G80 Taped out.

Cookie Monster

Diamond Member
May 7, 2005
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WE CAN now confirm that mighty Nvidia taped out its first G80 chip.

The first successful silicon turned up from the fab a couple weeks ago now, it seems. This puts the company bang on the schedule for its Septembrish launch.

Nvidia believes it can have A six-to-eight-week lead over ATI with its new chip. ATI plans its new R600 chip for end of this year, probably Novemberish time.

Internal sources at Nvidia confirm that the company is apparently happy with what it has seen and that things look good. Nvidia already has a performance leader, the Geforce 7950 GTX, an interesting product that involves two mobile chips on two PCBs connected in SLI, but it needs a new performance chip.

The chip, G80 is supposed to take the performance lead but it will eventually be up against a nasty heavy-weight, ATI's upcoming R600.

It is still too early for details like the final clocks off these chips to emerge. µ

So this means, by the time R600 hits, we are going to see a G81?

G80 is fully DX10 capable according to INQ for those who think it is not.
 

Stumps

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
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pffft Inquirer...Like thats a reliable source....wait I'll just go check my voodoo bones and see if they are right
 
Oct 4, 2004
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they got the name of the 7950GX2 wrong (7950GTX)...lord knows what they know about products that are a quarter or so away.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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So they must of pulled "G80 taped out" from thin air then? Gimme a break guys. The INQ is good for "generalized" information. As for accuracy? The have been more hit than miss over the last year or so.

Just look as your posts: Voodoo bones? Spelling errors?

How about: "Pretty cool if it's true" or "This may mean we will have an Octoberish G80 to play with?"

LMAO... ;)
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
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Yeah well with the way things are going I don't see the point in NVIDIA launching Septemberish. There's no guarantee when we will see Vista and it will take some time for software to trickle out so you could be sitting on a card that is only marginally better than the current crop for 6+ months.

Methinks I'll be skipping this next generation until there is really a compelling reason to upgrade.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: ayabe
Yeah well with the way things are going I don't see the point in NVIDIA launching Septemberish. There's no guarantee when we will see Vista and it will take some time for software to trickle out so you could be sitting on a card that is only marginally better than the current crop for 6+ months.

Methinks I'll be skipping this next generation until there is really a compelling reason to upgrade.

I really wouldn't base any video card purchase on the release of Vista. G80 will be able to run Vista, but can also run perfectly in XP DX9 (Which is where the world is today along with a smattering of older DX8/OpenGL games). So, don't worry about everyones future headache called "Vista". IMHO.

 

akugami

Diamond Member
Feb 14, 2005
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Late September or October release seems about right. Though I had both the R600 and G80 pegged at a November release. Assuming it did tape out recently and no major problems arise, it should be good to go late September but I figure an October release would be better to build a larger supply to satisfy pent up demand or we'll get the 7900 fiasco all over again. Availability every 3 days for about 6 hours.
 

Lonyo

Lifer
Aug 10, 2002
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Hmm.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32546

2 weeks ago R600 taped out, and it's going to be release 6~8 weeks after the G80?
Oh, in the ATi tape out article they say 8~10 weeks.
2 weeks later it's 6~8 weeks.
I wonder if in a couple of weeks time it won't be 4~6 weeks, and then eventually they get released at the same time.
 

Polish3d

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2005
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Originally posted by: gersson
cant help but to feel a LITTLE bit of buyers remorse every time a new high end card is announced :p


Why did you get XTX crossfire for a 1680x1050 rez? Even one XTX overclocked is almost overkill for most games at that resolution, not counting Oblivion.

 

Nelsieus

Senior member
Mar 11, 2006
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TheINQ hasn't contributed anything new than what we already knew.

We already know nVidia stated that G80 would have a "Septemberish" release, and everything about the ratios/pipes Fuad talks about can pretty much be thrown out. We know, as confirmed by nVidia in that same webcast, that this will be a completely brand new architecture, so using figures relative to the old NV40 is mis-leading, imo.

So let's see, what else did the article say. Oh, I see, a correction for the blatant mistake Fuad made initially saying that G80 wasn't "fully" SM4 compliant. Hmm, guess, that was just another one of his "famous guesses."

R600 will launch in Dec.2006 - Feb. 2007. ATI clearly stated during their 3FY CC that their "fall quarter" (Sept.-Nov. 2006) would bring some delayed refreshes to the current x1k series (RV560, RV570, and R580+) and that it would all be in front of R600, implying that R600 comes in Q2 FY. I suppose Nov. 2006 might be possible to carry into Q2 if that's what they decide, but I'm banking on another Jan. 2007 release.

So, let's say nVidia's G80 comes in October (we'll give them a month) and R600 in Jan...that's about a 12-week head start. If G80 does actually launch in Sept. and R600 in Nov...that's about 8 weeks. Anything earlier than 8 weeks, though, is highly unlikely unless G80 is delayed, which we don't currently have indications of. Even Fuad states nVidia is happy with how things are going (but being stated by Fuad, that could mean everything is going horrible).

Fuad is silly, and so is theINQ for the most part. If you stick around here, I'll update ya'll frequently, and I guarantee it will actually make sense opposed to me trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about (Fuad has no clue about anything regarding a USA or a "traditional 2:1 ratio." lol :roll: )



 

redbox

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2005
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As much as I get tired of hearing about the inq bullsh*t they at least give me some new gpu to read about. I say down with G70, it's been great and all but I'm kinda getting tired of ya. :)
 

Elfear

Diamond Member
May 30, 2004
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Originally posted by: Lonyo
Hmm.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32546

2 weeks ago R600 taped out, and it's going to be release 6~8 weeks after the G80?
Oh, in the ATi tape out article they say 8~10 weeks.
2 weeks later it's 6~8 weeks.
I wonder if in a couple of weeks time it won't be 4~6 weeks, and then eventually they get released at the same time.

I was just about to point out the same thing. If they were taped out at the same time why would ATI wait to release R600 6-10 weeks after G80? :confused:
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
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Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Originally posted by: ayabe
Yeah well with the way things are going I don't see the point in NVIDIA launching Septemberish. There's no guarantee when we will see Vista and it will take some time for software to trickle out so you could be sitting on a card that is only marginally better than the current crop for 6+ months.

Methinks I'll be skipping this next generation until there is really a compelling reason to upgrade.

I really wouldn't base any video card purchase on the release of Vista. G80 will be able to run Vista, but can also run perfectly in XP DX9 (Which is where the world is today along with a smattering of older DX8/OpenGL games). So, don't worry about everyones future headache called "Vista". IMHO.


Well I'm speaking from the POV of someone who already has a top-tier card(1900XT) so for me there's little benefit in going either G80 or R600 without DX10 being a reality. The DX9 performance will undoubtedly be better, by what amount remains to be seen. Whatever that DX9 advantage turns out to be, it won't be enough for me to justify another $600 bones upgrading.
 

m21s

Senior member
Dec 6, 2004
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Originally posted by: ayabe


Well I'm speaking from the POV of someone who already has a top-tier card(1900XT)[/quote]


Didn't I read a post somewhere that this card was crap? :D
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,211
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Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Originally posted by: ayabe
Yeah well with the way things are going I don't see the point in NVIDIA launching Septemberish. There's no guarantee when we will see Vista and it will take some time for software to trickle out so you could be sitting on a card that is only marginally better than the current crop for 6+ months.

Methinks I'll be skipping this next generation until there is really a compelling reason to upgrade.

I really wouldn't base any video card purchase on the release of Vista. G80 will be able to run Vista, but can also run perfectly in XP DX9 (Which is where the world is today along with a smattering of older DX8/OpenGL games). So, don't worry about everyones future headache called "Vista". IMHO.


Well I'm speaking from the POV of someone who already has a top-tier card(1900XT) so for me there's little benefit in going either G80 or R600 without DX10 being a reality. The DX9 performance will undoubtedly be better, by what amount remains to be seen. Whatever that DX9 advantage turns out to be, it won't be enough for me to justify another $600 bones upgrading.

Well, in that case, none of us really know just how powerful or mediocre the R600 or G80 will be. I'm gonna just guess G80 will be somewhere around 7900GTX SLI performance. R600 probably like Crossfired X1900's. So we can't really say it won't be worth current top tier card owners while to go G80/R600, yet..

 

Killrose

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 1999
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New Gen single GPU = Old Gen dual GPU by +/- %10 in high def/res situations.

For teh win :thumbsup:
 

imported_Crusader

Senior member
Feb 12, 2006
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Originally posted by: Stumps
pffft Inquirer...Like thats a reliable source....wait I'll just go check my voodoo bones and see if they are right

rofl

All I can say, is that I'm more than happy with my 7900GTX. Dont desire DX10, nor Vista, nor a unified pipe card.
I'll buy a DX10 card when the big name DX10 engines are out. That will be quite some time.
Long live DX9.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: beggerking
good news for NV but there is no reason to get it now... Vista won't be out until 2007.

Why does everyone think new gen video cards are synonymous with Vista? DX9 Performance should be more than stellar on the new hardware. Better than it is now for certain. You don't have to have Vista in order to buy a G80 or a R600. XP will be just fine.
Now when Vista does come out and people are actually willing to use it, then is the time to concern yourself with a video card that can properly run Vista with all the candy. That is not for a good while yet. Probably two gens/refreshes of vid cards from now.