7600 is 12 pipe, 7200 is 8 pipes

[Fotis]

It depends. Look at the X800XT PE, it has 16 pipelines and runs at 520mhz core and us just a tad faster than a 6800 Ultra. It all depends on how efficient per clock the 7600 is. Im thinking its gonna fall in line with the 6800GT, but be beat out by the Ultra. That is if these specs are correct.
You are comparing different architectures.I doupt the G70 arch is less efficient than the nv40.

[zakelwe]

Smaller process == smaller die == more from one wafer == cheaper/die

Also using newer 90nm on smaller and less demanding mainstream and value chips upps yelds and gives good opportunity to iron biggest problems out of manufacturing process and making it ready for more complex and demanding chips. ATI did this quite long (9800 was 130nm, 9600 on 110nm), also nvidia with 6x00 series.


Ati and nvidia both went to smaller process for midrange cards because it is the cheap process as well as it being smaller. If 90nm is a lot more expensive with less yeld than 110nm then your smaller process==smaller die==more from one wafer == cheaper/die will not follow.

In regards to efficiency I have not seen anything yet on G70's architecture to mean it will not be more than just 24/16 x 6800. Hopefully it will have more powerfull shaders and more efficient memroy management.

We shall soon see ! :)

Regards

Andy

[Bluekkis]

Ati and nvidia both went to smaller process for midrange cards because it is the cheap process as well as it being smaller. If 90nm is a lot more expensive with less yeld than 110nm then your smaller process==smaller die==more from one wafer == cheaper/die will not follow.

Note that yeld are proportional to amount of transistors and complexity of the chip. if 90nm has poor yelds with 300m transistor monsters, simpler 150m+ chips have a lot better yelds. That's why mainstream/budget chips are brought earlier to smaller processing.

[zakelwe]

That's why mainstream/budget chips are brought earlier to smaller processing.

So Ati's first 90nm chip will not be r520 then but some mid range chip?

Regards

Andy

[Dazz]

Nope that does not appear to be the case this time round sadly.

[Bluekkis]

So Ati's first 90nm chip will not be r520 then but some mid range chip?

Regards

Andy

R520 is way too big chip to be done on anything bigger than 90nm, that's why ATI is making early leap onto 90nm and had.. or still has a lot of problems with yelds. Remember nvidias FX? quite similiar early jump to small processing was rewarded with very low yelds and end card availablity.

[coldpower27]

To me I hope the 7600 and 7200 are both on the 90nm process.

Even on the 110nm process 12 pipe GPU are still a bit expensive for the mainstream market.

Though it would be quite something, when we finally get 8 pipe GPU for the budget market, we have been on 4 Pipe budget cards for quite sometime. In Nvidia's case hybrid things with the 5200 and the 6200.