14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese sources already present the latest details about Nvidia's G83 and G86. The first one to debut is the Geforce 8600, which will have Ultra and GT versions, unlike the G88. The Ultra brand is back in business, replacing the GTX denomination that came with G88. Both G86 versions are 80nm GPUs.
The Ultra version supports 64 Stream processors and works at 500 MHz core with memories clocked at 1400 MHz. It has a 256 bit memory controller and 256 or 512 MBs of onboard memory. The amount of memory will highly depend on integrator/vendor specific designs. Its estimated retail price is supposed to be priced at $179, but analysts expect a final price somewhere around $199.
The GT version is said to include 48 stream processors and a 350 MHz core clock. The memory will work at 1200 MHz and the card will sport a 256 bit memory controller with 128MB or 256 MB of onboard video RAM. It appears that the price is set at around $149. If so, these cards will feature one great price/performance factor for a DirectX10 part. The GeForce 8600 series are to replace the current mainstream 7900GT/GS and 7600 cards. These cards are scheduled for a February or March official announcement, while the chips are already being sampled.
Next in line are the entry level cards. The low-end or entry level market is the most profitable one for GPU makers like Nvidia and ATI. Nvidia didn't forget about it and scheduled a summer release for its entry level Geforce 8300 GPUs. These are again 80 nanometer chips, which come in two versions as well. The faster one, Geforce 8300 GT, has 32 stream processors (one quarter of those included in Geforce 8800 GTX). Its core works at 500MHz and the memory is clocked at 1200MHz. The card uses a 128 bit memory controller supporting 128MB or 256MB of video RAM. These cards will be priced between $89 and $99, according to the amount of onboard video RAM.
The slowest new generation member takes the form of Geforce 8300 GS, which includes only 24 stream processors. The core works at 500 MHz, while the memory tops at 1000 MHz. The card that will integrate this GPU will use the same 128 bit memory interface, supporting between 128 and 256 MB of memory. Prices will be between $69 and $79. These will be native DirectX 10 cards, but don't expect record breaking results from them.