Rumours out that Kepler GK104 cards will be $299...

555BUK · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:12

The 7970 is not a great card. Sure, the 28nm process allows for decent clock speeds, but ignoring that it is a small step forward from the 6900 series. It has approximately 30% more shaders than the 6970 and a 50% larger memory bus. Clock for clock the 7970 is only ~40% faster than the 6970, which is on-par considering the above shader and memory bus increase. There is very little to be impressed about, other than the shrink itself.

Following suit, NVidia really don't have to redesign the GTX580 too much to beat AMD. Indeed, I would argue they would need to be completely incompetent not to produce a faster card. Even if they make no optimisations whatsoever and simply clone a higher shader Fermi part onto the 28nm process, they should comfortably win. AMD fans may cry out about power consumption and performance per watt, but now that the 7900 includes proper direct compute, it is unlikeley to have any such advantage over NVidia. My guess is that the performance per watt crown can swing either way.

So, stop deluding yourselves. The 7970 is average to disappointing. Kepler is promissing, but entirely unproven. It may be great, good, average or disapppointing, but it will surely be faster than AMD's top card in one form or another. For the timebeing the 7970 is the fastest single GPU card in the world. For the timebeing.

555BUK · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:16

kitch9 said:
Oh oh,

Chiphell as just posted an article, confirming most of the positive rumors about Kepler are crap from known viral marketers as they've been caught out.

They've even managed to dupe Charlie at SA...

This could get lolworthy.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1668756

So it is all false because a rough Chinese translation originating from a website called ChipHell says so? Surely this is how rumours begin

.

edit: Or are you saying it is lol worthy because the article itself deserves a lol?

ICDP · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:18

555BUK said:
The 7970 is not a great card. Sure, the 28nm process allows for decent clock speeds, but ignoring that it is a small step forward from the 6900 series. It has approximately 30% more shaders than the 6970 and a 50% larger memory bus. Clock for clock the 7970 is only ~40% faster than the 6970, which is on-par considering the above shader and memory bus increase. There is very little to be impressed about, other than the shrink itself.

Following suit, NVidia really don't have to redesign the GTX580 too much beat. Indeed, I would argue they would need to be completely incompetent not to produce a faster card. Even if they make no optimisations whatsoever and simply clone a higher shader Fermi part onto the 28nm process, they should comfortably win. AMD fans may cry out about power consumption and performance per watt, but now that the 7900 includes proper direct comput, it is unlikeley to have any such advantage over NVidia. My gues is that the performance per watt crown can swing either way.

So, stop deluding yourselves. The 7970 is average to disappointing. Kepler is promissing, but entirely unproven. It may be great, good, average or disapppointing, but it will surely be faster than AMD's top card in one form or another. For the timebeing the 7970 is the fastest single GPU card in the world. For the timebeing.

I sold a HD 6970 for a HD 7970 and I can assure you from my experience at 2560x1600 the 7970 at stock is at least 40% faster and up to 70% faster in many of my games that aren't CPU limited. When I OC the 7970 that delta increases 20%, so it is vastly superior to the HD 6970. Against the GTX 580 it is not such a large delta but it is as you say, "the fastest single GPU card in the world. For the timebeing". But then again we say that about every single top-end GPU that has EVER been released, or do you expect AMD and Nvidia to simply stop now?

ICDP · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:19

555BUK said:
So it is all false because a rough Chinese translation originating from a website called ChipHell says so? Surely this is how rumours begin.

LOL :

gurusan · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:31

555BUK said:
So it is all false because a rough Chinese translation originating from a website called ChipHell says so? Surely this is how rumours begin.

edit: Or are you saying it is lol worthy because the article itself deserves a lol?

The rumors ORIGINATED from that website then were deleted because it was shill marketing. Jesus

spain · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:32

ICDP said:
Nvidia don't operate on principles, but I am sure a sizeable proportion of the people who read these statements on GPU enthusiast forums do.

You are making ridiculous statements, what do you know about enthusiast? When ever keplar arrives if it performs to expectation those same enthusiast will be all over it, Thats what matters. Imho, your losing sight of the bigger picture, and making a mountain out of a mole hill.

555BUK · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:33

Haha, must learn to read Chinese

.

malthus · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:46

I am looking forward to what nividia have up their sleeves

d_brennen · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:48

Hah, shills 1 consumers 0 :rolleyes:

ICDP · 25 Jan 2012 at 22:55

spain said:
You are making ridiculous statements, what do you know about enthusiast?

And your blanket statements are more valid than mine why exactly?

spain said:
When ever keplar arrives if it performs to expectation those same enthusiast will be all over it, Thats what matters. Imho, your losing sight of the bigger picture, and making a mountain out of a mole hill.

If this happens I will probably purchase one, Nvidia and AMD are faceless corporations, nothing more, nothing less. I may not like how some companies do their business but I am not a blind loyalist. I always see the big picture, performance is what matters to me with price being a fairly distant second. I won't pay 40-50% premium for a card that is only 15% faster overall, hence the reason why I bought a HD 6970 rather than a GTX 580. I will purchase a card that gives me 40-70% speed boost depending on the game. Hence the reason why I sold my HD 6970 and bought a HD 7970.

dave_beast · 25 Jan 2012 at 23:05

555BUK said:
The 7970 is not a great card.

Lol, fanboiism at it's full, jealous extent here ladies and gentlemens

Stripes · 25 Jan 2012 at 23:27

kitch9 said:
Oh oh,

Chiphell as just posted an article, confirming most of the positive rumors about Kepler are crap from known viral marketers as they've been caught out.

They've even managed to dupe Charlie at SA...

This could get lolworthy.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1668756

Heh. That's one to file under 'bloody hilarious, if true'. Special giggles as the ChipHell forums have been the originator of 99% of the GFX card rumours taken up by Western websites over the last little while (inc. the Kepler ones), so they have plenty of legitimacy vs say fudzilla.

d_brennen · 25 Jan 2012 at 23:29

Did they do this just to pwn Semiaccurate? Just reading Charlies pov on the story, not like him at all. I normally give S/A a wide berth as his rantings really bore me

Yamahahahahaha · 25 Jan 2012 at 23:33

AMD's cards are a big step up from their past generation of cards, and prices will fall when Nvidia bring out the competition.

Just waiting for Nvidia to bring out the competition... Any day now... Do be do...

spain · 25 Jan 2012 at 23:49

ICDP said:
And your blanket statements are more valid than mine why exactly?

We can agree to disagree about blanket statements, before going down that road.

If this happens I will probably purchase one, Nvidia and AMD are faceless corporations, nothing more, nothing less.

The above confirms what I said in the first place, So why bother engage me with your hollow principles.

I may not like how some companies do their business but I am not a blind loyalist.

Thats your issue so deal with it. I and many others are not blind loyalist either, but your acting as a blind loyalist to your own agenda, why contaminate this discussion with that crap.

I always see the big picture, performance is what matters to me with price being a fairly distant second.

If you saw the bigger picture we would not be having this discussion.

I won't pay 40-50% premium for a card that is only 15% faster overall, hence the reason why I bought a HD 6970 rather than a GTX 580. I will purchase a card that gives me 40-70% speed boost depending on the game. Hence the reason why I sold my HD 6970 and bought a HD 7970.

Agreed

dave_beast · 26 Jan 2012 at 00:01

xsistor · 26 Jan 2012 at 00:09

d_brennen said:
Did they do this just to pwn Semiaccurate? Just reading Charlies pov on the story, not like him at all. I normally give S/A a wide berth as his rantings really bore me

Where are you reading that? Link? So his "exclusive pricing" info was from a public forum? Hahahahahaha

ALXAndy · 26 Jan 2012 at 00:19

dave_beast said:

That guy is the perfect example of why tigers eat their young.

ALXAndy · 26 Jan 2012 at 00:27

555BUK said:
No need to worry. AMD's pricing will deter desertion from the green side. It certainly stopped me, and I have owned just about every top end card from both camps.

It's terrible isn't it?

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-144-GW

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-153-OK

How awful of AMD to charge £439 for a card ! those rotten buggers should be burnt at the stake !

As I have repeatedly said now, over and over again, AMD are simply pricing their cards comparatively with Nvidia cards of similar specs.

The only difference of course is that the 7970 is faster. Not at some things, not at half of things and not even two thirds. The 7970 is faster than the 580 at everything. Even now, at launch, on cack drivers.

The reason they cost what they do is due to Nvidia being greedy for ages because they had a commanding lead. AMD should cash in on that, forcing Nvidia to drop their greedy guts prices. Once Nvidia do drop their prices (when, not if) AMD will be forced to do the same.

Remember, you are talking to a guy that wanted to, with every last ounce of his being, buy a GTX 580 Classified 3GB for £450. The same guy that was forced to admit that the 580 would be a terrible mistake, as even when you clock the teets off of the 580C it's STILL SLOWER.

Freddie1980 · 26 Jan 2012 at 00:31

varkanoid said:
Think you got that a bit wrong there surely or I have misunderstood.

If Nvidia produce a 7970 performance card for less money then surely thats a good thing for the consumer and good for Nvidia as everyone would buy the Nvidia card if its cheaper to buy and same performance as 7970 ?

Or course it would be a good thing but can you honestly see that happening? Unless Kepler is a miracle of design Nvidia will simply spec and price there cards to occupy the price points that AMD don't use just as we have seen with the HD6000/500 series that way it both companies aren't really competing against each other or at least they don't find themselves in a price war.

To be honest looking at the previous generation of cards and the price have remained flat for over a year you would think AMD and Nvidia are co-operating with each other over prices. I can't see anything changing for this generation either.