Quote Originally Posted by Cybercat
Yeah, more pipes would definitely limit the clockspeed. Think of it this way, more pipes means more transistors. More transistors means more heat, and power consumption, plus the signal integrity suffers (communication via wires between transistors). I mean if you've ever overclocked before you know that heat can be a real obstacle when you're trying to get up there in clockspeed.

What I find funny is that people who buy the RV530 are gonna have a chip with 2/3 of the pipelines that the R520 has, less transistors, while being built on the same process. Now see, last gen the X700 series had only half as many pipes as the X8x0, but they were built on a less mature process, 110nm. As the X800XL proved, this 110nm wasn't as efficient in clocking as the refined 130nm low-k process. This time around mainstream users are going to get all the clocking benefits of the highend card, without the added heat. I mean the R520 doesn't just have 16 or 24 pipes creating heat, it has all 32 contributing thermal waste, whether they're all enabled or not. People who buy the RV530 are going to be able to clock MUCH higher than the R520 can achieve, and get very similar (though not quite as much, as you observed turtle) performance, for like half the price.

NVIDIA will probably make the G72 (7600 series) on a 90nm process. I'm eager to see if this line has 16 pipes or not. Most likely 12, I'm guessing.

BTW, what are TMUs?

1. Your thing on transistors, heat, ect...Exactly what I was thinking. Makes perfect sense.

2. 2/3 the pipes, 16 broken pipes, 16 working pipes, same amount of transistors (RV530 sounds like it'll be a R520 with 4 broken quads, 2 more broken quads than R520, which already has 2 because it was meant to be 32pp...that's what i've gathered anyway...IF THIS WHOLE THING IS TRUE) who knows how well they'll clock. True, they may clock much better because only 4 quads have to hit that number instead of 6...who knows? Yes, it being on 90nm, just like 520 helps it, but there still will be all the "waste", at least the way I understand it at the moment...there will actually be more, % wise. My guess is RV530 will be a great mainstream part and compete against 7800gt well, and you'll pay more than the last gen high-end mainstream card. It'll prolly be $100 less than R520 or something.

3. No idea about 7600gt. Hope it kicks ass. Everyone that only had $150-$200 to spend on a gfx card last gen really got a good deal on the 6600gt, hope they keep up that tradition.

4. Texture Mapping Units.