New products based on G104?

[AD-15]

Hello,

I have been very impressed with the improvements in terms of power efficiency and GPU temperatures with the new GTX 460 card. However, the level of performance is a little low for what I need (I would need a card with the performance of something like the 470).

As I would rather stick to NV for certain reasons, I am wondering if there will be any more higher performance products based on this new deriviative of the Fermi GPU? Or is it only "smaller and cheaper" from now on?

As I understand it, one of the core clusters on the current 460 product is disabled, and that therefore a better product could materialise with this cluster activated. Does this rule out the possibilty of a completely new product based on the same improved GPU?

[Queelis]

They probably won't allow for the full shader product since it would have lower yields - maybe if they improve enough, something with all the shaders and high clocks would be possible.

That said, the overclocked 460 1GB crouches near 470.

[kalniel]

As I understand it, one of the core clusters on the current 460 product is disabled, and that therefore a better product could materialise with this cluster activated.

Yep.

Does this rule out the possibilty of a completely new product based on the same improved GPU?

What do you mean by completely new yet also based on the same?

If you mean series/model name then sure - nVidia are quite happy to label two different cards with the same name, so I wouldn't put it past them to also give different names to ones based on the same GPU (which they've also done before, thinking of it).

[jjgreenwood]

*holds breath*

[Domestic_Ginger]

They may re-activate a core cluster as said but the naming is going to be a mess. can't really go from a 460 to a 465 and 470 is already taken. why they can't go back to the GSO, GT, GTS, GTX labelling I can't understand. They should have used this on the two 460s already.

Dual GPU card is probably going to be the top performance card imo.

[scaryjim]

nvidia alledgedly still use the G/GT/GTS/GTX naming, but it's not really had much of a run out since the 8-series (I suppose there was the 9600GSO...), and so far it's been applied when they've used a different core for 2 cards with the same number (was it the GT240 and GTS240?).

There's no technical reason (unless yields are particularly bad) they couldn't release a full-fat GF104, but I suspect it might be as part of a rebranding exercise to a 5-series when they get GF100 running all 512 cores at a higher clock speed. A full fat GF104 would be too close to the current GTX470 for comfort, I think...

[kalniel]

Yeah I think you're right - good excuse for a new 500 series line up headed by the dual gf104 card, with an 8/8 gf104 chip as the performance market. 7/8 chips rebranded for the new series.

Afterall, AMD haven't been sitting idle...

[Domestic_Ginger]

Things could be getting exciting; any bets on the next move? One thing I was wondering is
whether the GF104 cheaper to make than the RV870? ATI to drop prices on the 5850 when the 460 is readily available would be the first response; i can't imagine them flogging more out of the 5830.

[kalniel]

Things could be getting exciting; any bets on the next move? One thing I was wondering is
whether the GF104 cheaper to make than the RV870? ATI to drop prices on the 5850 when the 460 is readily available would be the first response; i can't imagine them flogging more out of the 5830.

GF104 is still more expense to make (in terms of die size) than the RV870, but only by a small margin. However top end cypress is still much faster, so AMD do have more room to drop prices.

[DanceswithUnix]

Rumour mill says dual GPU card is on the way "later this year" whatever that means.

http://www.fudzilla.com/graphics/gra...wo-gf104-chips

I am sure they will introduce new variants over time, but right now they are probably selling all they can make just with the basic 460 card.

[Terbinator]

I think it was always obvious the dual GPU of GF104 would be coming at some point, I'm keen to see whether they (Nvidia) do a full top to bottom range based on Fermi like ATi did with Evergreen.

[GheeTsar]

Any rumours about on the Southern Islands GPUs from ATI? Charlie thought they'd taped out in April (source), but I've heard nothing since.


EDIT: Q4 for announcement of the new ATI cards with launch early 2011 apparently: http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/d..._Up_in_Q4.html