PCs and it doesn't need too much power to do it. It's a weak GPU for demanding gaming, but for the low price it's worth it.
A 4060 or 3060 12Gb is a sensible choice.
For anyone willing to spend more and with a PC that can take advantage of higher performance, the next sensible tier or price point is ~$500 This is where the RX 7780TX and 7900GRE can be had.
I don't think the 4070 is worth spending on, this is AMD all the way and both choices are excellent. (Of course, the 7900GRE is better, it just comes down to pricing)
A 4060 exceeds recommended requirements for a lot of popular Steam games, and is good for 1080p and even 1440p gaming, but without a chance of running everything on Ultra. And it shouldn't able to because it's a budget GPU.
7800XT and 7900GRE are probably the sweet spot for 1440p gaming for the money. So if you can afford it, it will be worth it, and i would recommend it.
If you want even more, then leap to the 4070 Ti Super. That is a leap in performance that can be felt! It costs many hundreds of dollars, but it's definetly not in the territory of budget, weak GPUs. It also requires more expensive components and monitor to take advantage of it's capabilities so it's out of reach for many. But it is worth the price, unlike the 2 GPUs reviewed here.
Nvidia and AMD offer them to fill the gap between the $300 and $500 tiers, and for nvidia it worked a treat. The 4060 Ti is well represented on Steam according to their survey. (4060, 3060, 4060 Ti and 4070! are at the top)
But i remain unconvinced.
The 4060 Ti will push 7-8 extra frames and maybe make part of a cloud fluffier as it races through your field of vision but you will not notice that so much. Or at all. Your wallet will notice it.
Spend the extra $100 or so dollars elsewhere in your build! On something like a nicer monitor with faster response time. Or buy a platinum or titanium PSU instead of a clanger unit that whirrs like a fridge. Treat yourself to a PC case that has more room and is nicer to work with, and has better build quality. Get a more durable NVMe or a larger one.
That will make a difference you can feel and improve the quality of your PC.
4060 Ti or 7700XT are neither the leap in GPU firepower the 7800XT/7900GRE are, nor are they as efficient and cheap as a 4060 (115w)
The extra money spent doesn't result in better performance because these two GPU are still basically just as crap as the 4060 when it comes to any demanding game. It's a free gift for nvidia (or AMD).
So it's better spent elsewhere.
Most buyers target the low end, and some of them fall into the trap of spending extra on a pointless GPU like the 4060 Ti or 7700XT.
I would like to discourage them, not crap on anyone's point of view.
but closer to launch people were paying $1400 for 4080 supers
Well that's kind of a weird place to be honestly. It's not a weak GPU at all but probably the worst value of all the 40XX series. I know the 4090 is more expensive but they both cost a handsome ransom. So why buy the worse one?
The 4090 can claim to be the best GPU ever made and it will be a long time before it needs to be upgraded away from. By that point, a totally new PC will be the order of the day.
Looking at just how many years of great performance can be squeezed out of a 4090, it's the best choice for anyone who can actually afford the damn thing.