NVIDIA is preparing to launch a series of GeForce 8600 cards in the middled of the second quarter 2007 to help satisfy the increasing demand for DirectX 10 supporting graphics cards caused by Windows Vista. According to the release plan several versions priced to target mainstream markets are currently being prepared. The GeForce 8600 GT with 512MB memory will be priced between US$219 and US$229, while a 256MB version will be available at US$199. Additionally, targeting an even lower price point will be the GeForce 8600GS at between US$159 and US$165, according to DigiTimes. DirectX 10 graphics cards will be the main focus for both NVIDIA and AMD-ATI at the upcoming CeBIT trade show to be held from March 15 to 21, 2007. That's also the date when the above mentioned cards from NVIDIA are expected to be shown alongside the company's already released GeForce 8800 series.

You may not have final Vista drivers for your brand new GeForce 8800 video card, but you might be interested in this DX10 Cascades demo over at NZone. Minimum System Requirements: GeForce 8-Series, Windows Vista, ForceWare Drivers 100.64 or higher, 512MB system memory, 256MB video memory.

techPowerUp! has already reported on NVIDIA's 8900GTX, which is essentially an overclocked version of the G80 with 25% more shaders unlocked, but NVIDIA is also planning a dual-GPU card, the 8950GX2, as well as a GTS version and budget GT and GS models. Because there are so many details, here's a list:

• 8950 GX2 - this will have two cores working at 550MHz with 96 shaders on each chip, and two sets of 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 memory at 2000MHz and a predicted price of $600.
• 8900 GTX - this is now being reported to run at 700MHz with 128 shaders and 768MB of 384-bit memory running at 2200MHz, priced around $550
• 8900 GTS - this version will be similar to the GTX, with 128 shaders but a lower GPU speed of 600MHz and 640MB of 320-bit memory running at 2000MHz. The price should be around $500
• 8900 GT - this will have 96 shaders and a 600MHz core, with 512MB of 256-bit GDDR3 memory running at 1800MHz, priced around $400
• 8900 GS - this should have a core clocked at 550MHz with 96 shaders and 256-bit memory at 1600MHz in sizes of either 256MB or 512MB. This should cost about $250

All five of these cards will use an 80nm manufacturing process and could push down the price of the 8800GTX to $450 and the 8800GTS to $400.

NVIDIA has released the following new GeForce 8800 Series drivers for use with Windows Vista 32/64bit version. For a full list of fixed issues, please view the release notes - 100.64.

Download: ForceWare 100.64 Vista 32bit (29.4 MB), ForceWare 100.64 Vista 64bit (41.9 MB)

SANTA CLARA, CA-FEBRUARY 13, 2007-NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 and the fiscal year ended January 28, 2007.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, revenue increased to a record $878.9 million, compared to $633.6 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006, an increase of 39 percent. Net income computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 was $163.5 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, compared to net income of $97.4 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006, a net income increase of 68 percent.

NVIDIA is renaming its existing MCP61P GeForce 6100 and nForce 405 chipsets to compete with AMD's upcoming RS690 in the marketing game. Under the new naming scheme, the single-chip MCP61P GeForce 6100 and nForce 405 is reborn as the GeForce 7050( GeForce 7-series) and nForce 630a(nForce 600-series). All GeForce 7050 and nForce 630a based motherboards feature dual-channel DDR2-533/667/800 support, PCIe x1 & PCI slots, high-definition audio, 10x USB 2.0, 4x SATA 3.0Gbps ports with RAID and Gigabit Ethernet. NVIDIA's GeForce 7050 integrated graphics core also features an sDVO connection for enhanced video output capabilities.

3GSM WORLD CONGRESS-BARCELONA, SPAIN-FEBRUARY 12, 2007-In order to meet the growing multimedia demands of today's mobile phone user, NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today unveiled its new strategy to target the rapidly growing applications processor market . The NVIDIA GoForce 6100, the company's first in a family of applications processors, is a highly integrated and optimized multimedia solution that consumes less than half the power of any applications processor available on the market today.

If you haven't noticed, lots of NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB reviews have surfaced on top tech and hardware sites. Here's a list of all the major reviewers showing results from NVIDIA's new "budget" DX10 graphics card equipped with 320MB 320bit DDR3 memory.

[H]ard|OCP | Guru3D | Legit Reviews | MadShrimps | PcPerspective | iXBT (Russian) | AnandTech

NVIDIA, in response to recent demanding for driver support for Windows Vista, has launched a new web page dedicated to this issue. The site also features a link for all Windows Vista users to report bugs and issues.

Over the coming weeks NVIDIA and our partners, along with the industry, will continue to update Windows Vista drivers to ensure maximum performance on 3D applications and add feature support.

While NVIDIA is currently in (figurative) hot water with developers and gamers for an utter lack of WHQL Vista drivers for the G80, they are working on something for the rest of the industry. Mac OS X has for a long time been disadvantaged with a lack of Direct3D games. NVIDIA recently announced that they will work with Trans Gaming to develop very fast (and very supportive)Direct3D emulators for Mac OS X. NVIDIA's CgFX API engine, as well as their shader libraries of known developers, will compliment Trans Gaming's Cider very nicely. This means that as NVIDIA and Trans Gaming really get something out in the public, they will allow Mac users to play modern games.

NVIDIA is set to release one more nForce 680i variant that is slightly cheaper than the nForce 680i SLI. The cut-down nForce 680i will carry the nForce 680i LT SLI name and target extreme gamers. NVIDIA will manufacture the nForce 680i LT motherboards for various motherboard manufacturers. Unlike the heat-pipe endowed nForce 680i SLI motherboards, nForce 680i LT SLI-based motherboards will have active cooling. Instead of support for DDR2-1200 memory, NVIDIA has limited the memory controller to DDR2-800. Front-side bus speeds up to 1333 MHz remains supported. The nForce 680i LT SLI will continue to support NVIDIA's SLI multi-GPU technology, but only one Gigabit LAN and eight USB 2.0 ports instead of ten will be presented. NVIDIA nForce 680i LT SLI-based motherboards are expected to ship in early March.

DailyTech has revealed new details of NVIDIA's upcoming MCP72 single-processor chipset. This will be NVIDIA's first HT3(HyperTransport 3.0) compatible chipset and a successor to the current nForce 500-series MCP and the upcoming AMD MCP68 chipsets. MCP72 will support AMD's socket AM2 and HT3 enabled AM2+. Socket AM2+ will house AMD's upcoming Athlon 64 Agena and Opteron Budapest quad-core processors. Unlike the nForce 500-series, the upcoming MCP72 is a single-chip solution similar to the previous nForce 3-series and early nForce 4-series. It will also offer a small footprint and have low power consumption. MCP72 will also be NVIDIA's first PCIe 2.0 equipped chipset, making it ideal for next-generation PCIe peripherals and graphics cards. Other notable MCP72 features include support for six SATA 3.0Gbps and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports like the current nForce 500-series. As with all NVIDIA chipset architectures, expect MCP72 to spawn SLI and Ultra variants. There's also the possibility of MCP72-based integrated graphics offerings too. Expect MCP72 to launch in time for AMD's upcoming Agena and Budapest quad-core processors.

NVIDIA Quadro solutions improve creative workflow, as well as the delivery of real-time photorealistic graphics, for an upcoming super bowl ad.

Visual effects studios dream of rendering photo-real images in real time. SWAY Studio of Westwood, Calif., realized the dream by integrating NVIDIA Quadro based solutions from NVIDIA Corporation, the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, into its production pipeline for the creation and delivery of a :60 commercial for GM, which will debut during Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007.

The commercial follows a small robot that accidentally drops a bolt while working on the GM vehicle assembly line. The mistake causes the line to shut down, and the robot is ultimately banished from the company premises. Forlorn and uncertain of his future, the robot does his best to move on with life.

Many people are very unhappy with the lack of good/WHQL certified drivers for their very expensive G80 video cards. A thread on NVIDIA forums has been swarming with lots of flames and FUD toward the G80, and has been closed by one of their moderators. And so, instead of protesting the only (or so they are accusing) way NVIDIA really lets them, G80 users are trying to get enough research/evidence together to start a class action lawsuit against NVIDIA. Anyone who wants to help support this lawsuit, please visit NVidiaClassAction.org. NVIDIA Class Action wants evidence such as screen shots and box covers claiming Vista compatibility in some way.

The site motto is rather catchy.

The surprise we've all been waiting for - a $650 coaster.

NVIDIA today released new version of the ForceWare Vista 32/64bit drivers. This time the new BETA ForceWare version 100.59 should enable SLI support for DirectX9/OpenGL with GeForce 8800 GPUs. DX10 NVIDIA SLI support will be available in a future driver. Click here to read the full v100.59 Release Notes.

Download: ForceWare 100.59 Vista 32bit (33.4 MB), ForceWare 100.59 Vista 64bit (45.9 MB)

Finally, all GeForce 8800 users can download the latest Windows Vista 32bit/64bit BETA ForceWare drivers directly from NVIDIA. The bad news:
- DirectX 10 NVIDIA SLI support for GeForce 8800 GPUs will be available in a future driver
- DirectX 9 and OpenGL NVIDIA SLI support for GeForce 8800 GPUs will be available on January 31, 2007 in a new driver from NVIDIA

Download: ForceWare 100.54 Vista 32bit (29.4 MB), ForceWare 100.54 Vista 64bit (41.8 MB)

In the recent DX10 graphics card war, NVIDIA has gotten a very long headstart. Not only has NVIDIA had enough time to develop watered-down versions of their G80 for selling as entry-level and midrange cards, but they've also had time to develop "G81". The current specs of what G81 could be are currently unknown, but it does have one major goal- a shrink to a 65 nanometer process. This would represent a gigantic step in the graphics card world, as GPU makers have barely made the step to 80nm GPU's recently. It would also, like most die shrinks, decrease power input and heat output.

G80 owners worldwide are probably wondering why they do not have even a beta driver for their high-end expensive graphics card. The reason is very simple: the driver is not stable. Games that are stable on any other video card using any other driver are great on Windows Vista. However, once the G80 was plugged in with the current driver, the test system was prone to frequent and unpredictable reboots. With Windows Vista launching in a matter of days, we sure hope NVIDIA can make a stable driver for the launch of Microsoft's brand new operating system.

Finally, LaptopVideo2Go.com has leaked one of the most anticipated NVIDIA ForceWare drivers for GeForce 8800 Series working with Windows Vista 32/64bit. According to other users the driver performs really well, but be carefull because it is not WHQL certified. Use at your own risk. Click here to download the NVIDIA ForceWare X 100.30 Vista driver for 8800 Series of video cards.

Nordic Hardware has posted some very detailed lists of hardware details regarding what will be entry-level and midrange DX10 cards from the green camp (NVIDIA).

• The 8600 Ultra card will come with 64 Shaders, clocked at 500MHz. It will also have up to 512MB of 256 bit memory clocked at 1400MHz DDR. It is expected to retail for around $179.
• The 8600 GT will come with 48 shaders, clocked at 350MHz. It will have up to 256MB of 256-bit memory, clocked at 1200MHz DDR. It should retail for $129.
• The 8300 GT will have 32 shaders at 500MHz, along with no more than 256MB of 128-bit memory clocked at 1200MHz DDR. It is expected to cost around $99.
• The 8300 GS will "only" have 24 shaders, clocked around 500MHz. It will have up to 256MB of 128 bit memory, clocked at 1000MHz DDR. The card shouldn't cost much more than $79.

While AMD/ATI presented a lot of interesting things at CES 2007 (such as an R600 prototype), NVIDIA had nothing there except for three closed-to-public booths. There is much speculation as to why NVIDIA did not show off any new technology (excluding working G80 drivers for Vista), but chances are they want to show a lot more stuff at a later trade show.

NVIDIA Corporation, the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today announced that the National Academy of Television Arts and Science has recognized the Company's innovation in graphics processor development with a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award.

One of the biggest technology mergers of 2006 was between AMD and ATI, but this was very nearly not the case. According to the Inquirer, a senior source claims that AMD was inch close to acquiring NVIDA instead, before changing its decision. Apparently AMD had decided to buy one of the two graphics processor giants by late 2005, but the NVIDA deal was called off and ATI chosen instead. Why AMD chose ATI over NVIDIA is not yet 100% clear given that NVIDIA would have been a good choice considering its nForce chipsets, but the largest semiconductor takeover ever could have turned out very differently.

NVIDIA is demonstrating spectacular next-generation DirectX 10 gaming content running on NVIDIA GeForce 8800 graphics processors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. NVIDIA GeForce 8800 graphics processing units (GPUs) and NVIDIA nForce 680-series media and communications processors (MCPs) will demonstrate dozens of cutting edge PC games at the show including Microsoft's Games for Windows space in the Central Hall, Booth #7144, at CES.

NVIDIA Corporation, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of PortalPlayer, Inc., a leading supplier of semiconductors, firmware, and software for personal media players and secondary display-enabled computers. The acquisition of PortalPlayer is expected to accelerate NVIDIA's ongoing investment in its handheld product strategy. NVIDIA's handheld technology, which combines high-quality graphics, TV, and video with low power and a small footprint, is at the foundation of many industry-leading portable media devices, including phones from Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, HTC, and Sony Ericsson.