Tuesday, October 26th 2010
Zotac Designs GeForce GTX 460 X2 Graphics Card
Zotac is another NVIDIA partner who isn't pleased that the GeForce GTX 480 isn't holding performance leadership, but has the engineering potential to outdo it. Earlier in June, Galaxy showed off a dual Fermi graphics card that makes use of two GF100 graphics processors in the GeForce GTX 465 configuration. Zotac waited for a more mature implementation of the Fermi architecture, found out that the GF104-based GeForce GTX 460 isn't lacking much in performance compared to the GTX 465, with vastly better thermal specifications, and went on to design its latest high-end card, which it now refers to as the Zotac GeForce GTX 460 X2. The card makes use of two GeForce GTX 460 1 GB GPUs in an internal SLI, much like every other dual-GPU NVIDIA card.
The card uses an NVIDIA nForce 200 bridge chip to semaphore and broadcast data between the two GPUs, a dual 3+1+1 phase VRM that draws power from two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, and display connectivity is relayed to the rear-panel from both the GPUs, that's four dual-link DVI, and one mini-HDMI. What this also means is that with just this one card, you can use the 3D Vision Surround feature, while retaining SLI multi-GPU scaling. If that's not all, there's a SLI connector, which lets you pair this with another card of its kind, for GTX 460 Quad-SLI. Zotac is yet to finalize a cooling solution to suit it best. GF104 could be NVIDIA's easiest route to a dual-GPU graphics card that establishes performance leadership. The GF104 physically has 384 CUDA cores (336 on Zotac's card, since it's in the GTX 460 configuration), and has shown to be capable of high GPU/Shader clock speeds. More details about Zotac's card are awaited.
Source:
Expreview
The card uses an NVIDIA nForce 200 bridge chip to semaphore and broadcast data between the two GPUs, a dual 3+1+1 phase VRM that draws power from two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, and display connectivity is relayed to the rear-panel from both the GPUs, that's four dual-link DVI, and one mini-HDMI. What this also means is that with just this one card, you can use the 3D Vision Surround feature, while retaining SLI multi-GPU scaling. If that's not all, there's a SLI connector, which lets you pair this with another card of its kind, for GTX 460 Quad-SLI. Zotac is yet to finalize a cooling solution to suit it best. GF104 could be NVIDIA's easiest route to a dual-GPU graphics card that establishes performance leadership. The GF104 physically has 384 CUDA cores (336 on Zotac's card, since it's in the GTX 460 configuration), and has shown to be capable of high GPU/Shader clock speeds. More details about Zotac's card are awaited.
61 Comments on Zotac Designs GeForce GTX 460 X2 Graphics Card
I've been waiting for a dual 8-pin card for a day and a half now.....I mean come on we have dual 6-pin cards why not dual 8-pin cards?
To all you green people.....I haz an apple to stick somewhere before you open your mouth, or when you do so....
This is like the 5850 crossfire versus a 5970. It makes sense for a non sli mobo but if you'd pay that much for a card you'd probably have a good mobo anyway.
If it works out quiet and costs on par with 2 gtx 460's it's a nice move. I'd buy one if it weren't for the 69xx's coming.
And those two cards still have tones of head room. where by then the GTX 460's are being pushed beyond their limits.
I will give you that the GTX 460's are great cards. I loved mine while I had them. But the reason they are cheaper then the other cards. Is because they are in no way means shape or form more powerful then a 5870 or a 6870
A single 460 is a different story and has already been shown that it does in fact perform below a 5870 as well as the 6870.
I think this is a neat card. It's going to be somewhat power hungry and hot, but these are the things Nvidia's partners need to do to keep afloat.
EDIT:I agree. Though i really hope they don't ditch their partners.
That's a good point about about the 5850 and definitely the strong advantage AMD/ATI has been having with their recent lineup of cards. I was actually considering ditching my 470 for a 5850 a while back based on those reasons, less power, less heat, similar performance. But i figured hey, i have a good enough PSU and a good amount of airflow, so there wasn't much of a point.
I also try not to defend what i buy in threads, because as i have stated before in those threads, they are all just companies that want my money so i find it counterproductive and and just flat out stupid to defend anyone of them.
Also, inb4 nvidiaintelftw.
His point stands. Most people simply don't know what they are.
It has never, EVER, come up in a single tech conversation i have had, IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, prior to this thread. We just don't use the word that often at all. It is completely uncommon for us, even in the tech field.
Anyway, some people learned a new word today. People learn uncommon words by reading books/newspapers/magazines/blogs.