Like I said, "Tell me what to call it..."
Dave, before 3dfx went under, you were talking as if TBR was a neccessity of the future for graphics...which I agree with, not that my opinion of this subject particularly has any value...I'm pretty much a neophite as far as graphics tech. is concerned.
But anyway, 57 million transistors on a single chip is all bad...especially when cost is such an important factor. nVIDIA may have priced the GF3 right out of the mainstream market for a while. With the Kyro II on the market now and showing excellent results thus far...nVIDIA has to know they need to follow suit. nVIDIA is not dumb...they have known the potential of the Kyro for al ong time. What would a 0.15 nm Kyro chip be able to run at?? 225 MHz? 250 MHz?!
It is also interesting to note that Sony selected IBM (w/ Toshiba and Sony help) to develop the next chip for the PS3...I've already heard from a reasonably reliable source ( a guy who does RTOS work for Sony on a contract basis) that PS3 will be built on high-end SOC technology, which IBM and Toshiba have in abundance. IBM stated that the chip for the PS3 will also be marketable in other arenas, apps. Is it possible that the PS3 part will cross over into the graphics card industry in 2004? Similiar trands seem eminent from the artX chip from the game box, etc.
If nVIDIA doesn't get their rear in gear, they may get completely hosed a couple years down the road. Although, I'm sure nVIDIA knows what they are doing.