NVIDIA’s rumored GT200-based graphics card appears to be close to shipping as details and pictures have begun emerging. PC Online claims to have obtained pictures of a cooling device (translated via Google) that is said to belong to the next generation graphics card from NVIDIA.

The cooling device, which looks similar to the current cooler on the 8800 GTS 512 MB, is said to fit onto a GT200-based GeForce 9900 GTX with 240 stream processors, 32 raster units, 1 GB of GDDR3, and 512-bit memory interface. Unlike the current 9800-series that were based on G92 die, the GT200 will be built on a new architecture.

From the reference design of the cooler, the cooler is believed to accommodate a 65nm chip, while 55nm revisions of the GPU to follow after launch. Thermal design of the cooler also points towards a 240-watt graphics card. The new GPU from NVIDIA is rumored to be for the high-end market only and will consist of the largest chip design from the company and over 1.5 billion transistors.

The GT200 was originally slated for a fall 2008 launch, but delayed with no apparent reason. Board partners received memos from NVIDIA earlier this year stating the GPU was stable and ready to ship for several weeks now.

AMD’s RV670 successor, the RV770 is set to launch this summer with an anticipated price to be sub $300. It is likely NVIDIA has been holding onto the GT200, as it anticipates the upcoming RV770 to perform relatively well. However, there have been reports that the new graphics card will be placed above the current GeForce 9800 GX2, which already priced above the $500 mark.

Expect official announcements soon, as the Computex trade show is less than a month away.

Source : Tom's Hardware