randomizer :
I see a Tesla and Jen-Hsun holding a heatspreader. I see no die.
Isn't that a heat-spreader from an FX?
The return to the 'F' nomenclature does not bode well for nV. :
Anyways, while DX11 isn't mandatory (intel sells alot of chips that are barely DX10 compliant through emulation), it does show what nV's situation is, and that's slipping further back down the graphics technology ladder. Everyone said they would forgo DX10.1 to dedicate their efforts to DX11, well that didn't seem to do that, since they ended up with essentially DX10.1+ instead of full DX11 in dedicated hardware. At what time does it become, "well visuals aren't important in a graphics card, it's the computational power that matters most..." so the return of all software rendering?
If we wanted co-processors, we'd get a second CPU, and likely for more immediate global benefit and cheaper too.
The one area I can see this being helpful would be Ray-casting & Ray-tracing, but really I don't know if that design would benefit more or whether the sheer numbers of the 1600 procs in the HD5870 would be best for that task.
It's the FX series all over again, and I expect to see the return of floptimizations and paying companies to shackle their games to try and help this situation and make them seem 'forward thinking' by not including current technology.
However that being the case, why would you upgrade from a GTX280 in SLi then? The G300 is going to fall short in performance, and all the things it brings to the table that are better are 'not important'. It's a weird strategy, and banks alot on PhysX and other general computing functions in order to sell graphics cards.
It does clarify some of the statements made by people like Tim Sweeney earlier in the year, he was obviously privy to nV's plans back then and was setting forth the PR for the case, where it wasn't about DX or OpenGL, but about general computing.
The main thing will be if there are any early applications or games that highlight either the benefits or deficiencies of such a design, it took a while to show the shortcomings of the FX series, and only about a year and a half later were people regretting their choices. It may be the case here too, where the decision isn't fully felt until we're near the replacement or at least refresh for both cards.
But for anyone looking at a longer term mid-range card, there's really only going to be one choice from the looks of things, and that would be the HD5K series, where the benefits of both computational power and graphics features (where DX11's efficiencies will be most needed) make the old G2xx line pointless, and the new F100/G300 series out of reach.
It's a strange decision, but at this point in time nV is stuck with their prediction a year and a half ago that it would all be about compute power and not graphics, there's nothing else they can do now other than to market the hell out of that concept, and that start with yesterday's vapour-launch.
😗 
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram