If they get the 580 to be faster than the 480 but run the same temp with lower consumption (or same) and can sell it at same or lower price, it will be a hit - I'd buy one if the opposing sides chip is worse in those regards.
I dont think Nvidia will make the same mistakes again. I figure the GTX 580 rumours could be summed up as:
GTX 580 will be more efficient than GTX 480, be slightly faster (20% optimum in selected benches) and have a reasonably effective cooling solution.
Got a bad feeling the HD 6970 might well be just as fast (or faster) but unless the core architecture is very different from 6870 it may be louder and hotter.
Hell, I'll buy the 6970 (if it's good enough) and if the 580 is substantially better - I'd then move up to that. But again, thats NV's major malfunction, people will buy 6970 in a month or so with no 580 for competition. And these folk wont shift from 6970 unless it's far inferior to the 580.
Roll on 28nm.
The GeForce GTX 580 is expected to release in November 2010,
Source of a source :
http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-geforce-gtx-580-specifications-leaked/10184.html
oh, right, just read this part
"rumours suggest very limited to no availability on release, much like the GeForce GTX 470/480 release. "