55nm GTX260: The card to get

[Tempered81]

http://en.expreview.com/2008/1...-gtx260.html#more-1550

I approve this message

 

[masteryoda34]

Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

I'm sure there will be some way to tell. The average buyer doesnt know anything about a shrink, and they want to keep it that way by leaving the name the same. However, I have a feeling that you can tell the difference by looking at EVGA's part number, for instance.

Edit: Also, dont the up the clocks once they shrink? That will be the easiest way to tell what you are getting.

 

[Tempered81]

Well personally i would be on the lookout for a 55nm version. Hopefully it gives the same overclocking headroom, or more - and costs ~ $225.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

I don't know this to be the case, and I talk to NVIDIA very frequently.

What is your source for this pretty unlikely rumor?

 

[Cookie Monster]

The PCB design will tell you whether or not its 55nm since the new PCB has all the ram chips on one side.

 

[masteryoda34]

Originally posted by: nRollo

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

I don't know this to be the case, and I talk to NVIDIA very frequently.

What is your source for this pretty unlikely rumor?

http://www.fudzilla.com/index....view&id=11008&Itemid=1

Yes its only Fuad. But I also find it strange that the only leaked specs for the 55nm 260 have shown it with the same specs as the 65nm version. Nvidia wouldnt release two cards with the exact same specs. If it was going to be branded differently then I would have expected to see the new specs by now, especially since the 285 and 295 specs have already leaked and we're getting close to launch.

However, I'm hoping that I'm wrong. Nvidia does have a history of liking to rename cards.

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
The PCB design will tell you whether or not its 55nm since the new PCB has all the ram chips on one side.

Yes true. But you still wouldn't necessarily be able to tell before you make the purchase.

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

In the link above the heatsink shroud says "GTX260^2", so maybe it will be branded like that.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: masteryoda34

Originally posted by: nRollo

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Except the 55nm and 65nm 260's are going to be branded exactly the same so getting a 55nm will be a lottery.

I don't know this to be the case, and I talk to NVIDIA very frequently.

What is your source for this pretty unlikely rumor?

http://www.fudzilla.com/index....view&id=11008&Itemid=1

Yes its only Fuad. But I also find it strange that the only leaked specs for the 55nm 260 have shown it with the same specs as the 65nm version. Nvidia wouldnt release two cards with the exact same specs. If it was going to be branded differently then I would have expected to see the new specs by now, especially since the 285 and 295 specs have already leaked and we're getting close to launch.

However, I'm hoping that I'm wrong. Nvidia does have a history of liking to rename cards.

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
The PCB design will tell you whether or not its 55nm since the new PCB has all the ram chips on one side.

Yes true. But you still wouldn't necessarily be able to tell before you make the purchase.

Aren't the 8800GT and 9800GT the same specs despite the different names??

 

[masteryoda34]

Originally posted by: SlowSpyder
Aren't the 8800GT and 9800GT the same specs despite the different names??

Yes. But furthermore, there are 65nm and 55nm versions of 9800 GT cards, which AFAIK are indistinguishable at purchase.

 

[MTDEW]

I admit, im no expert, but i would think it just plain strange to shrink to 55nm, not up the clocks speeds at all, and on top of that disquise the "shrunk" cards as the older 65nm parts so nobody knows which is which.

I would assume Nvidia is in business to make money, and to do that , they need to sell cards.

So if you have a 55nm card that can easily clock higher than a 65nm part and you can sell that card for a bit more of a premium over the 65nm cards, then im pretty sure they are gonna go out of there way to let you know that "hey, I'm the "newest" 55nm version of the card , BUY ME!".

 

[Cookie Monster]

The idea of not having this new 55nm GTX260 as GTX265 is simply because of the old 65nm inventory. Who would go buy the GTX260 when the GTX265 can be had for the same price.

Hopefully nVIDIA partners will give us some sort of hints to let its consumers know which is which.

 

[masteryoda34]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
I admit, im no expert, but i would think it just plain strange to shrink to 55nm, not up the clocks speeds at all, and on top of that disquise the "shrunk" cards as the older 65nm parts so nobody knows which is which.

I would assume Nvidia is in business to make money, and to do that , they need to sell cards.

So if you have a 55nm card that can easily clock higher than a 65nm part and you can sell that card for a bit more of a premium over the 65nm cards, then im pretty sure they are gonna go out of there way to let you know that "hey, I'm the "newest" 55nm version of the card , BUY ME!".

Yes but also nvidia's partners dont want to be stuck with lots of 65nm 260 stock.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
The idea of not having this new 55nm GTX260 as GTX265 is simply because of the old 65nm inventory. Who would go buy the GTX260 when the GTX265 can be had for the same price.

Hopefully nVIDIA partners will give us some sort of hints to let its consumers know which is which.

The factory overclocked cards that are way above 65nm overclock levels will be 55nm and priced higher as a result. I can guarantee a new FTW WTF UBER XXX BLACK EDITION OMG OC SSC edition lol

 

[masteryoda34]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
FTW WTF UBER XXX BLACK EDITION OMG OC SSC edition lol

lol

Fuad has another article up today about this. Link

We?ve learned that Nvidia has tens of thousands GTX 260 cards and this is the main reason why it doesn?t want to re launch the GTX 260 to 265 and increase the clock. A few independent sources have said that Nvidia strictly said that they are not allowed to announce that the cards they are shipping have the 55nm GT200b core and if they do such a thing, there might be some consequences.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
I can guarantee a new FTW WTF UBER XXX BLACK EDITION OMG OC SSC edition

You should work in marketing. I would actually buy that.

:beer:

 

[Painman]

nV doesn't need to up clock speeds with the die shrink to make money... they get more cores per wafer out of the fab @ 55 nm.

Vendors will be pleased to make profits with such as you by ocing these parts and selling them as "WTFBBQ" editions until the channel is flushed of all 65 nm hardware.

Then I'll think about buying one (as a quick follow-up to my 260 Buy Or Not Buy thread, my GTX is responding to the extra HP of the C2Q quite nicely even @ stock clock, so I'm not really chomping at the bit to replace it just yet).

 

[Tempered81]

I cant wait til it's possible to buy a GTX 260 BBQ edition

 

[Cookie Monster]

Its interesting to note that they are introducing the GTX285, while not GTX265. Kind of tells you how bad the yields were for full fledged GT200 chips.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

The Core 216 should have been the 265 or 270.

 

[edplayer]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
I admit, im no expert, but i would think it just plain strange to shrink to 55nm, not up the clocks speeds at all, and on top of that disquise the "shrunk" cards as the older 65nm parts so nobody knows which is which.

I would assume Nvidia is in business to make money, and to do that , they need to sell cards.

Do you know what inventory levels they have of the older cards?

I am not an expert either but I assume that they would want to get the most possible from the older "65nm" inventory

 

[Tempered81]

mascaras got a 55nm gtx260 in japan, review coming soon. Made by Inno3d, 55nm printed on box... heheh.

edit: 216 shaders too!

pics:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...p=3511692&postcount=57

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: jaredpace
I cant wait til it's possible to buy a GTX 260 BBQ edition

The one that is hot enough to cook burgers on? lol

 

[Tempered81]

BBQ or 'WTFBBQ' sounds so sweet in a Graphics card name. Dunno what it is.

I like "BBQ edition" "4870X2 Diamond XOC Bar-B-Que Edition"

Maybe i just enjoy BBQ more than gfx cards...

 

[masteryoda34]

VR-Zone: EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 55nm Spotted on ZipZoomFly

I don't see how they know its 55nm though.