GTX260 Coming With New PCB Design to Cut Cost

[onethreehill]

At the end of last year, GeForce GTX 260 became the first one of NVIDIA GTX200 series graphics cards to use 55nm processing technology. It featured P654 reference design, which cost less than earlier P651. The number of PCB layers reduced from 14 to 10, and it has abandoned the expensive Volterra chip to cut cost. Quite soon, the third-generation GTX260 design plan with codename of “P897/D10U-20″ will be also surfaced..........

http://en.expreview.com/2009/02/07/g...-cut-cost.html

Updated: Exclusive Look at P897 Inno3D GeForce GTX260

We said the third-generation GTX260 design plan “P897/D10U-20″ would be surfaced quite soon. Compared with earlier P654 design plan, P897 plan is expected to save cost of $10 to $15, which makes the products more competitive.

Now we manage to get more details of P897 GTX260 which features reference design. This card will enter into mass production from next week, but the pricing is unknown yet.

Source: Expreview more pictures

[Sly Fox]

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm kinda glad I got the 65nm.

[cegras]

Awesome, cheap MOSFETs.

[largon]

So, this would be a low cost version based on a low cost version of a dumb PCB design?
And it's 5+1+1 (vGPU + mvDD + mvDDQ).

But it's likely this design will squeal less than previous boards. There's now actually some capacitance for vGPU to draw from.

[randomizer]

At least it's cheaper.

[BMV]

And what is a "Volterra chip"?

[DragoonXX]

I think this settles it...I'll be getting a 65nm GTX260 216SP...when I can afford to, lol

[mikeyakame]

Its a Multiphase digital programmable PWM frequency switched Voltage Regulation design for High Power GPUs and Motherboards made by a "Volterra"

Its one of the higher end products on the market, but of course its a sight more expensive than the current Intersil ISL6327CRZ multiphase regulator. Nvidia had no choice with 65nm chips and memory ICs at the time, they had to use the good expensive design because it was necessary to do the job and us the enthusiasts got a high quality reliable design because of it.

Due to the die shrink to 55nm now, and higher capacity memory IC's Nvidia have been able to cut costs on design by using cheaper components because they can now. Less cost is better for their bottom line, it's worse for consumers because we end up with less reliable hardware that may also have a shorter life span.

[Frananta]

all that strip down and only cut $10 in price,.....

[mikeyakame]

THink of the big picture, $10 more profit per card if they sell 100000 of them thats $1million more in their pocket

[RPGWiZaRD]

Just too bad for the people aware of NV's business in order to cut the prices. Right now I'd rather pick up a 65nm GTX 260 than 55nm.

BTW, how big is the squeeling capacitor issue today? The cards still squeels at heavy load or high FPS's 1000+ (animated menus, simple animations or videos etc when vsync is off)?. I know EVGA's SC and SCC versions use a custom PCB design and appearently these don't squeel. My 7900GTO had quite loud squeel, my 8800GT has only a barely audible squeel, that's something that worries me when upgrading.

[r4gm4n]

Well I had a BFG 65nm card a few months ago and it was that bad that I took it back within 24hours. I could hear it over games even with my headset on.
I got the 55nm evga ssc & it still does it, but its not noticeable and is only noticeable when I'm rendering my own games for my uni course, which is when I have all fans down to the bear minimum.

[ToTTenTranz]

At least it's cheaper.

For nVidia, not for you.

[RPGWiZaRD]

With the 7900GTO I used to put prerender limit to 0 from default 3 and it helped a lot (other than enabling vsync), with the 8800GT games seems to crash at prerender limit 0. Oh well the 8800GT is still more silent at PL 3 than 7900GTO at PL 0 but does GTX 2xx run games at PL 0? I also see same issues still plagued with ATI cards too (especially 4800 series) even if it seemed to have been "fixed" for a while.

[naokaji]

I also see same issues still plagued with ATI cards too (especially 4800 series) even if it seemed to have been "fixed" for a while.

Yup, my release day 4870 512MB did it like crazy as soon as any real load was applied, the 4870x2 I have now does it far less, but I can still hear it.
Of course it's nothing compared to the noise I had to suffer when the fan controller on the 4870x2 failed and it actually went up to 100% fan speed, but I have to agree, the noise those cards make is annoying, luckily the wc block arrived fast, so I could atleast get rid of the fan.

I don't understand nvidia, why did they not change the pcb when they first released the 55nm 260? would have saved them even more money than this constant thinking of new in between products.

Simply too many versions, first the "regular" 260, then 260 216, then the 260 55nm and now the 260 55nm low cost pcb....

[G.Foyle]

No Volterra controller = no software voltmods and no EVGA Voltage Tuner support, since Intersil chip is not accessible via SMBus.

[Garrett]

lol glad I got the 3 65nm cards

[bito]

I think this settles it...I'll be getting a 65nm GTX260 216SP...when I can afford to, lol

I picked up a 65nm 216sp GTX260 this week, as a stop gap card.
Under watercooling the thing is flying at 756/1512/1260, without any mods !

May just sell the GTX285 that is on order now.

[largon]

I can't figure why some people seem to think 65nm GTX260 would somehow be better than those 55nm cards.
55nm cards use much less power so downgrading the VRM makes only sense.

[Macadamia]

Introducing the nVidia GTX 260 Core 216 barely overclockable edition.


You can buy the GTX 260 Core 216 less overclockable edition and GTX 260 216 superclockable (when overvolted) edition for a markup.

[Sr7]

For nVidia, not for you.

Actually you're arguing against the very thing that allowed ATI to sell you their gpus so cheap to begin with... low cost.

Lower cost to produce means they can take prices lower to keep them competitive while still staying profitable. So basically in short, you're right, it's cheaper for the GPU makers. But in the long term everyone benefits.

[ToTTenTranz]

Actually you're arguing against the very thing that allowed ATI to sell you their gpus so cheap to begin with... low cost.

Lower cost to produce means they can take prices lower to keep them competitive while still staying profitable. So basically in short, you're right, it's cheaper for the GPU makers. But in the long term everyone benefits.

This has nothing to do with ATI. They put the HD4870/50 in the market and in time they've been lowering the prices, but it's always the same cards.
nVidia has been cutting production costs and at the same time raising their prices. In sum, all they have been doing is to raise their profits.


9800GTX =» 9800GTX+: Lower cost for nVidia, higher cost for customers.
GTX280 =» GTX285: Lower cost for nVidia, higher cost for customers.
GTX260 216 65nm =» GTX260 216 55nm: Lower cost for nVidia, same cost for customers.
GTX260 55nm old pcb =» GTX260 55nm new pcb: Lower cost for nVidia, same cost for customers.


If AMD wasn't being successfull with their 4800 line (forcing nVidia to lower their prices), people would be getting less and less bang for the buck for their nVidia offerings.

[trinibwoy]

Yeah ATi's execution this round has been immaculate next to Nvidia's nervous shuffles. Simple SKU lineup based on a single chip family with compelling products at every price point. Hopefully Nvidia starts with a clean slate and gets their act together next gen.

[soundood]

Yeah ATi's execution this round has been immaculate next to Nvidia's nervous shuffles. Simple SKU lineup based on a single chip family with compelling products at every price point. Hopefully Nvidia starts with a clean slate and gets their act together next gen.

now that is wishful thinking if i ever heard it, note to self, go get another two GTX 260's while you can...

[highoctane]

Odds are if it were not for ATI being so competitive this round Nvidia wouldn't even have done a 55nm shrink and been able to do fine at 65nm with higher ASP's. So now Nvidia not only has to deliver performance they also have to do whatever possible to reduce the cost of their product since their gpu's larger and pcbs more complex and expensive to begin with.

Its not like nvidia is rolling in the dough right now, its not like they can develop next gen cards with no R&D money nor can they offer significant price drops if there's no margin left to work with.

At this point I think I'll sit back and wait with next gen hardware around the corner, my 8800gtx still has legs.