NVIDIA's Fermi: Architected for Tesla, 3 Billion Transistors in 2010
by Anand Lal Shimpi on September 30, 2009 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
The graph below is one of transistor count, not die size. Inevitably, on the same manufacturing process, a significantly higher transistor count translates into a larger die size. But for the purposes of this article, all I need to show you is a representation of transistor count.
See that big circle on the right? That's Fermi. NVIDIA's next-generation architecture.
NVIDIA astonished us with GT200 tipping the scales at 1.4 billion transistors. Fermi is more than twice that at 3 billion. And literally, that's what Fermi is - more than twice a GT200.
At the high level the specs are simple. Fermi has a 384-bit GDDR5 memory interface and 512 cores. That's more than twice the processing power of GT200 but, just like RV870 (Cypress), it's not twice the memory bandwidth.
The architecture goes much further than that, but NVIDIA believes that AMD has shown its cards (literally) and is very confident that Fermi will be faster. The questions are at what price and when.
The price is a valid concern. Fermi is a 40nm GPU just like RV870 but it has a 40% higher transistor count. Both are built at TSMC, so you can expect that Fermi will cost NVIDIA more to make than ATI's Radeon HD 5870.
Then timing is just as valid, because while Fermi currently exists on paper, it's not a product yet. Fermi is late. Clock speeds, configurations and price points have yet to be finalized. NVIDIA just recently got working chips back and it's going to be at least two months before I see the first samples. Widespread availability won't be until at least Q1 2010.
I asked two people at NVIDIA why Fermi is late; NVIDIA's VP of Product Marketing, Ujesh Desai and NVIDIA's VP of GPU Engineering, Jonah Alben. Ujesh responded: because designing GPUs this big is "fucking hard".
Jonah elaborated, as I will attempt to do here today.
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SiliconDoc - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
Yes that is quite disappointing, but the 3 million transistor count and ddr5 somewaht makes up for it, and the fact that we're told by the red roosters that even 153 bandwith is plenty or just a tiny bit shy, and with what it looks like the 384 bit ddr5 4000 or 4800 data GT300 will come in at 192 bandwith minimum, or more likely 240 bandwith, quite a lot higher than 153.6 for ati's 5870.---
So really, what should I believe now, 153 is really plenty except in a few rare instances, or what you say LOL @ Trolls should believe, that 192 or 240 is worse than 153 ?
--
You might LOL @ TRolls, but from my view, you just made an awful fool of yourself.
HINT: The ati 5870 is only 256bit, not 384, and not 512.
Now, look in the mirror and LOL.
sigmatau - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
I know the ATI cards have 256 bit connections dumb ass. I'm just using your logic (or lack of it.) ATI has been able to outperform Nvidia cards with their 256 bit connections so your point about bandwidth is meaningless idiot.Now go pull that G295 out your ass, ok?
SiliconDoc - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
Golly, that ddr5 has nothing to do with bandwith, right, you stupid idiot ?--
Talk to me about the 4850, you lame, near brain dead, doofus. It's got ddr3 on it.
---
See, that's the other problem for you idiotic true believers, NV is moving from 2248 data rate ram on up to 4800.
But you're so able to keep more than one tiny thought in your stupid gourd at once, you "knew that".
BTW, you're not doing what I'm doing, you're not capable of it.
Now that sourpussed last little whine by you, the 295, beats everything ati has, making your simpleton statement A BIG FAT JOKE.
moltentofu - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
My god silicondoc you aren't really succeeding here. At what purpose? To convince people not to buy ati cards? You are such a complete, massive ahole it makes me want to go out and buy ati cards in bulk just to spite you.I'm guessing that if nvidia PR ever watched you rant your all-caps rants they would politely request that you stop associating yourself with their product.
Go ahead everybody google "silicondoc" if you have a strong stomach. Talk about spreading yourself all over the tubes! This guy's fingerprint is unmistakeable. Looks like he got banned on the HondaSwap forums after 14 posts. Guess he sucks on every forum. Maybe anandtech could ban him?
SiliconDoc - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
I think every one of you, that instead of actually leaving me alone, or responding with a counter argument to my points, every one of you that merely got logged in, and ripped away at me with an insult ought to be BANNED.That's what really should happen. I make my complaints and arguments on article and cards and companies, and the lies I see about all those, and most, but not all of you, have no response other than a pure trolling, insulting put down.
Every single one of you that came in, and personally attacked me without posting a single comment about the article, YOU are the ones that need to be banned.
Your collective whining is pure personal attack, and instead of commenting on the article, your love or hate for it, you texted up and did one single thing, let loose a rant against me. Just because you could, just because you felt apparently, "it was taking the high road"... which is as ignorant as the lies I've pointed out.
Time for YOU PEOPLE to be banned.
(minus those of course that actually made counterpoints, wether or not they insulted me or complained when they did - because AT LEAST they actually were discussing points, and contributing to the knowledge and opinion groupings.
Like for instance Monkeypaw, who made a reply that wasn't a pure trolling hate filled diatribe like you just posted, having nothing to do with the article at all.
Take a look in the mirror then consider yourself fella.
bobvodka - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
In which case I request that YOU are banned for calling ME a liar when I did nothing beyond reply telling you how, on launch day, I ordered a HD5870 and had it the next day.SiliconDoc - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
Oh you're full of it again, you pretended your view is the world, and therefore lied your butt off, and in a smart aleck fashion, PERIOD, pretending everyone doesn't know a few trickled out, which if you had clue one, you'd KNOW I was the one who posted that very information on this site.Claiming anyting else, is plain stupid, smart alecky, and LYING.
Just because drunken bob got a card, he claims, on the morning, it shhipped that day, he had it immediately, and has been enojying it ever since, the whole world is satisfied with the paper launch, that "does not exist in bob's drunken vodka world" where who knows what day it is anyeway.
You know, you people are trash,and expecting anyone else to pretend you're not is asking for way too much.
shotage - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
SillyDuck - please tone it down. You're getting out of control again!tamalero - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
hu.. you'r the one insulting every people who doesnt share your opinion with your "RED ROOSTERS" and other stuff...you're really special Mr. Doc, but in the sad way.
SiliconDoc - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - link
What red roosters, there aren't any here I'm told. Just plain frank and honest people who tell the truth.So if I say red rooster, it cannot possibly mean anyone here, posting, lurking or otherwise, as I'm certain you absolutely know.
( not like coming down to your level takes any effort, there you are special, just for you, so you don't feeel so bad about yourself )