Next-generation GPUs are the fastest things on the planet -- if they were released a year ago
Traditionally the Fall graphics refresh has been the battle of the titans -- ATI and NVIDIA both would debut behemoth video cards in an attempt to snag the headlines from one another.
Much of that changed when AMD acquired ATI last year. Not only did ATI miss the Radeon HD 2900 launch window by almost six months, but NVIDIA's high-end GeForce 8800 became the undisputed ultra-high-end GPU as well.
This Fall, we will not get an ultra-high-end replacement from AMD or NVIDIA. Instead, November will be a clash of the sub-titans. NVIDIA's mid-range G92 will go head-to-head with ATI's RV670.
ATI's RV670 has been called many things in the past. It was originally a 65 nanometer die-shrink of the R600 class GPU; then a 55 nanometer shrink. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Asia's largest core-logic foundry, confirmed AMD would go with a 55nm R600 shrink in a memo forwarded to DailyTech earlier this year.
When TSMC debuted its 55nm process earlier this Spring, the company claimed "significant die cost savings from 65 nm, while offering the same speed and 10 to 20 percent lower power consumption." Since R600 was manufactured originally on a 80nm node, thermal improvements should be fairly dramatic on RV670.
Last week at the World Cyber Games, Sapphire demonstrated a working RV670 using a dual-slot cooler. Sapphire and ATI engineers alluded to DailyTech that this dual-slot configuration will likely be replaced with a single-slot solution by time of launch.
NVIDIA's G92 has also carried many names. Originally slated as the 65nm "fill-in" GPU between GeForce 8600 and GeForce 8800, the company began changing documentation earlier this month as ATI's offerings began to firm up.
NVIDIA confirmed the specifications of G92 with board partners earlier this week. The GeForce 8800 GT will feature a 600 MHz core clock, a 900 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit memory interface.
Newest guidance from NVIDIA, released Monday, claims the 8800 GT will feature 112 stream processors and a shader clock locked at 1500 MHz.
The one thing that didn't change on G92 is the process node. NVIDIA's foundry partner, TSMC, forwarded a second memo to DailyTech confirming G92 is in mass production at the company's Fab 12 with samples available now on 65nm process node. NVIDIA's GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 are manufactured on TSMC's 80nm node; GeForce 8800 GT will be the company's first 65nm graphics processor.
NVIDIA guidance suggests G92 will be here next month, followed by AMD's marketing blitz for RV670, RD790 and Phenom. All three AMD offerings are expected to launch on the same day, which AMD distributors have penciled in for late November. Intel is expected to launch its 45nm Penryn processors on November 12, and any NVIDIA launch will likely coincide with that announcement.
Late last week, Maximum PC reported that NVIDIA senior vice president Dan Vivoli commented that NVIDIA would be releasing new hardware to go along with the upcoming title Crysis. The confirmed launch date by Electronic Arts for Crysis is November 15, 2007.
However, G92 fans might get a quick preview of the new GPU on October 29, 2007, when the company officially lifts the embargo on 8800 GT.
Neither AMD nor NVIDIA have released "firm" pricing for the products, though we can reasonably infer several key points regarding the price. Since RV670 is effectively a smaller R600, performance will be very similar to existing R600-based cards on the market today. However, since the card only utilizes a single-slot cooler and a considerably smaller die, the cost of these cards should be lower than existing R600s.
G92, which was originally called GeForce 8700 until just last week, has a soft suggested retail price of $250, according to NVIDIA board partners. Since the GeForce 8800 GT will be launching first, it's fairly likely that AMD will adjust the suggested price of RV670 depending on the outcome of initial GeForce 8800 GT feedback.
It was sort of obvious after they announced the Tri-SLI support for the 8800 series cards, why would you support "old-tech" with a new, groundbreaking feature such as Tri-SLI (Which would be a pain to code for Im guessing) while you could have your new high end be the exclusive user of such bleeding edge tech. That was the thing that really gave it away for me.
Message edited by emp on 10-11-2007 at 02:26:46 AM
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Anxiously awaiting the Hydra 100 and the Hydra Engine...
www.lucidlogix.com
so no 9800 cards like everyone hoped. Honestly it took Nvidia so long to launch a proper mid-range offering for it's 8xxx series i aint suprised. I'm sure we'll hear 9xxx rambelings by mid winter early spring.
I understand (sort of) the reasoning behind not releasing a newer card in order to keep milking what they have out now...but I would think if they just kept up business as usual releasing high-end, after high-end card, they could eventually drop the prices of say the 8800 Ultra and eventually out-pace and bury AT.
How does this make anything official? At most some nVidia may have said there is a card comming soon.
I do not see a quote or reference to anything that comes from nVidia that no high end is comming this year.
Not that I think there is a new card, but that article states "This Fall, we will not get an ultra-high-end replacement from AMD or NVIDIA. Instead, November will be a clash of the sub-titans." but provides not reference.
had the 2900XT or XTX, been the killer it is speced out to be, I think it would have been a different story, now they can sit back and continue development without rushing and strike at the right time (if their smart), I for one haven't given up hope for a new card until, Nvidia announces it.
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P35-DS3L l E8400 @ 3.6Ghz l OCZ Vendetta 2 l 4GB G.Skill 8000PQ@1000mhz 4:5 l WD3200AAKS 320GB l Evga 8800GTS 512 l Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Music l Corsair HX520 l Antec Sonata III 500 l Vista Home Premium
What concerns me is the increasingly power hungry nature of graphics cards. Each new generation of card needs more power than the previous generation (not counting refreshes) - at some point this will have to stop, and where will increases in performance come from then?
@ ethel
This new die "refresh" is 55nm and 65nm as stated will require less power and therefore less heat (also as stated) should have some good OCing potential with the added bonus of more shaders on the NVIDIA offering it could easily IMO surpass a GTS (especially with an after market cooling solution).
The future we may see the same as the CPU market dual/quad core products on smaller still dies. This will both increase performance and lower power consumption at the same time (more likely now that AMD and ATi are an item).
How does this make anything official? At most some nVidia may have said there is a card comming soon.
I do not see a quote or reference to anything that comes from nVidia that no high end is comming this year.
Not that I think there is a new card, but that article states "This Fall, we will not get an ultra-high-end replacement from AMD or NVIDIA. Instead, November will be a clash of the sub-titans." but provides not reference.
I doubt you'll get very far questioning Dailytech's credibility; they are probably THE most reliable source for hardware news, not counting their blogs. Why would they lie about something like this? I have to say I am kind of disappointed that there won't be a g80 die shrink this year though
On the positive side, g92 looks awesome! If I hadn't bought a 320MB 8800gts in August I would be all over it. Kudos to nVidia and ATI for (finally) catering to the midrange crowd.
Yeah, i was hoping for new high end cards but not expecting.
ATI have only just released a 'acceptable' performancedrivers and they still cant compete with the GTX, so why would NV release a better card when there is no competition.
Still... makes me feel better about buying the GTS since its not gonna be obselete 48hrs later
I doubt you'll get very far questioning Dailytech's credibility; they are probably THE most reliable source for hardware news, not counting their blogs. Why would they lie about something like this? I have to say I am kind of disappointed that there won't be a g80 die shrink this year though
On the positive side, g92 looks awesome! If I hadn't bought a 320MB 8800gts in August I would be all over it. Kudos to nVidia and ATI for (finally) catering to the midrange crowd.
homerdog, I am not questioning Dailytech's credability, but instead pointing out that the thread title is incorrect.
"Official, no new high end gpu ", should be something like "Dailytech says, no new high end gpu" or "credible source,....".
please please no one start a discussion about the meaning vs definition of "official" and stuff like that. Please.
Not a biggie really, but I just get frustrated, because i am looking for official info, and there are soooo many threads about this subject and it is getting difficult to find "real" info.
Hey moderators, I have a suggestion, could you post a sticky about upcomming nVidia GPUs with three sections:
- Latest Official nVidia/Partner information
- Latest credible source information
- Latest rumor/BS
