14 DAY TRIAL // Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA is said to be planning to rename its GeForce graphics cards, by introducing a new naming scheme for its GeForce 9800 GTX+ and 9800 GT video cards. The green company has been known for such practices in the past, having introduced new graphics cards that were basically rebranded versions of existing models. In true NVIDIA fashion, the chip maker is now expected to announce two new cards at this year's CeBIT show in Hanover, next month.
More specifically, the company will be adding the GeFore GTS 240 and GeForce GTS 250 to it lineup. Despite no details on the technical specifications of these new cards, NVIDIA is expected to officially announce them at the upcoming computer show in Hanover, Germany. In addition, it looks like these models will be based on some of the manufacturer's current GeForce cards, namely the 55nm GeForce 9800GTX+ and the 9800GT.
NVIDIA is already known for releasing cards with different branding, but providing the same features as some of its models that were already on the market. GeForce 9800GTX+ is one such example, as it has been introduced in mid-2008 as an alternative to AMD's surprisingly fast HD4850 graphics card. The new card featured a 55nm-based GPU and provided a slight improvement in processing and frequency. The GeForce 9800GT is also an example of the rebranding practices of NVIDIA. This GPU was launched as a renamed version of the GeForce 8800GT, one of the first G92-based graphics cars to hit the market, in late 2007. The only difference here was that the new card supported NVIDIA's Hybrid SLI technology.
If rumors are true, the company might have more to lose than to gain, as users might get confused by the new brand names of these cards. On the other hand, the move appears rather explainable, as the chip maker is planning to better compete in the entry-level and mainstream market segments.