NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Launch Date Revealed

[R0H1T]

Originally expected to launch its mid-range GeForce GTX 960 graphics card on the sidelines of the 2015 International CES, in early January, NVIDIA is now expected to launch the card on the 22nd of the month. The card will be based on NVIDIA's new GM206 silicon, that's based on its "Maxwell" architecture. Among its known features are a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, 2 GB of memory, and significantly lower power draw compared to its predecessor. The card will draw power from a single 6-pin PCIe power connector. It's expected to be priced around the $200 mark.

Source

 

[R0H1T]

The price seems about right, though the amount of VRAM & memory bus seems highly inadequate for a lowly mid range card in the new 4K gaming world.

 

[SimianR]

I just feel like 3-4GB of VRAM should be the minimum going forward in 2015. I'm thinking that because NVIDIA already launched the 970 at a pretty competitive price point, they don't want the 960 eating into those sales. VRAM would be a good way to differentiate the 2 cards and price points - but with many of the console ports being fairly VRAM demanding 2GB is not leaving much breathing room.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Lets wait and see.

http://www.techpowerup.com/205248/nvidia-readies-geforce-gtx-960.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/207104/nvidia-geforce-gtx-960-to-retain-memory-bus-from-gtx-970.html

 

[Chevron]

The price seems about right, though the amount of VRAM & memory bus seems highly inadequate for a lowly mid range card in the new 4K gaming world.

Midrange and 4k don't belong in the same sentence.

 

[R0H1T]

Midrange and 4k don't belong in the same sentence.

Well that hasn't stopped anyone from using a midrange card for 4K gaming, besides the 290 will be lowered to the same price bracket in the not so distant future & it's good enough for gaming at 4K in CFX. The regular 960, if it's launched with 2GB VRAM, will be severely hampered by this limitation & cannot be recommended for 4K even with SLI.

I do expect Nvidia to release a 4GB model later on but with 2GB VRAM the 960 falls in the same category as the R9 285 & has at least one glaring disadvantage vs the 280 & the 280x, that of VRAM.

 

[Chevron]

Well that hasn't stopped anyone from using a midrange card for 4K gaming, besides the 290 will be lowered to the same price bracket in the not so distant future & it's good enough for gaming at 4K in CFX. The regular 960, if it's launched with 2GB VRAM, will be severely hampered by this limitation & cannot be recommended for 4K even with SLI.

I do expect Nvidia to release a 4GB model later on but with 2GB VRAM the 960 falls in the same category as the R9 285 & has at least one glaring disadvantage vs the 280 & the 280x, that of VRAM.

4GB VRAM and 128bit bus also don't belong in the same sentence

 

[skipsneeky2]

Obviously this card isn't gonna be really any faster if as fast as a 770.Something told me it was gonna be 2gb and perhaps a cash grab.Surely the card being cheap doesn't make it so but people now have more reason then ever to skip this model and spend more on a 970.GG Nvidia.

Don't worry,there will be a 4gb card later but priced so damn awful you mind as well forget it even exist.Typical like the 4gb 770.

 

[SPBHM]

same memory configuration as the 750/Ti, but probably much higher clocks, should be OK against the 285, but 192bit 3GB just sounds so much better....

hopefully the 960 Ti is a 3 or 4GB card with 192 or 256bit

 

[Bateluer]

2GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus . . . so is pretty much dead on arrival unless you're a die hard Nvidia fan.

 

[VirtualLarry]

2GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus . . . so is pretty much dead on arrival unless you're a die hard Nvidia fan.

Yep. Waste of silicon.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Whats the chance fo 128bit if you look at history? Not to mention this card have had 128, 192 and 256bit now in different random rumours, even from the same site.

Seems more like clickbait for ad revenue.

 

[Keysplayr]

Yep. Waste of silicon.

This actually sounds like what a GTX950 specs might be.

 

[Haserath]

Around $200, I wouldn't be surprised at 128-bit. They may do a 960Ti as a cut down GM204 for $250 192-bit considering there were rumors of more 204 variants.

Maxwell has shown it doesn't need as much memory bandwidth to perform well and Nvidia likes to skimp on the memory very often. It's why the 970 was so good at 330, you don't usually get both performance and memory for a competitive price against AMD.

 

[SPBHM]

Around $200, I wouldn't be surprised at 128-bit. They may do a 960Ti as a cut down GM204 for $250 192-bit considering there were rumors of more 204 variants.

Maxwell has shown it doesn't need as much memory bandwidth to perform well and Nvidia likes to skimp on the memory very often. It's why the 970 was so good at 330, you don't usually get both performance and memory for a competitive price against AMD.

I think it would make sense to have GM206 as a 192bit chip, like GK106 was, maybe the 960 Ti would be the full chip, but not the 960.

 

[Subyman]

Memory is fine for 1080p gaming, which is what this card is for.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Memory is fine for 1080p gaming, which is what this card is for.

IDK, there are already games that want 3GB for 1080p. I don't want to spend $200-$250 on a video card just to play Shadows of Mordor on medium the day UPS brings it to my door.

 

[imaheadcase]

The price seems about right, though the amount of VRAM & memory bus seems highly inadequate for a lowly mid range card in the new 4K gaming world.

It is hardly a "4k gaming world". It still is a niche market, also the card is not geared for that anyways so a non-issue.

 

[RussianSensation]

Memory is fine for 1080p gaming, which is what this card is for.

People don't generally buy mid-range cards and upgrade them in 12 months. Memory bandwidth might be fine but 2GB of VRAM is a total fail for a $200-250 2015 card. Too many games in 2014 benefited from 3GB+ and it's only going to increase in the next 2-3 years someone will keep a card like a 960. Considering a $280 HD7950 had 3GB of VRAM 1.5 years ago, it's completely inexcusable for a mid-range next gen card to ship with less than 3GB in 2015. It's one of the reasons 680/760/770/285 2GB are all compromised for future titles. Almost no one on our forums recommends 285 over the 280 and 2GB of VRAM is a major reason for its failure.

I still think NV will release a 192-bit 3GB 960, which would explain why they held back launching the 960 to not undermine the sales of 970 too much. If, however, the 960 only has 128-bit 2GB of VRAM, that would sway buyers towards a 970, so why delay considering 770 inventory dried up a long time ago. It's going to be impossible to objectively recommend a 128-bit 2GB 960 at $200 when after-market 290 4GB goes for $250-260, and has performance equal to a reference 290X! If 960 is really a 2GB card at $200, I only see NV fanboys buying it. I just don't see NV shooting 960 in the foot like that.

Having said that, NV hasn't had a great mid-range card since GTX460:

GTX560Ti < HD6950
GTX 660 < HD7870
660 Ti < HD7950 V2
760 < R9 280

I think after seeing 2GB cards fall apart in 2014, gamers who follow the industry won't be ignorant enough to fall for the same trap again unless they want to walk into the same landmine twice if they simply refuse to buy AMD.

I will be very hesitant to recommend any AMD/NV 2GB $200+ card for 1080P gaming in 2015. I got burned really hard by the 8800GTS 320MB and when games reveal trends, it's crucial to pay attention. Based on PC games of 2014, it's clear that 3GB is the bare minimum now for 1080P for a mid-range card to keep for 2-3 years.

 

[Attic]

Not buying those specs for a 960 at $200.

Way to weak and it's not like nvidia needs to leave such a massive gulf between those potential specs for 960 (128bit 2gb) and the 970.


We already have games at 1080P that need 3gb VRAM, this won't revert to less VRAM needs going forward. A 2gb midrange card at $200 is DOA.

 

[ElFenix]

if the pricing is accurate then the likelihood of there being a 960Ti is high. can't have a $130 gap right there.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I really hope AMD can swoop in and take a good share of the graphics market if Nvidia releases some crappy 2GB gimped 960. But I have my doubts when the 760 sold so well.

 

[crisium]

Nvidia saw the 285, and matched a crap card with a crap card. 285 - all the great features of GCN 1.2... with 2nd tier performance from 3 years ago and 2GB of VRAM to make sure it's bottlenocked day 1. 960 all of the awesomeness of low power Maxwell... with MAYBE top tier performance from 3 years ago and 2GB of VRAM to make sure it's bottlenocked day 1.

Crap everywhere. Thank god for the 290 and 970. But if you want performance below that tier, you are left with ancient GCN 1.0 280x/280 or overpriced and no longer optimized for Kepler 770 / 760 4GB.

The 960 is not the droid you are looking for. Hopefully we will soon have a 960 Ti available in 3GB (for 1080 users) and 6GB (for 1440 users) for the budget oriented gamer. 2GB is a joke unless you only have a 1600x900 monitor, and buying a 2GB card in 2015 is just guarenteeing you will be a new card in 2016.

 

[Rakehellion]

a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, 2 GB of memory

D:

priced around the $200 mark

:awe:

 

[Rakehellion]

I just feel like 3-4GB of VRAM should be the minimum going forward in 2015.

You'll probably see this party manufacturers upping the memory quality.