It's pretty well established, Cape Verde with Graphics CoreNext will replace the X
7XX line, and with close to a 6870 performance, while lower power. Pricing will yes be slightly wacky, but it's not Rory... It's no rivals from Nvidia presently or coming soon (GK106), along with the new reality of TSMC 28Nn pricing, that basically negated the normal shrink cost improvement.
MSRP of 5770 back in November 2009 was set at $160, now some E-tailer have "jumped the gun" and showed a $185 price for the 7770. If you read the historical comments, folks like yourselves wrote after the 5770 review (almost 2½ years ago) you can probably reuse them in the coming days/week for this. Except this time we know AMD won't leave the big gap, that's what the 78XX is there to cover and counter the GK104. AMD will be able to drop price of the Cape Verde and adjust if a GK106 makes the grade, something as of late Nvidia had chosen not to significantly challenged with the like of GTS450 or GTX550ti.
But will this (?) give Nvidia a perfect picture of what Graphics CoreNext will provide, and will know how to direct AIB’s the clock those GK104 cards. The problem may well be AMD is... sand-bagging on both the high/low end? Knowing Nvidia will stick their neck out to take the high-end crown, while holding off on what Cape Verde they don't expose the middle ground. I say they realize/betting they know what Nvidia can bring at this level with GK106 offering, not much different than the GTS450 or GTX550ti did previously against their rivals. They know the fight is really going to be with the mainstream-volume GK104/Pitcairn, and they all are playing those cards close to their chest.