Nvidia Is Happy With The Performance Of Fermi

LoadsaMoney · 27 Dec 2009 at 22:51

Nvidia Corp. first demonstrated its code-named GF100 (NV60, G300, GT300, etc) graphics processing units (GPU) based on Fermi architecture over three months ago. Since the product is still not released, it is not a surprise that there are loads of speculations about performance of the next-generation GeForce. According to a representative at Nvidia, the company is happy about performance of the novelty.

“We expect [Fermi] to be the fastest GPU in every single segment. The performance numbers that we have [obtained] internally just [confirms] that. So, we are happy about this and are just finalizing everything on the driver side,” said Luciano Alibrandi, the head of Nvidia public relations department in EMEAI region, in an interview with DonanimHaber web-site.

It was untraditional for Nvidia to demonstrate capabilities of its forthcoming graphics card months ahead of actual release. It is generally believed that Nvidia showed off its Fermi product in late September in an attempt to slowdown sales of its arch-rival ATI’s DirectX 11 graphics processors. The company yet has to show performance numbers of its next-gen graphics products. However, according to Mr. Alibrandi, the company is not only working hard on the new chip itself, but is also developing “perfect” drivers in an attempt to provide ultimate experience for the end-user.

“We just want to make sure it is as perfect as we want it to be in both graphics and computing [performance and quality],” said Mr. Alibrandi.

To date, Nvidia has demonstrated its next-generation GeForce GF100 graphics card rendering a DirectX 11 benchmark and working in multi-GPU SLI mode.

The chief of Nvidia’s public relations department in EMEAI did not reveal when exactly Nvidia plans to launch its GF100 GPU for consumers. The only official comment on the matter was made by the company’s chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang, who said that production of the GF100 would be ramped only in Q1 FY2011. Nvidia’s first quarter of fiscal year 2011 begins on the 26th of January and ends on the 26th of April, 2010.

The flagship Fermi graphics processor will feature 512 stream processing engines (which are organized as 16 streaming multi-processors with 32 cores in each) that support a type of multi-threading technology to maximize utilization of cores. Each stream processor has a fully pipelined integer arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and floating point unit (FPU). The top-of-the-range chip contains 3 billion of transistors, features 384-bit memory GDDR5 memory controller with ECC and features rather unprecedented 768KB unified level-two cache as well as rather complex cache hierarchy in general. Naturally, the Fermi family is compatible with DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.x and OpenCL 1.x application programming interfaces (APIs). The new chips will be made using 40nm process technology at TSMC.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20091226130553_Nvidia_Is_Happy_With_Performance_of_GeForce_GF100_Fermi_Graphics_Card.html

TaKeN · 27 Dec 2009 at 22:58

More hot air?

Surely.. by the time these things reach the consumers hands, ATi will have something on par if not better..

alex24 · 27 Dec 2009 at 23:05

I have found that I dislike people who blabber on about graphics cards, pipelines, production processes and the like who actually have no friggin idea what they're talking about (not directed at anyone here btw), and so I shall say just this:

I find no comfort or surprise in the fact that the head of nvidia public relations has announced they are happy with their upcoming product, of which they hope to sell hundreds of thousands of units.

Yamahahahahaha · 27 Dec 2009 at 23:34

If Nvidia weren't having problems with this card, why have they dropped the number of shaders on their Tesla (their super high end parts) from 512 to 448?

I think they've ramped the clocks to compensate for this, so the performance numbers mentioned previously still still stand.

Rroff · 27 Dec 2009 at 23:39

Marketing/Public Relations are usually the last to know about any technical changes...

That said... despite what some people have been saying to the contrary (and in some cases not without merit) - the reason the tesla products have reduced SPs are absolutely to do with having to meet certain standards for the HPTC, etc. markets they are trying to break into... and absolutely no indication of what the gaming parts are going to be configuration wise.

AgedIdiot · 27 Dec 2009 at 23:50

I got fed up waiting when ,as far as I could see, very little if anything other than hot air was being produced by n'vidia so I bought a 5870.- Big improvement on the 260 I had.

This to me is simply more hot air - pr blurb - etc.

It may be that Fermi , when it comes, will outperform by miles everthing that ,both, Amd and Nvidia have produced to date and it will be cheaper .

Got some doubts though

....and when ??

LoadsaMoney · 27 Dec 2009 at 23:59

EXCLUSIVE - FERMI IN ACTION!!!!

TheGamingGeneral · 28 Dec 2009 at 00:02

As has been said, the goal posts are constantly moving. There taking this long to counter AMD, it isnt as if the 5970 is ATi's last ever card.........

They also have the problem that everyone is atleast, expecting it to beat the 5970, thats a minimum for many people such as myself. God only knows what they need to pull out in order to actually impress.

AgedIdiot · 28 Dec 2009 at 00:02

LoadsaMoney said:

smilertoo · 28 Dec 2009 at 00:27

You still want nvidia if you're running 3d apps. ATI gl drivers have always been a farce unless you buy the firegl cards.

Gerard · 28 Dec 2009 at 01:26

Meh, well theyre hardly gonna say omg this are t3h sux!!

Auraomega · 28 Dec 2009 at 01:40

Am I the only one surprised that there was no reference as to how well Batman Arkham Asylum plays on these against 5XXX's?

Gerard · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:06

Auraomega said:
Am I the only one surprised that there was no reference as to how well Batman Arkham Asylum plays on these against 5XXX's?

Yeah that one game seem to be nvidia's paticular drum they love to bang on as of late.

Im sure the forthcoming "leaked" benches will be sure to include it though

Gills · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:34

I expect it to the be the fastest too, now come on nVidia, get em out to buy already

Tute · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:42

but is also developing “perfect” drivers in an attempt to provide ultimate experience for the end-user.

Please let this be true.

Then again, ATI are going to be pretty close to ready with the HD5000 series refresh by that point, this is the problem with being about half a generation behind the competition.

Gills · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:48

Tute said:
Please let this be true.

Then again, ATI are going to be pretty close to ready with the HD5000 series refresh by that point, this is the problem with being about half a generation behind the competition.

nVidia are perfectly placed imo. Being behind at the moment is no bad thing. Ok, they dont have the crown of having the fastest card available right now, but their fastest card (gtx295) will play any game and when they do have their dx11 cards out, there will at least be more than 2 games to play on it. I don't see the problem in where they are. This 'half generation' as you put it can be caught up very quickly. Look at ATI when dx10 cards appeared and nVidia had a 6 month head start on them.

Gerard · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:50

Perfect drivers?

In what sense? Perfection on a pc is something thats next to impossible to acheive due to pretty much every single system having its own little quirks.

Tute · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:50

Gills said:
nVidia are perfectly placed imo. Being behind at the moment is no bad thing. Ok, they dont have the crown of having the fastest card available right now, but their fastest card (gtx295) will play any game and when they do have their dx11 cards out, there will at least be more than 2 games to play on it. I don't see the problem in where they are. This 'half generation' as you put it can be caught up very quickly. Look at ATI when dx10 cards appeared and nVidia had a 6 month head start on them.

I hope so.

[Edit] Then again, ATI never really "caught up" until the 4000 series, which you could argue was akin to the 9000 series and completely caught nVidia by surprise. People still bought the GTX260/280 yes, but nVidia had to slash prices hugely just to remain competitive, and that must have hurt, a LOT.

So nVidia would basically have to pull something along those kind of lines with Fermi.

I'd like to see it happen, it would certainly make things interesting in a stagnant market dominated by the HD5000 series. :/

asoxedri · 28 Dec 2009 at 02:51

TaKeN said:
More hot air?

Surely.. by the time these things reach the consumers hands, ATi will have something on par if not better..

i was thinking exactly the same thing.

Gills · 28 Dec 2009 at 03:05

Tute said:
I hope so.

[Edit] Then again, ATI never really "caught up" until the 4000 series, which you could argue was akin to the 9000 series and completely caught nVidia by surprise. People still bought the GTX260/280 yes, but nVidia had to slash prices hugely just to remain competitive, and that must have hurt, a LOT.

So nVidia would basically have to pull something along those kind of lines with Fermi.

I'd like to see it happen, it would certainly make things interesting in a stagnant market dominated by the HD5000 series. :/

It certainly would and will be interesting once the Fermi cards are released. The HD5xxx market (for dx11) is not needed at the moment, what game can a 4870x2 not play ? Rightly so, nVidia are not rushing things but letting their 'followers' know that their cards are pretty fast. Also, there is only so much Dirt2 you can play, I bet 99% of dx11 owners at the top end are not even using their cards properly yet.