Next Gen Card Releases

Hey,

Just curious, but does anyone have an idea about when the next refresh of graphics technology will be coming?

I'm looking at an HP nc8430 notebook with ATI X1600 as a system, but was curious if ATI might be coming out with something along the lines of an X2600? I am looking to get the notebook when they refresh it with the Merom Core 2 Duo, but want to avoid Windows Vista for a while (at least until SP1). I'm a little afraid Vista will be another Windows ME.

I know that GPUs typically have a development cycle, but I do not know what it is...

 

I've read here that we should expect next gen cards 1st quarter of 2007. I don't think anyone can say with absolute certainty yet.

 

ATI has an X1700 planned for Q3, but so far there is very little information on it and nothing about a mobile part. The X1600 is a very powerful card.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=30687

 

Whoa...now I'm really confused. Just to make sure, the X1600 supports all DX9 features and the latest shader models and stuff?

It says that the new card might be released around the back to school season...does ATI typically ship both the desktop chip and the notebook counterpart at the same time? Or do they wait a little while?

Given my timeframe for updating (mid-Sept), it might be worth it to see if this new card shows up. That could possibly mean a Core 2 Duo notebook with a X1700 inside! Great improvement from a Pentium M with GMA 900!

 

that is true...the x1600 uses 9c and 3.0 shader.

Why wait for that long??? I mean it may be a really nice card, but once you get it there will be talk of a bigger and better card with a 5% higher 3dmark score. Its also hearsay when it will arrive, so find a beefey card that fits your needs and has room left over. Cause living on the bleeding edge is very exspensive...as well as a stressful deal.

 

Okay...I'll try to explain myself a little on this one. I hope this makes sense. I will be filing in the FAQs soon here anyway, but I'll tell you I'm looking for a 15.4" notebook with at least an ATI X1600 GPU and Intel Dual Core CPU. 3+ hrs of battery life is fine, but it needs at least that.

I'm a college student with a Co-Op Education program with a technology company, so I switch between work and school semesters. For the summer, I am at school and I start work in the fall from Aug til Dec.

So I really do not want to trade up on a notebook YET, because I don't want to manage all the file, settings, and other transfers that have to be done while taking classes. This means that mid-August at the earliest.

Finally, I would like a C2D part so that WHEN Vista ships and WHEN it is stable at SP1 (I will never risk another WinME computer situation again), I can happily upgrade IF I choose to do so and benefit from some of the 64-bit apps that will no doubt be useful in my engineering program at school. In all reality, I probably won't until near SP2 (so some 64-bit apps will probably be available by then I hope). In the meantime I have a kick-rear WinXP computer that can handle anything I want (unlike my current GMA 900 notebook).

I have an XPS M140 that is carrying me through academic needs through the summer, but I'll need want a 15.4" gaming laptop starting this fall.

Bottom line is: If the notebook has the X1600 part in August, I'm fine with that. But if waiting a week or two could yield the X1700 part...well it would be worth the wait. Plus with Merom around the corner...

 

Okay...so maybe I should put it another way. What games can the X1600 NOT play at around 1280 x 800 res? What about 1680 x 1050 res?

And most importantly, how long can we expect the X1600 to perform well in newer games? In a year (or two), will will the X1600 be able to keep up?

I'm planning to keep this notebook for about three years (please tell me if this is not realistic). Light to medium gaming, looking forward to NWN2.

 

You won't be seeing the X1700 in a notebook that soon, let alone a desktop. The X1600 is as fast as it gets for now, no further word on any mobile cards.

I answered some of your questions via the PM you sent me.

 

I believe the x1600 can play any game out there at native resolution right now (with the possible exception of Oblivion, which it would choke a little on, but 10 million dollar NASA mainframes choke on Oblivion because it was coded by intoxicated bi-polar space-monkeys). A couple of the very graphic intense games such as FEAR would probobly require you to drop your settings down a bit to play at native res, but would still play fine. By all accounts and most opinions here, the x1600 is a very capable, very powerful card.

 

Hey wassup guys? This is my first post on NBR been reading alot but never psted.. Very good site i must say and thanks alot! Anyway back to the topic... So ur saying an x1600 is equivalent to the go7800 gt?

 

You could always take a look at our Graphics Card Chart.

 

The Mobility X1600 is most equivalent to a Geforce 7600 go.

 

Yeah the 1600 will play anything out now. You say its equivalent to the 7600 and it is, with aside from open gl games where the nvidia will outshine the ati. All others the x1600 is slightly quicker.

 

The x1600 and go7600 are the most powerful GPUs available in anything 15.4" or smaller. You need to go 17" if you want more power.

Expecting gaming with any existing card at anything other than medium to low (or low to unplayable is possible too) settings in 3 years would be unrealistic.

 

Has anyone heard of 80nm mobile chips? ATI is going 80nm with the RV505, RV560, and RV570 on desktop. There is also supposed to be a RV535 which is a Radeon X1600 die shrink that's been mentioned off and on. A Mobile X1600 die shrink would be great to reduce thermals and power consumption. Would probably allow higher clock speeds too, 500/500MHz perhaps. I'm sure MacBook Pro customers would be happy for one. Personally, I haven't heard anything although I am hoping for a refresh to coincide with Merom.

 

It looks like that is the ONLY thing that we will be looking forward to in the 80nm process. Chaz made an earlier post about these chips, and how they will probably take their sweet time in coming to the mobile market.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/22/ati_80nm_roadmap/

I'm probably going to wait until August (when I seriously will think about replacing my notebook), and then look and see what is going on in the GPU market. Merom should be out around then, and I don't want to get a notebook with Vista (yet).

 

The great news is that the last year I plan on using the notebook (out of three years planned), I'll be taking classes as a full time senior college student...I don't think I'll have tons of time to play games that come out in that time frame.

Even then, I will be looking at desktop systems in about three years anyway...or a notebook upgrade...

 

I think ATI is planning the X1700 for the Merom based notebooks. Can you imagine it, a 15.4" notebook with Merom and X1700 256 MB videocard. Well that is a gaming machine!

Psst. Did you guys know that ATI has bought So-dimm DDR3 800 MHz from Infenion to check his notebook system with the new RS700 videocard? That is some great news!

Charlie

 

Does anyone have an idea as to what memory is in the nc8430? GDDR, DDR2, GDDR3? What about clock speeds, especially as compared to ATI's suggested speeds (stock speeds)? I only ask because I cannot find the parameters in HPs spec documents yet.

Also, when would we expect to see a X1700 part? October, November?

 

HP usually has a lower clock speed than stock; it probably also does not have GDDR3, as it is only found in high end cards (7900 go, X1900).

 

Answered my own question: the CDW site lists the GPU as 256MB DDRII Video RAM