14 DAY TRIAL // Reports about generation-based performance boosts seem to go hand in hand these days. After learning that AMD's Vishera will be 9% faster than the first Bulldozer chips, we find out what the latest word is on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780.
That the next-generation graphics adapter will use a different GPU than the GK110 is something we learned about at the start of the month (October 2012).
Now we have found confirmation that this is truly the case. No official confirmation, but we'll take what we can get.
SemiAccurate, citing two sources allegedly briefed on the matter, says that the chip in the GeForce GTX 780 will be called GK114 or GK114-GX. Or perhaps there will be two versions of the graphics processing unit.
It will take a while for the launch date to arrive though. NVIDIA has no plans to release the 780 before March 2013. It might not even be before April or May for that matter.
We should also specify that the performance advantage of the high-end card over its predecessor (GeForce GTX 680) will not be huge.
Though we did find murmurs about a 25% jump before, SemiAccurate cites 15%, the same as what AMD has planned for its Sea Islands.
NVIDIA seems to be betting on power efficiency and price here. Compared to the technology in the cards of Advanced Micro Devices, its Kepler has a more energy-efficient design, enabling video boards to have similar or lower prices, but an edge in performance-per-Watt.
The company could further exploit this by expanding the bus beyond the 256-bit that restricted the 600 Series.
Overall, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 is shaping up to be merely a stepping stone between the current generation of products and the Maxwell-based ones which will debut in 2014. The balance of power between the company and AMD will be interesting to watch.