This is a powerful GPU and overclockers might render the reference GTX 670 useless

Jul 27, 2012 06:23 GMT  ·  By

Californian fabless GPU designer Nvidia seems like it wants to conquer the mid-end GPU market all for itself and it will apparently launch a very powerful GTX 660 Ti design. Later information we stumbled upon points towards a mid-August launch using a GK104 GPU.

Usually, chip designers use salvaged chips in their mid-end product line.

A complex and ultimately big GPU like Nvidia’s GK104 can only have yields so good, but chips with a few imperfections inside can still be used if the affected units are disabled and the GPU is mounted on a more modest video card model.

The GTX 670 chips have some units disabled when compared with the GTX 680 flagship, and many expected the new GTX 660 Ti to do the same when compared with Nvidia’s GTX 670.

Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case, and the GeForce GTX 660 Ti will reportedly feature the same 1344 CUDA core just like the GTX 670.

The only difference from the GTX 670 will be the 192-Bit memory BUS and a 20W lower TDP.

Hardware experts at SweClockers.com have also confirmed that the company is preparing for a mid-August launch and the most likely launch date is the 16th.

Using a full GTX 670 GPU on GTX 660 Ti video cards seems a bold and rather unexpected move from Nvidia.

This adds more substance to TSMC’s claims that its 28nm manufacturing process is in very good shape and yields, even with such complex GPUs like the GK104, are high enough that Nvidia can afford selling the same GPU at two different price points.