Windows 7 DX11 Cards

Was the wait worth it? Will you be buying one?

  • Price is too high so no to Fermi..

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • I bought a 5000 series and am happy..

    Votes: 5 41.7%
  • Both Fermi and 5000 series way too expensive

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • At last! Can't wait to get my Fermi.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I'm waiting until the price drops.

    Votes: 4 33.3%
  • I'm going to wait for the refresh and 512 cores

    Votes: 1 8.3%

  • Total voters
    12
New BIOS unlocks fan speeds, boosts performance by 7%

Two days ago, EVGA Product Manager Jacob Freeman posted a preview thread on the EVGA Forums about an upcoming performance patch that would noticeably boost performance for the company's standard Geforce GTX 460 768-P3-1360 and 01G-P3-1371 models.
As explained in the thread, the update intends to unlock the fan speed of the EVGA Geforce GTX 460, allowing it to be set up to 100 percent fan speed in the EVGA Precision overclocking utility. However, the company made note that these GTX 460 models are just the first to receive the new fan speed adjustment function. The feature "will become available with an update on all EVGA graphics cards, including SuperClocked models." We're unsure at this point if that statement also includes EVGA's SSC and FTW cards, but from a consumer benefits perspective, we assume that it should.



Delivering on its promise, EVGA released the Geforce GTX 460 Free Performance Boost (FPB) update a few hours ago in the form of a BIOS update for its Geforce GTX 460 768-P3-1360 and 01G-P3-1371 models. The new BIOS increases the core and shader clock speeds of the cards from 675MHz/1350MHz to 720MHz/1440MHz, or in other words a healthy 7 percent performance boost. Although we haven't spoken with EVGA regarding the intentions of its welcomed GTX 460 performance boost update, we believe it might have something to do with how silent the cards operate at stock fan speeds. Being an enthusiast oriented company with a reputation of selling factory overclocked GPUs, we're sure someone in the management department gave in to the need for more speed.

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AMD to launch 28nm GPUs in early 2011

AMD's graphics section ATI is currently preparing the Southern Island GPU architecture for launch in Q4. Even if Southern Islands is made with 40nm technology we may see 28nm circuits from AMD as early as the first half of 2011.
AMD will put greater emphasis on the native manufacturing partner GlobalFoundries over the coming years and the foundry has now revealed that by the end of 2010 the first products made at the 28 node will move out of the fab, and start mass production in 2011.
"The timing of when you’ll see products is customer-dependent but it’s possible you could see them in [the first half of 2011]."
AMD will move over its graphics circuit production to GlobalFoundries sooner or later and when the 28nm technology is available it seems highly plausible that a refresh of Southern Islands will arrive in the first half of 2011.

cypressgpu.jpg

ATI Cypress

The big picture at AMD are still a bit hard to grasp. At the same time we know that TSMC is working to reach new nodes and NVIDIA is guaranteed to be searching for a more efficient manufacturing technology for its advanced Fermi architecture.

Ref: AMD to launch 28nm GPUs in early 2011 - www.nordichardware.com
 
Though DX 11 cards look nice and since I am not a gamer I can afford to wait until prices come down. For me if I was going to spend a lot of money, I would upgrade mu CPU from a 920 to a 980
 
ATI 6000 series to hit market in November

New graphics cards, price cuts

The hits just keep coming for NVIDIA. First their Fermi line was six months late to the market, and now they have to push back the launch of the GTS 450. However, it’s a different story altogether for ATI, as not only has the 5000 series been very successful, but they are now on the verge of launching an entirely new line of graphics cards.

Up until now the news regarding the new 6000 series (Southern Island) has not specified an exact time frame for release. We can put the speculation to rest now, as AMD is rumored to announce the new graphics cards in October, and partners should be shipping them to the public in November. So, this gives us just three short months before the 6000 series will be in hand.

While details on the new line are still vague, there are reports coming out the new series will use the current 40nm fabrication process and not the 32nm originally intended. This is due to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) advancing to 28nm and skipping the 32nm process all together. So, AMD had to make the adjustment back to 40nm in order to prevent delays to the new series.

Additional news: AMD plans to cut prices of the 5000 series prior to the 6000 launch. There is not an exact date specified for the price reduction, but it should be happening within the next month or two..

Ref: ATI 6000 series to hit market in November - Neoseeker News Article
 
Two of a kind chips
This year will still be the year of 40nm chips and only next year will we see some 28nm chips. Both Nvidia and ATI are planning to launch its next, next generation at some point in late 2011.

We've learned that ATI is working on two different chips in 28nm, one for its long time partner TSMC and one for its upcoming star, the one and only Globalfoundries.

Globalfoundries has a hard task, as this chip has to be successful and it's the perfect opportunity to make some money in the complex GPU market. In case ATI's chip proves successful, Nvidia should most likely also sign to make its future chips at this fab.

Globalfoundries also misses an opportunity with the Ontario chip, AMD’s first 40nm as this will be done by TSMC. The reason is simple, Globalfoundries doesn’t have a 40nm high end process that would fit the needs of complex CPU and GPU design.

ATI’s graphics development team has a tougher task to develop two GPUs for two fabs, and we’ve learned from the past that you do need to adjust a chip design for a specific fab - one design for UMC and one for TSMC, which will be the case with Globalfoundries design.

The first 28nm GPU from Globalfoundries is expected in late 2011 but we expect to see some prototypes and wafers earlier.

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TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today Announced Improved performance for HTPC gaming gamers. The PowerColor HD5750 Low Profile Edition is designed Specifically for Those with limited space or HTPC chassis systems’ who desire the upgraded graphics performance without HAVING to compromise Their system size.



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The PowerColor HD5750 Low Profile Edition is equipped with a dual fan design and heatsinks That fully covers the GPU, memory and MOSFET. The design dissipates heat and cools temperatures for Vital Components Within a limited space. Furthermore, by Taking advantage of the low profile design, this unique solution can be used for small and slim form factor systems, maximizing the rig’s performance in a limited space.



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The PowerColor HD5750 Low Profile Edition uses high quality components, Including Dr. MOS capacitors and solid to solid state choke, Which not only extends the products lifecycle, But Also Provides stable and high performance gaming. The card clocks in at 700MHz core speed / memory speed and 1150MHz includes the fastest GDDR5 memory today; Enhancing the data transmission rates up to 4.6Gbps.

This latest edition is Also equipped with HDMI / DVI / VGA outputs, Providing the full HD video interface for HTPC users. Gamers can now enjoy full HD Blu-Ray through Each video display; Also with the support of the latest DirectX 11 technology, gamers experience vivid graphics like never before.



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Starting new but still can not be denied again that the graphics card on this one can be told in several vendors selling sweet. Show more affordable than her brothers but has a toughness that is no less cool, GTX 460 did make enthusiasts drool dripped profusely and pc gamers. ZOTAC did not want to lose, they will soon be launching a new graphics card that is claimed one of the fastest class of GTX 460 AMP! Edition.


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ZOTAC graphics cards DirectX 11 technology will perform teroverclock stern with a high frequency of references by nature, has a GPU clock of 810 MHz (675 MHz), shader 1620 MHz (1350 MHz), and 1GB of memory @ 4000 MHz (3600 MHz). Also strengthened the CUDA cores 336, 256-bit memory interface, dual-slot cooler, dual-DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort, as well as supporting two-way SLI technology, CUDA, PhysX, and 3D Surround Vision.


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When released later GTX 460 AMP! Edition bundled with the game Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from Ubisoft.
 
nVidia prepares to launch GTX475 & GTX485 with full Fermi feature set


Since launch, behind closed doors, nVidia has been briefing press and customers alike with the message, “If you think Fermis is good now, wait until we unlock its full potential by revealing the full Fermi featureset”. Looks like that time has come.


Rumours coming out of the Far East point to a full spec Fermi being with us very soon. nVidia needs to prepare against the imminent threat of the AMD revamp with Northern/Southern (select the one you prefer) Islands update to the 5000 series.
KitGuru laid down its prediction for Radeon HD 6870 performance back towards the start of July. Sure, the dual processor GTX490 will be able to beat the Radeon HD 6870 by some margin, but the 2 GPUs Vs 1 GPU argument is hard to make when there’s a massive price difference.

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The market will become much more interesting if nVidia can pull off a special trinity (are we the only ones who get dodgy mental images of Carrie Ann-Moss when we read that?) :-

  1. Increase the Full Fat Fermi Flow to 512 stream processors
  2. See real world benefits from improvements in TSMC’s chip production processes, like lower core temperatures and better heat dissipation
  3. Crank the cores just a little bit more than nVidia has been able to
How would the killer Fermi spec read for the GTX485?

  • Operating temperature, under load, reduced from over 91 degrees to just 85 for the standard shipping card with a much improved reference cooler. Sounds too ambitious? Remember that Asus was able to increase air flow over 600% with the ARES cooler design
  • Noise level under load dropped from over 63 dBA to just 57 dBA – again not impossible when the ARES design dropped dBA by 18%
  • 5% performance boost from the additional stream processors available
  • Additional 5% boost from increased clocks/improved timings
  • Lastly, a 5-10% improvement from a major driver update that includes a whole bunch of clever optimisations that Jen Hsun has been working on – but decided not to release until the second generation Fermi product range was ready for launch (being the cheeky chappy he is, we wouldn’t put this past him)

After the series of serious price cuts that KitGuru predicted, the basic GTX480 now starts as low as £365. That movement of more than £80 from typical launch pricing has left a nice gap for GTX485 to launch into.
The upper price point cap has now been dictated to nVidia by the drop in Radeon HD 5970 pricing. This card sits around £450. If we were Jay Puri and had to launch a graphics card between the GTX480 at £365 and the Radeon HD 5970 at £450, what price would we choose? Almost certainly, the UK launch price will be around £400. Some will go a little higher, catering to the desire of nVidia fan boys for the latest and greatest Santa Clara design. So we predict an upper limit of £419 inc vat.


Naturally, there will be a GTX475 as well. Launch price will average around £320 with the more competitive (think ‘smaller’) brands nudging under £290 before the end of Christmas.
 
I'm sure I read somewhere that even with it's full functionality the increase is something like 6%.. Hardly worth getting excited about really. Nvidia is just trying to get rid of a heap of very expensive cards which you can hardly blame them really.. But I'm afraid a silk purse out of a sow's ear one does not make....
 
I'm sure I read somewhere that even with it's full functionality the increase is something like 6%.. Hardly worth getting excited about really. Nvidia is just trying to get rid of a heap of very expensive cards which you can hardly blame them really.. But I'm afraid a silk purse out of a sow's ear one does not make....

It looks so, but higher performance is not their only improvement.
 
PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts

(August 21st 2010)

PassMark Software has delved into the thousands of benchmark results that PerformanceTest users have posted to its web site and produced four charts to help compare the relative performance of different video cards (less frequently known as graphics accelerator cards or display adapters) from major manufacturers such as ATI, nVidia, Intel and others. Higher quality video cards improve overall system performance for many computing activities such as PC gaming, video editing and software development. Recently introduced ATI video cards (such as the ATI Radeon HD) and nVidia graphics cards (such as the nVidia GTX and nVidia Quadro FX) using the PCI-Express (or PCI-E) standard are common in our high end video card charts.



High End Video Card Chart





Mid Range Video Card Chart






Low End Video Card Chart





Search for your Video Card





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Market Share for Video Card brands in the Last 30 Days




NVIDIA --> 49.60%
ATI --> 35,96%
Intel --> 8,54%
Other --> 5,30%



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Benchmark Test Description


Video Card Benchmark results (“Baselines”) were gathered from users’ submissions to the PassMark web site as well as from internal testing. PerformanceTest conducts three different tests and then averages the results together to determine the PassMark 3D Mark rating for a system.


Notes Related to the Graphs

Rarely is a graph completely accurate in what it is representing. There are many factors that can skew the results and make a graph misleading. As such it is necessary to have some background understanding of the data being presented.

In the case of these Video Card Benchmarks there are several factors to consider, such as different system setups the Video Cards are running under and the possibility that users have overclocked their systems.



Current Top Ten List

#1 GeForce GTX 480
#2 GeForce GTX 470
#3 Radeon HD 5870
#4 Radeon HD 5970
#5 Radeon HD 5850
#6 GeForce GTX 465
#7 GeForce GTX 460
#8 GeForce GTX 285
#9 Radeon HD 5830
#10 Radeon HD 4890
 
something is seriously wrong with any benchmark if a dual card 5970 is beaten by its single gpu 5870 cousin
 
Agreed. Yes, I noticed that too. 5970 is 2 underclocked 5870's and in a real situation it's faster anyway. Here it could be due to different system setups and due to the fact that benchmarking results sometimes differ from the real games'.


http://www.guruht.com/2010/03/hd-5870-vs-hd-5970-in-crysis-benchmark.html

HD+5870.png



Notes Related to the Graphs

Rarely is a graph completely accurate in what it is representing. There are many factors that can skew the results and make a graph misleading. As such it is necessary to have some background understanding of the data being presented.

In the case of these Video Card Benchmarks there are several factors to consider, such as different system setups the Video Cards are running under and the possibility that users have overclocked their systems.



Current Top Ten List

#1 GeForce GTX 480
#2 GeForce GTX 470
#3 Radeon HD 5870
#4 Radeon HD 5970
#5 Radeon HD 5850
#6 GeForce GTX 465
#7 GeForce GTX 460
#8 GeForce GTX 285
#9 Radeon HD 5830
#10 Radeon HD 4890
 
The only thing that might cause this innacuracy is maybe if the games tested didnt support a dual gpu/crossfire/sli card setup and merely showed results of a single core being used... the only way to test that idea would be if the 295 was similarly hobbled as the 5970, whether a cause of drivers or the game is unclear.

Edit: A quick look at the benchmark scores does indeed show the 295 as worse than the 285 and even the mid range 260 !!! backing up my theory about hobbled 5970 scores.
 
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Good point. Add to this different system setups on which the cards might have been tested, like [email protected]+ATI5970 vs Corei7@4Ghz+ATI5870@overclocked. If the latter beats the former by some 1.5FPS in a game, or by some 50 points in a synthetic benchmark - nothing unusual.

Overall, I don't think ATI 5870 can outrange 5970 in any significant way. No doubt.
 
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