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Nvidia Unveils New 64x SLI GPU Rig

The Register has an answer for the problem of what to get the graphics buff who has everything, Nvidia's new 64x SLI GPU rig. While it doesn't come cheap, a mere $17,500, it will offer rendering at around 80 billion pixels every second and a combined resolution of around 148 megapixels. The new hardware is being targeted at content creators and people doing scientific modeling, and is due to ship in September.

168 comments

  1. Please use my referral link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Buy it here and I'll earn a 1% commission!

    1. Re:Please use my referral link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Thanks, justjoking! I'll post a review as soon as I get it.

    2. Re:Please use my referral link by theGeekDude · · Score: 1

      This chip was especially made for all the billionaire's kids so that they can play the latest video games without the need to worry for uprgrades... thus the high price...

      --
      Dont waste you time reading stupid sigs like this.
    3. Re:Please use my referral link by Reaperducer · · Score: 1

      Oh, great. Another graphics card the Wintel people can complain isn't available as a BTO option in a MacBook.

      --
      -- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
    4. Re:Please use my referral link by Orangejesus · · Score: 1

      yeah, because the market of billionaire kids who are clued in enough to even know that this exists much less that they want it has got to be at least a dozen.

    5. Re:Please use my referral link by theGeekDude · · Score: 1

      There is always somebody who doesnt understand sarcasm when he sees one... :-/

      --
      Dont waste you time reading stupid sigs like this.
  2. Vista ready! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    it will offer rendering at around 80 billion pixels every second and a combined resolution of around 148 megapixels.

    Vista requirement.

    (but by the time vista comes out, these things will be cheap).

    1. Re:Vista ready! by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Is that what's needed to run the Windows Classic interface?

    2. Re:Vista ready! by idiotdevel · · Score: 0

      No, it looks like that's the requirement for getting into the recovery mode console

  3. content creators by Bromskloss · · Score: 1

    Gah, I hate that word. brrrrr We make content. It sounds awfully wierd.

    --
    Swedish plasma phys. PhD student; MSc EE; knows maths, programming, electronics; finance interest; seeks opportunities
    1. Re:content creators by gardyloo · · Score: 1

      Gah, I hate that word. brrrrr We make content. It sounds awfully wierd.

            The winner of your discontent, eh?

  4. There will never be better graphics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    64 GPUs should be enough for anyone.

  5. Mere, huh? by hawkeye_82 · · Score: 4, Funny
    ....a mere $17,500...

    I don't think that word means what you think it means...

    1. Re:Mere, huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ....a mere $17,500...

      I don't think that word means what you think it means...


      Strangely enough, a mirror 005,71 would.

    2. Re:Mere, huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the sake of /., regardless of the fact that the guy was obviously being sarcastic, hawkeye_82 was making a fucking reference to the Princess Bride. Winkle, go shove your dick into a meatgrinder, and feed it to whoever upped your comment's worthless points and decided to set this guy's as overrated. You fucking fuck!

      Mr. Trolley,
      Trolls, Inc.

    3. Re:Mere, huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Inconsievable! May you sleep well and dream of large women.

    4. Re:Mere, huh? by Born2bwire · · Score: 1

      $17,500? Inconceivable!

  6. Video by certel · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll take 2. Just to make sure I can play Quake 4 at the highest resolution.

    1. Re:Video by eosp · · Score: 5, Funny

      How about a nice, large 640e10x480e10 monitSegmentation fault: core dumped

    2. Re:Video by djdavetrouble · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'll take 2.

      um, doesn't SLI mean you are hooking a few together already ?

      --
      music lover since 1969
    3. Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      still won't be good enough for doom 3. :(

    4. Re:Video by Millenniumman · · Score: 1

      Yes it does, but as we all know, more is better.

      --
      Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. And you don't want to get any on you.
    5. Re:Video by funkdancer · · Score: 1

      It should just about do it for this widescreen video display unit (sfw).

      --
      ISO certified == THX certified
    6. Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but can you imagine a beowolf cluster of these...

    7. Re:Video by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1

      Oooooh, 5000 fps! I'm sure that some rich guy somewhere will buy this and be on a game server going "Damnit! I spent $17,500 and I still get owned!".

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    8. Re:Video by certel · · Score: 1

      But his video of dieing will be oh so sweet!

    9. Re:Video by tarmon.gaidon · · Score: 1

      You better take 3 just to make sure you can play on highest settings...

  7. 64x? Eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    The only thing "64x" in there is the FSAA... Not the cards. From TFA:


    It doesn't come cheap, mind - prices start at $17,500. Nvidia has three models on offer. Two contain two Quadro FX 5500 GPUs, while the mid-range version, the Model II, has two Quadro 4500 X2 GPUs - ie. four graphics cores.


    Nowhere near 64 cards, that's ridiculous...
    1. Re:64x? Eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2...4....64....what the hells the difference.

    2. Re:64x? Eh? by dnoyeb · · Score: 1

      64 cards at Nvidia prices would be about $35,000. But 64x is a pretty pathetic way of headlining the story i agree...

    3. Re:64x? Eh? by Blimey85 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I was thinking the same thing and was utterly confused after reading the article. I looked at the phone and thought that's pretty damn cool. 64 graphics cards in their own case... I wonder how they power it... then I read... then I'm like WTF Mate?!?!?! It's only 2 cards! What the hell happened to the other 62? It's like marketing said build us a unit with 64 and production sent out a unit with only 2 but forgot to tell marketing.

      If you were to connect 64 off the shelf $400 cards it's run you $25,600 but you'd expect a quantity discount so I could see it going for $17,500. But two cards with two gpu's each for $17,500? That's nuts.

      --
      How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
    4. Re:64x? Eh? by smallfries · · Score: 2, Informative

      The other weird anomaly is the fillrate. 80 Gp/s is a long way ahead of the 7800-GTX. A long way. Currently the 16 ROPs on the 7800-GTX limit the fillrate to 25GB/s or 1.6Gp/s assuming 16 bytes per pixel. The claim of a 148 megapixel framebuffer in 2GB of memory implies 16 bytes per pixel but this would produce a whopping memory bandwidth of about 1.2 Terrabytes per second. Even if it were a single byte per pixel there is no way they will get 80GB/s of fillrate out of just two cards. DDR3 is maxed out at 25.6GB/s. Somebody in the marketing department has added a large side serving of bullshit to this press release.

      --
      Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
    5. Re:64x? Eh? by JDevers · · Score: 1

      Each card has two GPUs with it's own memory, so there would need to be just 20 MB/s per GPU which is feasible. The rest of your argument still holds though. I agree that a lot of this is marketspeak. I have a feeling that the 148 MPixel thing is related to FSAA and not a real metric.

    6. Re:64x? Eh? by staeiou · · Score: 3, Informative

      The only thing "64x" in there is the FSAA... Not the cards. From TFA:

      The summary should say x64, instead of 64x. x64 is the amount of lanes (a measure of bandwidth - 1 lane = 250 MB/sec) the board can carry to the bus. The early PCI-E graphics were limited by lanes - one card ran at x16, but there wasn't enough bandwidth in the chipset for two cards, so an SLI setup had to run cards at x8 each, halfing the bandwidth. Newer chipsets can handle two sets of x16, meaning 32 total lanes for graphics. For this article, it means that there are four cards (albeit in two slots - it's the same thing with the dual core processors), each running at full x16 bandwidth. Considering that the number reaches 16 GB/sec, it is something to get a little excited about. Although not too much.

    7. Re:64x? Eh? by AndrewNeo · · Score: 1

      Well I thought it was a 64 width (PCI-e video cards are usually x16, and two would make x32, and four would make x64..) but if there are only two cards then it'd still max at x32.

    8. Re:64x? Eh? by miyako · · Score: 1

      You were right the first time. It is an array of cards, each card contains 2 GPUs and each GPU contains 2 cores. So you have 64 cards * 2 GPUs per card * 2 cores per GPU = 256 cores total. The article is extremely poorly worded.

      --
      Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    9. Re:64x? Eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    10. Re:64x? Eh? by miyako · · Score: 1

      Hmm, then the article was really poorly written. I spent several minutes pondering over what they were trying to say and it was still not very clear.

      --
      Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    11. Re:64x? Eh? by smallfries · · Score: 1

      Not quite. If there are four separate memory subsystems then the fillrate of 80 *billion pixels* could be divided into 20 Gp/s per subsystem. But to get 20GB/s that would imply one byte per pixel. Four bytes per pixel is the absolute minimum, but 80 GB/s is way above DDR3. The claim was actually in the Register article rather than the press release so it possible that somebody copied down the wrong number and/or unit in a briefing...

      --
      Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
    12. Re:64x? Eh? by PhraudulentOne · · Score: 1

      Perhaps this will help you all...

      CLICKY

      --
      You create your own reality - Leave mine to me.
  8. I'm not their target, I'm sure. by caluml · · Score: 4, Funny
    calum@torro ~ $ /usr/sbin/lspci |grep VGA
    00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400] (rev b2)
    calum@torro ~ $
    That's with a whopping 64MB of RAM. Woo.
    They'll not be getting me to take out a loan for that new one.
    1. Re:I'm not their target, I'm sure. by MoxFulder · · Score: 1

      dlenski@danimal:~$ lspci
      0000:00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation C51G [GeForce 6100] (rev a2)


      Hah, mine is even weaker! It's an integrated video card. And I *still* can play games and watch movies. Wowza!
    2. Re:I'm not their target, I'm sure. by dramaley · · Score: 1

      This is on my primary machine, which is about 8 years old:

      $ lspci | grep VGA
      0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G200 AGP (rev 01)

      I think the graphics card has 8 MB RAM. I've been thinking maybe it is time to upgrade.

      --
      ----- "I'm still sane on three planets and two moons."
    3. Re:I'm not their target, I'm sure. by kalirion · · Score: 1

      /opt $ lspci
      bash: lspci: command not found

      beat that!

  9. Alright! by fireman+sam · · Score: 3, Funny

    Something that can run Vista.

    --
    it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
    1. Re:Alright! by dvice_null · · Score: 1

      > Something that can run Vista.

      Yes, but how many of these do we need to run one Vista?

    2. Re:Alright! by Exuder · · Score: 1

      Knowing Vista's true launch date, even this card won't likely be compatible!

    3. Re:Alright! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Vista? I was hoping to run Doom 3.

    4. Re:Alright! by Zindagi · · Score: 1
      Yes, but how many of these do we need to run one Vista?
      Or how many Vista's can we run on one of these ?
      --
      Everyone I talk to didnt vote for him - how is he in office ..for the second time ?
    5. Re:Alright! by Iamthefallen · · Score: 1

      Why?

      It's not like pitch black looks any better at 600fps.

      --
      Wax-Museum Fire Results In Hundreds Of New Danny DeVito Statues
  10. WHOOOOOSH by Winckle · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sarcasm doing mach 3 over your head.

    1. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sarcasm doing mach 3 over your head.

      Funny, it seems his joke went over your head... so what's really happened here?

    2. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Goaway · · Score: 1

      It may have been meant to be sarcasm, but it failed miserably. You can not start with a serious "doesn't come cheap" and then suddenly tack on a sarcastic specifier, "a mere $...". Either both halves are sarcastic ("It's cheap, a mere $...") or both serious. Trying to mix them ruins it.

    3. Re:WHOOOOOSH by yourOneManArmy · · Score: 1

      What's really happening here is that the OP's joke was tremendously unentertaining, while the reply was a tremendously funny comment when the OP is taken seriously.

    4. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 1

      You can not start with a serious "doesn't come cheap" and then suddenly tack on a sarcastic specifier

      Someone starting seriously, then ending up sarcasticly? You CANT be serious?

      --
      There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
    5. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Things doing mach 3 don't make a wooshing sound.

    6. Re:WHOOOOOSH by ericfitz · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean 'BOOM' at mach 3?

    7. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Tekzel · · Score: 1

      Sure they do, only by the time you hear the whoooooosh, they are long gone.

    8. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Basehart · · Score: 1

      I bet I could find a few places on an object doing Mach 3 that are making a whooshing sound. Place a mic inside the landing gear bays, or at various places inside the wings and you'll hear all kinds of whooshing sounds. Also place one under the pilots seat and hit record when he/she hits negative G's at the top of a vertical climb. You'll hear a whooshing sound then for sure.

    9. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the booming only occurs as the object accelerates through the sound barrier.

    10. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hehe nice troll

    11. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Spurion · · Score: 1

      Well, technically it's irony unless it's meant to be offensive. (The word sarcasm comes from Greek for 'tearing flesh'.) But enough of this pedantism.

      --
      Any sufficiently self-referential snowcloned .sig is indistinguishable from nonsense.
    12. Re:WHOOOOOSH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean pedantry.

  11. Darn! by AxXium · · Score: 0

    I probably can't get this one with my Walmart gift cards. :P

  12. Benchmarking by DaHat · · Score: 3, Funny

    I suddenly have the desire to see a 3dmark or Quake score for that rig... I imagine that it'd cause me to cry.

    1. Re:Benchmarking by B11 · · Score: 4, Funny
      I suddenly have the desire to see a 3dmark or Quake score for that rig... I imagine that it'd cause me to cry.
      or pitch a tent perhaps?
      --
      insert inflammatory anti-microsoft comment here
    2. Re:Benchmarking by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      I imagine that it'd cause me to cry.

      Probably so since professional graphic solutions usually don't have DirectX drivers. This isn't a game card. You just might have to roll your own DirectX drivers.

    3. Re:Benchmarking by DaHat · · Score: 1

      That may be true in general however Quatro cards have had DX support for many years.

    4. Re:Benchmarking by evilviper · · Score: 1

      I imagine that it'd cause me to cry.
      You wouldn't happen to be The Devil, would you?

      http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2002/10/09

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    5. Re:Benchmarking by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      The Doom 3 and Quake engines use OpenGL.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    6. Re:Benchmarking by Petrushka · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, Oblivion with all settings maxed will still bring it to a crawl.

  13. Hello, Santa... by Donniedarkness · · Score: 3, Funny

    I know what I want for Christmas!

    --
    Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
  14. good news everyone by geekoid · · Score: 2, Funny

    in a month they'll be 50 bucks!

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  15. For sale at CompUSA in 3 to 5 years by sprins · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously, this is what we'll have in our desktop computer for $150 in at most 5 years.

    1. Re:For sale at CompUSA in 3 to 5 years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By shocking coincidence, that's also how long it'll take to pay off at $150/month for five years...

    2. Re:For sale at CompUSA in 3 to 5 years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In 5 years we'll all have workstation cards that don't even support DirectX 10?

  16. RTFA 512 & 1024 by Gates82 · · Score: 1
    Read the article there are three models available in 1 gig GDDR2 and 512 MB GDDR3 configurations.

    --
    So who is hotter? Ali or Ali's Sister?

    1. Re:RTFA 512 & 1024 by caluml · · Score: 1

      But... but.. no-one will ever need more than 64MB?

  17. Can you imagine... by videocrew · · Score: 0, Redundant

    a Beowulf cluster of these things?

  18. More like Hello, Satan by Snarfangel · · Score: 4, Funny

    BTW, what is the going rate for souls nowadays?

    --
    This tagline is copyrighted material. Please send $10 for an affordable replacement.
    1. Re:More like Hello, Satan by Donniedarkness · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...and here to answer our question is... pop sensation, Britney Spears!

      --
      Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
    2. Re:More like Hello, Satan by ettlz · · Score: 1

      Seems reasonable.

  19. But (obligatory) by snoggeramus · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But does it run Linux?

  20. Cheap, I'll take two. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Lots of jokes about something that can finally run Doom3 at max detail or similar, I suppose that's to be expected. But on the serious side, graphics processors being used as ad-hoc physics processors and tasked with a compute-intensive job that is inherently parallel is the perfect job for something like this. Compared to what it would probably cost to assemble a cluster of general-purpose CPUs to do the same thing, $17,000 is dirt cheap.

    Another task that this would be great for is high-fidelity image generation, say for flight or vehicle simulation. Sure, you can hook up a couple projectors, but until you get full surround projection at eye-limited resolution, it still looks somewhat pixellated. Drive a set of laser-scan planetarium projectors with this (ok, so they cost tens of thousands of dollars each) and you're good to go.

    Now, of course, I have to say it...
    Just imagine what a beowulf cluster of these could do!

    1. Re:Cheap, I'll take two. by Machtyn · · Score: 1
      Now, of course, I have to say it...
      Just imagine what a beowulf cluster of these could do!
      Isn't the idea of a beowulf cluster to create a large cluster of cheap computers?
  21. You're addicted to your computer if... by frosty_tsm · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your computer costs more than your car.

    (not mine, off of a shirt I got from the ACM club at college; they also had something about Doom and a 12 step program).

    1. Re:You're addicted to your computer if... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Maybe it just means you drive shitboxes. My car was $1500, which is not a particularly high-end computer. The Athlon XP-based system I just sold cost more than that if you count the monitor. Well, it did back when it was new. It brought in $500 now.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:You're addicted to your computer if... by networkBoy · · Score: 1

      I spent 34,500 for my car (Plus T&L).
      I spent more than that (by about 7K) on my "PC".
      My PC was supposed to be a compute machine, but ended up being mothballed after purchase because the department that bought it went tits-up.
      No-one else wnats to pay the depriciation, so it sits in the corner of the machine room gathering dust and transcoding the odd file here and there.

      Bit of trivia:
      Since AutoGK is not optimised for running on multiple CPUs on multiple machines as a cluster, it is vastly faster to break the cluster and run 5 instances on the 5 machines.
      -nB

      --
      whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
    3. Re:You're addicted to your computer if... by Ruediger · · Score: 1
      I spent 34,500 for my car (Plus T&L).

      Wow! Now that's a bad deal... 34,500 for a car with no T&L!? Is it an Intel Extreme Car?

      I'll be here all the week
      --
      "...personality goes a long way."
  22. score -1, did not read the article by RelliK · · Score: 1, Informative

    RTFA (or, better yet, go to NVidia's site to verify). It's not 64x, it's 2x or 4x depending on the configuration. Stupidest sensationalism ever! Here is the link for the lazy.

    --
    ___
    If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
    1. Re:score -1, did not read the article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is where the author got that bit of info on 64x

      "64x SLI FSAA"

      He just didn't know what SLI or FSAA meant apparently. Please read the WHOLE article if you are going to belittle others who didn't read it at all.

  23. can you imagine by mseidl · · Score: 3, Funny

    playing tux racer on this?!?!?! How about Starcraft? Omg!!!111 1zeryg rUSh!!!!11!!loL1zer

    1. Re:can you imagine by OuroborosCobra · · Score: 1

      Um, why would Starcraft be any cooler on this machine? It doesn't use 3D acceleration.

  24. I will gladly pay you Tuesday... by Chas · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just ship it right out.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  25. Targeted advertising? by Otter · · Score: 1
    I love the Google ad on this story:
    Teen Sex Addict Treatment
    Pine Creek - Teen Sexual Addiction Residential Treatment Program
    www.pinecreekranch.org
    Because the teenagers drooling over 64x SLI hardware are having so darn much sex that ordinary therapy isn't enough! They need to be packed off to a ranch so a team of experts can dial back their sex lives!

    Either Google needs to add a few more PhD's or someone isn't spending his ad budget wisely...

    1. Re:Targeted advertising? by Elegor · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hey don't knock it! I was just kicking back, flicking through the articles on Slashdot after a 48-hour non-stop marathon of unbounded sexual pleasure with three gorgeous coeds, when I noticed that ad. Intrigued, I clicked the link and read their literature. It has made me realise what a hollow, unfulfilling life I lead. A string of simple, no-strings relationships with nubile young women in their sexual prime is no life at all really. I should be spending my time more creatively, by contributing to opens source projects, or perhaps building a voice-activated peanut dispenser using Lego Mindstorms, or even boosting the signal of the wi-fi connection that I'm 'borrowing' from my neighbour with the aid of a spare vibrator wrapped in tinfoil.

      That Google ad sure hit the spot. I'll be a changed man when I return from Pine Creek!
      ...
      [removes tongue from cheek and runs for cover]

    2. Re:Targeted advertising? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The google ads are targeted specifically to you based on cookies set from the sites you surf on your browser.. they aren't based on the hosting website itself. I get GeForce FX ads, because the sites I surf tend to be based around geeky tech crap.

      Sooo, Mr. Otter, been surfing any teen sex sites lately?

    3. Re:Targeted advertising? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably just target advertising addressing all the pr0n related stuff in your history, cookies and cache.

      I saw a Amazon Women of the the Moon movie advertisment.

    4. Re:Targeted advertising? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL fucking great, I aprove.

    5. Re:Targeted advertising? by Otter · · Score: 1
      Sooo, Mr. Otter, been surfing any teen sex sites lately?

      Heh, humiliation 1, me 0.

      In all seriousness, though -- I posted that from my work computer on a strongly censored network. If that ad is based on my cache, there's something seriously wrong either with Google or somebody's keyword purchase.

    6. Re:Targeted advertising? by Billnvd65 · · Score: 1
      "after a 48-hour non-stop marathon of unbounded sexual pleasure with three gorgeous coeds"

      snip

      "A string of simple, no-strings relationships with nubile young women in their sexual prime is no life at all really."

      Three problems with those statements:
      1. I doubt that you know three 38 yr old coeds.

      2. and that you had sex with all three of them,

      3. At the same time!

      Maybe sexual prime for females on your planet happens at a different age!

      Or maybe I didn't get it!

  26. Are you trying to be funny? by Chas · · Score: 1

    I paid $20,000 for my car.

    No. Don't even ask about my computer(s). I won't like the answer.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
    1. Re:Are you trying to be funny? by frosty_tsm · · Score: 1

      And if your GPU cost $17,500, it wouldn't take much (assuming big LCD and other insane hardware) to pass the 20k mark.

  27. Re:But (obligatory) by CRiMSON · · Score: 1

    Uhhh yes, poor attempt you fail. -1 humor point for you. And while were at it -50 DKP!

    --
    oogly boogly!
  28. how many of these can you buy for that price? by 80+85+83+83+89+33 · · Score: 4, Insightful



    **best price/performance**
      nVid 7600 GT ($210)
      ATI X1600 XT ($170)
      nVid 6600 GT ($140)
                  (MSI & BFG = quiet)
    **best price/performance**

    the faster at top:

      ATI X800 Pro ~$250 ($150 refurb)
      ATI 9950 ultra (N/A)
      nVid 6800 LE/XT (LE=slower)($150,$300)
      ATI 9800 XT(~$185) (6600GT is above this)
      ATI X700 PRO($125)
      nVid 5900U/5950 Ultra($250)
      ATI 9800 PRO(~$130)
    =ATI 9700 pro
    =ATI 9800 ($90??)
    =nVid 5900/5950
      ATI 9700 ($110)
      ATI X700 (NOT pro)???
      ATI X1300 PRO($80-95)???
      nVid 6600 ($100)
      nVid 5800 ultra
      nVid 5700 Ultra (N/A)
      ATI 9500 Pro ($95 used)
                (yes it beats 9600pro!)
    =nVid 5600 Ultra
    =ATI X600 PRO/XT ($95-114)
    =ATI 9600 pro/XT ($100)
      nVid 5800
      ATI 9800 SE(128 bit)
      nVid 5700/5750
      nVid 6200 non-tc (under $100!)
    =nVid 5600
    =ATI 9500/9550/9600
      ATI X300 non-Hypermem???
      nVid 5700 LE (MINE)
      nVid GF4 Ti 4600
      nVid 5200 ULTRA
      nVid 5600 XT (XT=lower)
      ATI 9600 SE

    this last group of expansion cards is equal to the current generation of integrated onboard graphics
    ***very slow***

    nVid 5200/5500 ($50 PCI)
    nVid PCX 5300
    nVid 6200 Turbocache
    ATI 9200 SE
    ATI X300 SE Hypermemory

    current generation of integrated graphics chipsets:

    -- Intel GMA950
    -- nVidia 6100/6150
    -- ATI xpress 200

    --
    i disable sigs
    1. Re:how many of these can you buy for that price? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't keep up with the ATI side of things, but currently the 7900GT is the best price / performance. It beats the 7600GT by a small margin, but the 7900GT is $100 more expensive. So for budget-minded people the 7600GT is definately the way to go, but if you can afford it you should go with the 7900GT. The main reason is the wider memory bus. When you start going above 1024x768 or so the 7600GT's performance starts to take a major hit, while the 7900GT keeps doing quite well until you hit 1600x1200 or so.

    2. Re:how many of these can you buy for that price? by Zentac · · Score: 0

      Please stop comparing this to regular graphic cards, its Quadro chips you need to compere these to, they are engineered with modeling and animation in mind (engineering for some (CAD fashists ;))), there fillrate lacks most of the time, although the amount of poly's they push and antialiasing they can do is much more advanced.
      I can imagine animation studios would be able to come up with a use for these, I supose they are the "content creators" mentioned...

  29. Duke Nukem Foreveeeeer . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now that the hardware is in place, the game we've all been waiting for can be released.

    (mod me up or mod me down, just don't leave me at zero you clown)

  30. firmware hacks? by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 1

    I remember older Geforce cards could be turned into a Quatro just by uploading new firmware to the card's flash. They were essentially the same cards but with some features disabled on the Geforce. I wonder if is can still be done?

    1. Re:firmware hacks? by FuturePastNow · · Score: 1

      Not with the "7" series cards. As far as I know the last card that could be Quadro-modded was the 6800 with the nv40 core: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5 3058

      --
      Give a man fire, and you warm him for the night. Set a man on fire, and you warm him for the rest of his life.
  31. A serious question by Curate · · Score: 2, Funny

    Will this be sufficient to run Duke Nukem Forever?

    1. Re:A serious question by Mostly+a+lurker · · Score: 1
      Will this be sufficient to run Duke Nukem Forever?
      As of today, probably yes. However, the new GPU rig is not due until September and, by then, the DNF development team will have discovered the absolute need to redesign DNF to the latest engine with innovative graphics features that no hardware due before 2010 can handle.
  32. The $17,500.00 question by AxXium · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why?

    1. Re:The $17,500.00 question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because we can.

    2. Re:The $17,500.00 question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could panhandle that amount before anyone came up with a valid answer.

  33. Re:(-1, Troll) or, visualize by soibudca · · Score: 5, Funny

    being welcomed as an overlord by a Beowulf cluster of these puppies in soviet Russia and still misspelling independant, accomodation and definately in an email to some old fart in Korea.

  34. Sounds familiar... by pr0nbot · · Score: 1

    Is nVidia going to be the new SGI?

    1. Re:Sounds familiar... by protohiro1 · · Score: 1

      Yeah I guess so, reminds me of the old SGI Onyx. I was an intern at sgi in 1997 and I recal playing GL quake on an Onyx2, list price $110k. 50fps @ 1600x1200. Compared to what sgi used to charge for their stuff $17k is a steal considering this thing is vastly more powerful than any of those old $100k sgi machines.
      Is there really any demand for this though? Like what can't a dual SLI Quadro do for you?

      --
      Sig removed because it was obnoxious
  35. Oh, no. by FlyByPC · · Score: 1

    Now that this is out, I can just see the new "recommended hardware configuration" on the box for Flight Simulator X...

    --
    Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
  36. Phantom by Ramble · · Score: 0

    In other news, the hardware specs for the Phantom console have just been released...

    --
    "Oh boy"
  37. Is SGI the target? by ettlz · · Score: 1

    So is nVIDIA now targeting SGI's traditional clientelle and moving into the graphic brick business?

  38. A little sad to think... by Digital+Pizza · · Score: 1

    ... this is the kind of thing SGI used to do. Well, I guess a little SGI does live on in NVidia (and in the price of this thing!)

    --
    We apologize for the inconvenience.
    1. Re:A little sad to think... by stox · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A good portion of the folks who did the work at SGI are now working for NVidia.

      --
      "To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
  39. Go Sony! by eebra82 · · Score: 1

    "The Quadro Plex 1000 family is due to ship in September."

    Oh, so now we finally know the reason why the PS3 is so delayed. Does this Plex 1000 come with a Blue-Ray?

  40. WIMPY Get an APEXX 8 by AgNO3 · · Score: 1

    Bah that thing is total wimp. This thing holds dual dual cards and 16cores.

    http://www.boxxtech.com/products/apexx8.asp

    --
    OMG Ponies!!! with Glitter!!!! I miss Pink :-(
  41. The nitty gritty stuff. (ie the actual press rel) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NVIDIA INTRODUCES NVIDIA QUADRO® PLEX - A QUANTUM LEAP IN VISUAL COMPUTING

    Breakthrough New Multi-GPU System Delivers Unprecedented Productivity, Flexibility and Performance

    SIGGRAPH 2006--BOSTON, MA--August 1, 2006--NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today ushered in a new era of advanced visualisation for the professional graphics market with the introduction of the NVIDIA Quadro Plex 1000, the world's first dedicated Visual Computing System (VCS).

    By delivering an order-of-magnitude increase in levels of productivity and capability for advanced visualisation, the NVIDIA Quadro Plex offers advanced scalability in a sleek desktop or dense 3U rackmount configuration for demanding professional applications such as those powering multiple streams of 4K high-definition video, 3D styling and design, scientific and medical visualisation, oil and gas exploration, or visual simulation and training.

    Featuring NVIDIA SLI(TM) multi-GPU technology, the NVIDIA Quadro Plex is an external visual compute system delivering:

    * Massive density of up to 20x when compared to traditional GPU solutions
    * Performance of up to 80-billion pixels/sec and seven billion vertices/sec
    * Resolutions as high as 148 megapixels on 16 synchronised digital-output channels and eight HD SDI channels
    * Scalability beyond current solutions, offering multiple configurations ranging from a single system to a cluster to further scale system ability

    NVIDIA Quadro Plex 1000 is compatible with an officially certified set of x86 32- and 64-bit Intel and AMD processors running Windows and Linux operating systems. See www.nvidia.co.uk/page/quadroplex.html for a list of compatible systems. NVIDIA Quadro Plex is planned to be certified on all industry-leading applications and ship in September 2006, with prices starting at $17,500 (US).

    What NVIDIA Partners are Saying
    "The NVIDIA Quadro Plex addresses a real need for geoscientists as it allows standard workstations and servers to drive high-performance large-scale visualisation configurations," says Nicholas Purday, Manager of Geological and Geophysical Technologies Solutions at Landmark, a brand of Halliburton's Drilling, Evaluation and Digital Solutions Division. "The combination of Landmark's GeoProbe® software, which is configurable to take full advantage of multi-GPU/multi-display configurations, and NVIDIA Quadro Plex will enable geoscientists to interpret their data at its highest resolution, without losing sight of the regional context."

    "Seeing the new NVIDIA Quadro Plex running Google Earth is an astounding visual experience," said Michael Jones, chief technologist, Google Earth, Maps and Local. "This extreme level of performance and resolution takes the viewer from visual simulation to emotional reality, showing the Earth in its full detail and glory. Google Earth and the NVIDIA Quadro Plex are a perfect pair--powering a new world of imagination."

    "The new NVIDIA Quadro Plex is the ideal graphics enabling technology for Aechelon's flight simulator solutions," said John Quinn, CEO of Aechelon Technology. "Together, with unrivalled image quality and performance from NVIDIA, we can deliver advanced scalability on virtually any platform, enabling ultra high-resolution, eye-limiting displays, which are absolutely required for our most demanding users."

    "The NVIDIA Quadro Plex offers unprecedented graphics power for advanced visualisation on today's workstations," says Tom Coull, CEO of ModViz. "Our VGP software system combined with the Quadro Plex lets professional 3D visualisation applications take full advantage of the Quadro Plex multi-GPU architecture, achieving optimal performance through the transparent division and distribution of rendering tasks. NVIDIA Quadro Plex VCS and VGP working together redefine professional 3D graphics on a wo

  42. Lots of heat by Mr.+Freeman · · Score: 1

    Alright then, I'll just go replace my furnace with this as well. This thing could probably keep the house nice and cozy during -30 degree weather.

    --
    -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
    1. Re:Lots of heat by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      You know, if you combine the cost of your furnance and desktop PC.... you might be able to get closer to justifying the cost of this thing.

      Perhaps if you cooled it via heat pipe, used the exchanger to run a water cooler, and pump the remains into radiant heating.......

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  43. NOT FOR GAMING by iamsolidsnk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The nVidia Quadro graphics cards are for rendering, not for high-end gaming. The idea in the graphics card market that "more $$$$ == better graphics in games" does not hold true. These Quadro's will perform rather poorly compared to a 7950GTX, currently the top dog in the nVidia consumer graphics card market.

    This computer is for the design/development professional, who needs to render large amounts of video, like digital animation (think Pixar and it's ilk).

    --
    Here I am, here I remain.
    1. Re:NOT FOR GAMING by ferretbot · · Score: 1

      but this volume knob goes to 10...

    2. Re:NOT FOR GAMING by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While this has been the case for past Quadro generations, I can attest that the current Quadro series is based on the G71 core and is nearly identical to a 7900GT or GTX.

      I'm currently running a Quadro 2500M (Mobile 7900GTX), and no it's no slouch in gaming. It's on par with the 7900GTX, with similar benchmark scores when I tested this system.

      Anyways, just saying that just because it's a Quadro doesn't mean it can't render a game instead of a 3D model. This might have been the case in previous generation, this is the first Quadro card I've purchased. It certainly isn't true of this generation.

      As far as I can tell the Quadro 2500M = 7900GTX in gaming performance, period.

  44. In 6 months by Vampyre_Dark · · Score: 0

    This will be the minimum requirement to get any PC game running.

  45. Beat this! by Pegasus · · Score: 1

    0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. G400/G450 (rev 82)

    With 16MB of memory, no less!

    Running perfectly silent with crystal clear picture on 1600x1200.

    I don't see why would anyone need more. X is just for having many xterminals on the screen at the same time, right?

  46. Burning question by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Awesome setup, but will it be able to power by single 800x600 LCD monitor I bought several years ago? It's still working...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  47. Re:But (obligatory) by davidhedbor · · Score: 1

    -50 DKP? You fail too! It's "50 DKP minus"... :-)

  48. The funny thing is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...that Quake 4 is one of the least graphically demanding games recently released. Maybe you should have went with Oblivion instead.

  49. Re:(-1, Troll) by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Redundant?

    Are you nuts?

    This was clearly the first beowulf cluster post on this discussion. Sort it by time, unthreaded!

    For god sakes; Troll, yes. Redundant, no. Don't be stupid.

    --
    WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  50. Re:But (obligatory) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean the card could run Linux by itself, right?

    Most likely! :)

  51. Oblig. Oblivion Joke by bahwi · · Score: 1

    So, would Oblivion run at more than 20 or 30fps with this? I already spent about 1/8th fixing it up to get it to about 20 or so!

  52. Compact design? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    From NVidia's website:
    Its compact, ultra-quiet design can be quickly deployed in any desktop workspace or can be easily transformed to fit into any standard 19" rack environment.

    How is that thing compact? From the pictures, it looks like it's about the size of my coffee table turned on its side. And why the hell is it so big if it's just a computer with two graphics cards and a really wide pipeline? I'm so confused!
  53. Required by QuantumFTL · · Score: 0

    I hear it's the minimum requirements for the imminent release of Duke Nukem Forever.

  54. Oh boy... by mrraven · · Score: 0

    ...now I can run the holodeck in my moms basement. Oh, wait that might trip a circuit breaker, nevermind...

    --
    Tired of all the isms, don't exploit people as an employer, or a government, mmmmK?
  55. Better news, everyone! by ClamIAm · · Score: 1

    It also comes in a suppository.

  56. Re:But (obligatory) by Ant+P. · · Score: 1

    It's a workstation card made by nVidia, so I think it'll run out of the box.

    Now if you're talking about with OSS drivers... not a chance in hell.

  57. Re:(-1, Troll) or, visualize by Reaperducer · · Score: 1

    ...delete select all.

    --
    -- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
  58. Re:(-1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I get videocrew's post above yours. On the same time, though, so maybe redundant is harsh for that.

    But it's not like the Beowolf jokes are original anyway :-p That's why you're redundant.

  59. Raytracing? by crhylove · · Score: 0

    Is that enough for real time ray tracing?

    --
    I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
    1. Re:Raytracing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. Ray tracing can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You can do the original 1 ray per pixel plus one reflected ray and one refracted ray thing which can certainly be done in real time but it looks terrible. If you're doing full-fledged monte carlo ray tracing with many rays per pixel, complex geometry, lots of area lights, sub-surface scattering, etc, you're not going to get anywhere near real time. Real time global illumination is a big research topic these days and it all involves clever tricks, not faster hardware.

    2. Re:Raytracing? by nicknack · · Score: 1

      i think raytracing and 3d-accelerators of today don't really mix well because they're based on different concepts.
      but who knows...with creative pixel-shader use perhaps one can do some kind of raytracing.

      as far as "enough for real time..." is concerned: that depends entirely on the complexity of the scene.

      but besides high resolution and antialiasing i imagine high-quality rendering with pretty complex shaders is possible.

  60. $17,000 was not uncommon for a 1990's Workstation by o2binbuzios · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I used to be a sales rep for Sun Micro and many of my customers were EDA and MCAD users and they would pay top dollar for 3D graphics machines. I used to compete against HP Snakes and SGI so I tracked the graphics performance closely. At one point, I believe as an 'accessory' to a SPARCstation 20, Sun offered a separate tower GPU about the size of a small server in a deskside tower. This graphics powerhouse could throw about 2M pixels/sec and maybe 700,000 triangles/sec for $35,000 - in addition to a $20,000+ workstation. It was targeted at weather modeling, FEA of airflow on jets, etc. I think this is only a fraction of what an even on-board graphics ship does today...although the Sun unit did have a 3d Z buffer. I do remember that junior MCAD guys got $20K workstations, and senior guys got $30,000 workstations. I headed for the hills when I started to see $3-5K NT workstations replacing my beloved SPARCstations. It was great stuff at the time - no criticism to SUN, but it is fun try to compare 'State of the Art' across the years.

  61. Correction!!! by Khyber · · Score: 1, Funny

    640K GPUs will be all we need.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    1. Re:Correction!!! by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Offtopic by responding to an on-topic joke about the graphics card - man the mods must be on the good drugs tonight, they can't even think properly. I think it's time for OSTG to suffer an EMP so people wake up and get their heads back in proper order.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  62. And you'd still only get... by SenorAmor · · Score: 0

    ...single-digit frame rates in Ironforge at peak time. *sigh*

  63. So ... what does it do and how's it do it? by Kadin2048 · · Score: 1

    Just because this was one of the first borderline on-topic posts in this discussion so far...

    Can anyone explain to me how you'd use this thing? The Register article says "The machines are controlled from a PC or workstation - 32- or 64-bit, Windows or Linux - connected across a network. Nvidia reckons the boxes will interest not only content creators but folk doing scientific modelling and simulation work." That makes it sound almost like a standalone system of some sort, not just a graphics card. I mean, what kind of 'network' do you use to connect the host PC to an array of graphics cards? Usually you attach a graphics card to the PCI or AGP bus, which obviously has far more bandwidth than any networking connection I've ever heard (except for maybe some high-end clustering/HPPC interconnects). They must be using some more loose definition of network than I'm thinking, unless you deliver the data that's to be rendered to the unit in some highly-compressed, extremely high-level form, almost like a remote desktop protocol, and then it renders and displays them. That could make sense for vector graphics, where you can describe what's being displayed with only a few equations and it's really the rasterization and display that's hard, but that wouldn't fly for video and raster graphics.

    I'm just going to go on the assumption that the product isn't quite that revolutionary, and the Register article is using the term 'network' a little more loosely than I'd think is particularly proper.

    NVidia's page on the Quadroplex mentions on the System Requirements sub-page that a PCI Express x16 slot is required in the host system, and that each system can have a maximum of two Quadroplexes attached. No mention of any 'network;' just PCI express. I can only guess that it comes with some type of dummy header-card that you insert into the machine, which breaks out the PCI Express connection externally, so that you can connect it up to the big external box with the graphic cards in it? Is it that simple? Nothing but a box with a power supply and an external cable and a breakout card?

    I've basically described two extremes of possibility. On one hand, the Register article might lead one to speculate wildly that this thing is some sort of purpose-built rasterization server, while NVidia's own site make it seem like merely two graphics cards in a pretty external case, hardly justifying the price they're asking even considering that they're probably high-end cards. I can only guess that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

    Anyone want to clue me in on exactly what this thing does and how it does it?

    --
    "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    1. Re:So ... what does it do and how's it do it? by Rufus211 · · Score: 1
      Nothing but a box with a power supply and an external cable and a breakout card?

      From what I've read that's basically it. Oh, and probably some magic drivers to make it all work.
    2. Re:So ... what does it do and how's it do it? by Ant+P. · · Score: 1

      Looks like you're basically paying $12000 for a plastic box, a PSU and a PCI-E extension cable.

    3. Re:So ... what does it do and how's it do it? by iamsolidsnk · · Score: 1

      The cards move the computational graphics work from the CPU to a dedicated graphics processor on the GPU itself. The cards themselves have multiple processors on them to supplement the CPU's ability to speed through mathmatical calculations involving graphics, which is why they are so darned good for rendering.

      Keep in mind, movies like Shrek, Cars, Ice Age, all take anywhere between 12-18 months just to render. The big studies (Pixar / Dreamworks, etc) rent server farms to get the work done faster.

      --
      Here I am, here I remain.
  64. Faking it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hi John,

    I just read the preannounce for our latest chip on Slashdot. It shows our strategy of increasing performance by rigging benchmarks is playing handsome dividends. Sadly, our strategy of using chimpanzees to write our drivers is not. Our drivers are as crappy and unstable as ever. Infact, I think the end is near. I called ATI again, but they're still not hiring. Face it John, we're doomed. But ha ha those saps at Slashdot will never find out about it.

    yours
    Brad.

  65. Back in my day.. by Korin43 · · Score: 1

    We had 640x480 with 256 colors.. and we were happy about it! (No seriously, I still have a couple video cards that let computers do 256 colors instead of just 16)

    1. Re:Back in my day.. by gnuman99 · · Score: 1

      We had 640x480 with 256 colors.. and we were happy about it! (No seriously, I still have a couple video cards that let computers do 256 colors instead of just 16)

      As opposed to the 4 bit EGA cards and the 2 bit Hercules displays. The King Quest 4 on the EGA was something.

  66. Toaster Oven by Larsing · · Score: 1

    Geezz!
    Is noone here old enough to remember the VideoToaster/ToasterOven for the Amiga?
    Nothing new, move along... ;-)

    --
    Ethics is what you say you do. Morals is what you actually do.
  67. Amen! by SloppyElvis · · Score: 1

    Thank God, Brother, you're the first sane person in this forum. I think people do not understand what "workstation" means. Kids. heh.

  68. coupon please by combcox · · Score: 0

    Someone please post a coupon to make this deal sweeter

  69. Power requirement? by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

    How much power will this thing draw under full load? 1,000 to 2,000 watts? As I know, finding a PSU that can handle 1,000 watts is rare. Even so, some houses will trip under that load.

    Sounds like you'll need a seperate power bus from the main braker box if you want to game on this rig.

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  70. Sorry, but... by GXFragger · · Score: 1

    Imagine a Beowulf cluster of those...