Nvidia, anyone?

[Flanker35M]

S!

Some healthy competition would do good for the industry. Seems that these 2 rivals are too concentrated on their "GPU crown hunt" that the average buyer is left out. What use is of any kind of technical gimmick or feature if the average joe can not afford nor get their hands on these new cards?

I could get a 5870HD here for less than 400€ and the estimated price for 480GTX for example is 500-600€, in the range of the 5970HD. Add to this I would have to buy a new GOOD and quality PSU for the Fermi, talking about 100€ or even more and possibly a new case with wind tunnel built in for 200€..hmm..not very appealing for me for the meager FPS gain I would get. Not everyone has the money tree growing in the backyard

[Flyby]

Flanker35M, I read you loud and clear. If I narrow my GPU focus to SoW, as I assume many here will do, I am always wondering how much GPU will be required. Many have asked Oleg this question. One day we will know the answer. For the sake of the many I hope something no more powerful than the 5850 is required to render it in all it's Glory. I'm sure that card is more agreeable to many more budgets than the 5870 or the GTX480. Further still, I'm hopeful SoW scales well enough to played satisfactorily on much lesser cards. I personally prefer a card that supports DX11, though I am not sure that DX11 will be a huge factor in SoW, at least not in the sort run of that graphics engine. (who knows? Maybe by the time SoW_Korea or SoW_VietNam DX11 will finally dazzle our socks off.) ATI has several less powerful DX11-capable cards. Time will reveal Nvidia's competitive reply. Let's hope so
Flyby out

[Thunderbolt56]

Higher power consumption wouldn't be an issue for me if the performance payoffs were there. The wacky temps? a definite no go for me. It's already hot enough here in Florida.

Hopefully a refresh will bring the temps down a bit and make all the other stuff (i.e. power consumption, Vram frequency and overall performance) better as well (Just like G92 did for G80).

Even with the somewhat lateral performance comparison with the 5870, I'd take the NV offering if those other things weren't there.

[Flyby]

Here's hoping Nvidia has something up it's sleeve that will unleash the 480's full 512 bus as well as bring it's heat signature down. I think if it can accomplish those two things I would not worry too much about power consumption either.
Flyby out

[PA_Willy]

You will have to wait for 28nm process to get better Nvidia cards (lower temps and power consumption).

ATI and Nvidia are manufacturing in 40nm at this moment. I hope 28nm will be available in Q4 2010 or maybe 2011.

Regards.

[Flanker35M]

S!

We have to wait for this new 28nm process for a bit it seems, there are difficulties with it. Intel has it's own 32nm plants, but you can guess they do not give them for ATI/nVidia

When scouring the net it seems this nVidia chip has very low yield from the production, various sources say 20% to less than 50% which is not good concerning price and availability.

Let's see what these "GPU crown hunters" come up with this year. Some kind of refresh is coming from both to spice up the race even more. But as it seems ATI is quite confident thus they have not lowered prices that much even nVidia has published the new cards.

Only one thing is sure..whatever oompah and performance these cards from both brands promise and PR agencies tout..we are the ones paying for this

[PA_Willy]

The chips manufacturer for Nvidia AND ATI is TSMC.

Regards.

[Mysticpuma]

I was interested to see where Nvidia were going with Fermi, and looking at screen-shots, the technology looks like it has amazing potential.

I also like the fact that there seems to be (I had 2x8800 GTS G92 in SLI) little issue with Nvidia in IL2.

However, I can't be that exclusive to my gaming, and the 8800's had a poor frame-rate at Max detail in CoD:World at War, so I looked around for a better card, and at-the time I found the Radeon 4890 Vapor-X (1Gb) at a good price.

Oh my! What a card! Al settings maxed out in (CoD), no slow-down, dynamic lighting...amazing!

I just finished Modern Warfare 2, on max settings, and no-noticeable slowdown.

The second reason I went for the Vapor-X is Temperature and Noise. Initially I had a 4870x2 (for about a week and sold it) and even though that was a beast, so was the noise from the cooling fan! The temps as-well would idle at 86 Degrees Celsius!

Noise was the biggest consideration as the PC is in a living room, and although I sit there with the Surround-sound headphones on, the family had to listen to the hair-dryer built in fan, blasting away, trying to keep the 4870x2 cool!

For this reason, cards that run cool are important to me, and a greater consideration than some others have.

Now that's a long way of getting round to the fact that I would love to have one of the cards with Fermi tech. but there is no-way I can justify the cost, when compared to the performance gain against the 4890 I have, to have a new piece of kit that sounds as-loud as the 4870x2 did!

Maybe one-day I'll get a water-cooling kit and be able to have one of these cards, nice and quiet in my PC, but for now, I can run IL2 at 1920x1200, with AA Super-Sampled, 24x and AF at 16x and lots of other effects.

So, for now, no-thanks to the latest Nvidia, but maybe one-day when they are cooler.

Cheers, MP.

[flyingbullseye]

Puma, how did you get slow downs with your sli rig in COD:WaW? I have a 3870 running on a FX-60 and never had any slow downs with max settings (1680x1050). You sure there wasn't some conflict going on somewhere?

Back on topic regarding the new NV cards, the mainstream cards look more inviting especially the GTX 440, 450 if/when they ever get released. Can't see at this point spending north of $300 for just a gpu.

Flyingbullseye

[Flanker35M]

S!

TSMC has problems with nVidia Fermi yields, had some with ATI initally = had to wait 2 months to get my 5870HD. And the 28nm process has been changed a few times already so there is a delay for that. Not expecting it to come before SoW. Maybe some small refreshes from both companies possibly?

Puma, I see your point. My 5870HD is quiet as well, even under load. A Fermi has been measured at some 70db and that is loud, too loud. You could dry laundry with that fan screaming for help there On paper and in some tests Fermi is impressive, but the initial gain for the price and additional investments to be done to actually run it silent and cool = not worth the money IMO.

Anyways, shall see what happens in near future with the new processes and all Interesting times indeed.