[Grey Wolf]

Appears that the NV40 may well be an actual increase over the current generation (both NV35 and R360). The Inquirer reported that nVidia released that they got about 12500 in 3DMark03, beating the current record of 10008, which was achieved with rather extreme cooling on a P4 using a 9800XT.  Of course, we have no clue what CPU was used, what memory, or how far overclocked the GPU was, but it still seems rather impressive.

[SadisticSid]

If they can make a better card (performance, featureset, stability)than ATI for the same cash then I'll buy nVidia. Sod brand loyalty, I will want what's best.

But of course, I am quite content to wait until both manufacturers have their new models out until I make any decisions. Hopefully this card war will drive down prices for us salivating consumers.

[Grey Wolf]

If nothing else, last-gen (9800) should drop significantly.

[ChronoReverse]

Luckily for us, ATi will be releasing at the same time nVidia does.  So by the end of the month, we'll know which cards are better.

[Kazan]

nVidia probably LN2 cooled a P4 clocked to 4Ghz and water cooled their GPU overclocked extremely

would make a great publicity stunt

[Grey Wolf]

You realize the cooling on the 10k score with the 9800XT was just what you described? Not many ways to get a P4 clocked to 4.5GHz at -85C, short of liquid nitrogen or rather incredibly phase-change cooling.

[ChronoReverse]

*sigh

Can you keep your fanboyism out of it?

Both ATi and nVidia are capable of releasing great video cards as well as relatively poor ones.

Both have had driver sets that were excellent and both have had done some stupid cheats with their drivers.


Whoever has the better next generation card will have the better next generation card.  Video card politics should be left out of this.



P.S. ATi's 9800Pro (overclocked on an overclocked system) was the first to break the 10k mark for 3dMark2003.

[Grey Wolf]

I rather don't care whose card is in my computer. The only computer company I'm really a fanboy of is AMD. The main relevance of this to me is that I'll probably end up with the second rev. of one of the new cards when I build my computer next summer, considering the large amount of time between entirely new GPUs.

EDIT: On a side note, they're apparently dropping the concept of having a number between "GeForce" and the model number. The NV40 will be the GeForce 6800 and GeForce 6800 Ultra.

[aldo_14]

's interesting.  Betcha it'll cost a int, of course. (er, when released.  obviously).

[Grey Wolf]

Probably. I'm betting 300-400 USD for the 6800, and 400-500 for the 6800 Ultra.

[an0n]

Remind me again why I should shell out like £300 for a new gfx card when they'll announce a similar 'leap' forward a year from now that'll make everything else obsolete?


This is what I ****ing hate about the computer industry. They'll whore out a million different products, then the second you shell out for some top of the range product, there'll be some new breakthrough that'll rape whatever you bought and kill the price by 90%.

[Grey Wolf]

Because you want a computer now? Realistically, it's always better to go for the upper end of the last-gen or the performance mainstream versions of the current-gen. Far cheaper, and last about as long as the  bleeding edge designs.

[Dark_4ce]

I hear ya. The reason why I wait 2-3 years between each major leap in gaming technology "that will change the face of gaming FOREVER!" I mean hell. The GF3 was supposed to be the übercard to run doom3. The 9800 was supposed to be the übercard to run Half Life2. Now neither will be uber. Meh.

[Kazan]

I wasn't saying that record was set without the cooling i mentioned - i was saying this new record was set in the same manner

In other words - you're not going to get that performance out of ANY video card in your home computer

[an0n]

True enough, I suppose.

My TNT2 did me till about a month before Halo came out on the PC.

Still, when you're poor, shelling out hundreds of dollars for new components, even if it's only on a 2-year cycle, is a ****ing pain in the ass.

*goes to install some ****ty auction software on some choice domains so he can hock 'em on eBay for $600 a pop*

[Grey Wolf]

Of course not. But assuming the setups were similar and that they didn't cheat with drivers (it's always a possibility), that means 2 things:
1. The card has about a 25% performance increase over the current generation.
2. nVidia is releasing their first competent design since GF4.

[aldo_14]

Well, we shall see, won;t we

[Kazan]

I put my money on them cheating

[Liberator]

Kaz, you are so cynical.

I for one, am looking forward to it, I will still buy a 5700 or something similar when I finally scrape enough moolah together.

[Kazan]

Liberator: cynicism is the opposite of guillability