I don't suppose there's anywhere to buy that OEM GeForce GT 640 (GDDR5), is there?

[SeanTek]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you recommend overclocking the card?

I only have the standard (latest) nVidia drivers installed. It looks like there are no overclocking options in the control panel. Should there be some options? What do you recommend for an overclocking tool?

 

[Arkadrel]

Why would you buy a 640 at all?
When you can buy a 7770 for around same price that has almost twice as much performance?

If its about length here is a small card, that packs a hellva lot more punch (2 slot though):

If its about the power connector, you could always get a 7750 (around 44% faster than the 640):

Silent too ^-^

 

[KompuKare]

Why would you buy a 640 at all?
When you can buy a 7770 for around same price that has almost twice as much performance?

That is a very good question. The only answer I can think off is:

640GT DDR5 is (almost) impossible to find and hasn't been benched. Therefore, the OP went and got one strictly in the name of science and benchmarked it for it for us(admittedly only 3DMark11 for now but I'm sure more useful benches will follow).

The result so far? Nobody knows what Nvidia was smoking while designing GK107, but must have been rather hard to use 1200 million 28nm transistors for a card which is just about able to beat Turks (HD6670 with 716 million 40nm transistors). And I though Cape Verde used far too many of 1300 million transistors on compute etc.

Strangely enough GK107 was what won Nvidia the Apple contract again and I cannot see anything compelling there which would make Apple go back to Nvidia after what happened the last time. Apple moves in strange ways (although to give them credit they did actually try very hard to fix Macbooks which failed due to Nvidia unlike say HP).

 

[EliteRetard]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you recommend overclocking the card?

I only have the standard (latest) nVidia drivers installed. It looks like there are no overclocking options in the control panel. Should there be some options? What do you recommend for an overclocking tool?

MSI Afterburner, Saphire Trixx, EVGA Precision off the top of my head...one of those should work (but maybe not all of em).

 

[sontin]

That is a very good question. The only answer I can think off is:

640GT DDR5 is (almost) impossible to find and hasn't been benched. Therefore, the OP went and got one strictly in the name of science and benchmarked it for it for us(admittedly only 3DMark11 for now but I'm sure more useful benches will follow).

The result so far? Nobody knows what Nvidia was smoking while designing GK107, but must have been rather hard to use 1200 million 28nm transistors for a card which is just about able to beat Turks (HD6670 with 716 million 40nm transistors). And I though Cape Verde used far too many of 1300 million transistors on compute etc.

Strangely enough GK107 was what won Nvidia the Apple contract again and I cannot see anything compelling there which would make Apple go back to Nvidia after what happened the last time. Apple moves in strange ways (although to give them credit they did actually try very hard to fix Macbooks which failed due to Nvidia unlike say HP).

GK107 is a notebook chip. That's the market. And every OEM puts GK107 into their refreshs.

 

[boxleitnerb]

GK107 is a notebook chip. That's the market. And every OEM puts GK107 into their refreshs.

If you have an efficient chip, you put it in every market where it makes sense. Those market with highest profits and strongest demands first, but nonetheless, it has to measure up to Cape Verde because it is and will be sold in the desktop segment as well. Or are you saying Nvidia has nothing whatsoever to launch against Cape Verde and GK107 isn't intended for the desktop? Because that doesn't make any sense.

 

[sontin]

In a world where more than 50% of new PCs are notebooks you need a chip specially for this market. GK107's only purpose is to get the OEM notebook deals. And i think nVidia achieved this goal. And with the supply issuse on one side and the dying low-end desktop market on the other they must growth in the notebook market.

 

[hans007]

There's some on eBay.

 

[boxleitnerb]

In a world where more than 50% of new PCs are notebooks you need a chip specially for this market. GK107's only purpose is to get the OEM notebook deals. And i think nVidia achieved this goal. And with the supply issuse on one side and the dying low-end desktop market on the other they must growth in the notebook market.

GK107 is quite a bit faster than HD2500/3000. What are people supposed to buy if they want to spend no more than $100 and are not content with IGP performance? Old cards or AMD, that is their only choice. AMD has APUs, why - if the low-end desktop market were so unlucrative - did they develop Cape Verde? I will judge GK107 only with GDDR5, however as it stands now, it cannot compete on performance or price or performance/W with AMD. And when AMD finally brings Cape Verde to the mobile segment (whenever that will happen) GK107 will have a very tough competitor there.

 

[platzer]

Hi SeanTek,
I consider buying the one you have at ebay.
Would you post a GPU-Z snapshot, or just tell if it has a GF116 or a GK107?
Thanks.
( I need a GK107 for vdpau in a linux HTPC, so GF116 is no option, but GF116 is used in many OEM GT640s)

 

[Ken g6]

Platzer, why don't you step up to a GTX 650? It's just $97 AR with shipping. Remember the price Dell quoted earlier:

Dell sells the OEM part:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640 1GB GDDR5
Part # N/A!!!

As of today, they quoted me $118.99 plus tax. Free shipping to the US.

 

[SeanTek]

Hi SeanTek,
I consider buying the one you have at ebay.
Would you post a GPU-Z snapshot, or just tell if it has a GF116 or a GK107?
Thanks.
( I need a GK107 for vdpau in a linux HTPC, so GF116 is no option, but GF116 is used in many OEM GT640s)

I think it is a GK107.

I actually just took it out of my PC, but it works just fine (doing some component shuffle). I am thinking about selling it, if there is interest. Have not decided yet. If I get the chance over the next few days, I can run GPU-Z on it.

The final price ended up being closer to $80, not $119. So, it was reasonably priced in view of the circumstances.

 

[Homeles]

Unknown how much better the GDDR5 would perform, but at 1.3 billion transistors it seems AMD weren't the only ones wasting transistors like crazy with 28nm. Neither the GT 640 nor the HD 7770 performs anywhere near where their transistor budget would have got them on the previous 40nm generation cards.

In the case of AMD, it's because of the VCE block.

Looking at transistor count and applying it directly to performance while ignoring features is rather negligent.

 

[platzer]

I am thinking about selling it, if there is interest.

Well, I am in Germany, so I am afraid the postage would be unreasonably high.

If I get the chance over the next few days, I can run GPU-Z on it.

I would appreciate that very much!!
Thanks,
platzer

 

[fatamari]

I am interested in purchasing this and would do a buy it now auction on ebay. How much do you want for it?

 

[Rezist]

I'd just get the GTX 650 like mentioned since it's faster/cheaper and i believe does not require a 6 pin anyways. Unless there's software that's 640 only.

 

[fatamari]

I think it is a GK107.

I actually just took it out of my PC, but it works just fine (doing some component shuffle). I am thinking about selling it, if there is interest. Have not decided yet. If I get the chance over the next few days, I can run GPU-Z on it.

The final price ended up being closer to $80, not $119. So, it was reasonably priced in view of the circumstances.

Hi, I am definitely interested in purchasing this if you're still interested in selling it. Would you list on ebay?

 

[coffeejunkee]

I think it is a GK107.

I actually just took it out of my PC, but it works just fine (doing some component shuffle). I am thinking about selling it, if there is interest. Have not decided yet. If I get the chance over the next few days, I can run GPU-Z on it.

The final price ended up being closer to $80, not $119. So, it was reasonably priced in view of the circumstances.

It must be because there is no GF116 GT 640 with GDDR5.

It's just a slightly lower clocked GTX 650 though. Don't really see why you wouldn't get that instead.