Inflexible GT300 and RV800, Meet Free Larrabee
Hey guys! Icarus here with more on the latest hardware tech!
So I’m going to start out w/ a simple question: have you ever had a girlfriend/boyfriend who was an absolute control-freak?
Well, a typical control-freak would:
1. Watch your every move
2. Tell you what to do
3. Scream/Get mad/Become violent/etc. to you if he/she doesn’t get his or her way
So, how does this relate to the new GPUs I’ve been talking about?
Well, I’ve just recently read up on what’s going on with how the vendors are taking GT300, RV800, and Larrabee.
Many graphics card vendors in Asia are extremely fed up with NVidia and AMD. Now the vendors are eagerly waiting for the Intel Larrabee for its flexibility.
Wanna know why? Well, it’s because NVidia and AMD designed GT300 and RV800 in a way that completely control the vendors.
Here’s how NVIdia and AMD did this:
1. The original layout of the GT300 and RV800 is extremely inflexible
2. NVidia and AMD gets a percentage of any reworks and re-layout-ing the vendors did on the cards.
So let’s get crackin’!
1. The Layout
Well, any layout of any hardware is extremely important, especially ones that can be revamped and sold by many vendors.
Each graphics card vendor does their own little tweaks on the original design, and optimize it according to their standards including quality, efficiency, and price.
So, a flexible layout is obviously good for vendors because it allows vendors to tweak the layout easier than normal, and it also takes less time to do so. This generally leads to a quicker release of a new piece of hardware.
Well, NVidia and AMD apparently have inflexible circuit layouts for their GT300 and RV800 GPUs, and the vendors are becoming frustrated.
An inflexible layout will cost a vendor at least a few weeks to tweak, and cost them a lot of the profit they could receive if the layout had been more flexible.
Consumers get frustrated with the delayed release, and vendors lose profit and loyal consumers.
2. NVidia and AMD’s Profit from Layout Changes
Well, this one is understandable… if the layout wasn’t flexible.
An inflexible layout will also force vendors to make changes in the layout that wouldn’t have to be made in a flexible layout. This means NVidia and AMD get more profit, but it also means the vendors will be delayed a few weeks, lose some loyal consumers, and lose profit.
So in a way, it seems like AMD and NVidia structured their layout and their overall plan in a way that will give them the most profit.
Now, where does the Larrabee come in?
Well, according to many sources, Intel seems to have hit a jackpot with the layout of the Larrabee. Vendors eagerly await its release because the layout is much more flexible than that of GT300 or RV800.
Larrabee provides much more freedom to the graphics cards vendors.
So, GT300 and RV800, meet Larrabee, your new and powerful competition.
Well that’s all I’ve got for today! Stay tuned for more on the latest computer hardware technology!!
And don’t forget to comment!!! I love criticism, further analysis, and suggestions on what new hardware you want me to review!!!
And stay tuned, because videos are coming up!
Cheers!
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A New Trend: Intel Larrabee, NVidia GT300, and AMD RV800
Hey guys, Icarus here!
I’ve been talking about the newest and upcoming GPUs these past few days, and it turned out to be a pretty good series, if I don’t say so myself.
Now, I’ve been constantly reading and searching for new information, and I’ve come upon a realization, a kind of trend.
Have you guys noticed that AMD has been, for a long time, the ONLY major manufacturer, researcher, and innovator that took on both GPUs and CPUs?
Now we have Intel pushing into the GPU industry with the Larrabee and NVidia still dabbing and playing around with its own CPUs.
So you know all this already because you read my articles. What’s the deal with the “trend” I’ve noticed?
Well, firstly, let’s go over some facts:
1. Intel, NVidia, and AMD now all take on(or attempting to take on) both the CPU and GPU industry
2. CPUs and GPUs have become so powerful that they can probably last without one or the other.
So the trend? We could have a CPU and GPU combined into a single chip.
That’s right, there’s a possibility we will have neither; both may be able to be combined into one single chip.
This may be still some time away, but at this rate, it could come out as early as mid-late 2010.
So, how an this affect us? Well, here’s what I think:
1. Having a unified, structured chip with both a CPU and GPU will dramatically change the layout of a motherboard
2. Having a chip with both CPU and GPU may make it a bit more difficult for companies to target certain consumers
3. A new age for computer hardware.
Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for tonight, I’ll keep thinking and churning out my opinion!!
Please, PLEASE comment!! I love criticism, further analysis, and suggestions on what hardware you want reviewed.
Stay tuned for more articles and, for the first time in Icarus history, Youtube videos!!!
Cheers!
~| Icarus
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My Comments and Concerns about GT300 and RV8xx GPUs
Hey guys, Icarus here again. Sorry for the late post!
Today, I’m going to give somewhat of a midpoint in my discussion of the GT300 and the RV810, RV840, and R870 GPUs by giving you some of my own comments and concerns about these GPUs.
So, to start out, here are some things I want to discuss:
1. Viability of DX11 and these GPUs
2. Time it will take to transition completely into DX11
3. How will these GPUs affect us in the future?
So, let’s begin!
1. Viability of DX11 and these GPUs
So, first up is viability. I don’t know about you, but when we were making the transition from DX9 to DX10, we took a little bit longer than we planned to. There were some technical difficulties, and price gouging was always a problem.
So far, AMD hasn’t had any technical difficulties(that they’ve announced at least) and NVidia has had a 20% yield set back on their new GT300 GPUs. But I’m guessing this is from their recent concentration on the mobile GPU industry.
My worry about jumping so quickly into DX11 is that AMD and/or NVidia may be so neck-to-neck in competition that they start creating pieces of technology that aren’t compatible with each other(like AMD GPUs on NVidia motherboards). This will, in turn, make integrating both worlds in our PCs more difficult, and maybe even more expensive.
My other concern is that, although it almost never happens, that both companies may try to advance in tech so quickly that they might look over some major quality issues. Quality is always an issue with mass production, and we don’t want anymore problems.
2. Time it will Take to Transition into DX11
I’ve heard that AMD has already asked some game companies to start creating games that will go with DX11.
But doesn’t this sound a little bit suspicious? If there’s something majorly different between AMD and NVidia GPUs, it means that you won’t be able to play some games!
But back to the topic. I really don’t think it will take long, give or take half a year. We’re advancing in technology so quickly that things that come out are already out-of-date.
However, we won’t truly know how long it will take until some more specs on the GPUs and the benchmarks on the combination between DX11 and the new GPUs come out. Then we will be able to give some more accurate feedback to you.
3. The Effect of these GPUs in the Future
Every single new GPU, the GT300 and the RV800 series, are extremely promising. Combined with DX11, there is unlimited potential there.
Also keep in mind that the GPUs may be the future “processor” of the whole computer. GPUs are becoming so powerful that theyalmost match, or they already, match the power of the CPU. Who knows, maybe CPUs will disappear and GPUs will take its throne.
GPUs can also make games and videos more realistic. From now on, I believe that it will be a competition more in quality than quantity. If a GPU is powerful enough, you don’t need two or three. That’s just a waste.
Well, that’s all I got for tonight! Hope you guys enjoyed my post!
And remember to comment!!! I love feedback, especially analysis, criticism, and suggestions on what hardware I should review!!!
Cheers!
~| Icarus
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NVidia’s GT300 and DX11
Hey guys, Icarus here again!
Since yesterday I talked about AMD’s side of DX11, I’m going to talk about NVidia and its plans for DX11.
So here are some questions you might have:
1. Who’s currently “ahead”? NVidia or AMD?
2. Who will come out with a DX11 compatible GPU first?
3. What the heck is the GT300?
Ok, and I’m going to answer one at a time.
Who’s Currently Ahead?
Well, in my opinion, NVidia is currently ahead, but not by much.
I put NVidia ahead only because of the fact that NVidia’s latest GPU’s are just ridiculous. Their benchmarks are ridiculous(along with their price tags of course), and they completely astonish us with how much they can do.
On the other hand, when an ATI 4890(the lastest ATI GPU) and NVidia’s 275 GTX was pitted against each other, they were fairly similar. This means that the 295 GTX will overpower the 4890 by quite a lot.
Who will Come Out with a DX11 Compatible GPU First?
This question is one of those things that no one can absolutely predict.
However, I am giving this honor to AMD. Recently, NVidia announced that its new GT300 series, the first DX11 compatible NVidia GPUs, is giving around 20% yield.
Yes, you saw that number correctly. That’s even less than my worst yield in a science lab!
But the point is, NVidia is no where near releasing their new products. On the other hand, AMD seems to be going pretty well according to schedule, and they are already in the process of having video game companies program new games to suit their new GPUs.
So, I predict that AMD will release the first DX11 compatible GPU first.
What the Heck is the GT300?
The GT300 is NVidia’s first DX11-compatible graphics cards.
We don’t have much information as of yet, but so far, it’s not looking so good for NVidia. They’re having some technical issues pertaining to layout and leaks, so they’re probably going to have to delay releasing it.
From what I’ve seen and read, I’m hoping that NVidia releases the GT300 sometime early 2010. But they’re going to AT LEAST delay until then.
Well that’s it for today! Hope you guys enjoyed this post!
Don’t forget, COMMENT please!! I’m always open to criticism, suggestions, and especially what hardware you want reviewed!!
Youtube videos and much more are coming soon!
Cheers!
~| Icarus
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