14 DAY TRIAL // Even though everyone is pumped up about the GM200 graphics processing unit, that chip is still a long way off, which means that NVIDIA's OEMs have to rehash existing technologies in order to launch new stuff at CES 2015.
The Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show that takes place every January in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year, it will happen between January 6 and January 9 and will play host to quite a few things, like the new XOTIC PC gaming system and high-end DDR4, plus a Curved All-in-One PC of all things.
What we've only now caught mention of is the new high-end graphics cards from NVIDIA, or rather its OEMs.
EVGA readies GeForce GTX 980 Classified Kingpin Edition
The video card is not, unfortunately, one of the juicy new boards powered by the GM200 Maxwell graphics processing units.
Despite that being the only chip in the Maxwell generation that hasn't debuted yet, NVIDIA doesn't plan to launch it all that soon even now.
Initially, it was believed that the company was waiting for the move to 20 nm or 16 nm fabrication technology, but it was later reported to not be the case.
Indeed, the Santa Clara, California-based company has since decided (supposedly) to not even bother advancing Maxwell to 16nm anymore.
Instead, it will leave it to the Pascal to do that in 2016. That's right, 2016. In the meantime, Maxwell will stick to the 28nm technology.
Alas, we won't be seeing the GM200 out and about even at CES 2015. Well, unless that leak about the GM200 Maxwell chip powering a Quadro card is true.
The GM204, however, the chip which is already found in the GeForce GTX 980 and (though cut down) in the GTX 970 hasn't gotten old and died yet.
Case in point, EVGA has prepared the GeForce GTX 980 Classified Kingpin edition. A GTX 980 with a partially transparent cooler and two fans of different make from each other. The one on the right has shaper blade posture, designed to push air to the left more. The left fan looks more normal, presumably to push air down on the assembly while the other one maintains a better airflow for the whole setup.
Unfortunately, the specs of the card aren't known beyond that point. No doubt this will, in the end, be just a factory overclocked version of the normal GTX 980.
Availability
Nothing concrete is known, but we can assume the board will be launched next week for a price a bit higher than $550 / €550.