Zotac Designs GeForce GTX 460 X2 Graphics Card

[btarunr]

Zotac is another NVIDIA partner who isn't pleased that the GeForce GTX 480 isn't holding performance leadership, but has the engineering potential to outdo it. Earlier in June, Galaxy showed off a dual Fermi graphics card that makes use of two GF100 graphics processors in the GeForce GTX 465 configuration. Zotac waited for a more mature implementation of the Fermi architecture, found out that the GF104-based GeForce GTX 460 isn't lacking much in performance compared to the GTX 465, with vastly better thermal specifications, and went on to design its latest high-end card, which it now refers to as the Zotac GeForce GTX 460 X2. The card makes use of two GeForce GTX 460 1 GB GPUs in an internal SLI, much like every other dual-GPU NVIDIA card.

The card uses an NVIDIA nForce 200 bridge chip to semaphore and broadcast data between the two GPUs, a dual 3+1+1 phase VRM that draws power from two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, and display connectivity is relayed to the rear-panel from both the GPUs, that's four dual-link DVI, and one mini-HDMI. What this also means is that with just this one card, you can use the 3D Vision Surround feature, while retaining SLI multi-GPU scaling. If that's not all, there's a SLI connector, which lets you pair this with another card of its kind, for GTX 460 Quad-SLI. Zotac is yet to finalize a cooling solution to suit it best. GF104 could be NVIDIA's easiest route to a dual-GPU graphics card that establishes performance leadership. The GF104 physically has 384 CUDA cores (336 on Zotac's card, since it's in the GTX 460 configuration), and has shown to be capable of high GPU/Shader clock speeds. More details about Zotac's card are awaited.



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[DanishDevil]

If they pair this with some good cooling, good marketing, and a decent price tag, these will sell pretty well. I certainly wouldn't mind playing with two of them.

 

[Cuzza]

lol @ "semaphore" . That's a ...let's say... colourful translation.

Interesting that they choose to make the card taller to fit the VRM circuitry instead of longer ... could be handy in smaller cases.

quote W1zzard July 12 2010: "The future looks bright for a possible single card dual GPU solution from NVIDIA. If they manage to cram two of these GPUs onto a PCB, couple it with clever power saving mechanisms and release it at a reasonable price, there is no reason to keep the GeForce GTX 480 around."

Spot on W1zz. Sooner the better. Look forward to more details.

 

[Flanker]

looks really nice, but 2x 8-pin connectors is a little scary... more than what the 5970 uses

 

[HalfAHertz]

Test it! Test it NAU!

 

[btarunr]

lol @ "semaphore" . That's a ...let's say... colourful translation.

By "semaphore", I meant something like railway-semaphores (that guide trains in a rail yard).

 

[a_ump]

Test it! Test it NAU!

^ hear hear

 

[CDdude55]

which lets you pair this with another card of its kind, for GTX 460 Quad-SLI.

That sounds epic..

Props to Zotac.

 

[motasim]

... sounds promising, let's wait and see ... and as usual, let's speculate and argue up till that time ...

 

[Xaser04]

looks really nice, but 2x 8-pin connectors is a little scary... more than what the 5970 uses

Each 460 normally requires 2 x 6 pin PCI-e conectors so it makes sense for this dual gpu card to have dual 8 pin connectors. This doesn't mean it will pull a full 300w though.

 

[entropy13]

Cooling it like this maybe.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Guessing by now asus gave up on that dual 480 card.

 

[bear jesus]

That's just beautiful

I can't wait to see some reviews and even more so some overclocking numbers, if this thing clocks like most other 460's it will be one hell of a card.

 

[Hayder_Master]

If they pair this with some good cooling, good marketing, and a decent price tag, these will sell pretty well. I certainly wouldn't mind playing with two of them.

what's wrong with AMP addition, sure it will be cool and cheap

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Now if only Zotac had a better warranty and support, then they would have something.

 

[TIGR]

Any guesses on prices and when they might make it to market if they do at all?

I like the Folding@home potential.

 

[Cuzza]

By "semaphore", I meant something like railway-semaphores (that guide trains in a rail yard).

Thanks tarun, I know what you meant, just an uncommon choice of words. At least to us westerners.

 

[KainXS]

ewwwwwwww

hate the way it looks for some reason

 

[20mmrain]

I don't think it will happen.... main reason is price. The TX 460 is already costing so little to make a card like this worth for people to buy over a GTX 460 SLI setup it would have to be priced at around $350.
That is about the current price of a GTX 460 SLI set up right now anyway.Plus they wouldn't do that anyway because it would hinder GTX 480 sales. But if they did release it and it wasn't set to hinder GTX 480 sales that means this card would have to be priced around $500 to $600 bucks. If not more..... Then know one would buy it for sure!

The only upside you could get from this if they charged more would be 4 way SLI.....but buying that for close to $1000 bucks for two would be ridiculous in my eyes.

None the less looks like a cool card.

 

[yogurt_21]

interesting, looks like aib partners are getting tired of waiting for nvidia to launch their own dual card and are trying it on their own.

mixed results typically come with this sort of thing. The sapphire x1950pro dual was a flop but then again the 4850x2 did seem to sell decently and even grabbed the attention of amd/ati to be added into the drivers.

then again sapphire manufactuers most of all amd/ati cards made. So an nvidia partner who doesn't wield that kind of power might not have as easy a time getting one off the ground, at least in mass quantities.

 

[stupido]

I don't think it will happen.... main reason is price. The TX 460 is already costing so little to make a card like this worth for people to buy over a GTX 460 SLI setup it would have to be priced at around $350.
That is about the current price of a GTX 460 SLI set up right now anyway.Plus they wouldn't do that anyway because it would hinder GTX 480 sales. But if they did release it and it wasn't set to hinder GTX 480 sales that means this card would have to be priced around $500 to $600 bucks. If not more..... Then know one would buy it for sure!

The only upside you could get from this if they charged more would be 4 way SLI.....but buying that for close to $1000 bucks for two would be ridiculous in my eyes.

None the less looks like a cool card.

very interesting reasoning...

 

[Disparia]

Oh man, what if they're $10,000 each?! SLI would cost you $20,000!!! That's more than some cars. Why do you do this to us Zotac??

 

[[Ion]]

This is very awesome indeed

If it's sub-$400, I'd imagine that it would be an incredible seller. Better-than-HD5970 performance for sub-$400? Hell yeah

 

[RejZoR]

Hm, i thought "X2" tag is trademarked by AMD...

 

[entropy13]

This is very awesome indeed

If it's sub-$400, I'd imagine that it would be an incredible seller. Better-than-HD5970 performance for sub-$400? Hell yeah

It HAS to be less than $400. You can have 2 GTX 460s right now for less than $320.