The GeForce GTX 480 is the flagship model for Nvidia’s new DirectX 11 capable 400 series. Before we talk about all the new features and abilities of the GTX 400 series, lets compare the GTX 480's specifications to the GTX 280.
Specifications
The only area in which the GTX 480 has improved is the memory bus type, the texture unit count (and as a result the texture fill rate) and the max power draw. The GTX 480 was probably not limited by its texture fillrate which means that those transistors were put to better use instead of being wasted. In terms of memory, the addition of GDDR5 balances out the lower memory bus width.
Antialiasing
The GTX 480 is capable of all the tradional Nvidia antialaising modes plus a few new ones. In in the control panel where supersampling was the selectable option for antialaising transparency there are now options for 2X, 4X and 8X transparency supersampling antialaising. Under antialiasing setting there is a new 32X CSAA option as well.
DirectX 11
The most basic additions to DirectX 11 are as follows:
• HDR Texture Compression
• Multi-threaded Rendering
• DirectCompute 11 - Physics and AI
• Shader Model 5.0
• Hardware Tessellation
The bottom four features on that list are the most important to PC gamers so I will briefly touch on each of them. Multi-threaded rendering is all about increasing the efficiency of the graphics processor by sending data through many pipes (or tubes!) instead of just a few. The idea here is the prevent shaders and instructions from being queued. Just like people, data does not like to wait in line.
The gaming uses for DirectCompute 11 include shadow rendering, artificial intelligence, physics, and limited amounts of Ray Tracing. Outside of gaming this feature can be used for video playback and transcoding and stream computing. Click here for more information from Nvidia on DirectCompute.
Shader Model 5.0 makes shader coding much easier for game developers and allows us to enjoy shadows that are larger and look more realistic. This article at Tom's Hardware has an easy to understand example of how it makes life easier for code monkeys.
Hardware tessellation is all about giving more detail to 3D objects in real time, without your frame rate taking a nose dive. Rocks, trees, hair, people and even water can all look much more real when tessellation is applied. For more information you can check out our Unigine Benchmark results and you can watch the water and hair demo videos located here.
3D Vision Surround
This is not exclusive to the GTX 400 series, but it is launching at the same time as the GTX 480. 3D Vision Surround requires two GTX 260 or better GeForce video cards (or a single GTX 295), three 120Hz monitors and three dual link DVI cables. At Nvidia's PAX East booth I witnessed Battlefield Bad Company 2 running on three LCDs and Need For Speed Shift running on three projectors. The projector solution looked very nice because there is no bezel to get in the way, however the projector setup in that booth would be very difficult to install into a room in your home. 3D Vision looks really cool on an extended monitor setup, but at this juncture I am not sure if it is worth the $600 it would cost to get two more 120Hz monitors.
n00b
missing would be a 5870 as well :)
thanks for the review man
Member
I will probably not upgrade as my GTX 295 will suffice until more games really start to support Tessellation.
Thanks for the good review :p
The Progenitor
Besides, there are other reviews that have wattage data.
The Progenitor
I love you Pelter!
By the way I talked to AMD for the first time in person and hopefully I will be on their reviewer list very soon.
Member
n00b
The Progenitor
n00b
n00b
Had microsoft backed AMD more back then we woulda had DX10 as it was meant to be with tesselation etc but since Intel and Nvidia did not want to back it at the time it got pushed to the back burner until now.
Now MS backs it up and tells companies they must abide to X and X or not be on the WHQL for MS, which would be a huge loss for any serious company looking forward.
Also another few points is 55nm/45nm/40nm and possibly lower was all pushed by AMD for the gpu front, as was GDDR5, this was in preparation to ati 4k series cards, and now 5k series, O as was GDDR4 and AMD finalization without which Nvidia would have not bothered in its use.
Many of these things and more even the 40nm production node were helped by AMD even helping the comptetiotion iron out some of the issues so us the consumers could have the best available technology at the time of release(3k-4k-5k and beyond series, and even helped bridge the gap for their direct competitors Nvidia, Intel and others.
This among many reasons is why AMD is still the best maybe not the best in everything but you know they help spur innovation, fix problems, and truly make the world a bteer greener place and in many ways thier direct competitiors are still many leagues short of ther excellence, no fan boy here just love to see the difference between one who makes thier dollars work for the betterment of all and sad at those who can but do not.
Member
Though by the 12th ATI needs to get the retailers down to MSRP on the 5870/5850 and that it will do it, except maybe drop MSRP of the 5830's to like $210. ;-) If they really want to make friends do a rebate for 5850's that get's it to $250. That would permit guys C-F at $500, that would really put hurt on the GTX480. Check out Hexsus article of 5850 C-F vs. the GTX480 it was an upset.