NVIDIA Reveals First Next-Generation GeForce 9 Series GPU
NVIDIA Corporation has unveiled the first graphics processing unit (GPU) of its next-generation GeForce 9 Series that may offer the largest single-generation performance jump in the Company鈥檚 history. Introduced today, the NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT GPU delivers up to 116% more performance than its predecessor at a price below $199.
鈥淎fter going to all the GeForce LANs and seeing the rigs that gamers play on, we wanted to kick off the GeForce 9 with the perfect GPU for gamers,鈥� said Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPUs at NVIDIA. 鈥淭he first product to be introduced in the GeForce 9 family gives gamers the horsepower to play cutting-edge DirectX 10 games at a price they will love and can afford.鈥�
A point has been reached in PC gaming where the graphics horsepower requirements to play popular games such as Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3 at high-definition resolutions such as 1900x1200 and above, with high-image-quality features enabled, may have outpaced a lot of the installed hardware. Until now, graphics processors capable of delivering playable frame rates at those stressful settings have cost in excess of $400. With the GeForce 9600 GT GPU, immersive gaming with incredible graphics is now within the reach and budget of PC gamers for less than $199.
鈥淣VIDIA continues to innovate in hardware technology so that game enthusiasts and consumers can fully experience the incredible graphics offerings in Microsoft鈥檚 operating systems, including Windows Vista,鈥� said Kevin Unangst, senior global director of Games for Windows, Microsoft. 鈥淭he new GeForce 9600 GT GPU further extends NVIDIA鈥檚 ability to deliver improved DirectX 10 performance on Windows Vista at an affordable price point, so that anyone and everyone can have an amazing gaming experience.鈥�
The new GeForce 9600 GT GPU shows an improved performance-per-watt ratio compared to its predecessor as well as improved compression efficiency. In addition to 64 stream processors鈥攅ach individually clocked at a blazing-fast 1625 MHz鈥攁nd a 256-bit memory interface running at 900 MHz, the GeForce 9600 GT GPU is designed for the new PCIe 2.0 bus standard and features backwards compatibility with the original PCIe standard.
The GeForce 9600 GT GPU also improves high-definition video playback on everyday PCs by leveraging NVIDIA PureVideo庐 HD technology to deliver high-quality playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies. The new programmable video-processing engine takes on all of the high-definition H.264 video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks, while significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise. Spectacular picture clarity and vibrant color is achieved with advanced video processing technology.
GeForce 9600 GT-based graphics cards are available now from leading add-in card manufacturers, retailers, and system builders.
Source: NVIDIA
