Nvidia launches latest video card...

[SteveC]

or lawnmower, as Merc. would prefer. The 6800 Ultra takes up a PCI slot, has two power connectors, and they recommend a 480watt power supply as a minimum. All for the bargain price of US$500. That's just ridiculous.

The press release is here, and all the reviews can be found at the usual places.

 

[Mercutio]

Uh, it looked to me like it took up two PCI slots. But hey, who uses PCI slots for anything like disk controllers, modems, TV cards or NICs these days?

 

[Pradeep]

Performance looks pretty good for UXGA. Two PSU connectors tho...what are they thinking?

 

[mubs]

But hey, who uses PCI slots for anything like disk controllers, modems, TV cards or NICs these days?

I. Disk controller and NIC.

 

[mubs]

And sound card and USB contoller.

 

[sechs]

It's so that you can continue to use the ATX connector for your main CPU board.

 

[mubs]

Soon you'll need a 220V connection for your video card.

 

[Santilli]

All I've got avaliable are two PCI-X slots. Not enough bandwidth?? :wink:

 

[Santilli]

Well, it's nice to know that I can now use that extra 550Watt powersupply for my video card :roll: :roll: :excl:

s

 

[The JoJo]

Ah, but picture the next card from Nvidia! Three molex connectors with compulsory own PS, taking 4-5 PCI slots!

And the next one, with it's own case and dual powersupplies and the compulsory watercooling!

 

[Santilli]

Actually, I have an external pci box I could give it 7 slots, and it's own power supply. :mrgrn:

 

[Jan Kivar]

Well, PCI-E supports more power. Maybe these would have only one power connector when implemented on PCI-E... 8)

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Santilli]

Gary suggested that video cards may become a thing of the past.
Get around this power, and bandwidth problem by using 64 bit data paths, straight to and from the cpu. Or, better yet, integrate the GPU with the cpu. Hook your gpu to your processor like ram is currently linked using the G5 highend, mobo design.

s

 

[Platform]

Gary suggested that video cards may become a thing of the past...

Maybe in 5 ~ 10 years -- maybe. Integration of a graphics instruction set in the CPU with silicon will be a major design task. Ideally, only the frame buffer would remain external, and this, preferably separate memory from primary system memory -- unless system memory becomes vastly much faster (100x or more) than what it is now (not too likely).

...Get around this power, and bandwidth problem by using 64 bit data paths, straight to and from the cpu. Or, better yet, integrate the GPU with the cpu. Hook your gpu to your processor like ram is currently linked using the G5 highend, mobo design...

Actually, the just the opposite approach of CPU and GPU integration (described earlier) is almost feasible now. This would, instead, be pulling a basic-but-fast CPU close to the GPU. The GPU would now be the central figure with commodity CPU functions taking a back seat to the GPU. This pie-in-the-sky G/CPU would be two discrete processing units physically close to each other (a G/CPU module with a single large heatsink) tied together by a private 128-bit or 256-bit instruction and data bus (128-bit = 64-bit full duplex, 256-bit = 128-bit full-duplex).

Taking a different direction altogether, an alternative data path would be to forgo the PCI / AGP connection for graphics and have GPU-to-CPU communication over HyperTransport.

 

[mubs]

Old (07/2002) but interesting article on this issue about Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang in Wired:

The man who plans to make the CPU obsolete[/url]

 

[Jan Kivar]

The good thing about these new cards from ATi and nVidia is that the older models will become cheaper. Hopefully.

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Handruin]

I'm hoping the same thing. Once ATI releases their new core, I'm hoping some deals turn up on the 9800 pro or XT.

 

[Mercutio]

128MB 9700 Pros are around $180. What more do you want?

 

[ddrueding]

128MB 9700 Pros are around $180. What more do you want?

Would you take a 9700Pro over a 9800Pro?

 

[Mercutio]

Maybe. There's a $30 price difference for what I'd say is a questionable real-world performance gain.

 

[Fushigi]

$190 for a 128MB 9800 Pro right now: http://www.bensbargains.net/ktalk/1082404162,9523,.shtml

 

[Handruin]

I'm a little skeptical about some of the cobranded ATI products.

 

[Buck]

I'm a little skeptical about some of the cobranded ATI products.

Sapphire has always worked out for me. If you want to go with Tyan, expect to pay extra money.

 

[mubs]

I understand Sapphire is the one that actually makes the cards for ATI.

 

[Mercutio]

Yeah. They're identical, except Sapphire tends to use better thermal solutions for its products.

On the other hand, neither ATI nor Sapphire will support Sapphire's All-in-Wonder or VIVO products.

 

[mubs]

On the other hand, neither ATI nor Sapphire will support Sapphire's All-in-Wonder or VIVO products.

What? Why does Sapphire make them if they won't support them?

 

[Mercutio]

Good question.

I started to pursue the issue after someone here said he couldn't get a Sapphire VIVO to work with ATI's MMC. So I sent some email to Sapphire about it. Sapphire's tech said that I should pass all MMC issues to ATI. So I've tried three or four times over a three month period to contact ATI about MMC + Sapphire and I've gotten exactly nowwhere with it.

My conclusion is that Sapphire Video-In products are in some kind of black hole of support.

 

[sechs]

Saphire is the third-party manufacturer for most of ATi's cards, so they're usually a good choice.

Personally, I stick with ATi....

 

[Mercutio]

I'm pretty sure Sapphire makes ATI's cards for ATI. Not 100% positive, but pretty close.

 

[.Nut]

Old (07/2002) but interesting article on this issue about Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang in Wired:

The man who plans to make the CPU obsolete[/url]

Heehee... Pretty interesting article. I'm thinking I heard something about nVidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang's stint at that "boarding school" (turned out to be a reform school) once -- a little while back -- on Paul Harvey's radio tidbit show (a 5-minute syndicated AM radio show).

Other than that, it doesn't surprise me a bit that the merger of GPU and CPU (what I call G/CPU) functionality has already been under active study. The G/CPU concept is something that I've been taking up for a few years now (I'm not sure if you want to hear any of my other "blue sky" ideas).

 

[Mercutio]

I used to work for Paul Harvey. For a couple months, anyway.

There are linux programs for using high-speed GPUs as general purpose coprocessors already, by the way. Unfortunately, I can't remember any names. Otherwise I'd link.

 

[mubs]

Jen-Hsun Huang must have huge bollocks for going after Intel. Leaving aside the merits of the situation, the man has courage.

I'm not sure if you want to hear any of my other "blue sky" ideas

I'm listening.

 

[Jan Kivar]

128MB 9700 Pros are around $180. What more do you want?

Well, I've been eyeing this one. It should be no surprise that I'd have to pay ~300€ whereas... Standard 9800Pro is about 240€.

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Handruin]

What about a ATI boxed 9800 Pro for $200 after rebate from Circuit City?