NVIDIA's G200b, its current flagship GPU will be suceeded later this year with the GT212, and as Hardware Infos discovers, NVIDIA seems to have given some interesting specifications to the GT212. To begin with, the GPU holds more than 1.8 billion transistors. It is built on TSMC's 40nm manufacturing node. The shader domain gets a boost with 384 shader units (a 60% increase over G200(b)). The GPU holds 96 texture memory units and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus with a clock speed of 1250 MHz (5000 MT/s).

The transition to GDDR5 seemed inevitable, with there being a genuine incentive of cutting down the number of memory chips (due to the efficient memory bus), with NVIDIA having completely avoided GDDR4. With the die-size being expected to be around 300 sq. mm, these GPUs will be cheaper to manufacture. The GT212 is slated for Q2 2009.

NVIDIA looks to have a complete lineup for mobile discrete graphics processors apart from their integrated graphics based chipsets that are gaining in popularity. VR-Zone compiled a list of GPUs slated for 2009. For some part, current-generation GPU architectures based on current manufacturing processes are noted, while the second half of 2009 will witness the introduction of GPUs based on the 40nm manufacturing processes, derived from the GT21x series GPUs.

Currently, NVIDIA mobile GPUs include derivatives from the 65nm G92, G94, G96 and G98 GPUs that make the lineup, top to bottom. In the first half of 2009, the same GPUs will be built on the newer 55nm manufacturing node and used in newer SKUs under N10E series for the enthusiast, N10P series for performance and N10M series for the mainstream segments. The GPU codenames will be simply suffixed with a "b" next to their company codenames and a "1" next to their product names (for example: GeForce 9800M GTX1). Desktop graphics cards are already being built on 55nm variants of the G9xb GPUs. In the second half of 2009, NVIDIA will use the GT212, GT215, GT216 and GT218 to build their mobile discrete graphics lineup. The GT212 is a high-end GPU, derivatives of which, will be used in the newer mobile GeForce GTX series in the enthusiast segment along with GT215 GPU, which will make it to the high-end GeForce GT, GeForce GS and GeForce GE series. The mid-range of the same series will be based on products derived from the GT216 series, in the performance segment. Finally, the GT218 GPU will go into making the value-mainstream products, the lower-end of the same GeForce GT, GS and GE series.

TechPowerUp announces the availability of GPU-Z version 0.3.1 for download. GPU-Z is our graphics sub-system information and monitoring utility that provides information on installed graphics hardware, their various specifications, provides real-time updates on their parameters such as clock-speeds, temperatures, fan-speeds, etc., all in a neat, tabbed user-interface, backed by our overclock validation system and an extensive video card BIOS database. Version 0.3.1 brings in a few important updates to the table, notably:

• Crash fix on systems without NVAPI (Win 2K, old NV drivers)
• Optimized AMD RV770 BIOS reading code (faster application startup)
• Added preliminary support for NVIDIA GT212, GT214, GT215, GT216, GT218
• Added support for NVIDIA Quadro FX 4700 X2, GTX 295, GTX 285
• Support for fan speed monitoring on ForceWare 180.xx and up
• Voltage monitoring for NVIDIA GT200

...and more. For a complete changelog and download, please visit this page.

The year 2008 has been eventful for the PC graphics industry. This is the year which, for the most of the part, saw some serious competition between NVIDIA and ATI. While pure horsepower and value are what determined product superiority, implementing new technologies is what looks to drive GPU makers in 2009. One of the first of these technologies is the introduction of the 40nm manufacturing process, which facilitates GPU makers to step-up transistor counts or even cut manufacturing costs. VR-Zone, based on a few documents it has access to, compiled a list of GPUs that NVIDIA could pull out of its hat in 2009.

To begin with, NVIDIA is expected to have a full-fledged lineup of GPUs top-to-bottom built on the 40nm fab process within 2009. Before it makes the move to the new fab process, the G200b, built on the 55nm fab process will be given a chance to hold the performance and enthusiast segment offerings by the company, in Q1. Come Q2, and the G200b will be succeeded by GT212. All that while, current G94, G96, G98 will hold the mainstream thru value segments, only to be replaced by GT214, GT216 and GT218 respectively in Q3. NVIDIA's gets a newer IGP too, the iGT209. NVIDIA looks to end the year with a newer high-end GPU, the GT300 to succeed GT212 in Q4.

The RV740 graphics processor by AMD could well be the first GPU in production, to be built on the newer 40nm manufacturing process, giving its makers something to brag about. The RV740 design and specifications are largely derived from the RV770LE (covered here), while bringing the GDDR5 memory standard to the mainstream.

Chinese industrial journals tell DigiTimes that the company has completed taping-out the RV740, and that the GPU is awaiting mass-production by AMD's foundry partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Mass production of products based on this GPU could commence by the end of Q1 2009.

Sources in the industry point out that the 7 GT/s GDDR5 memory chip made by Hynix (model: H5GQ1H24AFR), which was announced earlier in this week, would make it to several major graphics board SKUs by both AMD and NVIDIA. The two companies have chosen TSMC and its 40nm fabrication process as the foundry partner for their upcoming 40nm graphics processors, namely AMD RV870 and NVIDIA GT212.

Both these chips would feature GDDR5 memory bus capabilities, and there are indications of the 7 GT/s DRAM chip being incorporated into graphics boards based on these GPUs. Additionally, there is also word that AMD will be using the said DRAM chip in its current flagship graphics card, the Radeon HD 4870 X2 in the near future. Both AMD and NVIDIA are expected to have taped out their 40nm GPU designs within Q1, 2009.

The year 2008 so far, has been very eventful for the graphics card market. A reinvigorated GPU lineup by ATI, brought in some fierce competition to NVIDIA, which resulted in a tug-of-war with pricing graphics cards in the market, with either company refusing to lose on grounds of pricing. This event, coupled with the announcement of several game titles by game publishers, resulted in bumper-sales of graphics cards, giving the present state of the global economy little or no relevance.

The months to come hold the same amount of importance for both AMD and NVIDIA, where the next round of competition begins with successors to current high-end products being slated. NVIDIA is expected to continue with its monolithic high transistor-count GPU design methodology, while AMD could bring in a little change to the way it uses two efficient GPUs to build powerful products.

NVIDIA is expected to continue on its monolithic high-end GPU approach with a few notable GPUs that have been slated for Q4, 2008 and throughout 2009. The visual computing giant will be rolling out a 55nm derivative of the existing G200 graphics processor, codenamed GT206. The GPU is expected to be essentially the same, albeit newer silicon process allowing higher clock-speeds, that push up the performance envelope. The GT206 will be released in Q4, 2008., presumably to cash-in on the X-mas shopping season. It is found that GT206 seems to be having problems with its shader domain, which has pushed its launch for that late.

Following GT206, GT212 and GT216 would be NVIDIA's entries to the 40nm silicon fabrication process. Earlier reports suggested that foundry companies in Taiwan could be ready with the infrastructure to manufacture 40nm GPUs by June/July 2009. For the late second quarter 2009, either GT212, GT216, or simply a new card based the GT206, in a dual-GPU configuration could lead the pack. GT212 and GT216 could release in Q2, 2009. The GT212, GT216 GPUs support GDDR5 memory on a broad memory bus. Towards the end of the year however, NVIDIA will have made its DirectX 11 GPU, the GT300.

Slides published during a press meeting held at ELSA's headquarters in Shenzhen, China reveals what look like NVIDIA's future graphics processors (GPU). Although not quite playing on the global stage, ELSA is a popular channel vendor operating in China that concentrates on Asian markets. ELSA showcased several of its products. During a press event where its consumer graphics plans were discussed, ELSA published a slide that shows two future GPUs from NVIDIA, codenamed GT206 and GT212. These GPUs are positioned to succeed current flagship GPUs as in the G200. The slide shows a graph with launch time on the x-axis and performance projection on the y-axis. It can be inferred that GT206 is going to succeed the current GeForce GTX 260 and the GT212 succeeds GTX 280. Time scales show that GT206 comes out towards the very end of this year, and GT212 comes out sometime in Q1, 2009.