| NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter: March 23, 2012 |  |
| Written by NVIDIA | ||
| Monday, 26 March 2012 | ||
NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter: March 23, 2012In this Issue:· Kepler kicks ass! That is all. Kepler is hereThis week we made a big splash with the debut of our new graphics architecture code named Kepler. We did it by introducing the GeForce GTX 680, the fastest, most efficient GPU ever built: "Overall, the GeForce GTX680 is quite extraordinary. NVIDIA again takes home the title of world's fastest graphics processor and does so with market-leading performance per watt." Along with 9 new notebook GPUs that are sure to put the "Ultra" in to UltrabooksTM. "For gaming notebooks, high-end ultrabooks and mainstream multimedia laptops, Kepler is a no-brainer and a hands-down Editor's Choice." That's right; we introduced our desktop and our notebook GPUs at the same time! "However, NVIDIA has obviously been refining their new Kepler GPU architecture into its various incarnations for a while now, because the company is launching a dual salvo of production silicon for both mobile and desktop graphics markets today. The fact that NVIDIA is ready with both desktop and mobile variants, in and of itself, is fairly impressive but their mobile platform demonstration vehicle may also surprise you." Besides being a kickass new architecture: "Kepler makes the Tahiti architecture look half a generation out-of-date and about nine months too late." Kepler also signaled our butter-smooth foray into the 28 nanometer process. "NVIDIA's new Kepler GPU architecture is a resounding success both in terms of their desktop offering and, as we've come to find out here, their mobile graphics solutions as well. It wasn't long ago that AMD took the wraps off their 28nm Tahiti offering, but it looks as if NVIDIA is lined up to trump that firmly with their 28nm Kepler architecture." GeForce GTX 680On the desktop side, the GeForce GTX 680 is our new flagship graphics card. It features a next generation Streaming Multiprocessor called SMX - the building block of our groundbreaking new Kepler architecture. It brings with it innovative new features, such as FXAA/TXAA: ""[TXAA] could drastically improve gaming on the PC." You get Adaptive Vertical Sync: "Adaptive Vsync alone is going to greatly improve the in-game performance for gamers." Along with the ability to enjoy 3D Vision surround with a single GPU, You get on the fly overclocking based on the PC's operating environment. "GPU Boost is probably the most interesting feature of this video card. Think of GPU Boost like Intel's Turbo Boost, but it is much more sophisticated." The GTX 680 delivers faster, smoother and richer gaming experiences and the ability to enjoy 3D Vision surround with a single GPU. "3D Vision Surround is also now a reality for those who prefer uber-high resolution widescreen gaming." Well, is it any good? "... if you want a truly remarkable video card, the GTX 680 is the card you want" -PC Mag GeForce 600M Series of notebook GPUsEnough about desktops stuff, let's move on to the elegant power that is GeForce 600M notebook GPUs. Besides the best desktop GPU on the planet, we also announced a new top-to-bottom line-up of notebook GPUs with unprecedented performance and incredible power efficiency to enable exciting new notebook platforms. "Designed to be incredibly powerful and efficient and created on TSMC's lower-power HP 28nm process, test results I've seen show these new GPUs deliver twice the performance per watt of the prior generation." GeForce 600M's power and efficiency will enable a whole slew of sexy new laptop designs. "NVIDIA's focus, with both the desktop and laptop parts, is improved performance-per-watt. The company says that the new parts offer twice the performance-per-watt of the previous, Fermi derived components. That's particularly exciting news for laptops because it means a more powerful component can be crammed in to a smaller space. Three months ago the idea of cramming a mid-range GPU into an ultrabook chassis was laughable. No one had tried to use even an entry-level part, like the GT 520M. We are more than a little surprised by the green team's boldness." A lot of folks believe that putting a GeForce 600M GPU in an Ultrabook will make it truly worthy of the 'Ultra' tag. "NVIDIA wants to put the "Ultra" in Ultrabooks with the GeForce GT 640M - or so the striking PR statement says. Fortunately, the performance fulfills this statement to no end." Gaming on an Ultrabook? Heck yes!"Underneath that unassuming polycarbonate exterior lays an NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M dedicated graphics chip that can actually play graphically intensive games, unlike any other ultrabook on the market." An Ultrabook is simply a thin notebook. The innovation behind 2012's "ultrabook" platform is that you make fewer compromises in performance in order to achieve ultra-thin and ultra-light form factors thanks to more efficient and more powerful GPUs and processors. "In one swoop, NVIDIA has managed to transform the ultrabook from a device capable of playing only older 3D games at low frame rates into a fully capable gaming platform that can handle demanding titles." And it includes the other NVIDIA goodness that GeForce GPUs come with. "It's not just the performance of Kepler that is impressive, either. NVIDIA's Optimus is unarguably the best switchable graphics solution on the market and the company's Verde driver program is the best in the business. The overall user experience delivered by the green team looks to be a winner." The first GeForce 600M GPU out of the gate is the GeForce GT 640M. "Not only is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M a quantum leap in terms of graphics performance for thin and light laptops, this discrete GPU even outperforms the graphics found in thick and heavy gaming laptops last year." With these 9 new GPUs, NVIDIA is lying in wait for Intel's Ivy Bridge launch. "We suspect that NVIDIA's new Kepler based mobile GPUs will dominate the market." Kepler sets NVIDIA up nicely on both desktop and notebook fronts. "NVIDIA's new Kepler GPU architecture is a resounding success both in terms of their desktop offering and, as we've come to find out here, their mobile graphics solutions as well. It wasn't long ago that AMD took the wraps off their 28nm Tahiti offering, but it looks as if NVIDIA is lined up to trump that firmly with their 28nm Kepler architecture. Furthermore, though we don't yet have AMD Tahiti-based mobile solutions to compare to as of yet, if you consider Kepler's significant advantages in power consumption on the desktop, we can almost be assured that the competitive mobile landscape will lay out similarly between the two from a performance-per-watt standpoint. In short, there's no two ways about it, everything is coming up roses here for team green this spring."
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