Nvidia's successful GeForce 8800-series products might be replaced by the GeForce 9-series as early as February.
Anonymous sources inside Tawianese graphics card manufacturers, cited by a report on
Digitimes, suggest that Nvidia plans to launch the first cards in its GeForce 9-series as early as February.
The product's specifications are not known at this early stage, and in fact probably aren't finalised just yet. However, the chip is codenamed D9E and will utilise TSMC's 65nm manufacturing process, just like the
GeForce 8800 GT's G92 graphics chip.
Apparently, the cards will all support Microsoft's DirectX 10.1 API and thus Shader Model 4.1 - we covered many of DirectX 10.1's features in our
Radeon HD 3870 review which we published this morning.
D9E will cater just for enthusiasts and those looking for more cost-effective solutions will have to wait for the D9P-based products that are rumoured to arrive next June. D9P will apparently be based on a 55nm process node but again, specifics are thin and light right now.
Regardless, if you're really looking for good value for money in the graphics card market right now, there's no reason to look much beyond Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GT, or AMD's ATI Radeon HD 3870. Both are great products in their own right, with the 8800 GT taking the lead in the performance stakes, while the Radeon has price on its side right now.
As we get closer to launch, I'm sure more information will become available - we'll let you know more as and when we do. For now, discuss the news
in the forums.
So soon????!!!
Well, I am excited still. And really want to see it.
Thanks for the info Guys!
Gonna put the 9800 in place of the 7900GS and the 7900GS in place of the 5950U (DX 8 FTW!!!)
and the 5950 will probably go somehwere but im not sure.
but finally we have a timeline on when they will be out.
first i have to contemplate swapping the GTS with GT... now i have to worry bout geforce 9 series??? :p damn u VGA maker!!
/sarcasm_off
FX's were dx9 ;)
Barely. ;)
Still, that 5950 would work great in a HTPC. :)
I think the industry is hell bent on hardware development atm, since everyone and there brother can create great looking games with no actual decent story.
I honestly think its becoming hit or miss with games. Sad really...
*sigh*
i'm curiuos what the power of those graka's are???
Haven't played dx10 games i'm (still) an xp kinda guy!!!!!
but i'd probably wait for a 9800GT to spend some sensible money instead of like last time.
An (to the eye of the consumer) and overclocked Geforce 6800 with 4 new features.
From a source I cannot say, I know what will be new in DX10.1
In DX10.1 it will make all the optional things in DX10.0 be mandatory, the Geforce 8800 does support this.
Then it has independent blend modes per MRT, cubemap arrays and per-sample shading.
Technically, independent blend modes per MRT and cubemap arrays can be achieved with the GeF-8800, but at reduce performance, the last think cannot be achieved.
I can't say more I'm afraid, I might get some people in trouble :(
If this is true, we gonna have a real next-gen visual experience! especially on Crysis 2!
Cheers.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/11/30/rv670_amd_ati_radeon_hd_3870/8
....these are, at this point, just rumors. Not to mention that if these are nVidia's actual plans, there is always the possibility (and history can support this) that the actual release can be pushed off for another month or much more.
The sad part is I see several here chomping at the bit to get these next gen cards, those who have already spent a bundle on the 8xxx series without even being able to really use them.