Why does nvidia have so many video cards?

[Smartazz]

So for the 7 series we have the:
7300GT, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7800GT, 7800GS, 7800GTX, 7800GTX 512, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7900GX2, 7950GX2, 7950GT.
edit: 7100 GS, 7300 LE, and 7300 SE

Why does there need to be so many cards? I mean, is the 7950 a lot diffrent than the 7900GT or GTX? I don't think ATI has this many cards, then if you add the extra versions eVGA makes, you get a lot of video cards. Check it out on eVGA's website

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
So for the 7 series we have the:
7300GT, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7800GT, 7800GS, 7800GTX, 7800GTX 512, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7900GX2, 7950GX2, 7950GT.

Why does there need to be so many cards? I mean, is the 7950 a lot diffrent than the 7900GT or GTX? I don't think ATI has this many cards, then if you add the extra versions eVGA makes, you get a lot of video cards. Check it out on eVGA's website

All the 7800s, except the GS and the 7900GT have been discontinued, so there isn't THAT many cards...

 

[lein]

You forgot 7100 GS, 7300 LE, and 7300 SE =)

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Nightmare225

Originally posted by: Smartazz
So for the 7 series we have the:
7300GT, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7800GT, 7800GS, 7800GTX, 7800GTX 512, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7900GX2, 7950GX2, 7950GT.

Why does there need to be so many cards? I mean, is the 7950 a lot diffrent than the 7900GT or GTX? I don't think ATI has this many cards, then if you add the extra versions eVGA makes, you get a lot of video cards. Check it out on eVGA's website

All the 7800s, except the GS and the 7900GT have been discontinued, so there isn't THAT many cards...

Add the 7100 GS, 7300LE and SE. There's a lot of cards, how many does ati have? X1300, X1600, X1800XT, X1900XT, X1900XTX, X1900GT, X1900AIW, X1950XT, X1950XTX. Wow, that's a lot of X1900's.

 

[CKXP]

add one more...there's rumor of a 7900GTO in the works.

http://www.techreport.com/onearticle.x/10729

 

[Nightmare225]

This is the calm before the storm of G80s...

 

[smthmlk]

their marketing dept might say "to cover every possible pricepoint". i say it's to confuse the ****** out of people

 

[Ulfhednar]

There's too many cards from both companies and it's equally ridiculous from both.

 

[Smartazz]

All they need it Low end, mid range, high end, and ultra high end. Just like in the days of the 6 series.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Currently:
7950GX2, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7300GT, 7300GS, 7300LE

Coming soon cards:
7950GT, 7900GTO, 7650GT, 7650GS (80nm refresh of G73), 7300SE

AGP cards:
7800GS, 7600GT/GS

End of life for G70 based cards:
7800GTX 512, 7800GTX, 7800GT.

Its not as big as you say, because the 7800 series are not in production anymore for a long time.


Thats nVIDIA. ATi is

Currently:
X1900XTX, X1900XT 512mb, X1900 CF master card, X1900GT, X1800GTO, X1650pro, X1300XT, X1300pro, X1300LE

AGP cards:
X1600pro

Coming soon cards:
X1950XTX, X1950 CF master card, X1950pro, X1900XT 256mb, X1650XT (PCI-e and AGP), X1300ME


Not sure if the R520 is still being made. So thats X1800XT and X1800XL.

Phased out series are X1600 series. (X1600XT is renamed X1650XT while the X1600pro is renamed into X1300XT).

 

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
All they need it Low end, mid range, high end, and ultra high end. Just like in the days of the 6 series.

6 series had more cards than the 7 series.

6800ultra extreme
6800ultra
6800GT
6800GS
6800LE
6800nu
6800XT
6600GT
6600
6600 DDR2
6600LE
6610XL
6500
6200 non TC
6200 LE
6200 differen variants for TC
6150 (IGP)
6100 (IGP)

Theres more but cant remember.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster

Originally posted by: Smartazz
All they need it Low end, mid range, high end, and ultra high end. Just like in the days of the 6 series.

6 series had more cards than the 7 series.

6800ultra extreme
6800ultra
6800GT
6800GS
6800LE
6800nu
6800XT
6600GT
6600
6600 DDR2
6600LE
6610XL
6500
6200 non TC
6200 LE
6200 differen variants for TC
6150 (IGP)
6100 (IGP)

Theres more but cant remember.

Ridiculus. Well I didn't get into gaming until the 7800GT came out.

 

[sandorski]

I have no way of confirming anything, but I have a suspicion as to why this is: I think that the complexity of GPU's leads to a lot of errors during manufacturing. Instead of throwing out huge amounts of chips, both Nvidia and ATI just disable the part(s) that don't function correctly and throw them in a pile(figuretiely speaking). If a particular pile grows large enough, figure out where the chips fit performance/feature wise and you got a new Product.

Likely for some of the variants anyway, but there certainly are some intentional(design wise) variants as well.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: sandorski
I have no way of confirming anything, but I have a suspicion as to why this is: I think that the complexity of GPU's leads to a lot of errors during manufacturing. Instead of throwing out huge amounts of chips, both Nvidia and ATI just disable the part(s) that don't function correctly and throw them in a pile(figuretiely speaking). If a particular pile grows large enough, figure out where the chips fit performance/feature wise and you got a new Product.

Likely for some of the variants anyway, but there certainly are some intentional(design wise) variants as well.

You're probobly right.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: smthmlk
their marketing dept might say "to cover every possible pricepoint". i say it's to confuse the ****** out of people

I would tend to agree with your assessment. You need a friggin decoder ring to figure out which ones are better than other ones of the same series. :laugh:

 

[adairusmc]

I miss the old voodoo2 days. 8mb or 12mb.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Beachboy

Originally posted by: smthmlk
their marketing dept might say "to cover every possible pricepoint". i say it's to confuse the ****** out of people

I would tend to agree with your assessment. You need a friggin decoder ring to figure out which ones are better than other ones of the same series. :laugh:

If it costs more, it's usually better. Some exceptions apply obviosly.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: adairusmc
I miss the old voodoo2 days. 8mb or 12mb.

Virge DX was even easier!

 

[Bull Dog]

Well the companies generally start out well enough organized but then as they pull out the refreshes things kinda get messy.

 

[Kromis]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
Currently:
7950GX2, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7300GT, 7300GS, 7300LE

Coming soon cards:
7950GT, 7900GTO, 7650GT, 7650GS (80nm refresh of G73), 7300SE

AGP cards:
7800GS, 7600GT/GS

End of life for G70 based cards:
7800GTX 512, 7800GTX, 7800GT.

Its not as big as you say, because the 7800 series are not in production anymore for a long time.


Thats nVIDIA. ATi is

Currently:
X1900XTX, X1900XT 512mb, X1900 CF master card, X1900GT, X1800GTO, X1650pro, X1300XT, X1300pro, X1300LE

AGP cards:
X1600pro

Coming soon cards:
X1950XTX, X1950 CF master card, X1950pro, X1900XT 256mb, X1650XT (PCI-e and AGP), X1300ME


Not sure if the R520 is still being made. So thats X1800XT and X1800XL.

Phased out series are X1600 series. (X1600XT is renamed X1650XT while the X1600pro is renamed into X1300XT).

Oh snaps! Where'd you hear of them?

 

[Munky]

This chart should help clear up the Ati lineup a bit. The x1800 series are no longer in production. The x1900xtx and the x1900xt 512 are due to be discontinued as well.

Not sure about Nv cards, but I heard the 7900gtx is being phased out too.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: adairusmc
I miss the old voodoo2 days. 8mb or 12mb.

Virge DX was even easier!

High-five!

 

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by: Kromis
Oh snaps! Where'd you hear of them?

Link

 

[Gstanfor]

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: Nightmare225

Originally posted by: Smartazz
So for the 7 series we have the:
7300GT, 7600GT, 7600GS, 7800GT, 7800GS, 7800GTX, 7800GTX 512, 7900GTX, 7900GT, 7900GS, 7900GX2, 7950GX2, 7950GT.

Why does there need to be so many cards? I mean, is the 7950 a lot diffrent than the 7900GT or GTX? I don't think ATI has this many cards, then if you add the extra versions eVGA makes, you get a lot of video cards. Check it out on eVGA's website

All the 7800s, except the GS and the 7900GT have been discontinued, so there isn't THAT many cards...

Add the 7100 GS, 7300LE and SE. There's a lot of cards, how many does ati have? X1300, X1600, X1800XT, X1900XT, X1900XTX, X1900GT, X1900AIW, X1950XT, X1950XTX. Wow, that's a lot of X1900's.

Of course you conveniently forget ATi's x1600 & x1300 series, to say nothing of the x300's that are still for sale... Mind I can't say I blame you for forgetting them - they are very forgettable...

Leave it to the fanatics to slam a company for providing consumers with choice -while also claiming that the market would suffer due to a lack of competition is ATi stopped producing discrete cards...

 

[Ulfhednar]

Originally posted by: Gstanfor
Leave it to the fanatics to slam a company for providing consumers with choice -while also claiming that the market would suffer due to a lack of competition is ATi stopped producing discrete cards...

What about those of us who think that both companies made a retarded number of different models? :roll: