Hasta La Gadget!

PAX East 2011, which kicks off tomorrow, is widely expected to finally deliver a dual-GPU solution from NVIDIA’s Fermi family of graphics chips, a PCI Express-saturating single-card workhorse to be known as the GTX 590. While we wait for its arrival, however, here’s a sentimental look back upon 2010 and another little prototype that NVIDIA had kicking around its labs back then. Emerging over in a Chinese forum, this dual-GPU board features two GF104 chips (the same that made the GTX 460 such a winner) and a snow white PCB paintjob that makes it look utterly irresistible. We’re loving the four DVI outputs and, just like you, have no idea why this card never came out, but that shouldn’t obstruct the enjoyment of looking at the darn thing. More pics after the break.

Continue reading Visualized: NVIDIA’s dual-Fermi card that never was

Visualized: NVIDIA’s dual-Fermi card that never was originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah, NVIDIA, how far you’ve come. This time last year we were all wondering if your first Fermi GPUs would operate successfully without a nuclear reactor in our backyards, yet today you’re introducing a successor to one of the best value-for-money GPUs the PC gaming world has seen in ages. Yes, the GTX 560 Ti has mighty big shoes to fill, but it’s off to a good start with 384 CUDA cores running at 1645MHz, 1GB of GDDR5 RAM running at an effective rate of 4GHz, and an 822MHz graphics clock — each one a clear and pronounced upgrade over its GTX 460 predecessor. You’ll have to check out the reviews below for a detailed breakdown of what those numbers will mean on a game-by-game basis, but there’s another way in which this new card is proving its impact already.

ATI AMD has (conveniently) chosen to cut the prices of its Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6950 cards today, while also outing an HD 6950 with just 1GB of onboard memory to serve as a direct competitor to NVIDIA’s latest. Competition, ladies and gentlemen, it’s an awesome thing.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti: second-generation Fermi for the $250 mainstream originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS is already down with Sandy Bridge on the desktop side, but you had to know the company would be finding room for Intel’s latest in it’s mobile offerings, too. Notebook Italia has what looks to be solid confirmation of four separate models, starting with a big honkin’ gaming rig, the G73SW. It has an Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 8GB of DDR3, Geforce GTX 460M graphics, USB 3.0, dual storage bays (enabling mixing and matching of SSD and platter), and a 17.3-inch LCD that manages the full 1920 x 1080 resolution. Price looks set to start around $2,500. Also unveiled are four somewhat less gamer-oriented but still might fast models, grouped in the N53SV and N73SV series. All feature the same 2GHz processor and all have the new GeForce GT 540M processor that was recently seen rocking Acer’s 5742G, which will drive either a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display or the larger 17.3-inch, 1080p display depending on which model you go for. Prices on this series are said to start at just $1,200 and go way up from there when they ship in January.

ASUS looks set to release five Sandy Bridge laptops, all with serious horsepower originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to know what the famous act of cutting down a graphics card to match a given price point looks like? Well, here it is, the $349 GTX 580 (aka GeForce GTX 570): it has 480 CUDA cores running at 1464MHz, a 732MHz graphics clock, and 1.25GB of GDDR5 memory hurtling along at an effective rate of 3.8GHz. Each of those specs represents a moderate downgrade from NVIDIA’s original 500 series GPU, while the physical construction — including that vapor chamber cooler — is almost wholly identical to the 580. Aside from the paintjob, the only difference is that the GTX 570 can live on a pair of 6-pin auxiliary power connectors. The best comparison for the 570, however, turns out to be NVIDIA’s former flagship, the GTX 480, as reviewers found the new card’s performance to be nearly identical to the old tessellation monster. Verdicts invariably agreed that the 570 is quieter, cooler, and more power-efficient, making it pretty much a no-brainer of a purchase in its price bracket. Of course, every recommendation comes colored with the warning that AMD should finally be unveiling its upper-tier wares next week — we’d wait the extra few days before parting with our cash.

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Continue reading NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 debuts: the 580 goes on a power diet to fit into $349 price bracket

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 debuts: the 580 goes on a power diet to fit into $349 price bracket originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whether you’re an NVIDIAn calling it SLI or a Radeonite referring to it as CrossFireX, a multi-card graphics setup is nowadays almost a prerequisite for experiencing the best that PC gaming has to offer. It’d be negligent of us, therefore, not to point you in the direction of the Tech Report crew’s latest breakdown, which takes an investigative peek at dual-card performance on NVIDIA’s latest and greatest GeForce GTX 580 and naturally compares it to a wide range of other alternatives on the market. AMD’s latest refresh, the Radeon HD 6870, is among those options, though it’s worth remembering that the company’s real high-end gear isn’t due for another couple of weeks. All the same, most people will be buying their holiday rigs right around now, and if you want an exhaustive guide as to what’s what on the graphics front, the source link is your best, um… source.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon HD 6870 square off in dual-card showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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