Drivers Holding Back GTX TITAN-Z Launch

[btarunr]

It turns out that drivers are holding back launch of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX TITAN-Z flagship graphics card. That's not to say that drivers for the card don't exist. When tested with ones that do, performance numbers yielded by Hong Kong-based tech print magazine E-Zone, reveal that the card trades blows with AMD's R9 295X2 in too many tests to warrant double its price at $2,999; and that it's also slower in some. The only way NVIDIA can sell the GTX TITAN-Z at that price, is by either making it significantly faster, or reducing the price. It looks like NVIDIA is trying the former, and not by tinkering with hardware specifications, but drivers. NVIDIA believes it can yet salvage the $2,999 pricing of the GTX TITAN-Z, by developing drivers that make the card convincingly faster than AMD's $1,499 offering. Retailers and distributors are being told not to sell their GTX TITAN-Z inventory until NVIDIA releases these drivers. The company didn't mention a date to these retailers. Given its track-record with performance-enhancing drivers, one can give NVIDIA the benefit of doubt. It may yet prevent a "GTX TITANIC-Z" from happening.



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[radrok]

This is becoming more and more like a Soap opera

Just get over with it Nvidia, release the damn card at half the price.

There's no way a driver release can make it much faster than what it is now unless they tinker with IQ settings.

 

[TheDeeGee]

I think they should have a done 790 Ti instead.

 

[INSTG8R]

This is becoming more and more like a Soap opera

Just get over with it Nvidia, release the damn card at half the price.

There's no way a driver release can make it much faster than what it is now unless they tinker with IQ settings.

Indeed! It's just SLI not some form of foreign tech...Drivers...

 

[bogami]

Before we buy GPU card with two processor for little more than the normal cost version. Around 10% more cost.!!!! Now he's like a poor man would have to pay to a rich man! Delay and poor construction. very low clockt product can not cope with two titanium black edicion but $ 1,000 more expensive. And outdated outputs, 3 slots ,locked clockeng .....
If it exceeds 100% of AMD R9 290X2 (1slot !) would not put so much of it . I canot !!. Namely the Europa gets R9 AMD 290X 2 for only € 1,200.,(However, this is put up! shood be 700$) and the price is falling!
At such prices will be very little sold.! Stock will not gonna sell! And Maxvell will continue deliberately to be delayed !
Where you get the impression that deliberately working against the customer. Only for their own profit, and who we can do something.! I wish success to AMD just to deliver greedy iNvida a lesson.

 

[Kaynar]

Well, I don't think they can make it 2 times faster... cause its 2 times more ridiculously priced than the dual gpu of amd, which is still much more expensive than any previous gen dual gpu at release.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

Yeah like nvidia we're ever going to blame anything but driver's.
I could write this soap opera better than them and im a gramma assassin.

 

[Selene]

Most people don't understand the only reason the 295X does so well vs SLI Titan Blacks is because of the way the chip thermal regulates the clock speeds.
On water where the card run 1100+ on the boost they beat the 295X 90% of the time, I would not be shocked to see them change the drivers so the temps don't cause such a huge clock speed lose as we do now.

 

[radrok]

Most people don't understand the only reason the 295X does so well vs SLI Titan Blacks is because of the way the chip thermal regulates the clock speeds.
On water where the card run 1100+ on the boost they beat the 295X 90% of the time, I would not be shocked to see them change the drivers so the temps don't cause such a huge clock speed lose as we do now.

It still wouldn't warrant twice the price.

And there is not much headroom left in there, considering this is an air cooled graphics card. If they raise clocks above what they are now they can forget their 375W TDP.

 

[JTristam]

@bogami
Machine translation is not always reliable, right? (locked clockeng? What the hell, man? You made my day )

This $3K card again? It's really a slow day.
Anyway I hope - and I really do hope - Maxwell will make it on time. I'll be pissed if Maxwell is getting sidelined because of this stupid thing.
Sometimes I think NVIDIA will be better off without JHH...

 

[Selene]

It still wouldn't warrant twice the price.

And there is not much headroom left in there, considering this is an air cooled graphics card. If they raise clocks above what they are now they can forget their 375W TDP.

I 100% agree on the price no matter how the card performs.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Greed and Vanity.
The 2 biggest sins of mister Jen-Hsun Huang. I wanted to say stupidity also, but is not a sin, is more of a quality nowadays...

 

[btarunr]

Greed and Vanity.
The 2 biggest sins of mister Jen-Hsun Huang. I wanted to say stupidity also, but is not a sin, is more of a quality nowadays...

I reckon it has more to do with NVIDIA's Gujarati VP of Product Marketing. Gujaratis are like India's Ferengi.

(that was a compliment)

 

[HalfAHertz]

I reckon it has more to do with NVIDIA's Gujarati VP of Product Marketing. Gujaratis are like India's Ferengi.

(that was a compliment)

Heh.. I think Mr. Jen should focus less on hyping/marketing and more on better architectures and AMD should follow. Seems like we're not getting any node switches any time soon.

 

[harry90]

Proof that Nvidia drivers Suck as much as Amd's. 3k price for a card that isnt much faster than 780ti is stupidity.

 

[manofthem]

It may yet prevent a "GTX TITANIC-Z" from happening.

I chuckled a bit at that

 

[ssdpro]

Performance per dollar "Value" isn't the goal here folks. The target market for this card is the buyer with no regard for price or value and has no basic cognitive or common sense capabilities - and likely no remaining dignity. They produce the card in limited quantities at a huge markup just to bring in a little cash for the rebrand manufacturers so they can meet payroll and keep the air conditioning on in the summer while they wait for real new releases.

 

[micropage7]

they should offer lower power with great performance card than super duper expensive and only the god knows when it will get launched

 

[H2323]

It's just a marketing ploy, Nvidia thinks if they keep it delayed people will wait for it instead of buying the AMD unit now.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Proof that Nvidia drivers Suck as much as Amd's. 3k price for a card that isnt much faster than 780ti is stupidity.

How is that the fault of the drivers? They downclocked the shit out of it.

 

[JTristam]

Proof that Nvidia drivers Suck as much as Amd's. 3k price for a card that isnt much faster than 780ti is stupidity.

Tell that to my NVIDIA cards. I've been using NVIDIA since GeForce 256 and I've never had any issue with their drivers.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

Driver optimizations will never gain the performance to justify the $3k price point.

I still think they should call it a Quadro and lose some respectability but not more if they leave it as a Geforce.

 

[damric]

They are probably trying to tweak the turbo boost speeds such that it can somehow beat the 295 handedly while staying within TDP, and keeping fan noise down.

The probable problem is that after a few minutes the thing throttles back and performance tanks.

Will they tune the boost settings to boost just long enough to complete a benchmark?

AMD was wise to go for liquid cooling.

 

[20mmrain]

I love Nvidia Cards.... But let Nvidia fall on their face. They need to!

Cut the price of the card in half and call it a day. There is no way they will be able to improve the driver by that much to warrant the $3k price tag.

 

[chinmi]

If the driver can make this card go 1.5x - 1.8x faster then 295x2 then it's gonna be a good deal. If not... Totally not worth it.