So i spoke to a guy in R&D at nvidia today at my college career fair

[magomago]

A) Will we see any more mid ranged products for AGP?
No. Highend definitely not the AGP bus can't take it. Mid range also a no. Most sales are fueled by OEMs, and OEMs are all PCIE so therefore we don't produce anymore AGP. Perhaps low end parts yes, but that is for more the gray market in Asia where adoption isn't as fast. So expect the 7600GT and the 7800GS as best you'll find in AGP

B) Linux? Any plans to open it? Continue support?

We are commited to Linux for sure and recognize its importance. As always we have our binary drivers - those will never be open sourced because of propeitory information. Specifically, there are algorithms that we do not want to release because they are IP. Ultimately the code for both Windows and Linux drivers are shared between eachother, but its how they compile it that ultimately makes the difference. By exposing their algorithms to the competition...
The guy who leads development (forgot his name) has been talking about splitting the driver into open parts, and then for specific aspects keep it closed...but as far as any action none has been taken and if any action would occur it will be a loong time before the fruits of that labor would be bore.
However Nvidia has recently positioned itself to provide a two level support - to have linux and windows development occur side by side.
One of the reasons the graphics driver is so mature and well supported is because nvidia recognizes that many companies into digital video and Cg and that junk only uses Linux- and they don't want Windows, so in order to get their business they supply it.

It was fun to talk to him for a while...he kept telling me of our great G80 was supposed to be in the most vague terms, but he works there so what do i expect

probably info most already know, but i found it sad that he said with certainity we won't see any mid level AGP cards...

 

[SpeedZealot369]

Who cares about AGP seriously... If you want a high end card you might as well upgrade your rig. Either that or get gauged for a high end AGP a-la 7800gs.

-SZ

 

[Wreckage]

I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

 

[SickBeast]

It's interesting to hear that the G80 would blow the AGP bus. My curiousities are: How long until the graphics cards blow the PCI-E bus? Will the GPU be in a socket by that point?

Linux driver support is not where it should be.

I've often wondered if a simple recompile of source code is essentially all that is necessary to make software work on Linux.

 

[krotchy]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
It's interesting to hear that the G80 would blow the AGP bus. My curiousities are: How long until the graphics cards blow the PCI-E bus? Will the GPU be in a socket by that point?

They already announced a PCI-Express 2.0, which updates the speed of each PCIe connection to roughly double their current speed. It is 100% backwards compatible to. I think mobos will start having it sometime next year.

GPU socketing will be very difficult to realize for newer GPU's, because GPU's ram is embedded onto the cards themself very close to the GPU for max bandwidth. If you had a socketed GPU, your ram would need to be socketed, and you would likely get a big hit in performance.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
How long until the graphics cards blow the PCI-E bus? Will the GPU be in a socket by that point?

I'm sure Quad SLI must strain it a bit.

Linux driver support is not where it should be.

NVIDIA has the best drivers for Linux of any video card comany, they work real well.

I've often wondered if a simple recompile of source code is essentially all that is necessary to make software work on Linux.

There is a lot more to it than that. Windows and Linux handle hardware in a much different way.

 

[magomago]

What wreckage said

The guy said that the same source code is essentially shared, but its the compiling process that really differs. And yeah - he said AGP simply can't take the G80 as if it was fact...I remember he said someting about frequency maybe...but i'm not exactly sure exactly what it was. i guess that blows away the myth that PCIE is simply a new platform for milk money off of

 

[BassBomb]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

 

[BFG10K]

Who cares about AGP seriously...

One tends to agree. The OP should've been pressing the guy for more G80 information, not worrying about dinosaur interfaces.

 

[40sTheme]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

Umm... because... the GS isn't enough to run newer games on max graphics at 1600x1200.

 

[TanisHalfElven]

Originally posted by: magomago
What wreckage said

The guy said that the same source code is essentially shared, but its the compiling process that really differs. And yeah - he said AGP simply can't take the G80 as if it was fact...I remember he said someting about frequency maybe...but i'm not exactly sure exactly what it was. i guess that blows away the myth that PCIE is simply a new platform for milk money off of

yeah right!!
blowing myths away cuz of what your hear from an employee of nvidia. SUREEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[TanisHalfElven]

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

you can buy a FX-60 you can buy a better mobo

 

[Mavrick007]

Originally posted by: tanishalfelven

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

you can buy a FX-60 you can buy a better mobo

Yah man, buy a new mobo and PCI-Ex vid card and your problem is solved for awhile.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: tanishalfelven

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

you can buy a FX-60 you can buy a better mobo

Or you can buy a mobo and PCIe vid card for little more than an AGP card, since AGP cards are overpriced.
$210 after MIR for a 7800GS AGP, vs $190 for a PCIe 7900GS (which is a fair bit faster)

 

[BassBomb]

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: tanishalfelven

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

you can buy a FX-60 you can buy a better mobo

Or you can buy a mobo and PCIe vid card for little more than an AGP card, since AGP cards are overpriced.
$210 after MIR for a 7800GS AGP, vs $190 for a PCIe 7900GS (which is a fair bit faster)

Im just saying, if someone spent their money on an FX60 you cant exactly say don't expect more out of it. They may still be recovering from the cash they spent on it

 

[A554SS1N]

Because AGP only supplies 45watts through the slot, compared to PCI-E 75watt, I suppose that's the reason why something like a high-end G80 would never be AGP, because it'd need quite a few molex power connectors. No excuse for not offering updated generations of cards in the future that can work ok on AGP.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

And what about the 95 bazillion other "what if's" out there? Technology constantly plods forward. If you want to keep up, so should you. Otherwise, you need to make due with what you have and what's available for it.

In the "what if" you mentioned, someone would do well just to upgrade the motherboard to a 939 based PCI-e board. Same memory can be used, and the price you would have paid for a high end AGP graphics card would cost about the same for an even faster PCI-E card PLUS a PCI-E based 939 board. So, you're what if, really doesn't make much sense with what is out there currently available today and for the prices being asked for them.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: BassBomb

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think the 7800GS is plenty for AGP. If you don't expect more out of your CPU, why should you out of your video card.

What if you have a FX60 on 939 but with an older AGP board??

And what about the 95 bazillion other "what if's" out there? Technology constantly plods forward. If you want to keep up, so should you. Otherwise, you need to make due with what you have and what's available for it.

In the "what if" you mentioned, someone would do well just to upgrade the motherboard to a 939 based PCI-e board. Same memory can be used, and the price you would have paid for a high end AGP graphics card would cost about the same for an even faster PCI-E card PLUS a PCI-E based 939 board. So, you're what if, really doesn't make much sense with what is out there currently available today and for the prices being asked for them.

keys, I respectfully disagree, especially in light of the high degree of programability which modern GPUs possess.

How's Rollo doing anyway?

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: SickBeast
How long until the graphics cards blow the PCI-E bus? Will the GPU be in a socket by that point?

I'm sure Quad SLI must strain it a bit.

Linux driver support is not where it should be.

NVIDIA has the best drivers for Linux of any video card comany, they work real well.

I've often wondered if a simple recompile of source code is essentially all that is necessary to make software work on Linux.

There is a lot more to it than that. Windows and Linux handle hardware in a much different way.

That's interesting. Adobe has been porting software between platforms for years now, seemingly without much issue whatsoever.

I realize that a portion of the PDF subsystem is embedded in the way in which Mac OS displays graphics, however the PC is also fully capable of displaying a PDF image.

When it comes to 3D, there is OpenGL. Games like Quake, from what I understand, were rather easily ported to the Mac.

With respect to the comments pertaining to driver support, are you suggesting that Quake 4 will run as fast on Linux as it will on Windows Vista?

Does Quad SLI max out the PCI-E bus? Will Quad G80s do just that?

 

[BassBomb]

I was only speaking in response with an IF statement to another persons IF statement. I myself would not buy an FX60 with my current board. Or upgrade to a new machine without PCI-E

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

That's interesting. Adobe has been porting software between platforms for years now, seemingly without much issue whatsoever.

I realize that a portion of the PDF subsystem is embedded in the way in which Mac OS displays graphics, however the PC is also fully capable of displaying a PDF image.

When it comes to 3D, there is OpenGL. Games like Quake, from what I understand, were rather easily ported to the Mac.

I was talking strictly about hardware drivers, not application software. The way drivers are written and used by Windows and Linux means a simple "recompile" will not work.

With respect to the comments pertaining to driver support, are you suggesting that Quake 4 will run as fast on Linux as it will on Windows Vista?

From what I have heard it is pretty close. It depends on the Linux distro and how it is setup. Quake4 and OpenGL also don't have anything to do with hardware drivers so porting them is much easier.

Does Quad SLI max out the PCI-E bus? Will Quad G80s do just that?

I don't know how much it taxes the PCIe bus, but I bet it uses more bandwidth than AGP could handle.