TechPowerUp announced version 0.6.8 of GPU-Z, the popular graphics subsystem information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility, which gives you detailed information about the installed graphics hardware, and lets you monitor key specifications in real-time, such as clock speeds, temperatures, voltages, and video memory usage. Version 0.6.8 introduces support for new GPUs, namely NVIDIA's GeForce GTX Titan, GeForce 505 (GT216), GT 640M, GTX 675MX, Quadro K2000, and K3000; AMD's Radeon HD 7480D, FirePro W8000, V8700, fake HD 6850 (based on HD 6450). GPU load monitoring method on AMD GPUs is improved, and should be more accurate. Several minor bugs were patched.DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.6.8, TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.6.8 ASUS ROG Themed

The change-log follows.

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today unveils the SPARKLE GeForce 210/GT220/GT240 PCI Express x1 Graphics Cards, creating upgrade possibility for user's generic PC, providing 1080p HD video acceleration, DX10.1 gaming and premium Windows 7 experience for ordinary users.

With latest PCI Express technology, SPARKLE GeForce 210/GT220/GT240 PCI Express x1 Graphics Cards use PCI Express x1 bus type, they can be added on the motherboard which have at least one PCI Express x1 slot as the second graphics card, providing multiple monitors supports for computer users and certain industries, in addition to industrial users, they also support the upgrading of Intel Pine Trail motherboard which has only one PCI Express x1 slot.

DirectX 11 isn't far from its being an official industrial standard. Both NVIDIA and AMD have high-end graphics processors supporting the standard in the works, though it is expected that by the time DirectX 11 reaches the masses, we will be into 2010. On the course, both companies have the time to perfect their designs on the new 40 nm silicon fabrication technology, which will build the first waves of DirectX 11 GPUs. One of the best ways of doing this is by building products based on the current architecture on the new process, and testing the foundry-companies' abilities to handle large market demands, while benefiting from low-manufacturing costs. Following AMD's introduction of the RV740, NVIDIA recently announced a new class of mGPUs based on the 40 nm process, and is having concrete plans of selling their desktop versions by this October.

Two of the important starting points for NVIDIA are the GT218 and GT216 graphics processors. The two have already being assigned mGPU branding of GeForce G 210M and GeForce GT 230M respectively. Their desktop versions are to be branded GeForce G 210 and GeForce GT 220 respectively. VR-Zone sourced the specifications of these GPUs, by running them on the upcoming GeForce 190.15 drivers.

With rival AMD having a production-grade 40 nm graphics processor, and UMC's recent announcement of being ready with a high-performance 40 nm manufacturing node, the conditions are increasingly favourable for NVIDIA to flag-off large-scale production of 40 nm GPUs. According to Chinese print-media Commercial Times, the company set its foundry outsourcing schedule for within Q2 2009, with TSMC and UMC being the regular foundry-partners.

Within this quarter, NVIDIA will start mass-production of the entry-level GT218, high-end mobile GT215 and mainstream desktop GT214 and GT216 GPUs. Additionally, the company may also expand its output for the 55 nm G200b high-end GPU.

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 AMD RV740 has been gaining quite some attention lately. Following news of it being the first GPU to be built on the 40nm manufacturing process, there is some information trickling in about NVIDIA's offering to combat it. The GT216, unlike what most speculations talked about being a next generation high-end GPU, is supposed to be a mainstream GPU whose specifications make it a rival to the AMD RV740. This, according to specifications of the said GPU emerging from Beyond3D, part of which they are sure of, part speculation.

For starters, the GT216 will be built on the 40nm manufacturing process. It will feature a 192-bit wide GDDR3 memory bus. Graphics cards built on this would feature 768 MB of memory (with possible OEM variants having just 384 MB). The memory is clocked at 1200 MHz (2400 MHz DDR). There is speculation linked to the rest of the specs at this point in time, notably that it might have 7 ALU clusters (168 SPs). The manufacturing process will make sure the GPU is cost-effective. With this, the next round of mainstream GPU competition sounds even more exciting.

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.

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.

Reports suggest that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) could receive manufacturing contracts by AMD, and long-time customer NVIDIA, for graphics processors based on the newest 40nm silicon fabrication process. The two giants in the visual computing industry, are expected to skip the 45nm process altogether. This is seen as a move to cut down manufacturing costs, and use the most feasible manufacturing technologies. Miniaturizing circuitry at that scale would allow them to build even more complex silicon machinery, with much higher transistor counts, while maintaining size constraints.

AMD on its part would have to use the services of TSMC, since the foundry company's fab in Dresden is only capable of 45nm SOI fabrication process, and that it would take as long as 2010, by the time the expected 32nm process is ready at the New York fab. The next star-entry for AMD would be the ATI RV870, and as for NVIDIA, it would continue development of monolithic high-end GPUs with GT216, a successor to the G200 GPU. Meanwhile, the companies could continue aggressive competition, with projections of up to 20% price-cuts by Christmas 2008 shopping season. Their 40nm GPU designs could be ready by the end of this year, and 40nm GPUs could be supplied by June, 2009.