Nvidia to counter ATI in mid-range segment with GeForce 7900 GS
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Monica Chen, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DigiTimes.com [Monday 28 August 2006]
Sub-US$200 Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS-based graphics cards are expected to appear in the channel market from August 30, targeted to compete with the ATI Radeon X1650XT series, according to sources at Taiwan-based graphics card makers. The sources also noted that leading international PC vendors, such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard (HP), currently use GeForce 7900 GS-based cards in their high-end desktop PCs.
The Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS GPU (based on the G71 core) features 20 pixel shader units and 450MHz core frequency, also supporting 660MHz memory frequency. Providing optional HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support, the GeForce 7900 GS graphics cards can be equipped with dual DVI and HDTV outputs.
Downgrading the high-end lineup, in terms of prices and specifications, seems becoming Nvidia's strategy to counter the rival's mid-range products, according to the sources. In the past, Nvidia pushed lowering prices of GeForce 6800 GS-based cards (the NV42 core), with slight changes in features, challenging the ATI Radeon X1600XT (the RV530 core).
ATI Radeon X1650XT-based graphics cards, with the GPU based on the RV560 core and manufactured under 80nm technology at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), are expected to be available in October, being priced below US$200, the sources said. Apart from the GeForce 7900 GS, another threat for the Radeon X1650XT will maybe the GeForce 7600 GT, with prices for graphics cards cut to US$130, according to the sources.