|
GeForce 196.78 Beta Driver Runs GeForce GTX 470
|
- Thursday 11 March, 2010 |
 |
Czech technology website PCTuning confirmed a few details about NVIDIA's upcoming performance graphics accelerator, the GeForce GTX 470. It was found out that a beta driver by NVIDIA, GeForce 196.78 supports GeForce 400 series accelerators, and was able run a qualification sample of GeForce GTX 470. The card was using A3 revision GF100 silicon. The driver's System Information dialog revealed that the card indeed has 448 CUDA cores (SIMD units). Further, it has 1280 MB of memory, and a 320-bit wide memory interface. NVIDIA also changed the way it represents memory clock speeds. Since it is using GDDR5 memory, while the memory has an actual clock speed of 1000 MHz, the data rate (DDR speed) is represented first, as 2000 MHz, and "effective speed" next, which is 4000 MHz.
Given these speeds, at 1000 MHz GDDR5, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 160 GB/s. Without compromise on looks and quality, NVIDIA kept the cooler design basic. It has a matte finish. Display outputs include two DVI-D, and one mini HDMI. It supports NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround (a technology competitive to ATI Eyefinity, to span a display head across multiple physical displays), just that NVIDIA requires at least two accelerators in SLI to use it. NVIDIA's GeForce 400 series graphics accelerators will be launched on the 26th of this month.
Source: PCTuning |
|
| [Read More] |
|
|
|
|
GeForce 196.75 Drivers Overheat GPUs on Some Applications
|
- Monday 08 March, 2010 |
|
NVIDIA's recently released GeForce 196.75 WHQL drivers are causing problems with some users reporting "intermittent low FPS", in the words of Blizzard's technical staff. It notes that the drivers have a bug in its fan-speed control that causes graphics cards to overheat when running applications such as Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft and StarCraft 2 Beta. Not only does bad fan control result in bad application performance, but can also damage the graphics accelerator. Blizzard on its part advised users to revert to older versions of the GeForce driver. Version 196.21 (older WHQL-signed driver) can be downloaded from here.
Update (3/5): NVIDIA has withdrawn the 196.75 WHQL drivers from its website. The company is working to resolve this issue.
Source: inc gamers |
|
| [Read More] |
|
|
|
GeForce GTX 470 PCB and Cooler Pictured, Too
|
- Monday 08 March, 2010 |
|
A couple of days after pictures of the PCB and cooling assembly of the GeForce GTX 480 made it to the internet, fresh pictures emerged, this time of the GeForce GTX 470, the slightly toned-down part in the GeForce 400 series. The GTX 470, like the GTX 480, is based on NVIDIA's GF100 core. The reference design PCB is certainly shorter than that of the GTX 480, and compacts its resources. Since the GTX 470 has a 320-bit wide memory interface, it makes do with 10 memory chips, seen surrounding the GPU from three sides. A simpler VRM is used: 4-phase vGPU and 1-phase vMem. Power is drawn in from two 6-pin power connectors.
The fan connects over its usual 4-pin PWM-controlled line. Some smart compacting of components made space for two intakes to be cut out, which help the blower draw in some fresh air. The cooling assembly, again is compacted accordingly. Since these new pictures are more clear, we can see that the area over the GPU isn't devoid of a copper surface as earlier thought. In fact, as some community members observed, it is a base with copper heatpipes making direct contact with the GPU. The cooler has protrusions at the right spots to make contact with memory chips and MOSFETs. The GTX 470 is slated to be the more affordable of the GTX 400 series, which will be unveiled on March 26. Follow the source link for equally good quality photography of the GTX 480's PCB.
Source: ComputerBase.de |
|
| [Read More] |
|
|
|
|
GeForce GTX 480 PCB and Cooling Assembly Pictured
|
- Thursday 04 March, 2010 |
|
Sources wanting anonymity sent these pictures of PCB and cooling assembly to sections of the media. The PCB is that of the GeForce GTX 480, and is NVIDIA's reference design. It gives away a fair amount of information about the card that has created quite some hype over the months, which is slated for release on March 26. To begin with, the GF100 GPU on which GTX 480 is based, uses essentially the same type of package as the GT200 and G80. To help cool the large die (with a 3 billion-strong transistor count), an integrated heatspreader (IHS) is used. However, unlike with the G80 and GT200 (past two generations of extreme performance GPUs from NVIDIA), the display logic is integrated into the GPU package, instead of being spun off into NVIO processors.
With 12 memory chips on board, the GPU connects to them over a 384-bit wide memory interface. The reference design board is expected to have 1536 MB (1.5 GB) of memory on it. There's also an unusual amount of simplicity to the board design and choice of components. The GPU is powered by a 6-phase vGPU circuit using more standard DPAK MOSFETs. There is a 2-phase vMem circuit. With wide open spaces in the PCB, NVIDIA actually made two cutouts to help the blower's air intake.
|
|
| [Read More] |
|
|
|
