Nvidia 9 series - what is the point?

[alpine18]

What is the point of the Nvidia 9 series? It all seems like a bunch of marketing hype to me to get people to buy a new video card. The jump from 8 series to 9 series seems pitiful compared to the jump from 7 series to 8 series.

*Same GPU core as the 8800GT (G92)
*No significant improvement in performance over the 8 series.
*Mid range card (9600GT) is about the same price as the 8800GT - but the 8800GT is significantly faster than the 9600GT.
*The 9800GTX performance is only marginally better than the 8800GTX - and the 8800Ultra still beats the 9800GTX in some benchmarks.

Nvidia, while producing the best GPU, IMO, currently available, has made a huge botch of their marketing and product line naming with the 9 series. As far as I cant tell, there is no product generation leap between the 8800GT and the 9 series - perhaps Nvidia should have released the 8800GT as the "9800GT".

The 9600GT seems to me to be a solution product in search of a problem - especially at it's current price point.

All the hardware review websites all seem to be parroting Nvidia's marketing line that the 9600GT is some kind of remarkable new mid-range performance card.

I just don't see it: 9600GT benchmarks are not competitive with the 8800GT - both cards can be had from Newegg for $179. Why would anyone buy a 9600GT?

 

[San Pedro]

The point is that nvidia wants to make as much money as possible and they think that a "new" series of cards will increase sales.

 

[rodney_ws]

Money.

 

[Emperor36]

I agree 100% of what your saying. It's all marketing, they release the 9 series so that poeple could have bragin rights and say I have that card. To me personaly the 9 series aint Sh!t. My 8800gt OC'd will keep up with 9800gtx easily. Well the new G200 cards come out in sept or Oct, and i'm going to wait for those to come out.

 

[sailer]

Money.

Agreed. I think Nvidia is out of ideas at the moment and is trying to fool enthusiasts into wasting their money. The 9800 GTX seems to be nothing more than a factory overclocked 8800 GTS 512. All this makes me wonder, though. Does Nvidia know something about ATI's forthcoming 4xxx series and is more than a bit nervous about it? If so, we might have some pleasent surprises in a couple months from ATI. Don't know the answer to that, just speculation. But for the moment, the 9800 GTX looks like nothing more than an overclock and a different picture. That doesn't draw any interest from me.

 

[Waspy]

My 8800gt OC'd will keep up with 9800gtx easily.

Uhmmm no, or at least not with an OCed 9800GTX.

But yea, it's pretty depressing that the 9800GTX can't really beat the 8800Ultra and doesn't beat the 8800GTX by a larger margin.

Sad that a card which is way old is still king of the hill. Not sure why the 9800GTX just wasn't better...sad!

 

[Shadow of Dawn]

This is how I think their cards should be named.

8800gt should be 8900gt
8800gts should be 8900gts
9800gtx should be 8900gtx
9800gx2 should be 8900gx2
9600gt shouldn't exist.

or something like that.

 

[tato999]

Shadow of dawn you are so right.

A long time ago I've thinking the same thing.

Those should be the real names of those GPUs.

 

[mihirkula]

The point...Nvidia proved that they can still dole out GPUs even when they're high on rum. Quite decent cards, these, considering they were made with 10% consciousness.

 

[invisik]

The 9 series isnt a great improvement but its an upgrade.
The 9600gt is supposed to replace the 8600gt the 9600gt is way faster almost similar to the 8800gt.
The 9800gtx is not much of improvement its similar to a 8800ultra but if you were to overclock it would surpass it by alot. The 9800gtx overclocks like hell its priced at a good price as well so it makes it a good deal.
As for the 9800gx2 the a multi core solution which isnt amazing and the price is a little to high but you get good fps and there r more likley more improvement with drivers.
Overall the 9 series isnt a complete waste its just an efficient series. Similar to ati 2000 and 3000 series.
But i agree nvidia is money thirsty.

 

[mpavao81]

9000 series is basicly 8000 series with slightly higher clock speeds, nothing else is new about it. shouldnt even be called 9000 series like someone else said.

 

[Guest]

9600GT could be 8900gs

Then get rid of the 8800GS

 

[sailer]

I know I may seem biased in this, or just old fashioned, take your pick, but I never liked Nvidia using the 9800 name in the first place. It somehow desecrates the memories I have of the old ATI 9800s, which were great cards in their time. Fact is, an ATI 9800 Pro was running until last December in my son's computer and still doing a halfway decent job, though he wasn't playing any modern games on it. That old ATI 9800 didn't die because of natural causes either. It died when he was moving to a new apartment and the heatsink fell off the cpu and onto the ATI 9800. He didn't realize what had happened, so when he powered up the computer, smoke.....

 

[rhysee]

Yes well smaller dies and a few other bit n bobs , released to be series 9 , correct a bit of a silly jump , but anything to get ahead of ATI in the marketing game.
$$$$$$$$ = sucess = domination

 

[CNeufeld]

I dunno... I got 16 days left in my Step Up from my 8800GTS, and all it will cost me is $15 shipping. I fired off my request today. I can reject it later if I decide to, I guess... At least one review mentioned it was loud, which doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies.

Clint

 

[sailer]

At least one review mentioned it was loud, which doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies.

Clint

No, they're not loud at all. Why I used to be in the Air Force and there was a building on base where they would test jet engines for hours on end, including the after burners. So I don't notice the noise from fans on high end graphics cards at all. Come to think of it, I don't notice my son's stereo either. But he does complain a bit when I turn my 500wt speakers up enough so I can hear them.

 

[CNeufeld]

I'm a little hard of hearing myself, but I do like a quiet computer. Finally got mine toned down enough to not notice it at all, using the 8800GTS (G92 model). But there's always aftermarket coolers, if it comes down to that.

Clint

 

[basketcase]

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY

 

[CNeufeld]

#177 in the Step Up queue, BTW... Guess I should have filled that out this morning.

 

[ALANMAN]

I think someone at N made a typo, reversing the 8 and 9 in what was supposed to be the 8900 series cards and N just ran with it not really giving a ****

 

[sailer]

#177 in the Step Up queue, BTW... Guess I should have filled that out this morning.

Doesn't matter. EVGA will still get a new card to you, though you might have to wait a couple extra days.

 

[CNeufeld]

I thought about it after; I should have waited till the last day of my step up and then submitted it. Then if they came out with a KO version of the card or something, I might have got that. No biggie, anyway. I'm not looking forward to being without a card for a week or two, since they have to ship it up here to Canada. Have to find a spare or something.

Clint

 

[sailer]

I always keep an old card in the closet just in case. That way I'm never stuck without a card while a broken one is on a RMA or I'm replacing a broken one that's past warrenty.

 

[CNeufeld]

Not a bad idea... Might see about picking up a used one locally to use as a spare. My only spare right now is an old PCI card.

Clint

 

[snarfies1]

This is how I think their cards should be named.

8800gt should be 8900gt
8800gts should be 8900gts
9800gtx should be 8900gtx
9800gx2 should be 8900gx2
9600gt shouldn't exist.
/quotemsg]

Better idea: Can we drop all the completely unintuitive lettering after the numbers, while we're suggesting naming conventions?