NVIDIA shows signs ... [2008 - 2017]

[trinibwoy]

Why don't read nobody the feature tab?
And i don't think, that they will use 2000MHz GDDR3 memory, when the GTX280 has only 950Mhz. And the new GT335 will use 4 full cluster and 1 cluster with only one vec8 unit? http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gt_335m_us.html

Yeah the mem speeds and cluster configurations are dead giveaways that these are GT2xx GDDR5 parts. Too bad really, the blood was already in the water

 

[Florin]

Aside from being based on what looks to be an incorrect assumption, that is one awfully written article. There are surely appropriate subjects for tiresome sermons about 'ethics and morals' out there but some company's arbitrary product numbers are hardly one of them.

 

[jimmyjames123]

Sorry, forgot to add Charlie's article: http://www.semiaccurate.com/2010/01/03/nvidia-mobile-3-series-lose-dx101

How much more "inaccurate" can an article really get, when the actual URL of the article says "nvidia-mobile-3-series-lose-dx101" , even though NVIDIA's web page clearly states DX 10.1 on the features page? So much for Chuck's (and neliz's) "investigative journalism" skills.

Anyway, the most important real-world metrics for mobile chips include performance per watt, heat, noise, reliability, etc. One can make the argument that the DirectX # for these chips is largely for marketing purposes.

 

[neliz]

Ugh, who actually checks the features tab? So a GT215 then.

 

[Sontin]

/face
/palm
/facepalm

Do you think they use SDR for the GTX280m?

 

[CarstenS]

So, which one is the typo? 10.1 on the feature tab or 10 (without .1) on the specifiactions tab?

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Aside from being based on what looks to be an incorrect assumption, that is one awfully written article. There are surely appropriate subjects for tiresome sermons about 'ethics and morals' out there but some company's arbitrary product numbers are hardly one of them.

True, Nvidia could instead just arbitrarily rename G92 or G215 to G3xx in addition to GTS360M making it a Fermi in both name and silicon. Or at least that's what they'd like you to blieve.

Definitey an easier way to make a Fermi generation chip than actually making a Fermi generation chip.

Regards,
SB

 

[Malo]

So, which one is the typo? 10.1 on the feature tab or 10 (without .1) on the specifiactions tab?

Indeed, since the 310 shows 10.1 on the specifications tab.

 

[trinibwoy]

True, Nvidia could instead just arbitrarily rename G92 or G215 to G3xx in addition to GTS360M making it a Fermi in both name and silicon. Or at least that's what they'd like you to blieve.

Definitey an easier way to make a Fermi generation chip than actually making a Fermi generation chip.

Sure why not? The market will decide whether it sells or not right? According to Charlie Nvidia is slashing prices in order to get people to buy these chips so it seems like the market is working exactly as it should.

 

[Davros]

offering full compatibility with past and current game titles

Lying barstewards

 

[aaronspink]

Not sure why I should complain about Nvidia's incompetence, they don't work for me Whether the part is named 360, 260 or 160 it is still the same part. Again, you're painting a picture of a customer who sees 3xx and assumes DX11 but isn't smart enough the read the spec sheet? Who are these people? I can appreciate that it's fun to highlight Nvidia's utter failure to execute on many fronts as of late but I don't get the need to pretend to care about the poor uninformed customer (who isn't getting hurt by any of this as far as I can tell).

My complaint is that when I'm shopping for a laptop, due to the inane naming schemes of BOTH ATI and Nvidia, its takes 10x longer just because I have to effectively google every damn spec. So I would say that the customer IS getting hurt by this.

The reality is that BOTH ATI and Nvidia should maintain naming between desktop and mobile. If you are using the same chips they should be called the same thing, if nothing else as a benefit to the consumer (and even the informed consumer) and also as a benefit to Nvidia/ATI themselves. People have done this in other industries that were more healthy and wound up bitten by it. The whole point of a branding system is so that the consumer can look at a products name and know what they are getting. Right now in the mobile sector that isn't possible.


The only reason ATI/Nvidia can get away with it is that the GPU industry is basically pretty unhealthy. Which is why I really don't mind that 90% of the GPU product segments will be gone within the next 5 years.

 

[Florin]

Lying barstewards

Because?

 

[Florin]

True, Nvidia could instead just arbitrarily rename G92 or G215 to G3xx in addition to GTS360M making it a Fermi in both name and silicon. Or at least that's what they'd like you to blieve.

Yeah, they sure can. That particular number means whatever Nvidia wants it to mean.

So 3 doesn't mean Fermi. Is that 'Wow.. just wow'-worthy? 'Morals', 'ethics', 'hurting consumers', the exasperation of the Internet tea leaf readers that divine what they think it should have meant just seems surreal to me.

 

[trinibwoy]

My complaint is that when I'm shopping for a laptop, due to the inane naming schemes of BOTH ATI and Nvidia, its takes 10x longer just because I have to effectively google every damn spec. So I would say that the customer IS getting hurt by this.

That's not fair at all. You have to research any complex piece of electronics, you can't just go by model numbers or clock speeds. When you were shopping for your laptop did you not research the CPU as well or have you memorized all the combinations of clock speed, process node, cache size, FSB speed, TDP etc of Intel CPUs? I know I had to hit wikipedia to figure it out as Dell's website sure didn't break it down for me and "P8400" doesn't tell me anything.

I take it you've shopped for a receiver before? Because the analogy there would be assuming that the lower model numbers have all the features of the flagship except for lower power. That would be a pretty stupid assumption, no?

You have to do research in any market where things aren't completely commoditized. Do I care if Dell or Intel produce the wireless NIC in my laptop? No, because it won't matter either way. But I do care about the CPU and GPU because of the much greater variety of products available.

 

[aaronspink]

That's not fair at all. You have to research any complex piece of electronics, you can't just go by model numbers or clock speeds. When you were shopping for your laptop did you not research the CPU as well or have you memorized all the combinations of clock speed, process node, cache size, FSB speed, TDP etc of Intel CPUs? I know I had to hit wikipedia to figure it out as Dell's website sure didn't break it down for me and "P8400" doesn't tell me anything.

There is a difference between researching features/specifications and having to have secret decoder rings to determine if sub-widget A is really the same as sub-widget B.

 

[trinibwoy]

I don't see the difficulty in looking up the specs of the GTS 335 or whatever it's called. Certainly no more difficult than looking up the P8400 I mentioned earlier. You're coming into it with a whole lot of assumptions about what model numbers are supposed to mean but that's not how people shop. I've never bought a product based on its model number as in the vast majority of cases it's not useful. Want an example of completely useless model numbers? Try researching Asus laptops

 

[3dcgi]

You have to research any complex piece of electronics, you can't just go by model numbers or clock speeds.

That's a problem with this industry. Most non-techie consumers I know don't spend much time looking at specs and the industry would be better off if they made it easier for these customers. Of course for these users you could say the processors are commoditized and hence don't need to be researched by your definition.

 

[BRiT]

Most non-techie consumers I know don't spend much time looking at specs and the industry would be better off if they made it easier for these customers.

They have. It's called Apple.

 

[Squilliam]

My complaint is that when I'm shopping for a laptop, due to the inane naming schemes of BOTH ATI and Nvidia, its takes 10x longer just because I have to effectively google every damn spec. So I would say that the customer IS getting hurt by this.

I would agree with this! I recently spent a while shopping and I could not make heads nor tails of the naming schemes for the laptop GPUs! But the problem I see is that Nvidia and AMD would have to both agree to a certain naming scheme for it to work. The only way that would happen is if Microsoft tells them to do it, and they hardly tell any of the IHVs to do anything. It would be a good thing for the PC industry in general if Microsoft took a little more stewardship of the whole thing.

 

[MDolenc]

Well... Arrange following Nikon DSLR cameras from best to worst without using internet (here's to hope you're not into photography ): D90, D5000, D3000, D700, D300, D60, D3.
And now that you have warmed up do the same for Canon: EOS 50D, EOS 500D, EOS 450D, EOS 5D, EOS 1000D.
Would you dare to match Canon cameras to Nikon cameras in same class?

I agree that GPU naming schemes are not perfect. However I also think that average Joe and advanced users won't have a problem with the way things are currently.
People in between these two groups will however have a problem... Because they follow all the rumors on the internet about the "shiny new upcoming GT300" which they immediately connect to GeForce GTS 3x0. And because someone really smart figured out a long time ago that GT300 should obviously come after GT200 everyone now "knows" that GT300=GF100 and only a few know what that T and F are.

And since we are all so sure that Fermi based boards will be named GeForce GTX 380, would it be so out of character if NV named it GTX 480?