NVIDIA Plans For GeForce 8800 Ultra?

[Babrbarossa]

An inquiring 'w0mbat' over at VR-Zone has found entries in the new Forceware drivers that would suggest that NVidia is planning the realease of an even higher clocked '8800 Ultra', and a lower-end '8400GS'.

NVIDIA_G80.DEV_0191.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX"
NVIDIA_G80.DEV_0193.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS"
NVIDIA_G80.DEV_0194.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra"
NVIDIA_G80.DEV_019E.1 = "NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600"
NVIDIA_G84.DEV_0400.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS"
NVIDIA_G84.DEV_0402.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT"
NVIDIA_G86.DEV_0421.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT"
NVIDIA_G86.DEV_0422.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS"
NVIDIA_G86.DEV_0423.1 = "NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS"

[BALISTX]

Interesting very interesting. I wonder if the memory on the Ultra version will be 1024MB. Also the idea of a 2nd mid-range card the 8500 GT and two lower end cards 8400GS and 8300 GS is a nice touch. I am predicting the two lower end cards will be released Q3. I'm looking forward to either picking up a 8600 GTS or GT.

[Babrbarossa]

I wonder how long they'll keep the 8800 gts 640 MB in production- I hope at least until I can afford another which may be some time.

[BALISTX]

I've heard rumors they are suppose to axe it once the release the 8600 series. I wonder what the memory will be on the 8600?

On a side note in 8 months they should be releasing the 9 series, what is to come after that, do you think they will drop the GeForce moniker and bring something else out? If you were CEO of NVIDIA what would you call a new line up of graphics cards?

[Babrbarossa]

Dang! that soon, eh? So much for sli for me...

After Geforce 9?? probably something inane like "TenForce"

[BALISTX]

Here is an interesting article regarding the GeForce name at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce

"The "GeForce" name originated from a contest held by NVIDIA in early 1999. Called "Name That Chip", the contest called out to the public to name the successor to the RIVA TNT2 line of graphics boards. There were over 12,000 entries received and 7 winners received a RIVA TNT2 Ultra graphics board as a reward."

Maybe NVIDIA will hold another contest.

[SKYMTL]

Don't quote me on this but it is becoming more and more apparent that Nvidia might skip the 8900-generation altogether and go straight to the 9*** series. This 8800 Ultra might be the stop-gap method to combat the R600 until the brand new Nvidia core is ready for release sometime in Q3 2007.

I'm wondering if they will be able to curb power consumption of G80 enough to make a GX2 style card for it...