Wednesday, March 25th 2009
Single-PCB GeForce GTX 295 in the Works
Traditionally, NVIDIA designs dual-GPU accelerators with two PCBs holding a GPU system each. With the GeForce GTX 295 and its competitive pricing, NVIDIA found itself in a difficult position, as it faces direct competition from ATI with its now competitively priced Radeon HD 4870 X2. On the one hand, escalating manufacturing costs due to extreme competition with the sub-$300 graphics card market, is making it difficult for NVIDIA to keep up with GTX 295 stocks, on the other its repercussions that include bad press and losses due to not being able to keep up with demand, have pushed NVIDIA to rethink a way to make the GeForce GTX 295.
Enter innovation. The company is reportedly redesigning the GeForce GTX 295, this time on a single PCB design, which ATI has been using for its dual-GPU accelerators. Both GPU systems of the GTX 295 will be placed on a single PCB. This is expected to significantly bring down manufacturing costs, allowing the company to keep up with demands and competitive pricing. Expreview sourced the drawings of one of the prototypes, which shows a long single PCB card, with a central fan. You will also observe that there is a back-plate in place. It shows that a number of memory chips will be populated on the back, and both GPU systems on the front. It will be an engineering challenge, to populate five major heat-producing components (two G200b GPUs, two NVIO2 processors, and one BR-03 bridge chip), 28 GDDR3 memory chips, and the VRM area to power it all. The new redesigned card may surface internally in April, and may enter production by May.
Source:
Expreview
Enter innovation. The company is reportedly redesigning the GeForce GTX 295, this time on a single PCB design, which ATI has been using for its dual-GPU accelerators. Both GPU systems of the GTX 295 will be placed on a single PCB. This is expected to significantly bring down manufacturing costs, allowing the company to keep up with demands and competitive pricing. Expreview sourced the drawings of one of the prototypes, which shows a long single PCB card, with a central fan. You will also observe that there is a back-plate in place. It shows that a number of memory chips will be populated on the back, and both GPU systems on the front. It will be an engineering challenge, to populate five major heat-producing components (two G200b GPUs, two NVIO2 processors, and one BR-03 bridge chip), 28 GDDR3 memory chips, and the VRM area to power it all. The new redesigned card may surface internally in April, and may enter production by May.
74 Comments on Single-PCB GeForce GTX 295 in the Works
I like the idea of this a lot, but I hope the final design has all the heat going out the back, or the card is going to be fighting the intakes on our chassis'
On the plus side, it will be a lot easier for companies to design aftermarket coolers with it all on one pcb.
it may be better for costs but what Tatty said is true, t'ain't broke, sure it costs a bit more but the thermals are fantastic, easily a better design then the 4870X2 cooler IMO. Both GPU's are always 2 degrees apart, i struggled to get that in dual card configurations.
The 4890 was shown to be between the GTX280 and the GTX285, at a lower price than the GTX280.
I'd rather have both GPU's cooled independantly than have the hot air from one blowing over the other.The expense is probably the only advantage going to a single PCB brings, and it isn't as huge as you would think. Moving from two semi-complex PCBs to a single extremely-complex PBC isn't going to save a whole lot in costs. Yes, the savings will be there, but I doubt it will even come close to cutting costs in half.Yes, and your argument is the overclocked 1GHz HD4890 sits between the STOCK GTX280 and GTX285 so nVidia needs to come up with something to counter it?:nutkick::shadedshu Thats some iffy logic you got going there.
We already know what nVidia is going to do with the HD4890. If it's stock performance is close enough to the GTX285, they are going to lower the GTX285's price. If the HD4890 falls more inbetween the GTX260 216 and GTX285, they are going to release the GTX275.
Note also I could not spot the power connectors for the card on the picture...Oohps! They are there! LOL