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Nvidia introduces GeForce 9600 GSO
Author: Tim SmalleyPublished: 29th April 2008
Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GS has been given a new cooler and that warrants a change of name. It's now the GeForce 9600 GSO.
We've been pretty hard on Nvidia in some respects because, while there hasn't been a lot wrong with the GeForce 9-series cards that have been launched so far, they haven't exactly been groundbreaking.
The GeForce 9600 GSO sadly doesn't change things, as this particular card's specifications look strangely similar to a card that the graphics giant launched at the start of the year. Yes, we're talking about the GeForce 8800 GS.
When the GeForce 8800 GS originally launched, it featured 96 stream processors, a 550MHz core speed, while the shaders and memory were clocked at 1,375MHz and 1,600MHz respectively. The card also sported a 192-bit memory interface and 384MB of onboard memory.
And guess what, the GeForce 9600 GSO sports exactly the same specifications and, from the looks of things, all that has changed is the cooler – the card now looks more like a GeForce 9600 GT.
We're probably not going to be covering the card's performance in a full review, because we've already compared it to the GeForce 9600 GT and its many competitors in the mainstream market when the GeForce 9600 GT launched. Nvidia doesn't delve into the details of what chip is used on the card, but considering everything else matches the GeForce 8800 GS's specification to the latter, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that it's based on G92.
Pricing is expected to be around the same mark as the current GeForce 8800 GS (I'd be annoyed if it increased, put it that way), so expect GeForce 9600 GSO cards to start at around £75-80 (inc. VAT).
Do you think this is a bit of a shrewd move by Nvidia rename the GeForce 8800 GS in order to sell those G92 dies that don't meet the grade for the GeForce 8800 GT, GeForce 8800 GTS 512, GeForce 9800 GTX and GeForce 9800 GX2? Share your thoughts with us in the forums.
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Comments (25)Stats: 0.030 seconds
But I also hate the way they release *new* technology series which are actually SLOWER than some of the previous generation versions.
Remember all those poor schmucks who bought the 7300 series card instead of a fast 6800 card. Yeah, they only have themselves to blame but Nvidia is taking advantage in these situations.
Atleast when it comes to processors, you can be relatively successfull if assuming one generation will be faster than the previous. I say relatively... because there are a few exceptions to that rule as well (e.g. when the first P4's came out!).. But generally speaking a 3800 CPU is less than 4400 is less than a 6000 X2 for example. Pretty much the same thing for intel CPU's as well.
Nvidia gets away with it every time, despite mass condemnation.
I still like my 3870 though...
I disagree.. A budget series 9xxx can be slower then a top of the line series 8xxx and still be newer without any problem IMHO.
lol, errr no
For example the 9800GTX is faster than the 8800GTX.
It would be a big ask for every model in the new range to be faster than the highest performing card in the old range.
The idea of changing a cooler and then re-branding the card as something new is ridiculous though, there is enough intelligent people on this planet to figure out that the only thing that has changed is one digit in the model number and the cooler.
Uh both companies do this with every generation of cards.....name one series where the lowest end of the new gen was faster than the highest end of the old gen, I'm pretty positive it has never been that way for Nvidia OR Ati..
On one hand it's silly to have the same product under 2 names. On the other it removes some of the mess from the confusing 8800 series.
Nvidia should be shot for this piece of marketing, i feel sorry for all those noobs!
What is special about the O? What does it offer over a standard GS? Huh huh huh?
It stands for "OMG I GOT A 9-SERIES N00BS! I PWN YORE 8800GS!!!!1oneoneeleventy"
:)
So next the 512 8800GT becomes the 9600GTO?
I never got why they only use 6 and 8 in their series, it would have taken some confusion from the GTS series if they just added more numbers.
It's because MOOOOAAARRRR LETTERZZ = more power.
Errr, yes... there's more then brute speed... Power efficiency for instance...
:)
STOP RELEASING OLD CARDS WITH A NEW NAME!! THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY!!!1
Someone should try running 20 ATI 9800s together. I want to see how it competes with the nVidia 9800.
This topic is pretty relevant.
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=139006