Introducing the GeForce 8800 - Nvidia's take on the Frankenstein Monster

**Spino** · 10-05-2006, 18:49

http://dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4441

http://dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4442

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4450

Gentlemen, start your DirectX10 engines

DailyTech received its first looks at a GeForce 8800 production sample today, and by the looks of it, the card is a monster: at least with regard to size and power requirements.

The GeForce 8800 comes in two flavors, which we will get into more detail about over the course of the next few days. The first card, the GeForce 8800GTX, is the full blown G80 experience, measuring a little less than 11 inches in length. The GeForce 8800GTS is a cut down version of the first, and only 9 inches in length.

The marketing material included with the card claims NVIDIA requires at least a 450W power supply for a single GeForce 8800GTX, and 400W for the 8800GTS. Top tier vendors in Taiwan have already confirmed with DailyTech that GeForce 8800 cards in SLI mode will likely carry a power supply "recommendation" of 800W. NVIDIA's GeForce 7950GX2, currently the company's top performing video card, carries a recommendation of 400W to run the card in single-card mode.

NVIDIA is slated to launch both versions of the GeForce 8800 in November of this year. More details on the GeForce 8800 will be available later today on DailyTech.

Update 10/05/2006: We originally reported the GeForce 8800GTX and 8800GTS are 9" in length. The reference design for the 8800GTX is actually a little less than 11 inches.

Better save those pennies for that electric bill!

Something tells me it the GF 8800 is also going to be useful as a space heater for those cold winter months. Just pop open your PC case and let this baby work its magic!

**Lemur** · 10-05-2006, 22:49

Hmmm, lots of articles popping up, some contradicting this one ... I'll be perkier when one of the major geek websites confirms or denies ...

**Spino** · 10-10-2006, 16:04

Originally Posted by Lemur

Hmmm, lots of articles popping up, some contradicting this one ... I'll be perkier when one of the major geek websites confirms or denies ...

FYI, Dailytech is part of Anandtech, one of the most popular computer geekazoid tech sites on the web. Based on the articles it seems Anand and the gang already have their hands on the GF 8800 and are putting together a review which will hit the web as soon as the NDA lifts in November.

**Lemur** · 10-10-2006, 16:09

Spino, thanks for the clarificaion; I had no idea AnandTech was branching out into sub-sites. Lemur is asleep at the wheel!

**Beirut** · 10-05-2006, 23:34

Originally Posted by Spino

Something tells me it the GF 8800 is also going to be useful as a space heater for those cold winter months. Just pop open your PC case and let this baby work its magic!

You ain't kidding. We don't heat the office here at home because the two computers and screens (at least last winter with my old 19" CRT) heated the room just fine.

**doc_bean** · 10-06-2006, 08:26

The SLI version will swallow more power than my microwave...

Damnit, computer gaming is becoming more damaging to the environment than driving a pick up up and down the road for fun

**x-dANGEr** · 10-06-2006, 21:00

Huh!

**Lemur** · 10-06-2006, 21:06

Originally Posted by doc_bean

The SLI version will swallow more power than my microwave...

Make of it what you will, but in DX10 video hardware is not supposed to be able to have its own private conversation without the OS butting in. This implies that SLI and Crossfire will be things of the past, so you may not have to worry about fitting two of these monsters into a case ...

**Xiahou** · 10-06-2006, 21:40

Originally Posted by Lemur

Make of it what you will, but in DX10 video hardware is not supposed to be able to have its own private conversation without the OS butting in.

Sounds bad to me for the same reason hardware RAID is preferable to software RAID.

**drone** · 10-06-2006, 21:44

The more I hear about DX10, the less I like. Hopefully this backfires on M$, and more software companies switch (and contribute) to OpenGL.

**MSB** · 10-09-2006, 19:32

I think (to both save the planet and the electric bill) I will wait for the 8600 and the 8400 before I start playing with DX10. Although I don't think the Go version will take up that much power or it would be the ultimate battery drainer. Perhaps I should wait till the 8800 Go before buying my laptop...