NV50 canned too ?!?

[msxyz]

So says The Inquirer... http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20034

Two possible scenarios:

1) The Inquirer is wrong, their insider sources told something not accurate.

2) After seeing the first working prototypes of R500 chips (they're beginning to be distributed to selected xbox developers as we speak) NVidia decided it would have been better to go back to design board. Obviously NVidia don't see the incoming R520 as a serious menace but they need something very powerful to offer against the future R600 (being a R500 offspring).

[Morrow]

Although this is probably true, it doesn't mean that nvidia will not have a next-generation GPU ready for the end of 2005 or beginning 2006.

It's quite possible that they stopped working on the nv50 and now are concentrating themselves on a nv52 perhaps, much like ATI did it with the R400 and R420.

Yes, the R520 is not really a problem for nvidia, since it will be for the most part a speed-bumped R420 with SM3.0 and FP32 support, which nvidia already offers on the complete nv4x architecture...

[msxyz]

The NV60 was supposed to be the first NVidia chip with SM 4.0. Maybe they're anticipating the introduction with the successor of the NV4x series, hence the decision to halt the development on the current NV50

[superklye]

Well, 5 hasn't been a good number for them. GeFORCE 5/FX sucked...maybe they thought it was cursed? :)

I'm only being half-serious, but I guess it could be partially responsible for scrapping it if true.

[windy_noise]

Just to be clear, there is NO WAY nVidia is cancelling the whole NVx architecture. No way in hell. If there is any truth to the article, it means that just the NV50 in particular won't be released, but something with slightly different features (NV51, 52, 50.1, who knows...) will be released in its place.

[JoKeRr]

personally I don't think NV50 is cancelled. Since NV40 architecture is so efficient and powerful, NV believes they can simply push NV40 achitecture with NV47 (2 or ? more quad and 2 or ? more vertex engine, with more performance optimization, feature enhancements, speed bump) in order to rival R520. Just like a transition from R360 to R420 with a transistor size shrink.

At the same time, NV is able save a lot of engineering resources and focus on Chipsets (Intel & AMD) for a bigger market and refine Forceware Driver to extract more performance. NV50 might be delayed to rival the generation after R520, possibly b/c NV is well ahead of themselves right now with the design of NV50.

Launch a lot of products (like what ATI is doing right now) is a costy process, each tape out and die revision will cost a lot of money to the company. I think what NV strategy is very effective right now, it simply doesn't worth the cost to introduce a new product.

[Daneel Olivaw]

It's happening! If I were ATI I'd crap in my pants right now.

NVidia is learning and learning good! SLI+NV4X will give them an easy lead while they build a friggin' monster!

[Megadrive]

some speculation:


hmmm. Maybe Nvidia has seen ATI R520 and/or the more advanced R500 (for Xbox 2?) and knows that ATI's next, next gen graphics part, the R600, will be killer. the NV50 would have to be facing the R600 in the early 2006 timeframe. so maybe Nvidia is changing their roadmap. maybe Nvidia is accelerating NV60 design. or will simply make what would be NV55, the NV50, or whatever. remember both Nvidia and ATI have at least 3 GPU design teams each and are always working on several generations of chips at the same time.

Nvidia has, so far, been shut out of the nextgen game consoles. ATI has 2 of the 3 locked up (MS, Nintendo) and Sony has, so far, done their own graphics in-house. Nvidia needs some breakout technology or breakout deal (maybe Sony?) to follow-up the sucessful NV4x / GeForce 6x series.

It'll be fun to see what Nvidia does, they're a survivor. remember the disasters that were NV1 (Diamond Edge 3D card) and NV2 (for Sega) in 1995-1996? They bounced back with Riva128 (NV3) and TNT (NV4) then TNT2 (NV5) and GeForce (NV10) very nicely. And more recently, Nvidia bounced back very well from the NV3x / GeForceFX semi-disaster

[tyx]

Yeah!!
Long live Nvidia.

I'm thinking they canned the NV5 dun to SLI, no one is going to buy a new card if their duo 6800GTs outperform everything else, when SLI becomes very common (and it will), nVidia are going to need to get next gen cards performing at least twice that of previous gen cards, pretty much like the geforce FX to 6. The same thing will also most likely happen to Ati once they get their muti-watever out.

[bkswaney]

Even with SLI nvidia and ati will still be in the race
for the most powerful single card.

Most people cannot afford 2 cards.
Most cannot even spend 600 bucks
on one. I can't. With twin 4YO boys
I just do not have the funds I once did
for computer hardware.
I do my best to make the extra money
to keep a nice rig but spending that
kind of money for 2 cards MOBO,CPU, MEMORY
and everything else would run into BIG bucks.

I wish I could go out now and buy
a 64,mobo, memory with 2GT's
on a new SLI PCI-E mobo.
I try and limit myself to 1000.00 or less
every 12 months in upgrades.

My next upgrade is a new Koolance PC2-650
case and a 3.4Ghz P4e.
The 3.4e will do 4Ghz+ on water. ;)

[Titan's Revenge]

Most people cannot afford 2 cards.
Most cannot even spend 600 bucks
See, I look at it differently. With one card, you're forced to fork over the $400-600 dollars up front. Where as with SLI, I can buy, say, a 6600GT that'll hold me over for now, and down the road buy the second when the funds become available. I think SLI is much more flexible due to this.

[vasileiou]

See, I look at it differently. With one card, you're forced to fork over the $400-600 dollars up front. Where as with SLI, I can buy, say, a 6600GT that'll hold me over for now, and down the road buy the second when the funds become available. I think SLI is much more flexible due to this.

You will need a new SLI Mobo and probably a new CPU and maybe a DDR2 also with that and not only 2 Graphic cards (or 1 at the beginning)...

The Price is very High even for the Enthusiasists...



Not all ppl have a RICH DAD you know or work as Bank Managers... (mikec)


Note
Owww and by the way the SLI will benefit only certain games that takes advantage of that
It does not guaranteed better speed in all games.
The games must support it to see better speed or else the performance is equal with a Single card

Does a SLI upgrade (new mobo, 2 Graphic cards, new CPU and RAM probably) really worth it's BIG MONEY??

Maybe for you if you have plenty of money to spend for buying a new SLI system but not all ppl are so lucky...

Where as with SLI, I can buy, say, a 6600GT that'll hold me over for now, and down the road buy the second when the funds become available

Until then new Cards will have been released that will support new Graphic Features (like for example DirectX 10 support or who knows what other new tech will have been discovered...)
That a SLI 6600GT will not support

Every 6 months a new GPU\VPU is released by Nvidia and ATI and they are not always a "Refresh" from the previous GPU\VPU...
A 6600 SLI will be a system with 2 old card sollutions until then...