|
|
|
The 3D connection: The 3D connection
IT HAS been a great year since the release of the X800 series by ATI and the 6800 series by NVIDIA. During the year the performance levels have been boosted twice as much, when compared to previous generation of graphic cards. This roundup takes care of all that you need to know about these cards.
NVIDIA
Last summer, NVIDIA unveiled the 6800 series, carrying some four cards; 6800 Ultra Extreme ($650), 6800 Ultra ($500), 6800GT ($400) and 6800 NU ($300). Two of these cards made it to the markets, while Ultra Extreme was nothing more than a demonstration of the NV-40 chip. The hottest card then, was the 6800GT, initially selling for $450.
GT carried 16 fully operational pipelines, equaling that of higher models. The only real difference lies in the clock speeds. Besides, people already claim to run GT at Ultra speeds, which makes you wonder why one should pay $100 extra for Ultra.
The 6800NU, with fewer pipelines, did not make a huge impact. With only 128MB of memory and a price that was only $100 lesser than GT, it just didn't make sense to buy a low-performance memory card to save money.
Currently, there are 256MB variants of the 6800NU by Leadtek, and a few more brands. In fact, recently, the 512MB variants of 6800 Ultra have started to ship in short numbers.
The 6600 series
NVIDIA also launched the 6600 series, in a bid to provide cheaper cards to users. With the 6600 and 6600GT, it turned out to be another case of a card selling for about $40-50 extra, than the specified $200 reference point.
Today, prices are hovering near acceptable levels and the 6600GT offers tremendous performance for its price. The last generation 9800 Pro and 5900 Ultra cards simply do not compare with the high performance of 6600GT.
Turbo
It's almost ridiculous to see cards designed for, or rather capable of nothing more than running game intros, stamped with high-definition themes and names. So, the 6200 series does not interest gamers, in general. In fact, the Turbo Cache (TC) is just another NVIDIA marketing gimmick to sell more of their low-end cards. I admit I'm being harsh, even though TC does improve the performance of low-end NV cards, but such cards are better suited for laptops.
Two cards
Okay, so NVIDIA launched the highly awaited SLI technology, which is, undoubtedly, a breakthrough with respect to boosting gaming performance. SLI also comes at a price premium that is quite frustrating. The 6800GT SLI system works great and promises a very high-end performance. However, the 6600 SLI mode isn't any better than a single 6800GT card. So, buying a single 6800GT or SLI 6600 doesn't make much of a difference and you are better off with a single card. SLI works with, either the NVIDIA Nforce 4-SLI chipset, or the Intel 955X chipset.
But, SLI motherboards come at a cost — connecting two GPUs together means you are draining more amperes from the power supply so, a hefty supply upgrade is recommended. On the bright side, SLI is now available for, both, Intel and AMD systems and NVIDIA is creating quite a fuss over it.
Dual core: SLI in trouble
NVIDIA is doing everything it can to sell its SLI technology. This comes at a time when companies like Gigabyte and Leadtek already announced dual core 6600GT cards. This means that a single card has two 6600GT cores and 256MB of memory. So, instead of SLI, you can get a 6600GT duo, which should perform to levels of a 6800GT, or even better. Dual core cards are not entirely compatible on some motherboards. For example, Gigabyte's 3D-1 card was initially launched to work only with Gigabyte motherboards.
ATI
ATI's launch has been even more spectacular, considering the performance of X800 cards, with no real hardware changes. NVIDIA, on the other hand, spent a lot of time making an expensive transistor beast, while ATI stuck to the 9700/9800 designs, in order to beat competition.
I have never seen a company as ambitious as ATI. Like NVIDIA, their flagship cards did not do well, yet it did not stop ATI from launching variants like the X800.
ATI: the first 512MB card?
The X800 Pro with 12 Pipelines may have lost to the 6800GT, but NVIDIA should keep in mind that ATI is going to crush the competition, by releasing a few modified X800s. On the high-end, the X800XT PEs were nowhere to be found for less than $550 and now, ATI wants to release their first-ever 512MB graphic card.
The X800XL, however, is the most attractive offer. It has full 16 pipelines and a price that is $50-100 less, than the 6800GT. The X850XT PE is selling in short numbers at $700. Only time will tell what ATI decides for the 512MB X850 Card. This card will be released later this year, but the price will ultimately decide its fate.
ATI: mid-range
The X700XT had to be the launched to compete with 6600GT. Unfortunately, the results are average, which means NVIDIA comes out as the ultimate winner. In fact, NVIDIA has far more brand names for their 6600GT cards than ATI does for their X700 cards. So, no matter where you live, a 6600GT is readily available.
ATI, being ambitious once again, announced release of a stripped X800 (eight-pipe) for $200. Clearly, an eight-pipe X800 at a competitive price could turn the tables.
ATI: low-end
The X300 and X600 should fall in this category to compete with NVIDIA 6200 solutions. Practically, there are no changes in X300 or X600 cards — both are low-end gaming cards. ATI has the X300 core, which also comes built-in with ATI's Intel-based solutions.
AGP or PCI-E
PCI-E has finally turned the tables. New motherboards today, will feature a PCI-E slot and possibly, an AGP slot as well. Like all new technologies, such as SATA's edge over IDE, there is little difference in performance, but it has still made a place for itself.
However, almost all variants of graphic cards can be bought with PCI-E support. AGP parts will dry soon. SLI motherboards will only feature 2 x PCI-E slots.
Power requirements
Whether you are using a low- or high-end graphics card, a stable power supply is a prerequisite. With the new 24-pin Molex connector making its way, it seems that power requirements for graphic cards will finally be met.
AGP's 8x slot can provide a maximum of 45 watts, while PCI-E can pump out almost twice that. Yet, with the X850 XT PE stretching the power requirements, a power supply of 480+ watts is essential.
Power becomes a critical requirement, when using SLI modes. NVIDIA claims to use a 480 watts PSU with their 6800 Ultra. Now, with the 6800 Ultra in SLI mode, you can quickly think of a hefty power supply upgrade.
Power with stable voltage is what you should consider. You can buy a 600-watt PSU at a reasonable, but soon your will lose voltage with unstable lines.
Thermal concerns
All high-end cards, be it a 6800 Ultra or the X800, produce generous amount of heat. The DDR-III RAM modules shared by all these cards do not necessarily require cooling, but they do get really hot. NVIDIA 6800 chips have thermal thresholds over 100°C.
Neither NVIDIA nor ATI provides above average cooling systems for their cards — they obviously know what is good for them, but if one can get the temperatures lowered at no extra cost, why not look for the best card.
Generally, all the partner companies stamp reference coolers with their names. However, only a few brands make their presence felt. Leadtek, Gigabyte, ASUS, HIS, Chaintek, etc., are some examples.
Future proofing
A few months ago, there was debate over the latest pixel shader compatibilities. Today, SLI's birth is a case in point for future proofing. ATI supports Shader model 2b, whereas NVIDIA supports Shader model 3.
For SLI support, many things come to my mind. First, SLI is only meant to benefit you at really high resolutions. For many, those high resolutions may not be supported on their monitors, so what is the use? Secondly, SLI is a hefty upgrade and what if the upcoming GPU series thrashes the current SLI market? Of course, only ATI will want to do that, since they are still working on their SLI component. In fact, it seems the upcoming GPU series by ATI should destroy the SLI market, since ATI may launch a fully 24-32 pipelined component later this year.
Smart buys
This is tricky, because choosing the best card depends on the amount you want to spend. Some people spend $700 on a graphics card, while some want extreme gaming on a small budget. So, one must compromise. If you're a gaming freak and can't spend a lot, you can always buy the mid-range cards, while keeping the resolutions and filters at lower levels. It makes sense to stick with 1024 x 768 matrix and keep FSAA off. Remember, the higher the resolution, the lower the performance. For the current standard resolution, the mid-range cards will work just fine.
If you can spend a generous amount, you should go for high-end setups. SLI is not a requirement today and you can survive on a single card, for at least one more year.
The writer
|
|
|
|
