Graphics Cards - Page 63

Intel has released Intel Graphics Driver 31.0.101.5522 (WHQL Certified) for its Arc graphics cards for desktop and mobile Intel Core Ultra processors. It brings day one support for this week's big PC release, the highly anticipated Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, alongside optimizations for Starfield's big May 2024 update and support for Wuthering Waves and Ubisoft's XDefiant.

Starfield performance for Intel Arc GPUs has been something of a disappointment for months, so it's good to see progress being made here - with Intel noting that desktop Arc owners should see an 8% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings and a 7% average FPS uplift at 1440p with High settings. It's not a game-changer, like some previous Arc driver releases that have brought massive 100%+ improvements, but welcome nonetheless.

Unfortunately, the driver's release notes still list several outstanding Known Issues related to games like No Rest of the Wicked, DOOM Eternal, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora crashing and software like the popular video more upscale Topaz Video AI having issues exporting videos.

I've gotta say, I would never do this myself... but I really do love seeing modded graphics cards like this. NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card has been modded, with 24Gbps and 26Gbps GDDR6X memory.

A competition was recently held in Brazil between the Paulo Gomes and TecLab teams, with the competition involving swapping out the VRAM on the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card with faster memory, and overclocking it to its absolute limits.

NVIDIA ships the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card with 21Gbps GDDR6X memory modules, with NVIDIA using Micron 21Gbps GDDR6X dies (161-0479-900) were swapped, and modded, with 24Gbps GDDR6X dies (161-0480-900).

Intel teased some more details about its next-generation Falcon Shores CPU at the ISC 24 event, with some rather huge power consumption numbers revealed.

The next-gen Intel Falcon Shores GPU will use up to 1500W of power, with no air-cooling variant planned. Falcon Shores is the true next-generation GPU architecture to Xe, with Falcon Shores originally planned years ago as an XPU th at featured both an x86-based CPU and GPU cores similar to how AMD's new Instinct MI300A APU.

Intel later downgraded Falcon Shores to be a GPU-only design, so it will now take the best parts of Intel's Gaudi AI accelerators, combined with next-gen Xe graphics architecture for HPC and other compute-heavy workloads. Intel's new Falcon Shores GPU will also be backed up by a huge software ecosystem called oneAPI.

Frostpunk 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the grim and frosty city-builder set to launch on PC and PC Games Pass on July 25. To celebrate, developer and publisher 11 bit studios have teamed up with our friends at SAPPHIRE Technology to create a very cool custom SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT Frostpunk 2 Edition.

This looks to be a special edition of the Sapphire PURE AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT that we reviewed late last year, with a similar frosty-white color scheme to match the game's icy setting with a custom "oil-black metal backplate with rusty accents" to add some steampunk grit. Even the ARGB lighting is given a Frostpunk makeover and set to 'Orange' by default.

The special edition Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU comes with a few Frostpunk-themed extras - three enamel pins, three keyboard keycaps, a keycap puller, and a PC code for the Deluxe Edition of Frostpunk 2.

AMD has released Adrenalin Edition 24.5.1 for Radeon GPU owners. It adds support for three major PC game releases: Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, and F1 24.

Ghost of Tsushima and Hellblade II are two of the biggest PC game releases this month, so make sure you update to the new Adrenalin Edition 24.5.1 driver if you plan on picking one or both of these up. The new driver also adds four games to the supported HYPR-Tune titles list, enabling AMD HYPR-RX frame generation, Radeon Super Resolution, and Anti-Lag. These are Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Forbidden West, Starfield, and The Last of Us Part I.

The new driver also improves AI support and performance with Radeon hardware, with AMD citing "Adobe Creative Cloud, Blender, DaVinci Resolve, Topaz Photo & Video AI, and many more" - though it doesn't provide any specific driver-related performance data.

It sounds like AMD's next-gen Radeon graphics cards powered by the new RDNA 4 architecture are right around the corner. Although rumors and months of speculation have pointed to AMD skipping high-end GPUs that will compete with the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 (or the current RTX 4090, for that matter), RDNA 4 could still present an exciting option for the mid-range market.

With a massive improvement in ray-tracing coming and a more efficient GPU, a potential Radeon RX 8800 XT with the right price could be a real competitor to the popular GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. With AMD's Linux developers adding nearly 20,000 lines of code for 'AMD GFX12 Mesa support' for its drivers, an RDNA 4 reveal and release could be right around the corner.

Linux kernel driver support for RDNA 4 (or GFX12) is a definite sign that things are progressing well for a next-gen Radeon release this year. Depending on the timeline, we could be getting a big reveal at Computex 2024 in the coming weeks.

According to WJM47196, a source of AMD leaks over on the ChipHell forums (via Videocardz), AMD's next-gen RDNA 4 GPU line-up will "merely be a bug fix for RDNA 3," bringing improvements to ray-tracing and incremental updates in other areas. Without a flagship, the top RDNA 4 card is expected to deliver raw performance, albeit more efficient performance, on par with the Radeon RX 7900 XT.

The source claims that RDNA 3, which powers the current Radeon RX 7000 Series, "didn't meet its performance expectations," leading to problems with the core frequency power curve. Throw in the R&D costs associated with developing a multi-chip GPU, a fast on-chip interconnect, and dealing with related issues - RDNA 4 is a stopgap before the main course - RDNA 5.

RDNA 5 "will be a clean sheet design," an overhaul of AMD's Radeon architecture similar to the arrival of Zen and Ryzen. The difference is so big that RDNA 5 could ditch the Radeon branding for something completely new.

MSI and Capcom announced and showcased limited edition Monster Hunter-themed PC gear earlier this year at CES 2024. The line-up of PC hardware included a gaming laptop, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU, a custom gaming controller, case, motherboard, monitor, and liquid cooler. It's quite the line-up, with the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8G GAMING SLIM Monster Hunter Edition GPU now available.

The limited edition graphics card is bundled with the custom Monster Hunter controller, both sporting unique designs inspired by the franchise to help celebrate its 20th anniversary. The custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB GPU looks very cool with red, gold, and black flourishes to mimic Rathalos - one of the game's giant monsters.

The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8G GAMING SLIM Monster Hunter Edition sports a thin 2-slot design and MSI's TRI FROZR 3 cooling system, which includes the company's latest TORX FAN 5.0, core pipe, and airflow setup. However, as a limited edition bundle that also features custom packaging, the price tag is much higher than the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB's MSRP of $399 USD. It's currently listed for $499.99 USD at Newegg.

MSI has introduced a new GPU with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G SHADOW 3X OC, which looks like a darker version of the Ventus 3X reference model we reviewed when the GPU launched in January 2024. The Shadow 3X sports an out-of-the-box boost clock speed of 2640 MHz (which can be pushed to 2655 MHz via MSI Center), so it should perform slightly better than the non-OC Ventus variant.

The big difference here isn't just the color, which takes the silver of the Ventus line-up and switches it out for a darker bronze or brown metallic look. The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G SHADOW 3X OC is thinner, 43mm versus 50mm, and lighter, 838 grams versus 1107 grams.

Being thinner and lighter but retaining the same look as the Ventus 3X, MSI's new Shadow line could be the series' next evolution. It represents MSI's most affordable range of GeForce RTX graphics cards.

With a planned release for later this year, rumors, speculation, and insider leaks about the upcoming GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards are ramping up. The most recent rumors suggest that the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will be released within weeks of each other, much like the initial launch of the Ada Lovelace GeForce RTX 40 Series in 2022.

Built using NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture, the upcoming GeForce RTX 4080 is said to use the new GB203 GPU, while the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 is set to use GB202. Based on leaked or rumored specs, there will be a significant disparity between the two - with GB203 set to include 96 SMs compared to GB202's 192 SMs. Memory bandwidth will be 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 5080 compared to 512-bit on the GeForce RTX 5090.

Although the GeForce RTX 5080 is expected to be more powerful than the current GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics card, the US export ban on powerful GPU hardware could be the reason for the GeForce RTX 5080 launching in such a 'cut down' state.

NVIDIA is reporting launching its next-generation GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card first, and then weeks later, the monster GeForce RTX 5090 will be unleashed.

That's according to leaker "kopite7kimi" who posted on X saying "RTX 5080 should be released first" to which "AGF" replied, saying "to be exact, they should be announced at same time with availability separated by (a) few weeks".

I can't see NVIDIA unveiling its GeForce RTX 5080 first and then the GeForce RTX 5090 second, the launch would be the both of them at the same time with availability splitting over a few weeks making sense. I'm sure that NVIDIA will want to make sure it has plenty of GeForce RTX 5080 graphics cards as they'll sell more units of those cards over the ultra-high-end RTX 5090.

AYANEO has just teased its upcoming external GPU solution: AG01 "Graphics Starship" will be officially unveiled on May 18. First, the tease:

The new AYANEO external GPU dock being called "Graphics Starship" is really cool, as it definitely looks like an old-school 90s-themed sci-fi ship we've seen in the movies. We don't know anything at all about the AYANEO Graphics Starship, other than it's a GPU dock for your graphics card.

We could have USB4, Thunderbolt 4, or OCulink connectivity... but AYANEO does state that it's a "multi-function graphics dock" so we should expect some great functionality out of it. AYANEO says it's an external graphics card dock, but we can't see a PCIe x.0 x16 interface, so we should expect just a few particular graphics cards that will be sold, or will work with, the AYANEO AG01 "Graphics Starship" external GPU dock.

NVIDIA is reportedly experimenting with a huge triple-fan, quad-slot, 600W-capable cooling solution for its upcoming next-generation GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs.

In a new report from Benchlife, the outlet explains: "According to information from a familiar cooling module manufacturer, NVIDIA has already conducted relevant tests and verification on cooling modules for the Blackwell GPU architecture's GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards, evidently preparing for the launch of the GeForce RTX 50. Although there's no specific timeline, currently, about 4 plans are underway, with power ranging from 250W to 600W".

We did hear all the way back in late 2022 that NVIDIA had prototype versions of the GeForce RTX 4090 -- or RTX 4090 Ti or RTX 4090 SUPER -- with a gigantic triple-fan, quad-slot, 600W cooler. Fast-forward two years, and we're hearing the same thing leading up to the launch of the RTX 50 series.

Two Chinese companies have teamed up for an external GPU dock that supports OCulink -- and even features a 550W PSU -- check it out:

Metaphyuni and Gzosmeta collaborated on what's called the EG01C, which is a new external GPU solution that has a built-in 550W power supply. Regular external GPUs rely on fast USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, or they use a standard called OCulink. OCulink has up to 64GB/sec of bandwidth, which is far better for external graphics cards over USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 which have just 40GB/sec of bandwidth at the ready.

Enthusiasts, performance lovers, gamers, and AI researchers are flocking to OCulink because of the increased bandwidth, that is, until Thunderbolt 5 launches... then the external connector game gets real fun. The companies made a newly-designed OCulink connector, which is capable of being plugged in, and unplugged over 10,000 times. On top of that, instead of the regular manual locking mechanism, this external GPU solution features an automatic one that fixes the cable in place. Very nice touch.

The Steam Hardware Survey & Software Survey results for April 2024 are in, and it's no surprise that NVIDIA continues to dominate the discrete GPU market for desktop and laptop computers. Overall market share remains relatively unchanged, with NVIDIA and GeForce holding strong with 76.7% of total PC GPUs, followed by AMD with 15.8%.

It's not all bad news for Radeon, as the company experienced growth thanks to the rise of Ryzen chips with integrated Radeon hardware.

The most popular GPU is still NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3060, followed by GeForce GTX 1650, RTX 3060 Ti, and RTX 2060 (you can check out the Top 20 GPUs According to Steam below). However, the story does change when you look at the current generation of GPU hardware from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, covering the GeForce RTX 40 Series, Radeon RX 7000 Series, and Intel Arc graphics.

Quad-slot, triple-fan graphics cards are not unheard of, but they're massive units that push the limits of what you can fit inside a standard PC chassis and still have some room left for airflow. XFX, one of AMD's closest partners for creating Radeon graphics cards, has unveiled its latest flagship, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX Phoenix Nirvana - with dimensions (346 x 130 x 66mm) that make it one of the biggest gaming cards on the market.

Currently available for pre-order in China, with a price that translates to around $1100 USD, the Phoenix Nirvana should make its way to global markets as the Radeon RX 7900 XTX is set to be the most powerful ADM gaming GPU for at least another year or so. So, even though the Radeon RX 7900 XTX first launched in December 2022, there's enough room to launch a new flagship variant.

With next-gen RDNA 4 targeting a more mid-range market, the Radeon RX 8800 XT is set to fall behind the Radeon RX 7900 XTX in performance. With its 24GB of VRAM, the 7900 XTX is also a capable AI GPU in addition to being a 4K gaming card.

NVIDIA will release its next-gen Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 50 later this year, with rumors flying that the RTX 5090 will launch first... and now we're hearing the RTX 5080 will launch first.

In a post on X, leaker "kopite7kimi" said that rumors of the GeForce RTX 5090 launching first are "not true" and that the GeForce RTX 5080 "should be released first". There is absolutely nothing official from NVIDIA regarding the GeForce RTX 50 series, with recent confirmations from the supply chain that the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 would be launched this year, while the rest of the RTX 50 series GPUs will launch in 2025.

RTX 5080 launching first: I can't see this happening, with the RTX 4090 still on the market and kicking ass, the RTX 5080 should deliver better overall rasterization performance than the RTX 4090, with new GDDR7 and a new GPU architecture, power improvements, and more. The RTX 5090 will trounce the RTX 4080, but launching the RTX 5080 first feels a bit weird.

Star Wars Day happened this past weekend, #Maythe4thBeWithYou, and all that. To celebrate, NVIDIA is giving away one of the coolest custom GeForce RTX 4080 Founder Edition graphics cards we've seen. And that's because it features art depicting everyone's favorite (if he's not, then you might need to rewatch the original trilogy) Rebellion leader - Admiral Ackbar.

The iconic Mon Calamari general who most famously yelled out, "It's a trap!" during the climactic space battle of Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi. The good news is that this competition is open to most countries (check out the full terms and conditions here), with the grand prize featuring some impressive artwork from artist Ryan Brown's Star Wars: The Rebellion comic book cover.

The downside is that you only have until the end of today, May 6th, 2024, to enter. To enter, all you need to do is comment on the post (like this one on X) with your favorite Star Wars memory (gaming or otherwise) and put the old #RTXON stamp on the end.

NVIDIA's rise to fame has been decades in the making, but it's absolutely undeniable that the company has had this much success and influence on the planet and its inhabitants.

In a recent interview with venture capitalist Navin Chaddha, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said that the "secret sauce" of the company is ordinary people with huge visions, as well as "persistence, resilience, and belief," added Jensen.

Jensen had a lot to say:

Intel hasn't had the best time with its Arc GPUs, and now with fresh rumors that its next-gen Battlemage Xe2 and Celestial Xe3 GPUs could be delayed or outright cancelled... ugh.

In a new post by leaker Golden Pig Upgrade, he said: "There is no trace of Battlemage at all, there will be no DG3 next year". Intel was expected to debut its new Arc Battlemage Xe2 GPU inside of its next-generation Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" CPUs, but maybe not.

Intel's future-gen Xe3 Celestial (DG3) was meant to make an appearance with the future-gen Panther Lake CPUs as an integrated Xe3-LPG GPU, but Golden Pig Upgrade says there will be no DG3 next year. Panther Lake is coming in 2025, and will need an integrated GPU... so if Battlemage and Celestial are off the table, what does Intel have left? Alchemist?