X-bit labs

NVIDIA Thinks Over Mobile GeForce 7800.

Category: Mobile

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/08/2005 | 09:34 PM ]

After taking the high-end graphics market by storm with its GeForce 7800 GTX, NVIDIA Corp. is now gearing up to launch a cheaper version of the chip for desktops and a less power-hungry one for mobiles.

According to PCI-SIG’s PCI Express Integrators List, NVIDIA’s G70M, which is believed to be a mobile version of the G70 graphics processor used on GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards, has been certified by the organization and found compliant with PCI Express specification. The information may mean that the chip nears its official introduction.

NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX, previously code-named G70, graphics chip features 24 pixel pipelines, 8 vertex pipelines and consists of more than 300 million transistors. The cut-down flavour of the product is expected to feature 20 pixel and 7 vertex processors, some sources indicated earlier. It is unclear, how many pipelines will be enabled on the G70M. Given that power consumption of the GeForce 7800 GTX graphics card is about 80W and mobile version should consume much less than that, the G70M is unlikely to offer performance fully similar to the GeForce 7800 GTX, but to its cut-down derivatives.

NVIDIA’s current top-of the-range mobile graphics processing unit (GPU) is the GeForce Go 6800 Ultra, which is a specially-designed code-named NV41M flavour of the desktop GeForce 6800 graphics processor made using 0.13 micron process technology at IBM’s East Fishkill facility. The mobile chip aimed at desktop replacement (DTR) laptops has 12 pixel pipelines, 5 vertex pipelines and features either 128- or 256-bit DDR or GDDR3 memory interface. NVIDIA can ship a number of the GeForce 6800 Go versions: with graphics processing unit (GPU) clock-speeds vary from 275MHz to 450MHz and memory frequencies differ from 400MHz to 600MHz. The one with GPU clocked at 450MHz and memory operating at 550MHz is specifically branded as GeForce Go 6800 Ultra.

This PCI-SIG Integrators List includes all products that have a complete and satisfactory PCI Compliance Checklist on file at PCI-SIG, have passed the test criteria set forth at the PCI Compliance Workshops and are production ready.