The HD 7750 is a performance-level graphics card that doesn’t need a separate power connector operating at under 75 W. Both new GPU’s use the 28nm process AMD has been building GPUs on most recently. The 7700 series GPUs use AMD Graphics Core Architecture for performance and efficiency. The GPUs also support PCI Express 3.0, AMD ZeroCore Power, PowerTune, AMD Eyefinity 2.0 and AMD App technologies.

The new 7700 series graphics cards are both available today the retailers and online sellers globally. Some versions of the AMD Radeon HD 7770 GHz edition with 1 GB of RAM will start at $159 with the HD 7750 1 GB cards starting at $109. The video cards sound like they will offer very impressive performance at a low price that should be appealing to gamers on a budget.

“We were first to 40nm, first to 28nm and now we offer the world’s first GPU at 1GHz; this is a milestone for the graphics industry,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. “AMD continues to deliver superior performance, rich features and world-class power efficiency – we never stop innovating.”

In fact, MSI claims that you get 37.5% higher overclocks using its special cooling solution. The card uses the special cooling solution is called the R7950 Twin Frozr 3GD5/OC. The other two graphics cards use traditional cooling systems and are called the R7970-2PMD3GD5/OC and the R7950-2PMD3GD5/OC. The cards all use similar hardware components.

The components used on the Twin Frozr video card are military class III for performance and stability. The components also passed military standard 810G. The line uses Hi-c capacitors with eight times the lifespan of solid-state capacitors. These cards should be good for people that like to overclock.

Inside the Targus gadget is the DisplayLink DL-3900 hardware that allows the device to work. The HDMI output supports video and six-channel surround sound. It also supports HDCP so you can use it for watching Blu-ray videos. This card is the first use the 3900 in a product that only supports displays.

The 3900 chip can support gigabit Ethernet as well so this product could have been more of a docking station than a USB 3.0 video card alone. The outputs support resolutions of up to 2048 x 1152 making 1080p HD resolution easy to achieve. The Targus device sells for $99.

[via EverythingUSB]

The video card also supports Eyefinty multiple screen gaming and has DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a connectivity. That will allow the card to support 3D gaming. The PCIe Gen 3 standard and 28nm process used inside the GPU will allow the card to have 32GB/s of bandwidth. This card should be a gaming beast.

The card supports 7.1 channel TrueHD and DTS-HD audio and more. For longevity and performance, the card uses all solid capacitors. The capacitors will help prevent overheating and have a 10-year lifespan according to MSI. There is no word on pricing or clock speeds at this time.

Alternatively you can just use AMD Eyefinity and string a number of displays off of a single card. GCN, to boil down AMD’s parlance, is basically a way to turn GPUs to general computing, with 32 compute units (2048 stream processors), each containing a scalar coprocessor, and being able to turn their hands to the sort of tasks a CPU might normally be expected to handle.

DirectX 11 tessellation is improved, huge background texture files can be managed with little in the way of lag, and automatic overclocking by up to 30-percent is supported; however AMD says that idle power draw has also been reduced with the new GCN system. In short, the promise is a faster, more efficient card with none of the downtime penalties in power and heat that previous performance cards might have forced on gamers.

Systems using the AMD Radeon HD 7970 are available to order from today.

Targeted at the performance gamer market, the Zotac card comes equipped with 1280MB of graphics memory and a 320-bit bus. Occupying two slots, it has HDMI connectivity – among other ports – and supports NVIDIA SLI for multi-card setups.

The suggestion is that, rather than an overclocked regular GTX 560 Ti, Zotac could actually be using an underclocked GeForce GTX 570. That would make the core chip NVIDIA’s GF110, rather than the GF114, though of course we won’t know until the card hits the market.

When, exactly, that will take place is unconfirmed, though previous reports have suggested November 29. Pricing is yet to be revealed.

[via Expreview]

The V4900 has 1GB of 128-bit GDDR5 RAM giving a total of 64GB/s memory bandwidth. The card supports DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.2, and OpenCL. It also has enhanced AMD Eyefinity and DisplayPort 1.2 technology inside with six-screen setups. The GPU has 480 stream processors and connectivity includes dual DisplayPorts and a single DVI-D port.

The maximum power consumption for the video card is under 75W and the cards can be had in full height and half height units. The card uses a PCI Express x 16 slot. The card will work in machines with at least 512MB of RAM and Windows 7, XP, Vista, and Linux.

The adapter is ready for the next generation of Intel CPUs and USB 3.0 computers according to Winstars. The adapter uses the DisplayLink DL-3500 chip inside for high-performance graphics. The coolest part about the graphics adapter is that the HDMI port allows the use of a HDTV as a monitor. The adapter also allows for the highest resolutions supported by a standard computer monitor.

The adapter will do up to 2560 x 1600 resolution, which is what the 30-inch computer screens support and is higher than HD. Any HDTV plugged in will be able to show full HD resolution movies and content. The display adapter will also support mirror and extended mode and has 3D support and more. The Winstars adapter will land in the US soon at an undisclosed price.

Speculation about the full release not taking place until next year began last month, with leaks from graphics card manufacturers suggesting that NVIDIA had been encountering poor performance from early chip samples and low yields from production partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Further sources indicated that, even if NVIDIA managed to begin production in Q4 2011, it would be so late in the quarter as to make only an early 2012 release of commercial products viable.

NVIDIA has, unsurprisingly, not commented on either yield or performance. Kepler is expected to be more flexible in how it can be used by software applications, offering GPGPU (general purpose processing on GPU) functionality and the ability to crunch data on its own without requiring the guiding hand of the system’s main CPU.

[via The Tech Report]

The video card has a liquid cooling system that helps to keep the GPU cooler. The card has a fan as well and the liquid cooling system is for extra cooling. PNY even extended the liquid cooling circuit and allows the system to chill the CPU as well in one version of the card. The liquid cooling system the card uses is powered by Asetek. Asetek hardware is found inside a bunch of different computers that use liquid cooling.

The video card has a pair of liquid cooled pipes that take the heat away from the GPU. The card promises to be 30% cooler and quieter than the original GTX 580 video card. The card supports all the tech that new NVIDIA card offer like 3D gaming, PhysX and CUDA. If you want a quiet, but powerful gaming machine this may be the video card you need. The card with CPU cooling sells for $649.99 and the card with GPU cooling alone sells for $579.99. PNY doesn’t mention clock speeds for the video card meaning it must use stock reference clocks.

MSI claims that the card is the most powerful on the planet and it packs in 3GB of graphics memory and has Propeller Blade fans that use Smart Temp Sensor and Dust Removal technology along with the Twin Frozr III cooling tech. The card is made for the overclocker that wants the most performance with Triple Temp monitoring capability and Power4 Architecture. All that tech adds up to the king of the single GPU cards.

The fans use special coating that turns from blue to white when the temperatures inside the machine exceed 45-degrees. The color change warns the user that the system might be too hot. The dust removal tech spins the fans backwards for 30 seconds to remove dust form the heatsink fins for better cooling. The exact clock speeds of the card are not known at this time. Pricing and availability are also a mystery.

The ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z use the Intel Z68 chipset and ASUS’ overclocking system, but the GENE-Z shrinks things down to the microATX form factor. Both support both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX, but can also intelligently switch between discrete and integrated graphics using the Lucid Virtu virtualization engine. Finally, there’s SupremeFX X-Fi 2 audio and Intel Ethernet with GameFirst for prioritizing online gaming network traffic.

Both new graphics cards use NVIDIA’s GTX 580 GPU, with the ROG MATRIX GTX 580 getting one of them and the ROG MARS II getting a pair. Each packs GPU Tweak for easier overclocking, as well as 19-Phase Super Alloy Power. Dual fans keep things cool, with ASUS claiming the MATRIX pulls through 600-percent more air and makes for 20-percent cooler operation than the NVIDIA reference design.

Finally, ASUS throws in some accessories, including the ROG Vulcan ANC Headset with an active-noise-cancellation system, and the VG278 3D 27-inch display, which has HDMI 1.4 and a built-in infrared emitter. No pricing or availability for any of the new ROG range.

Press Release:

Experience a New Era of ROG with a Range of High-Performance Products for Demanding PC Gamers

Experience a New Era of ROG with a Range of High-Performance Products for Demanding PC Gamers

New Republic of Gamers products announced for 2011 include motherboards, graphics cards, high-end gaming notebooks, a headset, a powerful desktop and a stunning 27-inch 3D desktop display

Taipei, Taiwan, (Computex, 31st May, 2011) — ASUS, a global leader in the new digital era, today announced a number of exciting new products for high-performance gaming PCs to further expand its Republic of Gamers (ROG) range. Established five years ago, ROG is committed to developing the ultimate high-performance hardware.

“The ROG philosophy is based on the core ideals of class-leading performance, innovative user controls and gamer-focused design,” said ASUS Vice President and GM of Worldwide Sales, Jackie Hsu. The products announced today not only hold true to these ideals, but also introduce a host of new innovations that push high-end PC performance to even greater extremes.

Designed for hardcore gamers who want to be able to play anywhere, the G74Sx gaming notebook uses a second generation Intel® Core™ processor and NVIDIA® GTX 560M graphics for outstanding performance. The ROG G53SX Naked Eye 3D makes lifelike 3D without the need for glasses a reality on a sleek and powerful portable PC. Gamers looking for similar instant action in desktop form are well-served by the new CG8565 Gaming System with a Z68 chipset-based motherboard, stealth fighter-inspired case design and a host of easy-to-use overclocking features.

Also unveiled today are three new ROG motherboards based on the latest Intel® and AMD chipsets that bring new levels of performance for PC builders. The Maximus IV GENE-Z and Maximus IV Extreme-Z both use the new Intel® Z68 chipset to deliver unparalleled gaming and overclocking features, while the Crosshair V Formula is the first AMD 990FX-based motherboard supporting both 3-Way SLI™ and CrossFireX™, and with a graphical UEFI BIOS. Two new NVIDIA® GTX 580-based graphics cards, the MATRIX GTX580 and MARS II, further expand the ROG range.

Recognizing that a successful gaming experience depends on more than just what is inside a PC, ROG now also includes new PC peripherals. The first peripheral in the ROG family is the Vulcan ANC gaming headset with active noise-cancelling technology, which ensures an immersive audio experience, whatever the gaming environment. Combine all the great ROG hardware and attach it to an ASUS VG278H 3D 27-inch display that is designed for gaming, and gamers can become immersed in the latest titles.

Zane Ball, General Manager for Desktops at Intel, said: “We’ve had great success in the gaming market and we appreciate that a vendor like ASUS is devoted to this field. Brands such as ROG demonstrate the best practice for gaming and overclocking PC hardware, and the two new motherboards and one desktop with Intel Z68-based chipsets announced today offer exciting new performance-turning opportunities.”

Over the past five years, ROG products have been recognized by a number of renowned industrial design awards bodies such as iF Design, Red Dot and Good Design and have been well received by power PC users worldwide. Over 1,200 awards from the media are testament to the quality and innovation delivered by ROG and its commitment to delivering total domination in the high-performance PC field. Rest assured that ROG will continue to annihilate records and crush the competition for years to come.

“We are keen to provide the most innovative and powerful solutions for our users, which is why ROG has a team dedicated to researching and developing ideas that go well beyond what you might expect,” said Jackie Hsu.

Visit ASUS at Computex 2011

Please refer to the attached appendices for further details of these new ROG products, or visit the ASUS ROG Computex 2011 Booth at the Nangang Exhibition Hall. Please stop by to see the latest innovations ROG has in store or visit our Computex 2011 website for more information: http://press.asus.com/computex2011/rog/

APPENDICES

1. ROG G74Sx 3D gaming notebook

The G74Sx 3D is a high-performance notebook for gamers who don’t want to drag a full PC around to gaming events, or do not have room at home for a full desktop set up. The G74Sw 3D has the clean, angular lines of a stealth fighter and the power to match, thanks to the latest second generation Intel® Core™ quad-core i5 and i7 processors. NVIDIA® GTX 560M graphics ensure blistering frame rates at native resolutions and high detail settings on the 17-inch Full HD screen, while NVIDIA® 3D Vision offers players a new dimension to games and movies.

Powerful it may be, but the G74Sx 3D always keeps its cool with an innovative thermal design that uses twin fans to draw cool air from the front of the case and twin rear exhausts to expel warm air out the back. The gamer-friendly keyboard brings an extra edge to the playing field, too. The metallic base is does not flex, the backlit keys ensure frags in dimly lit environments and a large cursor key cluster sits away from the main keyboard to minimize mistyped keys in the midst of the action.

* More details will be revealed in early June.

World’s first glasses-free 3D gaming notebook
The ROG G53SX Naked Eye 3D makes lifelike 3D without the need for glasses a reality on a sleek and powerful portable PC. The unique technology works with a whole catalogue of games and multimedia content, even instantly converting existing 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D. Advanced research has also resulted in mixed mode, where one window can display in 2D while another shows in 3D, both on-screen at once. This is achieved without compromising brightness, contract or color fidelity, exceeding the output of older 3D technology that relies on glasses.

These figures are driven by a 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7 CPU and discrete, DirectX® 11-compatible NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M graphics with a massive 2GB GDDR5 video memory, specs that allow titles such as StarCraft II to run in high resolution with anti-aliasing turned all the way up. Performance is also driven by the inclusion of a solid state hybrid drive that runs at approximate 10,000rpm speeds, cutting down boot time by as much as 52%.

The ROG G53SX Naked Eye 3D ships with a full suite of 3D content creation and editing software, giving users access to advanced authoring tools, including 3DTV Play connectivity. Sound is rendered in THX and EAX 5.0 3D for pristine spatial sound in gaming and other applications, with up to 128 additional sound effects at once compared to traditional gaming notebooks.

In terms of design, the G53SX shares the same ergonomic and stylish look of its stable mates. The 5-degree inclined keyboard promotes comfort during long gaming sessions, aided by rubber-coated palm rests that prevent sweating and wrist fatigue. Oversized twin rear exhausts push heat to keep the machine cool even under load while remaining quiet at all times. Users get a cool and silent environment that makes gaming much more enjoyable.

2. ROG Crosshair V Formula series motherboard

The Crosshair V Formula with AMD 990FX chipset-based is not only the first ROG motherboard with AM3+ CPU support, but it is also the first ever AMD motherboard to support both 3-Way NVDIA® SLI™ and AMD CrossFireX™ as well as offer UEFI BIOS. The usual selection of advanced ROG overclocking tools are on hand too, while onboard SupremeFX X-Fi 2 delivers the most intense and immersive gaming audio experience. Better still, high-performance Intel® Ethernet with GameFirst technology creates a LAN connection that is fast enough to keep up with the pace of modern multiplayer gaming over an internet connection that is also used being used for other online tasks.

To really make it the ultimate gaming motherboard, the Crosshair V Formula/ThunderBolt also comes with the ThunderBolt audio/LAN combo expansion card. The class-leading XONAR™ audio technology provides dramatically better sound quality than any standard audio card, while its built-in headphone amplifier with adjustable impedance settings make it perfect for getting the drop on the gaming competition. The Crosshair V Formula/Thunderbolt also incorporates the award-winning Bigfoot Networks™ Killer™ E2100 networking platform with exclusive Advanced Stream Detect™ technology that automatically classifies and prioritizes traffic for online games, HD video and audio streams for optimum performance, even when performing these tasks simultaneously.

The Crosshair V Formula motherboard is available now; the Crosshair V Formula/ThunderBolt will be available for purchase in the end of July,

3. ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z motherboards

Although both are based on the new Intel® Z68 chipset, the ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z offer two different takes on the high-performance motherboard.

The Maximus IV Extreme-Z is the latest model in a long line of ROG motherboards designed from the ground up to be an overclocking enthusiast’s dream come true. The Maximus IV GENE-Z takes the successful ROG motherboard recipe and shrinks it to a microATX form factor that will appeal to speed freaks and case modders alike. Support for both NVIDIA® SLI™ and AMD CrossFireX™ offers the ultimate in flexibility for 3D graphics, but that does not mean the integrated GPU features of the Intel® Z68 chipset are wasted. Full support for the Lucid® Virtu™ graphics virtualization engine means the Maximus IV GENE-Z can seamlessly switch between discrete and integrated graphics on-the-fly as the application demands, while SupremeFX X-Fi 2 audio and Intel® Ethernet with GameFirst ensure a first-class gaming experience.

4. ROG MATRIX GTX 580 graphics card

The ROG MATRIX GTX 580 is a high-performance graphics card for enthusiasts and gamers who demand the very best with NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 580 GPU. Enhanced TweakIt, ProbeIt and Safe Mode overclocking utilities offer unparalleled hardware adjustment, while GPU Tweak provides instant settings adjustment and monitoring. The 19-Phase Super Alloy Power technology provides greater overclocking headroom with enhanced power efficiency and component durability.

ASUS DirectCU II technology also provides extremely effective cooling by combining copper heatpipes that fix in direct contact with the GPU core with two huge sound-dampened fans that suck through 600% more air and achieving 20% cooler operation than the reference design.

5. ROG MARS II graphics card

The ROG MARS II/2DIS/3GD5 elevates extreme high-performance gaming to greater heights. The dual NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 580 design ensures phenomenally high frame rates in the latest games at maxed-out detail settings, while the all-new GPU Tweak overclocking utility with real-time clock and fan speed adjustment offers unparalleled tweaking opportunities. 19-Phase Super Alloy Power technology and Direct CU dual-fan cooling makes for cool, rock-solid operation too.

6. ROG CG8565 Gaming System

With its stealth fighter-inspired design, the angular, matte black exterior of the ROG CG8565 Gaming System belies the power that lurks within. Built for gamers who want a ready-made high-end gaming experience, this stunning desktop PC delivers awe-inspiring amounts of power, thanks to the second generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor with Z68 chipset and NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 590 GPU.

Overclocking features form an integral part of this competition-destroying desktop, with a one-touch ‘Level Up’ button built directly into the chassis for an instant real-time speed boost. Exclusive ASUS DIGI+ VRM technology and innovative thermal management ensures that the ROG CG8565 stays cool even when it is pushed to the limit, while the ASUS Xonar sound card provides immersive gaming audio.

7. ROG Vulcan ANC Headset

The ROG Vulcan ANC Gaming Headset completes the new range of Republic of Gamers accessories. It is perfect for gaming in noisy environments, or just those times when external speakers are not appropriate. The Vulcan ANC Gaming Headset uses active noise cancelling technology specially designed to filter external noise from both its high-quality speakers and boom microphone. The result is crystal-clear sound quality for music, movies, games and even VoIP calls.

8. ASUS VG278 3D 27” desktop monitor

Recognizing that a successful gaming experience depends on more than just what is inside a PC; ASUS has also introduced a new range of PC peripherals to enhance that experience with the VG278H 3D display. Designed for gamers who want complete immersion in the latest titles, this 27-inch LED backlit screen has full support for 3D graphics cards via HDMI 1.4 and a built-in infrared emitter for a wire-free desktop.

The GTX 560 supports OpenGL 4.1 and 3D Vision, of course, as well as DirectX 11, PhysX and 2-way SLI. It has two dual-link DVI-I ports and a Mini HDMI 1.4a as standard, and can drive a display at up to 2560 x 1600 resolution. NVIDIA reckons it’s ideal for running – with two cards – 5670 x 1080 resolution ultra-wide games using NVIDIA Surround.

The first third-party NVIDIA GeForce GRX 560 cards are available now, from partners including Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI and PNY. The new drivers, meanwhile, can be downloaded from http://www.geforce.com/ today.

Press Release:

NVIDIA Introduces New GeForce GTX 560 GPU and Faster GeForce R275 Drivers

GTX 560 Is Perfect Companion for Upcoming Summer Blockbuster PC Games Featuring Support for NVIDIA PhysX, Surround, and 3D Vision Technologies

Click here for a video sneak peek at Duke Nukem Forever, Alice: Madness Returns, and RIFT, all running on the new GeForce GTX 560 GPU!

The new GeForce GTX 560 brings awesome performance and functionality to this summer’s hottest PC games.

SANTA CLARA, CA — (Marketwire) — 05/17/2011 — NVIDIA today introduced the GeForce® GTX® 560 GPU, the latest addition to the company’s Fermi architecture-based product family, which brings amazing performance and enhanced features such as NVIDIA® PhysX®, 3D Vision™, SLI® and Surround™ technologies to this summer’s hottest PC games.

Starting at $199 USD, the GeForce GTX 560 joins its big brother, the previously launched GTX 560 Ti GPU, in delivering an awesome gaming experience in its price class for games running at 1080p, the world’s most popular gaming resolution, according to Valve’s Steam Hardware and Software Survey(1).

NVIDIA today also released beta GeForce R275 drivers. They bring increased performance and enhanced functionality to a broad spectrum of PC games, including 3D Vision support to Duke Nukem Forever, PhysX support to Alice: Madness Returns, and Surround support to Dungeon Siege III.

Highlights of GeForce R275 Drivers:

Performance boost across a variety of games, including Crysis 2 (6%), Bulletstorm (15%), and Portal 2 (8%)(2)
NVIDIA Update technology now includes SLI profiles
Improved desktop scaling experience with new user interface and features
Improved resizing experience for HDTVs
More than 525 3D Vision gaming profiles, including new additions for Portal 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Age of Empires Online, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Dungeon Siege III, among others
New 3D Vision Photo Viewer with Windowed Mode Support
Support for more than 65 3D Vision Ready displays, including desktop monitors, notebooks and projectors.
The GeForce GTX 560 GPU is available starting today from the world’s leading add-in card partners, including ASL, Asus, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle, Zotac and others. GeForce R275 drivers are available directly from www.geforce.com or from the driver download page on nvidia.com.

For an in-depth look at the GTX 560, and to view a special video with footage from this summer’s hottest PC games of the year, please visit: http://www.geforce.com/#/News/articles/560-game-previews/.

According to the leak, the HD 6790 will have 10 stream units for a total of 800 processors, an 850MHz GPU frequency, 30 texture units and 32 ROPs, along with a 256-bit memory interface. It will have 1GB of GDDR5 memory and support up to 1.34 TFLOPs performance with a 33.6 Gtexel/s texture fillrate.

That, as the chart below suggests, will slot the HD 6790 in at the low-end under the HD 6850 and HD 6870; it’s also possible that AMD could brand it the Radeon HD 6830. Production cards are likely to drop at around the $150 price point, with a launch expected on April 5.

[via Expreview]

Video demo after the cut

In fact, despite having 1024 CUDA cores, 3GB of GDDR5 memory and 32 tessellation engines, the GeForce GTX 590 only musters 48dB; that’s enough, NVIDIA reckons for it to be the world’s quietest graphics card as well as being the fastest. To manage that, the pair of GeForce GTX 580 GPUs are clocked down to 607MHz and the memory to 3.4GHz, and dual vapor cooling chambers employed to keep temperatures low.

Four outputs are native, and there’s SLI support for pairing two cards together in the same system. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 cards from the usual suspects are expected to go on sale today, with prices around the $699 point.

[youtube MOCZF5IxY6I]

Press Release:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 Is World’s Fastest Graphics Card

Innovative Dual GPU Design Is Also Dramatically Quieter Than Competitive Products

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 is the world’s fastest graphics card and the world’s quietest dual GPU card too!

NVIDIA engineered the GTX 590 to be the world’s quietest dual GPU product. It features a special cooling system and dual vapor chambers which deliver both astounding performance and acoustics. Measured with a standard decibel meter, the GTX 590 clocks in at 48dB, more than two times quieter than the closest competitive product under full graphics load.

Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at the GTX 590 in the NVIDIA labs.

To experience an interactive demo of the GTX 590, please click here.

The GeForce GTX 590 also incorporates a functional LED to let users know the operational state of the GTX 590 card.

SANTA CLARA, CA — (Marketwire) — 03/24/2011 — NVIDIA today introduced the GeForce® GTX® 590, the fastest dual graphics card available today which also happens to be the world’s quietest too. Powered by dual NVIDIA Fermi™-class GPUs on a single card, the GTX 590 is designed for über enthusiasts and those looking to build the ultimate PC gaming rig.

With a combined 1024 NVIDIA CUDA® architecture cores, 3GB of GDDR5 memory, 6 billion transistors and over 2200 individual components all packed into an 11 inch dual slot card, the GTX 590 delivers a staggering 32 tessellation engines that can power today’s cutting edge DX11 games at resolutions of 2560×1600 and higher. With four separate video outputs on each card, consumers can configure their PC with four independent displays, or they can span their gaming across 3 3D displays, at a resolution up to 5760×1080 for an intense, immersive, stereoscopic gaming experience utilizing NVIDIA 3D Vision™ Surround technology.

Like all NVIDIA “DX11 Done Right” GPUs, the GTX 590 delivers the world’s fastest performance for DX11 games(i). And with NVIDIA SLI® technology, the industry’s most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers can increase their PC’s gaming performance by adding a second GeForce GTX 590, for an incredible Quad SLI gaming mode.

NVIDIA engineered the GTX 590 to be the world’s quietest dual GPU product. It features a special cooling system and dual vapor chambers which deliver both astounding performance and acoustics. Measured with a standard decibel meter, the GTX 590 clocks in at 48dB, more than two times quieter than the closest competitive product under full graphics load. To the human ear, this difference means the GTX 590 delivers a 3D gaming experience that is typical of a quiet library. In comparison, the competition’s product is more on par with a busy freeway.

“The GTX 590 is the best dual GPU product ever built,” said Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce GPU business at NVIDIA. “With leading performance, support for multi-monitor 3D gaming, Quad SLI, and an acoustic envelope that begs to be heard for how quiet it is, the GTX 590 epitomizes what a perfect dual graphics card looks, performs, and sounds like.”

With an estimated selling e-tail price starting at $699 USD, the GeForce GTX 590 is available starting today from the world’s leading add-in card partners, including Asus, EVGA, Gainward, Gigabyte, Inno3D, MSI, POV, Palit, and Zotac.

For more information on the new GeForce GTX 590, please visit: http://www.geforce.com/Hardware/GPUs/geforce-gtx-590/overview.

For an interactive demo of the new GeForce GTX 590, please visit:
http://www.geforce.com/Hardware/GPUs/geforce-gtx-590/productdemo.

To download GeForce GTX 590 product photographs, please visit the NVIDIA Flickr page located here: http://bit.ly/hZ2rpo.

What System Builders Are Saying About GeForce GTX 590:

CyberPower — US
“The tremendous graphics performance and improved acoustics combined with the wealth of NVIDIA technologies make the GeForce GTX 590 the card to get for gamers and enthusiasts. The latest flagship GTX 590 will be incorporated into CyberPower’s many award winning systems including the Fang EVO series, Black Pearl, and Gamer 3D series of gaming PCs.”
– Eric Cheung, CEO

Digital Storm — US
“The GeForce GTX 590 is the most impressive DirectX 11 graphics card NVIDIA has ever released. Amazingly quiet and incredibly powerful, it absolutely blew us away when we hooked it up to our 5760×1080 3D Vision Surround system.”
– Rajeev Kuruppu, Director of Product Development

Falcon Northwest — US
“The fact that the GTX 590 is the fastest card ever made doesn’t surprise me. We’ve come to expect that with each new release from NVIDIA. What floors me is the low noise level this card produces. At full speed it’s more than 10 decibels quieter than competing dual-GPU cards, which means it’s literally half as loud. The fastest card at half the noise — impressive!”
– Kelt Reeves, President and CEO

iBUYPOWER — US
“The GeForce GTX 590 is a surprisingly quiet for a card of its power. The combination performance and feature set make this video card hands down the best overall video card for gaming that we’ve ever seen.”
– Darren Su, Vice President

Inet — Sweden
“Our first impression of the card is how quiet and cool it is, but yet so extremely powerful. We couldn’t wait to try it in our monster PC, the Inet Taurus Überkill. The test results are brilliant and we can’t wait to get yet another card so we can run it in SLI. The GTX 590 is a quiet beast with no competition on the market!”
– Erik Wickman, Purchasing Manager

Maingear — US
“The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 graphics solution in our desktops offers THE ultimate gaming experience. The GTX 590 has it all: NVIDIA 3D Surround, dual GPUs, and dual custom vapor chambers to keep the card cool and quiet. Pair it up with the MAINGEAR SHIFT of F131 and you have a complete package to run any game at any setting no questions asked!”
– Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder

Origin PC — US
“ORIGIN is dedicated to providing the best NVIDIA GPUs to our customers and the GeForce GTX 590 certainly fits the bill. It is the fastest graphics card we have ever tested and stays amazingly quiet, even under full game load! For gamers, the timing of the GTX 590 is perfect. They can get our ORIGIN GENESIS, the GTX 590, Crysis 2, and a HD monitor and know they will be ready to have the best PC gaming experience possible.”
– Kevin Wasielewski, CEO and Co-Founder

Paradigit — Holland
“The GTX 590 is the single fastest card we’ve ever seen — on top of that, its low noise, power consumption and cool operation easily make it the must-have card of 2011! Order yours now to be ready for the next generation of games.”
– Jasper Driuf, Purchasing Manager

Scan — UK
“The GeForce GTX 590 is the ultimate high end graphics card that Scan Computers love! Ultimate performance, whisper quiet acoustics, menacing looks; it clearly has it all, and when coupled with an EK water block and Scan knowhow, the 3XS Scorpion-X PC is unleashed!”
– Elan Raja III, Director

V3 Gaming — US
“The new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 is a very well-designed product, evidenced by the superior performance and decreased noise and heat outputs when compared to the competition.”
– Thomas Gribble, Product Manager

Velocity Micro — US
“With the release of the GTX 590, NVIDIA has once again broken new ground in the ultra performance GPU space. Our initial testing has shown that a quieter, faster card than the GTX 590 simply doesn’t exist, which is sure to make it popular with our power-hungry customers. In short, the GTX 590 is remarkably quiet for such a powerful card.”
– Randy Copeland, President and CEO

Verkkokauppa — Finland
“NVIDIA GTX 590 is the most impressive piece of hardware I have seen in long time. Thanks to great cooling system design it has amazingly low noise level for the superior performance GTX 590 provides. This card will give the ultimate experience for every gaming enthusiast!”
– Johannes Pajunen, Product Manager

ASUS says that the new card is 28% faster and has 20% more performance per watt than the GTS 450 card in the previous generation. The card also supports DirectX 11 and Tessellation along with 3D Vision, NVIDIA Surround and PhysX among other things. The card can also be used in SLI mode inside compatible PCs.

The cooling solution on the new video card uses heat pipes that touch the GPU directly to allow for up to 20% cooler running and it has Super Alloy Power VRM for clean power and better overclocking performance. Asus will also be offering the GTX550 Ti in standard, Top, and Ultimate versions. The Top GPU will be clocked at 975MHz, the Ultimate GPU will run at 1015MHz, and the standard GPU runs at 910MHz. The memory clocks are 4104MHz, 4200MHz, and 4104MHz respectively.

A PCI Express 2.0 card, the GTX 550 Ti supports HDMI 1.4a and Dual-Link DVI, with one of the former and two of the latter as standard. There’s also PhysX and SLI support for pairing multiple cards together in the same system.

As for performance, NVIDIA reckons the GeForce GTX 550 Ti will best the GTS 450 it effectively replaces, but it still falls well short of the GTX 560 Ti announced in January 2011. It will support up to 1680 x 1050 resolution, and we should be seeing the first examples from manufacturers shortly.

That puts the GeForce GTX 590 just two weeks away. The video card is expected to have dual GF110 GPUs, with a total of 1024 CUDA cores paired with 3GB of GDDR5 memory. Twin 8-pin power ports help the NVIDIA card gulp down its 375W TDP.

NVIDIA will no doubt be hoping to take AMD’s crown before it’s had a chance to settle on the HD 6990′s head, and the company could be using gaming to do that. March 22 is also the expected launch date for Crysis 2.

The video card is a gamers dream and if you have a bunch of screens, you can run the card with up to six displays connected to a 3×2 landscape setting. That would make for some immersive gaming. The video card supports the AMD PowerTune feature for overclocking with ease. The card also supports real-time workload management as well.

The new HD 6990 isn’t a cheap upgrade though it will add over $400 to the base price of the gaming rig you choose and fully optioned gaming PCs can run well over $2500. “Delivering exceptional graphics is vital to our gaming customers,” said Darren Su, Vice President of iBUYPOWER. “The AMD Radeon 6990 cards are the fastest ever and allow us to offer smooth, crystal clear graphics on a larger scale than ever before.”

The dual fan cooling solution uses fans with MSI exclusive Propeller Blade technology that delivers 21% more airflow than conventional fan blade designs. The fans help the GPU to stay 11-degrees cooler than the reference cooling solution on the card and the noise output is less than the reference design at the same time. The card is made for overclocking for ultimate performance.

MSI uses Triple over-Voltage with a 6+2 phase power delivery system with up to 21% more performance than the reference design. The card has 2GB of GDDR5 RAM and all the features of normal HD 6950 video cards as well. MSI also uses special caps that are handpicked to perform for overclockers. MSI is mum on pricing and availability right now.

Up to five simultaneous displays are supported – boosted to six with DisplayPort 1.2 components available for purchase later this year – while a dual-BIOS toggle switch allows the 830MHz clock speed to be pushed up to 880MHz. There’s AMD HD3D support, for stereoscopic 3D gaming and movies over HDMI 1.4a, and of course DirectX11 and CrossFireX support.

Cards from AMD’s hardware partners will go on sale today, priced at around $699, which almost seems like a bargain when you consider what you’re getting.

Press Release:

AMD Extends Graphics Performance Lead, Launches World’s Fastest Graphics Card… AGAIN!

AMD Radeon™ HD 6990 utilizes sophisticated AMD PowerTune intelligent power management technology, delivers native support for wraparound 5×1 gaming with AMD Eyefinity technology

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the launch of the fastest graphics card in the world, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6990, packing so much raw performance it delivered a new single graphics card world record score of P11865 in the industry standard 3DMark11 benchmark1. AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards are available immediately from retailers worldwide, with select models starting at US $699 MSRP.

Designed for the power gamer, AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards include AMD’s second-generation, Microsoft DirectX® 11-capable architecture, advanced image quality features for the best looking games, and AMD PowerTune intelligent technology to enable higher clock speeds and faster gaming. The AMD Radeon HD 6990 offers the ultimate in immersive HD gaming and computing with native support for up to five displays using AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology, with six display support possible via DisplayPort 1.2 components available for purchase later this year.3 The AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards also feature a dual-BIOS toggle switch, allowing enthusiast gamers to unlock the card and rev up the clocks and voltages for even more performance.4 Finally, AMD HD3D technology provides a cutting-edge stereoscopic 3D gaming and movie experience, thanks to HDMI 1.4a support.5

“Packing more raw performance than any consumer graphics card ever created, the AMD Radeon HD 6990 provides the latest for the ultimate gaming advantage,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU division, AMD. “Coupled with AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology, AMD PowerTune power management and AMD HD3D, this card is so powerful it can take on even the most demanding ultra-enthusiast tasks.”

Leading Graphics with second-generation DirectX 11-capable Technology
New AMD PowerTune technology: Designed to perform real-time intelligent power management, AMD PowerTune technology on the AMD Radeon HD 6990 automatically enables higher clock speeds and faster performance in the hottest games.1
Increased memory for higher image quality: With 4GB of ultra-fast GDDR5 memory, gamers can enjoy superior detail in their favorite games, even on up to five simultaneous displays.
The Ultimate Visual Experience™: As AMD’s most advanced DirectX® 11-capable GPU, AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics processors also enable an exceptional game play experience in DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL titles in single card or multi-card AMD CrossFireX™ configurations.6
Improved image quality: Advanced anti-aliasing features enable dramatically enhanced image quality for intensely realistic gaming. Enhanced-Quality Anti-Aliasing (EQAA) uses a new sampling technique to help improve visual quality, while Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA) uses DirectCompute acceleration to provide anti-aliasing on any DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, or DirectX® 11 application.
An Immersive Gaming Experience with AMD Eyefinity Technology and Advanced Display Options
Simple, flexible, affordable multi-display computing with AMD Eyefinity technology: Providing an expanded and more immersive field of view, AMD Eyefinity technology continues to be the most affordable multi-display solution available, offering dozens of possible configurations of up to five simultaneous displays.2 New to the AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics processor is the ability to configure up to five monitors in portrait mode. Making innovative technologies more affordable and accessible than ever before, the AMD Eyefinity Validated & Ready Testing Program helps ensure a seamless customer multi-display experience, with more than 70 tested and validated AMD Eyefinity-compatible titles for the greatest assurance of quality and interoperability. Continued industry leadership in multi-display computing: AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards offer support for both DisplayPort 1.2 features and HDMI 1.4a, offering enthusiasts incredible multi-monitor configuration options, flexibility in display selection, and new DisplayPort audio features.
Faster Applications and Brilliant Video with AMD EyeSpeed Technology
AMD EyeSpeed visual acceleration technology lets you do more, faster: Tapping the tremendous power of the AMD Radeon HD 6990, enthusiasts will enjoy clearer and more vibrant videos, as well as improved performance and new features in top media, entertainment and productivity applications with AMD EyeSpeed technology.7
Incredible compute capabilities: Featuring leading support for IEEE 754 double precision floating point ops, the AMD Radeon HD 6990 is equipped to dominate computationally intense workloads.
Enhanced video quality features: AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards feature Unified Video Decoder 3 (UVD3), a dedicated video playback accelerator that helps users get the most out of HD video, online video and Blu-ray™ 3D, while enjoying a range of video quality improvements such as advanced post-processing and scaling, dynamic contrast enhancement, color correction and more.
3D entertainment choices with AMD HD3D technology: AMD continues to deliver a broad and affordable selection of 3D solutions with AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics cards, featuring AMD HD3D technology, backed by AMD’s open 3D initiative for stereo 3D gaming and movies.3

It’s obviously double-width, and there’s a sizeable fan for keeping the twin GPUs cool inside. Outputs include four Mini DisplayPort and a single Dual-DVI socket, which could potentially mean up to six displays hooked up to the one card. According to previous rumors, there’ll be in the region of 3,840 stream processors from the combined GPUs, and we’re expecting to see two 4-pin power sockets.

Apparently Hexus had been given a fourth shot, with the Radeon HD 6990′s cover removed, but AMD later insisted it would have to remain offline until the official launch. That fits in with previous leaks suggesting AMD was holding off until NVIDIA had launched the GeForce GTX 590 so that the arch-rival couldn’t tweak their high-end card to better compete with the HD 6990.

Paranoid perhaps, but the stakes in the graphics card market are apparently higher than ever. According to the sources, dramatically falling sales of entry-level video cards – the market for which has been consumed by new processors which bundle integrated graphics – has left only the mid- and high-tier markets to play for. While sales of high-performance video cards may not be comparatively high, they do grant a halo affect to a brand.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 is expected to use dual GF110 GPU chips, paired with 3GB of GDDR memory. As for the AMD Radeon HD 6990, that’s believed to pair two APUs for a total of 3,840 stream processors.

The video card also supports the same features that other AMD cards offer today like Eyefinity multiple display technology. The card also supports CrossFireX multiple GPU technology to allow you to cram four of the beasts inside your gaming rig.

The card uses the special CoolStream heat sink that has heat pipes and other tech to keep the card cool. Specifications include 1408 stream processors, 1024MB of GDDR5, an 800MHz core clock, and a 5000MHz memory clock. The card has lots of connectivity too with dual DVI ports, HDMI, and MiniDisplay ports.

The Super Alloy Power technology the card uses has to do with a special alloy formula for the power delivery components of the card like the capacitors, chokes, and MOSFET. The special alloy claims to lower temperatures of the card up to 35C and extend the life of the card by 2.5 times. Asus also bundles its Voltage Tweak software as well for overclocking the card.

The card has a custom fan that uses Dust-proof fan tech to prevent dust from building up and reducing the cooling efficiency of the card. Other features for the GT 440 include HDMI 1.4a, unified shaders, and lots more. The GPU is clocked at 822MHz, the GT 440 has 96 CUDA cores, and the memory clock is 3200MHz. Asus crams 1GB of GDDR5 RAM onto the card.

In fact, NVIDIA reckons the GeForce GTX 560 Ti is up to 46-percent faster than the significantly more expensive AMD Radeon HD 6950, something we can’t see their rivals being particularly pleased about. That’s at the core 822MHz clock speed, too; NVIDIA expects some manufacturers to overclock the GTX 560 Ti to 1GHz for even more performance.

There’s also 3D Vision and NVIDIA Surround support, PhysX, Realtime Ray Tracing and, as standard, a pair of Dual-Link DVI ports and a Mini DisplayPort output. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti will start showing up in cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and more from today, priced at around $249.

Press Release:

The New NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU Pwns the Gamer’s Sweet Spot

With 8 tessellation engines delivering a stunning amount of performance for today’s newest DX11 games, the GTX 560 Ti brings a new level of performance to PC gaming platforms, and well as super quiet acoustics and support for 3D Vision, PhysX, and SLI technologies, advanced features provided only by NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs.

SANTA CLARA, CA — (Marketwire) — 01/25/2011 — Last summer, NVIDIA astounded gamers with the introduction of the GeForce® GTX 460 GPU, which editors called “an incredible value”(i). Flash forward 5 months later, and NVIDIA is set to do it again with the immediate availability of the new GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU. With average performance that is 33% faster(ii), overclocking headroom that is off the charts, and a performance per watt that puts competitive products to shame, the GeForce GTX 560 Ti is further proof as to why GeForce GTX GPUs are favored by PC gamers worldwide.

The GeForce GTX 560 Ti is the newest addition of the Company’s “Fermi” line of consumer GPUs that were designed to deliver stunning DirectX 11 (DX11) performance for PC gaming platforms. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti brings a new level of DX11 price/performance to the performance PC gaming market while maintaining super quiet acoustics and minimal power requirements.

Like all NVIDIA “DX11 Done Right” GPUs, the GTX 560 Ti delivers the world’s fastest performance for DX11 games in its class. When compared to the closest competitive product, the GTX 560 Ti is up to 65 percent faster(iii) in today’s newest DX11 tessellated games, and 30 percent faster(iv) in previous-generation DX9 and DX10 games. With a superior design that includes a default graphics core clocked to 822MHz, 8 tessellation engines and 384 CUDA cores that were architected for next-generation DX11 games, the GTX 560 Ti is even up to 46% faster(v) than the competition’s product offerings that cost upwards of 20% more!

“The GTX 560 Ti GPU has it all: awesome DX11 performance, terrific overclockability, and ultra quiet operation — attributes of the perfect performance GPU,” said Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce GPU business at NVIDIA. “With the GTX 560 Ti under the hood, and an awesome library of DX11 titles coming in the very short future, it is truly a great time to be a PC gamer!”

With full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision™ and NVIDIA Surround™ technologies, the GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU also provides the graphics horsepower and video bandwidth needed to experience more than 500 games and high-definition Blu-ray movies in eye-popping stereoscopic 3D on a single display or spanning across three screens for an immersive gaming environment. And with NVIDIA SLI™ technology, the industry’s most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers will be delighted by the sheer increase in gaming performance by adding a second GeForce GTX 560 Ti to their PC.

With an estimated selling e-tail price starting at $249 USD, the GTX 560 Ti is available starting today from the world’s leading add-in card partners, including ASL, ASUS, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle, Zotac and others. At launch, there will be a wide assortment of GTX 560 Ti cards available, including those with stock clocks of 822MHz and others that are clocked much higher, including some at 1GHz.

For more information about the GTX 560 Ti, please visit www.geforce.com.

MSI is also announced an even more special Golden Edition of the video card, though it offers little details on the specifics of either of the cards. I would expect that the Golden Edition will likely be overclocked to provide more performance compared to the stock N560GTX-Ti card.

Both of the video cards have Military Class II components for long life and robustness. The twin fan thermal design promises to keep the card 20-degrees cooling that normal air-cooled solutions. The new offerings also support GPU overvoltage for overclocking via software. Pricing and a specific release date for both cards is unannounced at this time.

The cooler uses a new UMPC mounting system that allows it to work with a wide range of GPUs. It can fit both NVIDIA and AMD video cards and has a flush heat pipe structure. The fan on the heat sink also has fan controller built in that puts a knob into a vacant PCI slot.

The fan on the cooling solution is a 120mm unit and is very slim. The heat sink and fan measure only 33mm thick. The overall dimensions are 176 x 33 x 139mm and it weighs 15.34 ounces. It will work in SLI and Crossfire. The fan spins at 800 rpm and is surprisingly quiet. The heat sink is compatible with just about every NVIDIA and AMD card out there.

There’s also talk of 4GB of GDDR5 memory, while connectivity includes dual-DVI and three Mini DisplayPort outputs. The double-width card is expected to suck down 30W during idle and 300W under full load.

AMD is expected to officially announce the Radeon HD 6990 in the latter half of February 2011. No word on pricing at this stage, but we’d expect it to be at the top end of the market.

[via Expreview]

Less noise is nice, but the gamer or enthusiast wants more performance and the cooling solution also claims to cool the card by up to 20-degrees more than other cooling solutions. The video cards using the new cooling solution comes with MSI’s Afterburner Overclocking Utility as well.

The utility allows the user to tweak settings within the card to get more performance out of their computer. Using the app GPU frequency and voltage can be tweaked and five different fan profiles can be stored as well to balance the need for performance with noise output. The video cards also use all solid capacitors for more performance.

The video card is from KFA2 and is the GeForce GTX 460. The five antennas sticking out of the back of the card stream the video to your monitor sans wires. That’s actually really cool and would be great for shooting your video from the PC over to a desk across the room when you don’t have a network cable long enough to reach.

The card supports all the features that the normal GTX 460 card offers like SLI capability, 3D Vision, and DirectX 11 support. The card has 336 cores, a 675MHz graphics clock, 1350MHz processor clock, and an 1800MHz memory clock. The card uses WHDI tech for putting that video on your PC screen. Pricing on the card is unknown at this time.

KFA2 via Kotaku

The contestants had to use graphics cards that were NVIDIA-based. The first place winner in the contest went by the name DFORDOG with a score of P5853 working out to 34.43 3DMarks per dollar spent on hardware. The card the winner used was an NVIDIA GTX 460 that cost about $169.99 and the CPU in the rig was an Intel Core i7-980X.

Another portion of the contest challenged the users to hit the highest score on the 3DMark 11 benchmark using a specific video card – the MSI N480 GTX Lightning. The winner was a person going by Elmore with P9277 3DMarks using the MSI card and a Core i7-980x CPU.

The video card looks pretty cool with dual fans to keep the card frosty. Gainward claims that the cooling solution is able to keep the GPU 12-degrees cooler than the standard heat sink used on the GTX 580 in 3D mode. When running in 2D mode the card is also very quiet at 5dB of sound output over ambient.

The real improvement here is the clock speeds of the video card. The cards core is clocked at 783MHz, the shader clock is 1566MHz, and the memory clock is 2010MHz. The card uses the same 1536MB of GDDR5 RAM as the stock version and has DisplayPort, DVI-D, and HDMI outputs.

The HD 6300M kicks off the ultraportable line, while the HD 6400M steps into the mainstream. The HD 6500M/6600M/6700M slot into the performance series, and the gaming enthusiast gets the HD 6800M and HD 6900M.

At the top end, that means things like a 580-680Mhz clock, 960 Stream processing units, 48 texture units, 128 Z/Stencil ROP units and 32 Color ROP units on the HD 6900M.

Press Release:

AMD Extends Leadership in Notebook PC Graphics with its Second-Generation of DirectX® 11-capable Mobile Graphics Technology; Delivering the Ultimate in Efficiency and Performance

—The AMD Radeon™ HD 6000M series are a top-to-bottom family of DirectX® 11-capable mobile graphics processors designed to deliver exceptional performance in every segment—

LAS VEGAS, Nev. —1/4/2011
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced its next generation mobile graphics technology, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000M series, delivering AMD’s highest performing notebook graphics for those who want to experience games, entertainment, and productivity on the go. Harnessing AMD’s second-generation of Microsoft DirectX® 11-capable mobile graphics architecture, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000M series provides users with:

Models offering up to 1.3 teraFLOPS of compute power for an unrivaled gaming experience on up to six displays using AMD Eyefinity technology.1
AMD HD3D technology for the ultimate in stereo 3D entertainment.2
AMD EyeSpeed technology for improved video and application performance.3
Notebooks featuring the new graphics technology are previewed at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the Wired: Make a Scene booth, located in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“One year ago AMD claimed the title of undisputed technology leader in mobile graphics performance and since then we continue to pave the way for mobile computing innovation,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. “With the introduction of the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000M series, AMD’s best just got better by cementing its leadership in notebook graphics. Through our feature-rich line of top-to-bottom next-generation notebook graphics, including AMD’s fastest performing notebook graphics processor, we’re enabling a superior visual computing experience in virtually every segment.”

AMD Radeon™ HD 6000M series graphics represent powerful support for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with existing and upcoming 2011 AMD Mainstream notebook platforms planned to feature true “Eye-Definition” Gaming with DirectX 11 support and AMD Eyefinity technology, plus amazing AMD HD3D Technology—all designed to accelerate mobile performance.

The video card supports multi-stream 1080p HD video and stereoscopic 3D rendering. The card plugs into a PCIe 2.0 x 16 slot and has 512MB of RAM. It uses a low profile design and has a DVI port with HDMI that supports HDCP. The card also supports Shader model 4.1 and fully programmable DX10.

Other features include support for OpenGL 3.1 and OpenGL ES 2.0. H.264 format video and VC-1 are supported along with Blu-ray and resolutions up to 2560 x 1600. The little card also supports dual screens and more. The GPU is the S3 Chrome 5400E unit and pricing is unknown at this time.

According to the geeks at TechPowerUp you can take that cheaper HD 6950 and turn the thing into the HD 6970 with a bit of modding. The reason a mod can turn the slower device into the faster one is that the GPUs are exactly the same with the 6950 simply having features locked.

The reason the locked shaders on the 6950 can be unlocked so easily is that they are turned off in BIOS rather than having fuses on the board that lock the shaders. The full instructions are on the source site link above. You can also download the files you need for the unlock process directly from the source as well.

There’s also a bevy of new features designed to squeeze the best out of your visuals, including Enhanced Quality Anti-Aliasing (EQAA), with a new sampling technique to help improve visual quality, Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA), compatible with any DirectX 9, 10 or 11 application, and improved anisotropic filtering. Meanwhile AMD’s HD3D technology is supported, along with Unified Video Decoder 3 (UVD3).

The HD 6970 packs an 880MHz clock, 1,536 stream processors and 176 GBps of memory bandwidth, while the HD 6950 makes do with an 800MHz clock and 1,408 stream processors. They’re expected to go on sale immediately, with RRPs of $369 and $299 respectively.

Press Release:

AMD Launches Its Most Advanced Enthusiast GPU Ever, AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 Series Graphics

— Enhanced second-generation architecture supporting DirectX® 11, new image quality features, AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and up to 2GB of graphics memory for high-resolution gaming —

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Dec. 15, 2010 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics, its most advanced enthusiast GPU representing the intelligent choice for enthusiast gamers. The AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series of graphics cards provides gamers with an enhanced second-generation, Microsoft DirectX® 11-capable architecture for breakthrough performance, advanced image quality features for the best looking games, and innovative AMD PowerTune power management technology that dynamically adjusts power draw on the fly. With flexible and cost-effective AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and AMD HD3D technology for 3D entertainment, the new AMD Radeon™ HD 6970 and AMD Radeon™ HD 6950 graphics cards offer The Ultimate Visual Experience™. Graphics cards in the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series are available immediately from retailers worldwide, with select models starting at $299 US SEP.

“AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics feature AMD’s second-generation, DirectX® 11-capable architecture, new image quality improvements and up to 2GB of graphics frame buffer, making it an intelligent choice for gamers and enthusiasts,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. “Delivering DirectX® 11 performance with intelligent tessellation, image quality improvements with new anti-aliasing modes and even intelligent power consumption with AMD PowerTune technology, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics cards make an excellent gift this holiday season.”

Efficient Architecture for Leading DirectX® 11 Performance
· Improved architecture for greater performance: With AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics, AMD has further improved its GPU design efficiency, realizing a 10 percent improvement in performance/mm2.[1] AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics provide an extremely smooth and efficient computing experience, enabling gamers to realize unparalleled image quality.

· New AMD PowerTune technology: Designed with intelligent power tuning features, including the introduction of enhanced power containment, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series automatically adjusts GPU power draw by dynamically controlling clocks speeds, allowing gamers advanced performance inside of the power envelope they specify.[2]

· The time to upgrade is now: Gamers looking to move to a DirectX® 11-capable GPU will find there has never been a better time to upgrade, with the AMD Radeon™ HD 6970 offering up to 2.5 times the gaming performance of 2008’s similarly priced high-end graphics solution.[3]

· Intelligent tessellation: The AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series of graphics cards features dual 8th generation tessellation units, delivering up to 2.9x tessellation performance compared to ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 graphics.[4]

· Increased memory for higher image quality: With 2GB of video memory serving as the new standard for graphics card frame buffers, gamers can enjoy superior quality graphics without needing to increase the memory footprint, even at extreme resolutions.

The Ultimate Visual Experience™: As AMD’s most advanced DirectX® 11-capable GPU, AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics offer a single high-performance solution for a realistic visual experience. DirectX®11 has quickly become the new standard for PC games and the majority of game developers chose to develop their DirectX® 11 games on AMD Radeon™ graphics cards. Beyond DirectX® 11 games, the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series also enables an exceptional gameplay experience in DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL titles in single card or multi-card AMD CrossFireX™ configurations.[5]

An Advanced Gaming Experience with AMD Eyefinity Technology and Advanced Display Options
· Improved image quality: Enhanced anti-aliasing features enables dramatically improved image quality and enhanced visual quality features for intensely realistic looking games. New features include Enhanced Quality Anti-Aliasing (EQAA), which uses a new sampling technique to help improve visual quality, Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA), compatible with any DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, or DirectX® 11 application, and improved anisotropic filtering.

Simple, flexible, affordable multi-display computing with AMD Eyefinity technology: Providing an expanded and more immersive field of view, AMD Eyefinity technology continues to be the most affordable multi-display solution available, offering incredible choice in display compatibility and configurations.[6] More than 60 game titles have been AMD Eyefinity-validated or are AMD Eyefinity-ready titles, and hundreds more are AMD Eyefinity-compatible.
Continued industry leadership in multi-display computing: The AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series of graphics cards offer support for both DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a, offering enthusiasts incredible multi-monitor configuration options, flexibility in display selection, and new DisplayPort audio features.
3D entertainment choices with AMD HD3D technology: AMD continues to deliver a broad and affordable selection of 3D solutions with the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics cards, featuring AMD HD3D Technology, and backed by our open 3D initiative for stereo 3D gaming and movies.[7]

Accelerate Your Life with AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing
AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology lets you do more, faster: Enthusiasts will enjoy improved performance and new features in top media, entertainment and productivity applications with AMD APP technology.[8]
Enhanced video quality features: AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics cards feature Unified Video Decoder 3 (UVD3), a dedicated video playback accelerator that helps users get the most out of HD video, online video and Blu-ray™ 3D, while enjoying a range of video quality improvements such as advanced post-processing and scaling, dynamic contrast enhancement, color correction and more.
Extensive support of industry standards: AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics cards fully support DirectCompute and OpenCL™, ensuring broad application support today and tomorrow.

A company I have never heard of before called Colorful has offered up a new single slot NVIDIA GTS 450 video card that is really cool. I think the coolest design element on the card is one that you can’t see. The PCB that the video card uses has slots cut in it for cooling, most PCBs are solid. The single slot card is only 17mm thick making it slightly thicker than the iPhone 4.

The Chinese language translation of the press release is sketchy as most Google translations are. Apparently, those slots in the PCB allow for a 56% increase in cooling efficiency. The massive heatsink under the casing of the video card has tunnels through it to allow the fan to blow air across the copper base plate. The video card is in the design and testing stage at this time and the company is offering no indication of when the card might hit store shelves.

That’s supposedly because initial benchmarking has shown that the GTX 580 outperforms the HD 6970, and AMD is expected to undercut its rival so as to make up for the disadvantage. Still, it’s also tipped to have a lower TDP than the NVIDIA, as well as offer more connections: two DVI ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, and an HDMI port. According to earlier leaks, the Cayman-based video cards will pack 1,536 stream processors, 32 ROPs, 96 texture units and 2GB of GDDR5 memory.

The PNY card carries the MSRP that NVIDIA suggest selling for $379.99. For that much loot, you get the standard clock speeds and features with 1280MB of GDDR5 RAM, a 732MHz core clock, and a 1464MHz processor clock. The card has 480 processing cores and a texture fill rate of 43.9 billion/sec. The card supports all of those NVIDIA features like 3D Vision PhysX and SLI as well. The bundle the card ships with includes a trial version of version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

That’s not very good and this is the first time I have seen a video card come with a trial version of a game. Typically, a game bundled with a new video card is the full version. You do get a full-length movie download though from Sony with the purchase with a bunch of choice like Big Daddy and more. A special limited edition version of the card sounds much better, assuming you want HDMI Mini. This card comes with the HDMI cable and a full version of HAWX2.