What does the 7900 GS compare to...?

nicknamealreadytaken

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I'm wondering which graphics card the OEM only nVidia 7900 GS compares to...

7900 GS specs:

256 MB
470/660 (1320) Mhz
20 Pixel pipelines
7 Vertex shaders

Is it safe to say that it is an OC'ed 7800 GT (or a minimized 7900 GT)? Or are there other numbers I am not considering?

7800 GT specs:

256 MB
400/500 (1000) Mhz
20 Pixel pipelines
7 vertex shaders

7900 GT specs:

256 MB
450/660 (1320) Mhz
24 pixel pipelines
8 vertex shaders
 

plewis00_uk

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If that 7900GS with those specs is a renamed 7800GTX then how does that work? The 7800GTX had 24 pipes and 8 vertex shaders, nicknamealreadytaken quoted is as 20 pipes and 7 vertex shaders.
 

nicknamealreadytaken

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I don't know where this whole renaming thing came from. They are two different cards with two different processes (110 nm for the 7800 GTX and 90 nm for the 7900 GS) and different processing units (G70 for the 7800 GTX and G71 for the 7900 GS). Not to mention 4 less shader pipelines and 1 less vertex shader.

Note: the 90 nm process and the G71 graphics processing unit are common throughout the 79xx series. I believe the G71 is a little cheaper and less power hungry.
 

tach

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i would compare the perfomance of the 7900gs as a 7800gt overcloked with a 90nm process keeping it cooler than the 7800 if you had a dell with this you could be able to overclock it more for even better performance since the 7900gt is well know for OCing.
 

plewis00_uk

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I never said a word about renaming them. You are right, there are two different cores, and that is why I don't think 7900GS is a renamed 7800GTX. The only card with 20p/7vp was the 7800GT, so it sounds like this 7900GS might be a binned G71 core. There is a lot of suggestions that G71 is simply a shrunk and optimised G70 core, hence the reduced power consumption and lower transistor count.
 

plewis00_uk

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Well, as no-one has benchmarked it I find it hard to say but at a guess yes, given the similarities of the two cores (G70 and G71). Probably with a lot lower heat output as well. Given that the 7800GT is still a good card by most standards and what most people are still using I don't think it would be an issue the 7900GS only having 20p/7vp.
 

enforcerfx

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most of the GS model gfx cards are really arent as good as the GT models, GS is mostly crippled cards that nvidia wants to get rid of. Don't believe much of anything dell says, they overcharge in everything. Their monitors are supposed to be good though and their PSUs are able to go higher than the tag says.
 

plewis00_uk

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Probably a 256-bit memory bus as all the other G70 and G71 chips are 256-bit. It would be possible to create a 128-bit bus version but given it is a higher-end card there would be no feasible point.