Video Cards & GPUs News - Page 10
GIGABYTE redesigns PCB for GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 GPUs to minimize cracking
High-end graphics cards for desktop PCs have slowly but surely grown in physical size over the years, matching their growth in performance. It's not uncommon for a flagship GeForce RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 to feature three large fans and a chunky heatsink and be almost four slots thick.
This adds weight and puts additional strain on the now relatively small PCIe connector, leading to most enthusiast GPUs shipping with braces and additional support. However, this hasn't stopped issues cropping up with high-end GPUs like the GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4090, where PCBs are cracking near the PCIe lock.
With heavier cards putting additional strain on boards, leading to cracking and eventual returns and repairs affecting NVIDIA's partners - it looks like GIGABYTE has revised its PCB design with "a lot more surface area to distribute the weight."
Intel Arc driver makes Palworld, Starfield run faster, and there's a 70% FPS boost elsewhere
Intel has a new Arc graphics driver out and it provides some worthwhile improvements for frame rates, as well as support for new games.
Team Blue's new driver version 31.0.101.5194/31.0.101.5252 also does some good work with ironing out a few glitches to boot.
Let's start with the support for new games, with the Arc driver now catering for Helldivers 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, and Skull & Bones.
AMD Linux Driver points to 'RDNA 4' coming soon, and the Radeon team moving on from RDNA 3
Rumors are pointing to AMD launching its next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs later this year, with the new flagship Radeon RX 8000 Series card set to be a mid-range offering that will deliver Radeon RX 7900 XTX performance for a fraction of the cost. A potential game-changer that could leave the high-end enthusiast market to NVIDIA alone with the arrival of the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 coming at some point.
Today comes a new article from the Linux-focused publication Phoronix and Michael Larabel, who spotted some interesting new updates for AMD Graphics on Linux. As Radeon drivers on Linux are open-source, these "updated IP (intellectual property) blocks within the open-source AMDGPU Linux kernel graphics driver" are tailor-made for RDNA 4.
Additionally, the amount of work being carried out for these new "blocks" covering GPU tasks points to AMD's engineers going all in on RDNA 4 (or GFX12) and moving on from iterating and optimizing RDNA 3.
NVIDIA rolls out GeForce Hotfix Driver to fix stuttering issues when browsing and gaming
If you've been experiencing random stutters when gaming or scrolling through websites, it could be due to an issue with the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver 551.23. This was one of many driver updates from NVIDIA in January 2024, adding support for the new GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. The good news is that a new GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 551.46 addresses these stuttering issues.
NVIDIA's Hotfix driver releases are not part of the official branch; they serve as targeted releases, providing fixes and updates to issues ahead of the next official driver release.
NVIDIA considers these sorts of updates as "beta" releases, even though they are released as soon as possible to resolve issues. If you aren't experiencing any of the mentioned issues, it's probably not worth downloading and installing. All the fixes in the GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 551.46 release notes will make their way into the next official GeForce Game Ready Driver release.
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti non-SUPER now available for $699, matching recent 7900 XT price drop
The other day, we reported on an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT price drop to $699 for the SAPPHIRE PULSE model - the first of its kind. Following AMD's official temporary price cut for the high-end GPU to $749 in the wake of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER launch, the second-most powerful RDNA 2 GPU is currently being sold for a lot less than its original $899 launch price.
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER replaces the non-SUPER variant with the same $799 MSRP - and with a performance boost, it has ignited some real competition. This also means these older GeForce RTX 4070 Ti cards, like Radeon RX 7900 XT GPUs, are being sold at a discount - but in this case, it's because they're end-of-life.
So, it's been great to see powerful GPUs made more affordable. This is true of the MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, available for $699 over at Newegg (after taking $50 off with a promo code).
Zephyr's new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Valkyrie has 280mm AIO cooler, sweet metallic style
Zephyr is a name you probably have never heard of when it comes to graphics cards, but the company is preparing its first-ever liquid-cooled graphics card, starting with the upcoming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER with an AIO cooler.
Zephyr has worked with Valkyrie, which provided a new all-in-one liquid cooling solution with a dual-slot GPU featuring a dual 140mm radiator (280mm total). Zephyr's new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Valkyrie graphics card features Valkyrie RGB fans connected to the GPU through white-braded tubing.
The company is using a super-stylish silver theme across the card, looking really mean and tough -- with a beautiful RGB mirror effect in the bottom right-hand side -- and no fans on the card, that's all handled by the 280mm radiator and dual fans away from the card itself.
AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT price drops to $699 for the first time, cheaper than RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
Ahead of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's launch in January 2024, AMD announced a "special promotional pricing program" that would see the price of the Radeon RX 7900 XT drop to $749 USD and lower for a limited time.
The Radeon RX 7900 XT originally launched in late 2022 with a $899 price tag, which at the time was viewed as a serious misstep when the Radeon RX 7900 XTX was only $100 more - and significantly more powerful. In time, the price slowly dropped to around $799 - in line with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and its more powerful replacement, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER.
AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT has always felt like a great GPU in search of the right price, and today it might just have found it - with the reference specced SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB currently on sale for $699.99 via Newegg and Amazon.
Palit GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER PCB: there's room for two regular 8-pin PCIe power connectors
NVIDIA mandated before the release of its new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER that all custom AIB models would exclusively use the 16-pin "12VHPWR" power connector and NOT use regular 8-pin PCIe power connectors.
Well... it looks like RTX 4080 SUPER graphics cards with dual 8-pin PCIe power connectors could hopefully be something we see in the near future. Palit's new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GamingPro OC graphics card has space for dual 8-pin PCIe power connectors, reports Japanese reviewer Jisakuhibi.
This isn't the first appearance of a new GeForce RTX 40 SUPER graphics card with dual 8-pin PCIe power connectors, as the MaxSun GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER was spotted -- then deleted -- from their website. NVIDIA would've flipped the ban hammer on that thing so fast, but what about Palit? Hmm.
PowerColor RX 7900 XT Spectral White may tempt buyers away from NVIDIA's RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU
PowerColor has launched another Radeon graphics card in its line of Spectral White editions, this time an RX 7900 XT.
You may recall that previous Spectral White editions have included the RX 7900 XTX flagship GPU, and the RX 7800 XT to boot.
The new model is the Radeon RX 7900 XT Hellhound Spectral White, and as ever it comes decked out in a smart white color that's becoming quite the trend for some PC enthusiasts (being well-suited to streamlined and sleek looking PC builds).
Radeon RX 7900 XTX is still the only RDNA 3 card to make the Steam Hardware Survey list
The Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for January 2024 are in, giving us an updated look at the hardware PC gamers use for playing games on the biggest PC gaming platform. It's an interesting look at the current state of GPUs, with NVIDIA continuing to dominate with an overall 74.25% market share, followed by AMD with 16.46%. NVIDIA's total share has dropped compared to December 2023, while AMD's has grown.
Not dramatically, mind you, but enough to make a difference. However, the biggest Radeon gains come via integrated graphics, not desktop Radeon products. In fact, the only RDNA 3 GPU to make the list (and not relegated to the 'other' category) is still the flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX. According to the results, more than twice as many GeForce RTX 4080 GPUs are in circulation.
There's still no sign of the Radeon RX 7800 XT, 7700 XT, or mainstream 7600. However, as the 7800 XT and 7700 XT have only been available for four months, it could be a matter of time.