Nvidia 6800 GT Coming Soon?

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider reports that a scaled-down version of the Nvidia 6800 DDL graphics card (required for the Apple 30" Cinema Display") will be made available at the Apple Store. From the article:

The graphics card company has been unable to produce stable versions of the 6800 Ultra card, delaying orders for Apple's 30-inch display by up to three months.

"Both products feature 256MB of GDDR3 memory and 16-pipe superscalar architecture; however, the Nvidia 6800 GT features a slightly lower bandwidth of 32GB/sec for delivery of 525 million verticies and 5.6 billion textured pixels per second. The Ultra version features 35.2GB/sec throughput for 600 million verticies and 6.4 billion textured pixels per second," the report says.

Like the 6800 Ultra, the 6800 GT will block the adjacent PCI slot, reducing the number of available PCI or PCI-X slots from three to two on the Power Mac G5.

The new card should be available for order in the first part of November.

 

[Mord]

whats new? this is on apple's site already

 

[combatcolin]

pricing?

 

[Sun Baked]

whats new? this is on apple's site already

I missed the part on Apple.com where they blamed nVidia for the delay problem.

They probably should have picked on IBM's Fishkill facility for the problems, since that's also the place having problems keeping up with the DP 2.5 demand (even without the 6800, it's still a 3-5 weeks for estimated ship time on base config)... they couldn't possibly be the root cause of all these delays at the higher clocked end of the equation on machines without these cards.

 

[wdlove]

The important thing is that it does the job. Wonder if they will lower the price?

 

[TwitchOSX]

DP 2.5.....

Our DP 2.5 is scheduled to ship "On or before 11/16/04" and it was ordered about a week and a half ago... damnit.

 

[Rod Rod]

6800 GT DDL pricing

pricing?

The Apple Store online has the price listed at $499. It's right below the 6800 Ultra DDL, which is listed at $599.

 

[Frobozz]

AppleInsider reports that a scaled-down version of the Nvidia 6800 DDL graphics card (required for the Apple 30" Cinema Display") will be made available at the Apple Store. From the article:
The new card should be available for order in the first part of November.

Directly from the Apple store, selling for $499.95:

NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT DDL Graphics Upgrade Kit

Available for order in November.

The groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce 6800 graphics processor used on both the Ultra and GT graphics cards delivers the industry's first 16-pipe superscalar architecture and support for fast GDDR3 memory to raise the bar for 3D graphics performance. The specifications of the GeForce 6800 GT DDL GPU, are stunning: Using over 220 million transistors it supports a 256-bit interface for an effective memory bandwidth of 32 GB per second which delivers 525 million vertices, 5.6 billion textured pixels per second. The specifications for the GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL take these numbers up yet another notch to 35.2GB/s throughput, 600 million vertices and 6.4 billion textures pixels. Both GPU's feature NVIDIA's industry leading CineFX 3.0 technology allowing unprecedented special effects to be processed in real-time

Both the GeForce 6800 Ultra and GT GPU's are built on an AGP 8X board and include 256MB of GDDR3 memory for use in the most demanding graphics applications. They are the first cards available to support the DVI standard dual link digital signal specification from the two DVI ports they feature. This capability is required to drive the new 30-inch LCD, high resolution Apple Cinema HD display. The combination of a GeForce 6800 GT DDL or GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card with a dual processor Power Mac G5 driving two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays is the definitive tool for the creative professional.

Special note on the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT DDL and the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL: due to size of these advanced graphics cards, the adjacent PCI or PCI-X slot will be blocked and reduces the number of available PCI or PCI-X slots from three to two.

 

[dizastor]

sadly, the card is so large that it blocks a PCI or PCI-X slot, and you will need to remove all internal hard drives and cd/dvd drives.

 

[TranceClubMusic]

sadly, the card is so large that it blocks a PCI or PCI-X slot, and you will need to remove all internal hard drives and cd/dvd drives.

Actually its soooooooooo large - you have to remove the G5 Processor and all the fans

 

[TwitchOSX]

Actually...

It's Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo large, you have to buy a larger case, dedicated solely for the card itself and imerse the case and card within liquid nitrogen so it doesnt overheat. Requires its own 50hp gasoline generator as well to power it. Bummer.

 

[jiggie2g]

What about a mid level card

We all know that the Mid level segment of apple video cards has been ignored for some time and unless u buy a new Power Mac G5 BTO you can't even get an outdated Radeon 9600XT , we need someting like a Nvidia 6600GT or Radeon X700XT , being that both those cards are only available in PCI-Express we might have 2 wait a while, but i assume Apple will Include PCI-Expess in the next G5 Revision (as they should because it will have been available for some time by then). I just hope Apple dosen't screw this one up.

 

[ASP272]

I'd rather buy the new ATI card. One slot usage. 'Nuf said.

 

[jamdr]

I agree that Apple should offer a mid-level card. That would probably take some pressure off the high-end ones and then they wouldn't have to resort to something like this.

 

[Rod Rod]

We all know that the Mid level segment of apple video cards has been ignored for some time and unless u buy a new Power Mac G5 BTO you can't even get an outdated Radeon 9600XT , we need someting like a Nvidia 6600GT or Radeon X700XT , being that both those cards are only available in PCI-Express we might have 2 wait a while, but i assume Apple will Include PCI-Expess in the next G5 Revision (as they should because it will have been available for some time by then). I just hope Apple dosen't screw this one up.

nVidia and ATI could make AGP versions of the PCI Express cards you named. an example of this is the X800.

 

[swissmann]

I wonder how different the real world performance is?

 

[Veldek]

I wonder how different the real world performance is?

It is about 10-15% slower than the Ultra.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I ( now) find it funny how video cards for mac come with a $100 surcharge. I know someone has to write those drivers but still why should all mac cards cost a extra $100 vs PC counterparts?? Its not like they have adc anymore. Anyways as a user of a 6800GT iam very happy with mine. I recommend this card, on the pc side of things you can get ultra performance out of the GT. Mac side will be another story.

 

[wdlove]

It is about 10-15% slower than the Ultra.

Will that make a difference in the performance of the 30" Cinema Display? Or will those customers automatically get the Ultra?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The Shaft

Mac video cards ALWAYS cost more, are de-clocked, and fewer in selection than their PC counterparts. Always. They don't HAVE to be slower and more expensive to work in a Mac! It would be nice if someone did something about that.

 

[invaLPsion]

I ( now) find it funny how video cards for mac come with a $100 surcharge. I know someone has to write those drivers but still why should all mac cards cost a extra $100 vs PC counterparts?? Its not like they have adc anymore. Anyways as a user of a 6800GT iam very happy with mine. I recommend this card, on the pc side of things you can get ultra performance out of the GT. Mac side will be another story.

Hey DHM.

I was thinking about getting a 6800GT for my powermac. If I indeed do, I think it might be kind of fun for us to co-author a head to head comparison thread, in which we try various gaming benchmarks and see how an AMD 64 and a G5 compare. Just a thought...

Ross

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Hey DHM.

I was thinking about getting a 6800GT for my powermac. If I indeed do, I think it might be kind of fun for us to co-author a head to head comparison thread, in which we try various gaming benchmarks and see how an AMD 64 and a G5 compare. Just a thought...

Ross

Sounds good, you will have to wait for Doom3 but i dont think it will be much longer. Very good idea.
6800GT is having great press from what i have seen. It would be nice to see some figures with no spin.

 

[invaLPsion]

Sounds good, you will have to wait for Doom3 but i dont think it will be much longer. Very good idea.
6800GT is having great press from what i have seen. It would be nice to see some figures with no spin.

Terrific, I'll get that card ordered ASAP and we can discuss later some of the game benchmarks we can compare.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Good. also tell me what games you have. I am starting a new PC collection so i dont have but 3 titles at the moment and not one is on Mac. Doom3,Il2 Forgotten battles and Nascar thunder. Iam planning on getting Call of duty,UT2004,Halflife2 soon.

 

[invaLPsion]

Good. also tell me what games you have. I am starting a new PC collection so i dont have but 3 titles at the moment and not one is on Mac. Doom3,Il2 Forgotten battles and Nascar thunder. Iam planning on getting Call of duty,UT2004,Halflife2 soon.

I have Call of Duty, America's Army, Quake 3, Warcraft 3, etc. I plan on getting UT2K4, WoW, and Doom3 when they are released. Halo may also be a good game to compare, but I don't want to make this too expensive...