Tech Link (GPU): AMD's Next-Gen GPU Is Here! (Or Is It?)

Instead of reading thru all the reviews and sorting out the worthy ones from scrap, I found a blog post summarizing most, if not all, of the conclusion and thoughts about the new video card. I will not sugar coat it, the new AMD/ATi video card sucks major behind. Don't get this video card, it's bad for your wallet and your electric consumption. Expand to check out the gathered conclusion from PC World Game On blogger.

* Check the following sampling of conclusions about the HD 2900 XT ($399 MSRP) from a few of the enthusiast sites, with links to their reviews below each quote. (While the HD 2900 XT is available as of today, the lower-end cards are paper launches only, with a July 1 street date.)

"As it stands right now the Radeon HD 2900 XT, in our opinion, is a flop."

- [H]ard|OCP

"If ATI can lick the noise issue, we would recommend this card over all others in its price range, even despite the power requirements."

- Extreme Tech

"[AMD has] delivered a pretty good value in a $399 graphics card, so long as you're willing to overlook its higher power draw and noise output while you're gaming."

- The Tech Report

"AMD might not have retaken the performance crown but that does not mean that the GPU’s [sic] still are not impressive."

- Bjorn 3D

"Not the fastest video card in the market for sure, but definitely holds it's [sic] own at it's [sic] current price-point."

- VR-Zone

"Everybody was expecting and hoping for a product that would wipe the floor clean with NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GTX/Ultra. That's just not the case. Performance wise the Radeon HD 2900 XT has a very hard time coming even close to these product [sic] in a lot of scenarios."

- Guru 3D

Source:AMD's Next-Gen GPU Is Here! (Or Is It?)

Press Release: New NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 Ultra Enables World's Fastest Gaming Platform

It's a bit late I know, one day late but better later than never. NVIDIA* released their newest card in preparation to combat whatever AMD/ATi has up their sleeves to release this month. But this new Ultra is going to cost uber high, up there with a high end Intel CPU. For some reason, it is priced so high even with just a frequency bump with no difference compared to existing and current 8800GTZ model in temrs of stream processors (128), texture mapping units (32), raster operations (24) and same memory bus width of 384. Expand to read the official press release...

New NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 Ultra Enables World's Fastest Gaming Platform

For further information, contact:

Brian Burke
NVIDIA Corporation
(512) 401-4385
bburke@nvidia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SANTA CLARA, CA—MAY 2, 2007

News Facts:

• Today NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) introduced the world's fastest graphics processing unit (GPU), the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra.


• The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra performs an average of between 10 and 15% fasteri than the GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, previously considered the fastest GPU on the planet,ii across a wide range of top games and applications.


• NVIDIA nForce® 680i SLI-based motherboards for Intel processors provide the fastest and most feature-rich platform for the GeForce 8800 Ultra. NVIDIA refers to these systems as the "definitive gaming platform."


• Consumers will be able to experience high-resolution, visually rich gaming and high-definition video playback with support for Blu-ray and HD DVD content.


• Definitive gaming platforms built with any nForce 600 Series motherboard are forward compatible with the new Intel processors with support for 1333FSB technology.

Product Facts:

• Graphics cards equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU and 768MB of video memory will be available at e-tailers and retailers worldwide by May 15th. NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics card launch partners include Asus, BFG, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision, Leadtek, MSI, PNY, Point of View, Sparkle and XFX.


• Prices range from $829 and higher. GeForce 8 Series GPUs are the first shipping DirectX 10 GPUs and are the reference GPUs for Microsoft DirectX 10 API development.


• GeForce 8800 GPUs are the developer's platform of choice for this year's top DirectX 10 titles, including Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Crysis, Age of Conan, Hellgate: London, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, World in Conflict, BioShock, PT Boats, and Cryostasis.


• Developers creating next-generation OpenGL titles, such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars are also using GeForce 8 Series as their development platform of choice.


• GeForce 8 Series GPUs include all required hardware functionality defined in the Microsoft Direct3D® 10 specification, with full support for the DirectX 10 unified shader instruction set and Shader Model 4 capabilities.


• DirectX 10 is included with Microsoft Windows Vista and delivers unparalleled levels of graphics realism and film-quality effects for games, all rendered in real-time on a GeForce 8 Series DirectX 10-capable GPU.

Quotes:

Attribute to Ujesh Desai, general manager of desktop GPUs at NVIDIA:
"The definitive gaming platform is built around the fastest components available and today there is no disputing those components include the GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU and an NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-ready motherboard. The graphics industry evolves extremely quickly and it is quite an achievement when you can leapfrog your own performance milestones in succession like we have done with these GeForce 8 Series GPUs."

Attribute to Glen Robson, general manager of Dell gaming products
"Dell is deeply committed to designing PCs that cater to gamers' needs and desires and offering the latest and greatest GPUs is a key technology differentiator. NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPUs deliver stunning performance gains today and support the key features that will facilitate an awesome visual experience on DirectX 10 titles."

For more information, please visit http://www.nvidia.com or listen to the NVIDIA podcast located at http://download.nvidia.com/podcasts/pr/050207_geforce_8800_ultra.mp3.

Source:New NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 Ultra Enables World's Fastest Gaming Platform

Rant: ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT Performance Benchmarks

Ok, this is not a Tech Link for a reason, and it's just my random rant. I happen to stumble upon this AMDtech news bit (yes, yes, I know it's DailyTech) from XS. It is about AMD's upcoming video card, and no, that's not my rant, but before I post my rant, let me quote part of the news bits:

Onto the benchmarks. The tests were conducted on an Intel D975XBX2 BadAxe2, Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 and 2x1GB DDR2-800 MHz. The operating system on the test system was Windows XP, with a fresh install before benchmarking each card. Testing of the AMD ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT was performed using the 8.361 Catalyst RC4 drivers, while the GeForce 8800 GTS used ForceWare 158.19 drivers.

I bolded the items which I wanted to emphasize. So here's the rant: why would AMD used a Bad Axe 2, of all the boards capable of CrossFire? And didn't ATi already have their very own chipset that supports CrossFire with an AMD CPU? Or if I am mistaken, I know there's a board for Intel that has an ATi chipset that can support Crossfire and quad core (Fatal1ty F-I90HD) so why not this one instead? And even if they really prefer i975, why not Asus for such demo?

I know that they can use anything they like, but I just find it odd that of all the possible alternatives, they end up with a competitor's board, and chipset, not to mention, processor.

Update (04/26/2007): Apparently, DailyTech is the one running the benchmark. I am really not sure, because their first paragraph is as clear as mud and can be very easily mis understood:

After several delays, AMD plans to launch its long-awaited R600 graphics processors. AMD is currently briefing select members of the press on its R600 architecture in the Tunisia, but there is no embargo date on the R600 for DailyTech -- we can show you benchmarks now.

Anyway, here's the update that makes it much clearer now:

* Our benchmarks for Half Life 2: Episode 1 showed an abnormal framerate for the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS card that scaled with lower resolutions -- we believe there was a copy error. We reran the tests this morning and achieved 119.2 frames per second with the GeForce 8800 GTS.

Press Release: NVIDIA Brings Cutting-Edge DirectX 10 Graphics and HD Video to All PC Users

I have posted before that this video card has prematurely appeared on the shop, and ended up on one of the end users in Australia even before the public announcement. But hey, while it does spoil the fun, that doesn't mean that an official communication is not needed. So for the official press release, expand this article and read the announcement straight from the horse's mouth, the mainstream DX10 capable video card from NVIDIA*.

Features and Performance of GeForce® 8 Series Now Available at Lower Price Points

For further information, contact:

Brian Burke
NVIDIA Corporation
(512) 401-4385
bburke@nvidia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SANTA CLARA, CA—APRIL 17, 2007—NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today announced the extension of the award-winning NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series line-up to include three new graphics processing units (GPUs), bringing high-resolution gaming, stunning Microsoft® Windows VistaTM graphics, and stellar HD DVD and Blu-ray video playback to virtually everyone regardless of budget. The new GPUs that complete the world’s first top-to-bottom family of DirectX® 10 GPUs include:

* NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS ­ $199-229
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT ­ $149-159
* NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT ­ $89-129

These three GPUs join the previously announced NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS, rounding out the product family.

"With Windows Vista being the first operating system to require a GPU to fully realize its graphics potential and with the growing list of popular software applications that take advantage of a dedicated graphics processor, GPUs are no longer a luxury required only by hardcore gamers," said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GPU business unit at NVIDIA. "These new GPUs extend the reach of our award-winning GeForce 8 Series and offer cutting-edge, next-generation features to everyone from the hardcore gamer to the casual PC user."

"DirectX® 10 means higher performance and better looking PC graphics," said Chris Donahue, group manager, games for Windows at Microsoft. "We are thrilled to see that NVIDIA has taken the first step to help application developers and end users adopt the newest 3D graphics API, by making DirectX® 10-compliant GPUs available from top-to-bottom for every type of desktop PC user."

All three new cards feature PureVideo™ HD technology which leverages the revolutionary second-generation video-processing engine in the GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 GPUs to deliver the highest-quality playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies on everyday PCs.i The new programmable video processing engine takes on all of the high definition H.264 HD video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks and significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise. "Sony Pictures is enthusiastic about the ability to play Blu-ray movies on the PC," said Don Eklund, executive vice president, advanced technologies at Sony Pictures. "The new state-of-the-art NVIDIA GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 cards will enable consumers to enjoy Blu-ray movies on mainstream PCs."

With GeForce 8600 GTS and GeForce 8600 GT–based graphic cards, NVIDIA is enabling exceptional performance at price points PC gamers love. The GeForce 8600 GPUs are ideal graphics solutions for the latest NVIDIA nForce® 650i SLI™-based motherboards, which are designed to deliver maximum performance to gamers. The combination of the nForce 650i motherboard and the GeForce 8600 GPU forms a hardware foundation that allows consumers to build their own killer, PC-gaming platforms, enabling high-resolution and high-performance gaming, plus stellar high-definition visuals, at prices that don’t break the bank.

Built for Windows Vista, GeForce 8500 GT cards are designed for both casual gamers and for non-gamers, delivering the ultimate in HD video playback along with unprecedented levels of graphics realism and gaming performance for around $100.

GeForce 8 Series GPUs are the only DirectX 10 GPUs currently available and are the reference GPUs for DirectX 10 API development and certification. GeForce 8 Series GPUs include all required hardware functionality defined in the Microsoft Direct3D® 10 specification, with full support for the DirectX 10 unified shader instruction set and Shader Model 4 capabilities. In addition, every GeForce 8 Series GPU features the NVIDIA PureVideo HD video processor, the NVIDIA Lumenex™ engine for superior image quality, and the NVIDIA Quantum Effects™ technology for simulation and rendering of stunning visual effects in games.

Graphics cards based on GeForce 8600 GTS GPUs are available now from leading retail outlets, system builders, and OEMs. Graphics cards based on GeForce 8600 GT and GeForce 8500 GT will be available on or before May 1, 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.nvidia.com or listen to the NVIDIA podcast located at http://download.nvidia.com/podcasts/pr/041707_8500_8600.mp3.

Source:NVIDIA Brings Cutting-Edge DirectX 10 Graphics and HD Video to All PC Users

Misc: 8600gts released in australia today!

A forum member apparently got hold of a retail graphics card based on NVIDIA* 8600GTS engine from a retail shop. Well, it could have been just normal news, except that, this card is yet to be released, and is scheduled no ealier than April 17, 2007 in the US. So today is April 06, 2007 (April 05, 2007 in the US) so that is 11 to 12 days earlier from release! NDA for benchmarks isn't even allowed to be posted yet! You can click on the image for the bigger pic, and expand to see more pictures of the card, and of course, bench result.

Confirmation:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five

Just picked it up, whim me for shop!!!

Got to stuff it in my pc and run some benchies!

Added pics:
Six
Seven
Eight

Screenshot of benchie:
Nine

With drivers supplied on cd:

E6600
250gb 16mb cache Sata 3gb/sec
2gb 6400 Gskill ram

3dMark06...
Main Test Results

3DMark Score 5542 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 2284 Marks
SM 3.0 Score 2036 Marks
CPU Score 2605 Marks

Detailed Test Results

Graphics Tests
1 - Return to Proxycon 17.534 FPS
2 - Firefly Forest 20.532 FPS

CPU Tests
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.834 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 1.302 FPS

HDR Tests
1 - Canyon Flight (SM 3.0) 18.063 FPS
2 - Deep Freeze (SM 3.0) 22.653 FPS

The rest were n/a

Max temp with fans PELTING (stock) was ~70c with ATI tool stress test... This thing could do with some aftermarket methinks!

Source:8600gts released in australia today!

Tech Link (Graphics): ASUS XG Station Preview

vr-zone has a cool preview of the Asus* XG-Station I posted sometime ago. Though nothing new has been shared, it's great to know that it'll go mass production and will be available next quarter (Q2). It will initially launched bundled with a graphics card to avoid compatibility issues. Expand for more...

When XG Station, the world's first external graphics for notebooks from ASUS made their first appearance over at CES back in January, it has stirred up huge interests from the media and consumers. This time round, ASUS plans to demo a more finalized version of their XG Station over at the upcoming CeBIT but the feature set remains the same as before.

XG1 is able to accommodate a double slot graphics card that requires up to 150W power (GeForce 8800GTS is possible we heard), supports 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 5.1 audio channels with Dolby headphones technology, real-time adjustment of GPU clocks, volume control, LCD display of GPU temperature, fan speed and games FPS.

At start, ASUS plans to bundle and sell the EN7900GS graphics card together with XG1 to avoid any compatibility issues but there are plans for selling XG1 alone without graphics card at a later date. Currently, Magma Electronics has a similar offering called ExpressBox that sells for a hefty US$729 but it doesn't come with features like USB, audio and LCD display features. Not to worry as we heard that the XG1 will be available at a very competitive and reasonable price.

Although XG1 possess some really neat features but it still has its downsides like limited bandwidth and requires external display. Since XG1 is linked up to the notebook through the ExpressCard slot, therefore the graphics card slotted into the PCIe x16 slot inside the XG1 has a reduced bandwidth from full x16 (4GB/s in each direction) to just x1 (250MB/s in each direction). Certainly graphics and video performance will suffer a considerable hit. Also another downside is that XG1 needs to be hooked up to a display monitor since there is no video-in capability in the current notebooks so you can't play games on your notebook screen.

XG1 will be entering mass production in April and retail availability in May timeframe.

What's Next?
To really make an impact in the market, ASUS will have to solve the two tricky issues facing XG1 currently. Some good news to cheer about is that ASUS's strong R&D has made a major breakthrough recently and alleviate the problems completely. The next generation XG Station will have full x16 bandwidth, smaller form factor and is able to output to notebooks for display. ASUS also plans to adopt the cabled PCI Express specs for their future XG Station. However, we can't go into details right now so stay tuned for more announcements from ASUS in the near future.

Source:ASUS XG Station Preview

Tech Link (Cooling): Cooler Master Aquagate Viva Liquid Cooling System Review

The folks at XbitLabs put the new Coolermaster* 2-in-1 watercooling solution to test and they came out with a, well, not-so-satisfactory conclusion. Check out why.

Conclusion
Trying to kill two birds with one stone, Cooler Master hit neither. The new cooling system has two good points: universality (it supports all the modern CPUs and GPUs) and low price. The rest are all drawbacks that outweigh the mentioned advantages by a large margin.

The failure of the Aquagate Viva comes from its design that implies that its heatsink and fans must be placed inside the PC case. Abandoning an expansion tank to make the system compact, the manufacturer endowed it with one more defect, a very small amount of coolant. The heatsink is small to achieve the compactness and, probably, to provide for several variants of installation and is also made of aluminum to reduce the cost. As a result, the two roaring 70mm fans can’t cool it efficiently and provide performance that would be at least acceptable for overclocking.

So, it’s good the Christmas holidays are already behind – no one is likely to present you the Aquagate Viva as a gift!

Source:Cooler Master Aquagate Viva Liquid Cooling System Review

Tech Link (GPU): Real-World Gaming CPU Comparison with 8800 GTX SLI

[H] has some hot article posted about gaming experience. I never liked their reviews anymore, but I guess I like Intel processor winning so I am posting this tech news. Expand if you like to read their analysis...

Gameplay Analysis
From our experiences playing at 2560x1600 on the Dell 3007WFP 30” LCD with two BFGTech GeForce 8800 GTXs in SLI we can definitely see a trend. Quite simply the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 is bottlenecking the 8800 GTX SLI to varying degrees. In Flight Simulator X and Medieval II: Total War we find it bottlenecking SLI to a very high degree. The Intel Core 2 Duo X6800 allowed us to obtain “free” 8X AA on the BFGTech GeForce 8800 GTX SLI in Flight Simulator X and also run at the “Medium High” scenery setting. With the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 we had to lower the AA setting to 2X AA and reduce the scenery settings.

In Medieval II: Total War we experienced a smoother gameplay experience with the Intel Core 2 Duo X6800, especially with thousands of characters onscreen at the same time. With the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 we had to reduce the character detail as well as the antialiasing setting. These two games were by far the largest differences we saw between both platforms. They greatly demonstrate how SLI needs a fast CPU to feed it at high resolutions.

We also saw a distinct performance difference in Oblivion. However, it was not enough to impact our visual quality settings. The gameplay experience was “smoother” on the Intel Core 2 Duo X6800 and the framerates did not drop down as low, but the game was still playable on the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62. It is very impressive to see Oblivion at 2560x1600 with 2X AA and HDR with maximum in-game settings; this really shows the power that 8800 GTX SLI can provide in games.

Battlefield 2142 also showed us a distinct performance difference, but the framerates were so high that it didn’t matter. We were consistently experiencing framerates above 60 FPS with the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 at 2048x1536 with 16X TR SSAA. That is quite incredible; 16X TR SSAA at 2048x1536 and above 60 FPS! F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, Need for Speed Carbon and World of Warcraft showed us smaller differences that simply translated to no true differences in-game.

Conclusion
Do we need more graphics memory?

In this evaluation, especially under Oblivion and some other games, we talked about some odd performance experiences. We said that at certain very high settings we experienced a “choppy” or “laggy” feeling in the game even though the framerate indicated playable framerates. It may be that the games are able to render fast enough with 8800 GTX SLI but it may not be able to dump that information to video card memory fast enough, or, it may be running out of framebuffer space on the video card. Could it be that 768 MB of RAM on the video card is simply not enough for certain settings like 2560x1600 4X AA in Oblivion or motion blur being enabled in Need for Speed Carbon?


It may very well not be enough considering how much demand is on the memory at those settings. Perhaps 1 GB or more of graphics memory on video cards doesn’t sound so unorthodox now. Certainly it may not benefit single-GPU video cards as much right now, but with two 8800 GTXs in SLI running at 2560x1600 1 GB or more of graphics card RAM per video card, with more memory bandwidth may just be the ticket for letting the 8800 GTX GPU in SLI really shine. We saw the framerates it can render, but we just can’t play at those levels yet with the current bottlenecks, whatever they may be.

Source:Real-World Gaming CPU Comparison with 8800 GTX SLI

Press Release: Get Ready for i-Chill !

One of my favorite brand because it is available locally, Inno3D, is releasing a nice new video card based on their “i-Chill” series. This means they will employ custom made cooling (versus reference), improve system acoustics and thermal dissipation, better packaging, more stable components such as solid capacitors and gold-plated DVI connector, and superb overclockability. Now, that's something to look forward to! Expand to read more...

Hong Kong 19th January 2007 – InnoVISION™ Multimedia Limited introduces a prestige new range in 2007 – the Inno3D® “i-Chill” series for state-of-the-art top quality performance to target the thirsty gamers who are always craving for more. The strong demand for high performance graphics is becoming extremely fierce in the market and to target these gamers “i-Chill” is the only solution.

“i-Chill” offers an amazing 3 years warranty that consists of top quality solid capacitor for stable power voltage and advanced durability. We have gathered a team of experts to manufacturer a never before seen top quality graphics range and included a unique Gold plated DVI connector that allows better signal quality and less oxidization.

The “i-Chill” range is built with enhanced overclocking, systematic noise reduction and custom made cooling solutions. We have joined forces with industry’s top thermal cooling leaders and created innovating new designs.

Our creative team has designed a new brand logo and packaging in order to target the enthusiast market to our innovating new range. The eye catching image will build stronger brand awareness and lead us to achieve a prestige differentiation from our competitors.

So make sure your geared up to play all the latest games in 2007 with the extraordinary “i-Chill” series that is ready for DX10 and Microsoft Windows Vista. With more speed and advance cooling, gaming will never be the same once you have tried the “i-Chill” series. For more information please visit our website http://www.ivmm.com or http://www.inno3d.com

Source:Get Ready for i-Chill !

Tech Link (Graphics): The Silent XFX Fatal1ty GeForce 7600GT

If you are looking for a nice video card that will not break the bank, then HardwareUpgrade might just have what you are looking for. It is passively cooled (aka silent) and comes factory overclocked so it's a plus. The video card looks really cool, but only because of the passive cooler and color and not necessarily because of the Fatal1ty logo. Check it out...

Conclusion
Thanks to the faster operating frequencies of the XFX Fatal1ty 7600 GT, it is able to outperform the reference NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT along with all three Radeon X1650XT contenders. Through Newegg, the video card is currently available for $179.99. Most Radeon X1650XT cards run for around $20 less, but the passive cooling solution of the XFX Fatal1ty 7600 GT makes it worth the 20 bucks more.

The video card is factory overclocked and is the most factory overclocked and guaranteed video card currently available. Even though it is already overclocked, we tried to increase its operating frequencies even further, but didn’t get very far compared to the factory overclock. The maximum we reached was 670 MHz for the core and 1635 MHz for memory.

The video card is a definite plus for use in HTPCs. Completely silent, it comes with NVIDIA PureVideo support and also support High Defintion videos. As we said before, it would fit perfectly into a home theater environment. The only limitation of this product, however, is that it doesn’t have any HDCP support and therefore cannot play protected high definition content at full resolution and instead only at standard definition.

Source:The Silent XFX Fatal1ty GeForce 7600GT

Tech Link (Industry): Intel Invests into Multi-GPU Technology Firm

XbitLabs has a news posted claiming that Intel has invested lots of money for developing Multi-GPU supporting technology, ala NVIDIA* SLI or ATi* Crossfire. However, unlike SLI* or Crossfire* which requires properietary drivers (i.e. you can't use Crossfire or SLI if two GPUs belong to the different GPU manufacturer), the technology being developed is actually more like a concentrator or multiplexer, or an intelligent load-balancer across multiple discrete GPUs. While this is just my own guess, it does makes sense if this becomes a reality and becomes mainstream. Here is Lucid's own take of their technology:

Overview
LUCID is developing the first PC Scalable Graphics Hub (SGH).

LUCID's SGH technology consists of a high-performance chipset and
architecture that enable traditional graphic processing cores,
graphic processing chips and graphic cards to turn into an
unmatched, scalable and powerful visualization and gaming
solution.

ADVANTAGES:
* The first solution intended for PCs.
* The first and only technology to achieve a linear increase in performance among multi graphics processors.
* Best performance/cost ration.
* Technology is seamless for application and graphics h/w vendors.

According to EE times, Lucid is expecting to support up to four(4) GPUs, and is expecting to release the product by end of 2007, and already working with major motherboard manufacturers like Asus*, Gigabyte*, and Leadtek, as well as system builders such as Dell*, HP*, and Alienware*. Expand to read XBitLab's News posting...

Intel Capital, a venture capital arm of Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of x86 microprocessors, has reportedly invested millions of dollars into a company that is developing a technology that is expected to enable “seamless” multi-GPU arrays which will deliver great performance scalability without the need of special driver tailoring.

Startup company Lucid Information Technology has raised a $12 million round of funding from Intel Capital, Giza Venture Capital and Genesis Partners, a report from EETimes web-site claims. The company raised $4.5 million in its first round in 2005, having started up in August 2003 with $500 thousand from Maayan Ventures.

Intel Corp., which is already the largest supplier of graphics components with its chipsets that contain graphics cores, has been rumoured to re-enter the market of discrete graphics processing units (GPUs) for several quarters now and as market leaders ATI (now a division of Intel’s arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices) and Nvidia actively promote multi-GPU technologies, it is crucial for Intel to have one in its possession too.

Herzlyia, Israel-based Lucid Information Technology aims to develop high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) and parallel architecture that turns off-the-shelve graphic cards, graphic processor units (GPU) and graphics cores into powerful and scalable visualization solutions, transparently to the applications. While the exact details of the technology are unclear, it is known that Tensilica Inc. has provided Lucid a license to use its Diamond Standard 212GP general-purpose processor core for a scalable multi-GPU chip design project.

Modern multi graphics processor (multi-GPU) solutions, such as ATI CrossFire or Nvidia SLI rely on in-house developed hardware and software technologies to make graphics processors work in parallel. Even though both technologies have been around for quite some time now, their scalability sometimes deserve to be better, whereas scalability of Nvidia’s 4-way SLI (quad SLI) turned out to be rather disappointing. Lucid Information Technology is going to change that and two and four graphics chips to deliver 200% and 400% performance improvements over single-processor designs.

Lucid is looking at the personal computer (PC) market as the primary target for its technology and claims that it would be seamless to applications and graphics hardware vendors. The technology, however, would still include both hardware and software components.

Both ATI/AMD and Nvidia yet have to comment whether it is possible to improve performance of their products using third-party hardware and software.

Source:Intel Invests into Multi-GPU Technology Firm

Press Release: ASUS XG Station Empowers Upgradeable Graphics Power for Notebook Computers

This is a very nice innovation from Asus*. I remember I used to have add-on graphics card with my Toshiba Portege 660CDT laptop docking station. It was great, even adding capability for add-on PCI devices. This new device looks like to be a hit for laptop lovers like me, but prefers better graphics and gaming capabilities.

It accepts standard PCIe x16 Video Card, so it'll be flexible enough to accept current and future graphics card. It is externally powered, which will be reasonable enough for such application, and dedicated power is good anyway, specially with high end video cards. User can also monitor FPS, temperature, and can even overclock the GPU via round knob controller.

Pretty neat idea, I just hope this will become available locally! Expand to read the full Asus scoop!

Enjoy up to 10-times faster graphics power boost with cinematic audio performance

Taipei, Taiwan, January 6, 2007 –ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), the leading provider of high-performance graphics solutions, today launched the XG Station as the industry’s first public demonstration of the world’s first external graphics card station for notebook computers. Equipped with Express Card interface, USB 2.0 and Dolby headphones, the XG station seamlessly integrates notebook computing with PC graphics power.

Engage Mobility with Powerful Graphics Processing
As technology advances to accommodate all aspects of modern life styles, digital devices are often merged or connected for a combined maximum benefit. As with the case of mobile notebook computing and high powered 3D gaming or multimedia experience, a balance is established with the exclusive ASUS XG Station.


When on the go, compact notebook makes work efficient without adding extra pounds, while at home, large LCD monitor is preferred for enhanced visual enjoyment. ASUS XG Station brings the power of a dedicated 3D graphics engine, providing users with the best of both worlds. Simply plug in the XG Station to the LCD monitor and connect the notebook via an Express Card connector and get ready to game!

Fast and Upgradeable Graphics Power
The XG Station is the world’s first docking station to provide a standard PCI Express slot for additional graphics computing power on notebook computers with Express Card slot, delivering VISTA Premium performance. The device also conveniently accommodates future graphics technology such as, HDCP and HDMI upgrades possibility. Lab experiments on a notebook based on Intel 945GM graphics connected to the XG station with a ASUS EN7900GS graphics card showed an astounding 9 times faster acceleration.

Sensational AV Enjoyment
XG Station also features enhanced audio and video functions. With Dolby® Headphone technology any headphone is capable to delivers cinematic 5.1-channel surround sound for a dynamic true-to-life quality during PC game play and music or video playback. Real-time Overclocking is easily controlled with the ergonomic knob design for simple GPU clock speed adjustments.

Large Information Display and Easy Control
XG Station is designed with ease of use in mind. A large LED screen is adopted to provide clear display of critical system status statistics including the following:

System master volume
GPU clock speed
Current GPU temperature
Dolby® Headphone feature status
Current actual Frames Per Second (FPS) information
GPU fan speed Indicator
The XG Station also has a dedicated control panel to let users control the settings through the GUI based interface and easily switch modes between the notebook screen and the external LCD monitor.

The XG Station is currently scheduled to be released at the beginning of Q2 2007. A full package will include the XG Station graphics docking station, one ASUS EN7900GS graphics card and assorted accessories.

Source:ASUS XG Station Empowers Upgradeable Graphics Power for Notebook Computers

Press Release: OCZ Technology Launches the Highly Anticipated OCZ GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, Hand-Selected for the Extreme Enthusiast and Gamer

The inevitable happened, OCZ has joined the market of serving uber individuals with the best handpicked NVIDIA 8800GTX video card. I seem to remember NVIDIA having a negative stance about overclocking their card, so if I recall it correctly, then OCZ might be treading on thin line here since they are actually promoting to overclock it, and with lifetime warranty and technical support.

That's just hard to beat, even if there are others doing similar lifetime warranty, I haven't seen video manufacturers actually supporting customers to overclock their video card. And while there are manufacturers releasing a factory-overclocked video cards, OCZ is releasing it on stock speed (575MHz core, 1.8GHz GDDR3) but touting a better headroom for overclocking with the usual support and warranty. Expand to check out the full release.

OCZ Technology Launches the Highly Anticipated OCZ GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, Hand-Selected for the Extreme Enthusiast and Gamer
2006-12-28

Sunnyvale, CA—December 28, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced their exciting return to the world of graphics cards. Leveraging a strong expertise in high performance overclocking memory and the unique needs of PC enthusiasts, OCZ is prepared to deliver a differentiated GPU solution to gamers and enthusiasts with the launch of the OCZ NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 GTX 768MB PCI Express®.

Separating OCZ’s GPU from the rest is the stringent requirement for the highest level of performance and stability. Each and every 8800 GTX card offers more overclocking headroom by means of premium GDDR3 memory and an advanced screening process in which only the best complete cards make it into the systems of worldwide gamers.

Based on the ground-breaking NVIDIA GeForce 8 unified architecture, the OCZ 8800 GTX delivers an incredibly realistic gaming and visual experience thanks to a wealth of unparalleled features. As the world’s first DirectX® 10 compatible GPU, the 8800 GTX with full Shader Model 4.0 support and NVIDIA Quantum Effects™ enhances graphics quality and realism to unprecedented levels.

"The graphics sector is currently the technology sector with the most direct impact on the gaming experience," commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. "It has become a logical step for OCZ Technology to get back in the game, and naturally, we are doing it with the highest end solution currently available. The OCZ 8800GTX is a limited edition of hand-selected GeForce 8800 GTX, featuring a 1350 MHz 128bit stream processor and a core clocked at 575 MHz, interfaced with the frame buffer consisting of 1800 MHz GDDR3 through a 384 bit wide data path. What sets the OCZ 8800GTX apart from the competition is the uncompromised commitment to delivering the highest possible headroom for overclocking that all OCZ products are known for."

With the addition of OCZ Geforce 8800 GTX GPUs to an industry leading line-up of OCZ SLI-Ready power supplies and memory, OCZ provides the total solution for the hardcore gamer. As a premium OCZ product, the OCZ 8800 GTX is backed by a Lifetime Warranty for unparalleled piece of mind.

For complete specification information and additional product material on the OCZ GeForce 8800 GTX Graphics Card, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ Technology Launches the Highly Anticipated OCZ GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, Hand-Selected for the Extreme Enthusiast and Gamer

Tech Link (Utility): RivaTuner Version 2.0 Final Release

RivaTuner 2.0 has been released by Guru3D. This provides support for the lates 97.xx nvidia drivers and with really lots of new improvements. I dare not copy the whole list, so just check it out and download the utility over to Guru3D.

Welcome to the rivatuner English homepage. Guru3D.com is the official hosting partner for this software. Webmaster, RivaTuner can be only distributed electronically through either Guru3D.com or nvworld.ru

Distribution though other websites or in any other form without the author's permission is prohibited.

RivaTuner is a complete powerful tweaking environment, providing you everything you may need to tune NVIDIA GPU based display adapters. The widest driver-level Direct3D / OpenGL and system tuning options, flexible profiling system allowing to make custom settings on per-application basis, both driver-level and low-level hardware access modes, unique diagnostic and realtime hardware monitoring features and exclusive power user oriented tools like built-in registry editor and patch script engine make RivaTuner's feature set absolutely unmatched.
RivaTuner supports all NVIDIA display adapters starting from Riva TNT family up to the latest GeForce 7 series and widest range of NVIDIA drivers starting from the oldest Detonator 2.08 up to the newest ForceWare drivers family.

In addition to complete NVIDIA hardware support, RivaTuner also provides limited support for display adapters based upon ATI RADEON 8500 and newer ATI graphics processors. All RivaTuner's features besides driver-level tuning options are also available on supported ATI hardware.

Source:RivaTuner Version 2.0 Final Release

Press Release: New NVIDIA Products Transform the PC Into the Definitive Gaming Platform

I've read several reviews already and if all of them are right to the target, then this is a winner. I will not be quick to judge the final verdict, in the end, user experience will still play a big role whether this new solution is going to be a success or not. Expand for more...

New NVIDIA GeForce 8800 and NVIDIA nForce 680 Redefine Reality on the PC

For further information, contact:

Bryan Del Rizzo
NVIDIA Corporation
(408) 486-2772
bdelrizzo@nvidia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SANTA CLARA, CA—NOVEMBER 8, 2006—PC enthusiasts around the world have a lot to be excited about today as NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, introduced two new product families that transform the PC into the premier gaming platform: the GeForce® 8800 graphics processing unit (GPU), and the NVIDIA nForce® 680i SLI media and communications processor (MCP) designed specifically for Intel® Core™ 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors. These two new product families represent the hardware foundation that allows users to start building their own definitive gaming PC platforms to experience high-resolution, high-performance gaming and stellar high-definition visuals.


_{Say hello to 'Adrianne', the world's first real-time, virtual celebrity based on model and actress Adrianne Curry, all rendered on the new NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX graphics processing unit (GPU).}

"We set out to build the ultimate platform for PC gaming and high-definition video," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA. "There is no better way to experience Windows Vista, DirectX 10, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray than with a PC powered by GeForce 8800 and nForce 680i SLI. Our announcement today is the culmination of four years of research and development and represents the biggest technological leap we have ever made. Gamers are going to be blown away."

The GeForce 8800 GPUs are the world's first to support Microsoft® DirectX® 10, the next-generation programming interface that will be introduced with the upcoming Microsoft Vista™ operating system. The GeForce 8800 GPUs feature a number of groundbreaking technologies including:

• A revolutionary new unified shader architecture comprised of up to 128-parallel, 1.35GHz stream processors that deliver amazing floating point processing power for unmatched gaming performance


• NVIDIA Quantum Effects physics processing technology that ushers in a new generation of visual effects and graphics realism


• Simultaneous 16x anti-aliasing and 128-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) lighting for unparalleled image quality

"The raw performance and visual effects of the new GeForce 8800 GTX is just going to knock your socks off," said Pat Gelsinger, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Digital Enterprise Group at Intel. "Intel's Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo combined with the GeForce 8800 GTX and SLI technology delivers the most compelling visual experience the world has ever seen."


_{The hardware foundation for the Definitive Gaming Platform is the NVIDIA nForce 680 media and communications processor--an advanced overclocking motherboard solution for Intel Core 2 Quad and Intel Core 2 Duo-based PCs.}

Throughout the GeForce 8800's development process, NVIDIA worked in close partnership with the world's top game designers to develop next-generation DirectX 10 titles on next-generation NVIDIA GPUs, enabling them to take full advantage of the increased performance and new features. As a result, more than 20 next-generation titles, including Crysis, Hellgate: London, World in Conflict, Company of Heroes, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, and Age of Conan—all with jaw-dropping visuals, were on display at the Company's official unveiling which took place today in San Jose, CA—all running on new GeForce 8800 GTX GPUs.

"NVIDIA has placed the industry's first DirectX 10 graphics processors into the hands of the world's leading game developers, representing a significant milestone in the DirectX 10 game development cycle," said Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "The GeForce 8 series, combined with the unparalleled graphical capabilities of DirectX 10 and Windows Vista—built from the ground up for games—will give game developers a virtually unlimited platform for realizing their gaming vision."

The other half of the definitive gaming platform is the new NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP, which was designed to deliver the highest performance for Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo-based PCs. Aimed squarely at the hard-core enthusiast, the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP is a motherboard solution that provides extensive support for the latest cutting-edge technologies—including enhanced support for NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU technology. With its dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and advanced storage features, the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP can, in about one second, send a 30-minute television show between PCs and store hundreds of high-definition movies. Featuring what customers are saying is the most advanced overclocking solution in the market, the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP can more than double the front-side bus (FSB) speed of many Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. Also included is support for SLI-Ready high-performance memory DIMMs, and a third PCIe graphics slot for extended multi-display environments or future physics processing.

In addition to providing silicon to the world's leading motherboard manufacturers, NVIDIA also announced today it has started to design and manufacture its own line of enthusiast-class NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboards, which are being offered as a turnkey solution for select channel partners. This "Designed by NVIDIA" program allows NVIDIA partners—such as EVGA and others, to bring NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboards to market faster than ever before, and lets consumers know that the motherboard they are purchasing fully supports all of the hardware and software features that are offered with the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP.

"EVGA is proud to be a launch partner for the new NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series and we are beyond ecstatic to be the first company to bring an NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboard to the enthusiast market," said Andrew Han, President and CEO of EVGA. "EVGA would like to applaud NVIDIA for the astonishing performance enhancements found in both the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI core logic and GeForce 8800 GTX graphics solutions."

GeForce 8 series GPUs, including the GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS, NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboards, and fully-equipped Windows-based PCs are now available from leading retail outlets, system builders, and OEMS.

"We're very excited about bringing the definitive gaming platform to Velocity Micro customers. The superior overclockability of the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboard combined with the graphics power of the GeForce 8800 GTX GPU are at the bleeding edge—nothing less than what our customers demand," said Randy Copeland, CEO of Velocity Micro. "NVIDIA continues to demonstrate why they are the leader in the enthusiast space, and we are excited to deliver this phenomenal level of performance and functionality in our new line of Raptor gaming PCs, which are available to consumers today."

For a full list of NVIDIA partners or for more technical information on the GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS GPUs or the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP, please visit www.nvidia.com.

Source:New NVIDIA Products Transform the PC Into the Definitive Gaming Platform

Tech Link (Graphics): MSI RX1950XTX-VT2D512E Water Cooled Edition (Radeon X1950 XTX)

If you feel like wanting to have watercooling for your video card yet you aren't feeling you're up to it, maybe you can resort to a factory-ready watercooled solution then. HardwareZone has an article about this watercooled high-end gaming video card that will certainly be fit only to those who have the $$$ but not the experience nor the courage to embark on DIY watercooling system. Expand for more...

Conclusion

Vendors have been gradually encroaching into niche segments in order to differentiate themselves. An example would be how liquid cooling, which used to be custom projects involving lots of time and effort, becoming a mainstream product available off the shelves. Perhaps the enthusiasts who used to have the time to indulge their hobbies have all grown up or moved on. Or maybe they just saw the writing on the wall: their hobbies are no longer niche and Big Business has muscled into their field. It's not necessarily a negative development since those who lack the technical skills would benefit. But there's also probably a proportion who feel that the 'exclusivity' of their niche has been lost. Not to mention that the motivation to start projects like liquid cooling will be undermined by the easy availability of such products. There are probably some who would hence move on to other less developed, niche hobbies. Overall though, the market has probably increased in size, with terms like overclocking entering the mainstream consciousness.


MSI's latest effort shows how far the manufacturers have come. A third party liquid cooling kit by Thermaltake is grafted onto a Radeon X1950 XTX by MSI. Practically all the work has been done, whereas in the past, there could be no such thing as a readymade liquid cooling kit. Is it more convenient for consumers? Definitely. However, judged as a Radeon X1950 XTX, the performance of the MSI RX1950XTX-VT2D512E did not break new ground, due to its standard clock speeds. Neither did we manage to overclock it beyond the usual limits of this chipset. You could probably notice a drop in noise with the Tide Water Mini liquid cooling kit but that's only if you have the fan at the Low setting. Then, the temperatures were at best on par with the reference card though more often than not, they were a tad higher. In short, on almost all possible criteria, the MSI card only had a minor edge in terms of operational noise levels.

Since everything has been done for you, MSI will naturally expect you to pay for the convenience. While we don't have a confirmed retail price for this card at the moment, it will probably add up to more than the combined total of the selling price of a typical Radeon X1950 XTX and that of the Tehrmaltake Tide Water Mini unit. Throw in the new Heroes of Might and Magic V game and other accessories in the bundle and the cost of this product can be quite substantial. The standard Radeon X1950 XTX goes for around US$430 - US$450 so you can probably add 60 to 80 dollars to that, based on the average price of the Thermaltake liquid cooling module. For some, it looks like a cool toy thanks to the novelty of liquid cooling but be warned, it's not for those with shallow pockets.

Source:MSI RX1950XTX-VT2D512E Water Cooled Edition (Radeon X1950 XTX)

Tech Link (Graphics): Fall GPU Updates : GeForce 7950 GT and Radeon X1950 XTX

GamePC has a really neat article up on their Lab Reports section. It's about the two giants in the video card gaming industry (Intel is still king in over-all graphics market share) going head on, full blast, with their high end gaming machines. You've got to read this one, the images of the video card are so real, I can almost taste it (yuuck). Expand for more.

The Final Word
Fall GPU updates are always fun, as one can get the same high-end cards which were available six months ago for far lower prices, often times with better features and more advanced cooling solutions. However, the problem here is that when fall GPU updates are released, everyone is already talking about the next-generation spring architectures, which will likely outperform today’s cards by a good margin. However, for those who are price savvy, fall GPU updates are always the way to go to get the most bang for your buck.

First off, ATI’s Radeon X1950 XTX 512 MB card is an excellent high-end product, which is capable of besting the GeForce 7900 GTX card in most benchmarks while at the same price. The Radeon X1950 XTX card now has a great low-noise cooling solution, which is not quite as silent as the 7900 GTX, but should still satisfy most people. The X1950 XTX card also has VIVO support and HDCP support, which most 7900 GTX cards don’t have, so all-in-all, ATI looks to have a better product. However, ATI’s Crossfire multi-GPU implementation still isn’t great, requiring a dedicated master card (which are still very difficult to find on the market) and a clunky external cable. However, if you’re just looking for a single high-end card, the Radeon X1950 XTX is a great option.

The GeForce 7950 GT card is an excellent card in terms of price/performance, as it’s being offered for the same price as the GeForce 7900 GT card, but now boasts improved performance with double the memory and higher clock speeds. In addition, 7950 GT cards support HDCP and many have low-noise cooling solutions attached. XFX is even shipping a completely passive (zero noise) 7950 GT card, which is quite amazing. However, given the card’s excellent power consumption numbers, it’s not incredibly mind boggling. We were disappointed with the 7950 GT’s lackluster overclocking, but in the grand scheme of things, the 7950 GT is still an excellent card for the money. We’re predicting it will be a huge hit for the fall, as the older GeForce 7900 GT and GTX cards start to fade away.

Both cards are targeted at high-end gamers, but at different price points, so we won’t directly compare them. However, at this time, it looks like nVidia still has a stronger product lineup for high-end gamers with the dual-GPU 7950 GX2 for top of the line gamers and the efficient 7950 GT card for those who don’t want to break the bank. ATI’s X1950 XTX card revives them quite a lot though, and their recent price drops on the Radeon X1900 XT cards are absolutely smoking deals, if you can stand the loud GPU cooler. To us, it looks like both companies are positioned well for the holiday battle.

Source:Fall GPU Updates : GeForce 7950 GT and Radeon X1950 XTX

Tech Link (Video Card): XFX GeForce 7950GT Extreme – World Exclusive!

I haven't been keeping tabs on the high end video card but TweakTown say they have a World Exclusive (that's a big word to say, whew). They have a pretty wicked looking video card there, if you fancy such gadget, go give it a spin. Expand for more...

While at first due to the naming scheme you might think that the card is a dual core solution, much like the GeForce 7950GX2, it certainly is not that. It is designed to sit above the older GeForce 7900GT as far as performance goes (which of course means it’s faster then the new 7900GS that was released only last week) and as far as pricing goes, it’s going up directly against ATI’s new Radeon X1900XT 256MB. It comes with 512MB worth of fast GDDR-3 compared to just 256MB on the 7900GT and has its core and memory clock speeds

Source:XFX GeForce 7950GT Extreme – World Exclusive!

Press Release: New NVIDIA® GeForce® 7 Series GPUs Deliver Incredible Value to PC Gamers

Another GPU posting! Times are really getting exciting for this industry, however, the price point is still beyond what I can afford. I haven't bought a GPU for more than $150 in a loooong time. Anyway, expand this article if you are a gamer on a budget and willing to spend $200+ on a powerful GPU.

New NVIDIA® GeForce® 7 Series GPUs Deliver Incredible Value to PC Gamers

New NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS and GeForce 7950 GT Reset Performance Bar at Their Respective Price Segments

For further information, contact:

Brian Burke
NVIDIA Corporation
(512) 401-4385
bburke@nvidia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SANTA CLARA, CA—SEPTEMBER 6, 2006——NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today redefined performance expectations for graphics cards at two of the most popular price segments for PC gamers. Available immediately, NVIDIA SLI™-ready GeForce 7900 GS graphics processing units (GPUs) deliver exceptional performance and cutting-edge features at the widely-accessible $199 to $249 price point. Available September 14, 2006, the GeForce 7950 GT GPU brings screaming performance and a 512MB frame buffer to the $299 to $349 price segment.



"These new GeForce 7 Series GPUs are designed to deliver an extreme high-definition gaming and video experience at prices any gamer can afford," said Ujesh Desai, general manager of desktop GPUs at NVIDIA. "Gamers can now get more performance and features at these popular price points than ever before."

"I was floored by the value these new GeForce 7 Series GPUs deliver. Nothing else in the $199 price range even comes close to the price/performance ratio of the NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS, and the GeForce 7950 GT is a stunner for $299," said Russ Strunk, executive vice president of marketing at TigerDirect.com. "These new GeForce 7 GPUs have the features, performance, and pricing that gamers that buy from TigerDirect.com demand."

The GeForce 7900 GS and the GeForce 7950 GT boast the award-winning NVIDIA GeForce 7900 Series feature set, including:

NVIDIA SLI technology— a revolutionary platform innovation that allows users to intelligently scale graphics performance by combining multiple NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system. Using proprietary software algorithms and dedicated scalability logic in each NVIDIA GPU and NVIDIA SLI MCP-based motherboard, SLI technology delivers a high performance computing solution for gamers and enthusiasts.


256-bit memory interface and fast GDDR3 memory enable rapid frame rates with all the eye-candy and special effects turned on.


The industry's only GPU architecture with full support for Microsoft DirectX® 9.0 Shader Model 3.0—including vertex texture fetch (VTF) —enables advanced shading programs for more realistic effects.


NVIDIA PureVideo™ technology, which delivers smooth video, superb picture clarity and vivid colors on any display. The GeForce 7950 GT also adds HDCP circuitry to enable the ultimate HD DVD and Blu-ray movie experience on a PCi.


A high-performance 3D architecture built for Microsoft Windows® Vista™—the industry's first operating system to require a dedicated GPU to realize its full potentialii.

Some of the world's leading add-in card partners are offering graphics cards based on the new NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS and GeForce 7950 GT GPUs, including Albatron, AOpen Inc., ASUSTek Computer Inc., BFG Technologies Inc., Biostar, Chaintech Computer Co. Ltd., Cheer Ascent, City Gate / Triple-D, Club3D, ELSA, Epsco, EVGA Corporation, Foxconn, Gainward Co. Ltd., Galaxy, Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd., Innovision, Jaton, Jetway, Leadtek Research Inc., MSI Computer Corporation, Palit Microsystems, Inc., Prolink, PNY Technology, Point of View, Sigmacom, SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., XFX, and Zogis.

For further information on the GeForce 7 Series GPUs, please visit http://www.nvidia.com.

Source:New NVIDIA® GeForce® 7 Series GPUs Deliver Incredible Value to PC Gamers

Press Release: Indulge yourself in extreme gaming with Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS

Inno3D* is one of my favorite local brand, though many had bad experience with this, my experience is far from similar. I have owned many Inno3D* from chip MX version to mid-end 6600GT series. I am yet to own a newer card from either NVIDIA* or ATi* though. Check out Inno3D*'s latest press release!

Indulge yourself in extreme gaming with Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS

For Immediate Release :

Hong Kong 6th September 2006 – InnoVISION™ Multimedia Limited launch 2 high-end performance cards for HD gaming, Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT and 7900GS. Designed for extreme HD gaming that includes ultra-realistic gaming experiences and resolutions up to 2560x1600. Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT is built with more memory for extreme HD gaming and core clock of up to 550Mhz. Technology is much more matured which allows gamers to power though all the latest games with exceptionally smooth frame rates. The Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS on the other hand will not break your budget, it is built with 256-bit memory interface and fast GDDR3 memory enable blazing graphics performance with maximum quality so you don’t have to choose between frame rates and image quality.

Indulge yourself in extreme gaming with Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS

For Immediate Release :

Hong Kong 6th September 2006 – InnoVISION™ Multimedia Limited launch 2 high-end performance cards for HD gaming, Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT and 7900GS. Designed for extreme HD gaming that includes ultra-realistic gaming experiences and resolutions up to 2560x1600. Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT is built with more memory for extreme HD gaming and core clock of up to 550Mhz. Technology is much more matured which allows gamers to power though all the latest games with exceptionally smooth frame rates. The Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS on the other hand will not break your budget, it is built with 256-bit memory interface and fast GDDR3 memory enable blazing graphics performance with maximum quality so you don’t have to choose between frame rates and image quality.

Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & 7900GS Specifications:



Both Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & 7900GS delivers smooth, high-definition video playback and crisp picture quality thanks to the advanced NVIDIA PureVideo technology. It is dedicated on-chip video processors dramatically increase video processing performance and frees GPU’s shaders to run 3D applications simultaneously. The 3DMark06 benchmark results show Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & 7900GS beats high-end range competition and has increased speed of up to 20% with existing cards in the market.



The Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT targets gaming enthusiast that want extreme HD gaming. For home theater entertainment and value for your money then make sure you grab your hands on the Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS. Both built with all the advance features of NVIDIA® 7 series technology and is essential for Windows Vista. For more information please visit our website http://www.ivmm.com or http://www.inno3d.com

Source:Indulge yourself in extreme gaming with Inno3D® GeForce™ 7950GT & Inno3D® GeForce™ 7900GS