Here are some key bits of information concerning the upcoming GeForce GTX 680, a performance single-GPU graphics card based on the 28 nm GK104 GPU by NVIDIA. The information, at face value, is credible, because we're hearing that a large contingent of the media that finds interest in the GPU industry, is attending the Game Developers Conference, where it could interact with NVIDIA, on the sidelines. The source, however, is citing people it spoke to at CeBIT.



First, and most interesting: with some models of the GeForce 600, NVIDIA will introduce a load-based clock speed-boost feature (think: Intel Turbo Boost), which steps up clock speeds of the graphics card when subjected to heavy loads. If there's a particularly stressing 3D scene for the GPU to render, it overclocks itself, and sees the scene through. This ensures higher minimum and average frame-rates.



Second, you probably already know this, but GK104 does indeed feature 1,536 CUDA cores, which lend it a strong number-crunching muscle that helps with shading, post-processing, and GPGPU.



Third, the many-fold increase in CUDA cores doesn't necessarily amount to a linear increase in performance, when compared to the previous generation. The GeForce GTX 680 is about 10% faster than Radeon HD 7970, in Battlefield 3. In the same comparison, the GTX 680 is slower than HD 7970 at 3DMark 11.



Fourth, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 will very much launch in this month. It won't exactly be a paper-launch, small quantities will be available for purchase, and only through select AIC partners. Quantities will pick up in later months.



Fifth, there's talk of GK107, a mid-range GPU based on the Kepler architecture, being launched in April.



Next up, NVIDIA is preparing a dual-GPU graphics card based on the GK104, it is slated for May, NVIDIA will use Graphics Technology Conference (GTC), as its launch-pad.



Lastly, GK110, the crown-jewel of the Kepler GPU family, will feature as many as 2,304 CUDA cores. There's absolutely no word on its whereabouts. The fact that NVIDIA is working on a dual-GK104 graphics card indicates that we won't see this chip very soon.

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