Nvidia makes a bid to show they haven't forgotten the other end of the market. Or 3D gaming, for that matter.
If this latest bit of news from Nvidia is to be believed, today may just be a good day for budget gamers – and especially those who are thinking of dipping their toes into the murky, but very realistic waters of 3D gaming.
Why, you ask? Well, today sees the release of the GeForce GTX 550 Ti – the latest in Nvidia’s line of Fermi-based GPUs . It’s not likely to blow the performance pants off the GTX 580 we had through the office a few months ago, but at a third of the price, we dare say it’s not expected to. Instead, the GTX 550 Ti is probably looking to knock ATI’s slightly cheaper 5770 out of the basic game box in our Kitlog.
Nvidia are claiming the GTX 550 Ti is up to ’50 percent faster in today’s newest DX11 tessellated games’, when compared to its closest competitors, as well as decent speed bumps in DX9 and DX10 games. And, of course, SLI means you can get two for even better performance.
And where does 3D fit into all of this? Nvidia have also refreshed their 3D Vision range, with a new wireless glasses kit that comes in at $US149, which, as well as offering a much better battery life, is fifty bucks cheaper than the original. Drew Henry, GM of GeForce business at Nvidia, pitches the combo of the 3D vision kit and the 550 Ti as an ‘amazing low-cost platform that delivers an awesome immersive experience.’ So, if you’ve been keen to try 3D gaming, but have been put off by the price, you may be in luck.
In the meantime, we look forward to putting the GTX 550 through its paces in our labs soon. Will it take budget gaming to a whole new level? Find out in an upcoming issue of our mighty fine magazine.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012