geforce
Latest
NVIDIA's GeForce 8600 series brings DX10 without breaking the bank
If you want to join the ranks of the cool kids with one of those nifty DirectX 10 cards for promoting Vista shenanigans, but don't want to sell any vital internal organs to purchase a GeForce 8800 GTX or one of those upcoming ATI R600 cards, then you might be happy to hear that the price of entry is about to get a whole lot cheaper. Details of NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce 8600 series have been revealed, with the 8600 GT going for roughly $150 and the 8600 Ultra demanding a $180 pricetag. Considering the fact that an 8800 GTX will cost you about $600 at the moment, this is good news indeed. The specs aren't anything to sneeze at, either, with both 8600 cards being built with an 80nm process and 300 million transistors. The GT runs at 350MHz, with 256MB of RAM to call its own, while the Ultra sports a 500MHz core, with 512MB of memory. The launch is supposedly timed to coincide with the R600's launch, will certainly steal a bit of ATI's thunder.[Via Guru 3D]
NVIDIA readying three-way SLI for CeBIT?
Who needs two-way SLI when you've got three-way SLI, right? Reportedly, NVIDIA is readying a new three-way SLI approach that will actually hit "the mainstream," which differs somewhat from the SLI x 4 renditions that currently reside primarily in pre-fab boxes and luxury boutiques. While we've already heard that Asus' forthcoming U1F will show up at CeBIT, NVIDIA's new SLI treatment just might steal a bit of everyone's thunder by loosing it on the public with a presumably "spiffy marketing" scheme. What this means for the future of linking GPUs together to squeeze marginal benefits out of a gaming rig remains to be seen, but if this rumor proves true, we'll be getting a lot more details come month's end.
Blu-ray, SLI-equipped Alienware Area-51 7500 reviewed
Alienware's Area-51 7500 desktop has certainly been on the chopping block before, but the inquisitive folks over at Bit-Tech were able to land a refreshed unit that not only featured dual NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card and a 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor, but a built-in (unbranded Matshita) Blu-ray drive to boot. Instantly, reviewers expected the snazzy looking machine to spin right on through every benchmark laid in front of it, and for the coin you'd be paying, we can't say that's such an unrealistic request. During 2D / 3D testing, the SLI-equipped system simply dominated in terms of FPS, image quality, and smoothness, as reviewers actually stated that current games couldn't even take full advantage of all that horsepower just yet. Also of note was the Blu-ray playback, which ended up being practically flawless after the review crew had their (understandable) doubts about how well the unit itself and HDCP films would operate within a PC environment. After trying out both analog and digital monitor connections, the player streamed out films in crisp 1,920 x 1,080 resolution without a hitch after PowerDVD 6.5 was loaded up, officially allowing for a collective sigh of relief. With a system this pricey, however, criticisms come easier, and they were quick to note that the included Patriot RAM was likely hindering performance somewhat due to "faulty memory timings," and also stated that the lackluster audio card should have been spruced up given the lofty cost. Overall, Bit-Tech was quite pleased with Alienware's latest, but while the machine itself landed an 8 out of 10 rating, the £3,434 ($6,780) pricetag resulted in a paltry 5 out of 10 in the "Value" department, which is about par for the course for these guys.
CompAmerica kicks out 20-inch Tiger Shark 9500 x2 laptop
CompAmerica is taking its Tiger Shark lineup to new heights by introducing the 9500 x2, which joins the elite (and ginormous) crowd of ridiculously large 20-inch laptops. While not directly dubbed as yet another "most powerful laptop on Earth," this behemoth packs quite a wallop, including an AMD Turion 64 X2 processor, WSXGA+ LCD, dual NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX or Quadro FX 2500M SLI graphics sets, 512MB to 2GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 120GB SATA hard drive, a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, optional TV tuner, and a dual-layer DVD burner. Additionally, you'll find a 7-in-1 flash card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, full sized keyboard with number pad, four speaker sound system (including a "subwoofer"), front panel audio controls, DVI / S-Video / composite outs, FireWire, serial port, audio output, and five USB 2.0 ports to round things out. This 15-pound machine starts out around $3,399, but you can tweak this bad boy 'til your credit card cries uncle if you so desire.[Via CompAmerica]
Maingear offers up Quad FX-powered BEAST, throws in 1,000 watt PSU
Aw yeah, just hours (nay, moments) after AMD's Quad FX chip went official, we've already seen
IBuyPower offers up sub-$2,000 AMD Quad FX rig, undercuts Intel
Alright, so you knew very well the micro-sized 4x4 was on the way in, and we even filled you in on the nitty gritty a bit earlier, but before all that silicon-based information can even sink in properly, IBuyPower is already dishing out a very tempting way to blow two grand (or much, much more). Hot off the manufacturing lines, you can get your very own AMD Quad FX-based machine for around $2,000, which is monumentally less than the first few systems we noticed packing Intel's oh-so-pricey QX6700 processor. Granted, the $2k version is relatively stripped down, especially compared to the souped-up Intel counterparts, but you can certainly max out that increasingly large spending limit if you try. The firm offers the FX-70 in the low-end flavor, while you can opt for the speedier FX-72 or FX-74 should you so desire, while complementing it with a kilowatt-draining 500+ watt power supply, 512MB to 2GB of RAM, your choice of NVIDIA graphics card, and a bevy of various sized HDDs. Considering the likely stagnant retail prices of this fresh chips, the overall pricing isn't too outrageous, but we all know how things will look just a few months down the road anyway.[Via TGDaily]
Rock goes for broke with its SLI-equipped Xtreme SL Pro laptop
If you're the kind of person who likes their gizmos to the Xtreme, then you're sure to love Rock's new Xtreme SL Pro. Following in the same 20-inch vein as Acer's Aspire 9800 and Dell's XPS M2010, this gargantuan machine packs specs most commonly found in a full-fledged desktop. Powered by a 2.0GHz AMD Turion X2 TL-60 processor, the SL Pro also packs twin NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX 512MB graphics cards, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a pair of 100GB 7200RPM SATA drives, dual-layer DVD burner, WSXGA+ display, 5.1 surround sound output, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a 4-in-1 flash card reader. Additionally, you'll find built-in WiFi / Bluetooth connectivity, a DVI output, FireWire, and five USB 2.0 ports. Aside from weighing 15.2 pounds, having a presumed 28.4 (at best) minutes of battery life, and being nearly two inches thick, this prodigious laptop will set you back at least £2,499 ($4,720) depending on options -- but hey, it'll sure be easier to snag than that other crimson-clad eXtreme toy this holiday season.[Via Pocket-Lint]
NVIDIA releases new drivers featuring PureVideo HD
NVIDIA, like Intervideo, wants to help you build that next Blu-ray or HD DVD drive-equipped media PC, and has released new ForceWare drivers for GeForce 7-series graphics cards to enable PureVideo HD acceleration. It'll take plenty of processing power to move that HD video, with a recommended minimum of a dual core processor and 1GB of RAM. FiringSquad got an early look at a PureVideo HD-powered setup, and confirmed that on PCs, unless ICT is enabled, you will be able to play back AACS-protected discs at full resolution over VGA. DVI connections without HDCP support on the graphics card and monitor get nothing, but HDCP support on both ends enables full resolution playback in any situation. NVIDIA has also launched an nZone store with links to all the graphics cards, monitors and software one could ever need -- how nice of them. Since FiringSquad's tests showed even on a Core 2 Duo system high bitrate h.264-encoded files were chugging without assistance, we see a system upgrade in your future.[Via DV Guru]Read - NVIDIA PureVideo HD with HD-DVD Quick ShotRead - NVIDIA Enables an Outstanding HD DVD and Blu-Ray Movie Experience with Newly Released NVIDIA PureVideo HD Technology
Gothic 3 contest, expansion pack announced
Aspyr Media and Nvidia are co-sponsoring a contest to promote Gothic 3, and the top prize is a "high end" AMD-powered gaming rig that features a GeForce 7800 GTX graphics card. The game itself isn't due until November, but German developer JoWood is already planning an expansion for their third entry in the cult favorite RPG series. According to CEO Albert Seidl, "We are already working on add-on packages of SpellForce 2 and Gothic 3 series, which will partially be launched in 2007." The SpellForce 2 expansion, Dragon Storm, was announced earlier this summer, and is scheduled to ship in Europe right around the time Gothic 3 launches.[via RPGDot]
Acer Aspire 9800 HD DVD laptop now shipping to North America
Toshiba may still actually make both HD DVD standalone players available, but they no longer have the laptop market to themselves and "firm Blu-ray supporters" LG (thanks for the reminder Zach). (. Acer's Aspire 9800 laptop started shipping today, coming with a 20.1-inch screen, Core Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce Go-powered graphics and of course the HD DVD drive (no recording here yet). If the 1680x1050 resolution laptop screen isn't enough there is an HDMI output, future-proofing against ICT-enabled discs of the future. All this starts at $2799 and isn't bad, but our most pressing question is if print screen still works.[Via laptoping]
Voodoo goes Core 2 with Omen i:121 Extreme
With Alienware having just added Core 2 Duo options to its Area-51 7500 desktop, you didn't really think that rival Voodoo would be far behind, did you? The boutique gaming rig manufacturer has just announced its OMEN i:121 Extreme tower, which crams a 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor into either a liquid- or air-cooled case designed to "operate at peak efficiency without draining excess power." Since video processing is even more important than CPU horsepower in a system like this, Voodoo is offering the new Omen with a number of graphics configurations, ranging from a single ATI Radeon X1900 or nVidia GeForce 7900GT setup all the way up to SLI or Crossfire dual-card powerhouses. You're also getting 2GB of RAM in the base configuration, along with a 7,200RPM 80GB hard drive and 16x dual-layer Pioneer DVD burner. As usual, pricing on these machines borders on the ridiculous, with SLI and Crossfire rigs starting at $4,400 and $6,000, respectively -- hey, no one said that being on the cutting edge of performance would come cheap.[Via TrustedReviews]
ATI responds to Nvidia, clears up post-takeover rumors
Not too long after Nvidia CEO, Jen Hsun-Huang, described AMD's purchase of ATI as a "gift" and as a sign of their main competitor "throwing in the towel," comes this retort from the newly formed CPU-GPU monster:"The PC market is a tough place to be without any friends. ATI now has all the resources of AMD behind it, and will be producing faster, more compact GPUs and reaching the channel more effectively than ever before. Nvidia's words are bravado, designed to confuse the market while the company tries to find a way to compete now that it's standing alone."Oh my, such comments are in desperate need of thermal paste and an officially endorsed heatsink and fan combination! Or, um, burn. While Nvidia is hardly "alone" in the market, the point ATI makes is not entirely without merit. In a considerably competitive hardware market, combining resources and technology couldn't easily be labeled as a terrible strategy and certainly not as a white flag flapping in the wind. Both companies have valid points -- we'll see which is more convincing once they start releasing their next generation of wares.The rest of AMD's response is aimed at several rumors that have cropped up since the original takeover announcement. They pledge to remain committed to GPUs and to support graphics solutions on Intel platforms, rubbishing the suggestion that Intel is revoking ATI's license. Perhaps that's where Nvidia and ATI can agree: having a strange PC hardware format war would be unpleasant for all parties involved.[Via Voodoo Extreme, thanks devian!]
More integrated graphics from Apple
Apple released the MacBook, its new consumer laptop, today. The full tech specs -- which are over at Apple's site -- mention that the MacBook features an Intel GMA950: in other words, an integrated graphics chip identical to the Mac mini. Previously we've summarized the disadvantages of integrated graphics and we've moaned about the poor graphics performance of Apple's line-up in an attempt to force someone at Apple to listen, but it was all in vain. Apple's supposed "gaming solution" (Windows) is hardly a solution now that Apple's consumer line-up (MacBook, Mac mini) doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, the prosumer line-up (MacBook Pro, iMac) features a low- to mid-range mobile chip and the remaining top-of-the-range machine (PowerMac) is stuck with PowerPC processors, crappy default GPUs (GeForce 6600s, yuck!) and a largely unobtainable price.If Apple one days wakes up and realizes that there are a load of potential gaming switchers sitting on the fence it would either: tell, no, force Intel to make some integrated chips that aren't "virtually unplayable for anybody that cares about gaming" or provide the option of dedicated graphics cards for gamers, even if it costs us more.
NVIDIA brings you "Extreme HD" gaming
Because HD just wasn't HD enough, now it's extreme. As I was sitting back eating my HD cereal, listening to my HD radio, preparing for an HD videoconference with a doctor looking at my HD MRI and I was thinking man, how can I get more HD in my life? Luckily NVIDIA has answered my unspoken call for more.Their GeForce Go 7900 series enables gaming at not-quite exactly-1080p resolutions of 1920x1200, along with their PureVideo hardware acceleration. I began to question how worthwhile all that is given the size of a typical laptop screen, although the fact you're generally sitting so close may cause the need for higher resolutions.That's well and great, however (I can't believe I'm saying this) can we get a little less HD? At least according to Ben's definition, NVIDIA is using the term appropriately, but still, everything that is newer and better does not need to be HD (except for HD Beat and HDTVs of course). Find your own term marketers.
Buyer's Guide: Graphics cards compared
Choosing a new graphics card can involve a difficult and lengthy hunt for comparative benchmarks to work out where to put your cash. Fortunately, Tom's Hardware Guide have put together a handy interactive comparison chart which can help reduce this problem to the simple act of staring at a few graphs. It may be reasonably old, but it's useful, with a few caveats; not all of the cards were tested on identical systems, so some of the results are a little surprising -- clicking on the individual bars of the results reveals the relevant system specs. Also, although it is "updated on a regular basis", several cards are missing from the list. Still, if you're in the market for a new graphics card, this should help simplify your search. [via digg]
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS debuts under $100
The new NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS might be geared for Microsoft Vista and it's Glass user interface, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little 1080i high-def fun with it, right? Besides, there aren't too many good HD-capable graphics cards for under a Ben Franklin. Hey, since Franklin's birthday was last week, do you think NVIDIA set the price at a C-Note in honor of Ben? While we're trying to figure that out, let's see $99 gits ya. How about Shader Model 3.0 support (we hear it's better than 5:00 shadow support), high dynamic-ranging (HDR) lighting and NVIDIA's own Turbo-Cache technology. Couple all of that with memory bandwidth of 6.5 GBps and a 2.2 billion pixel fillrate per second and you've got a nice GPU for $99. Watch for this to hit the States next month.
