Nvidia’s Next-Generation GK110-Based GeForce Code-Name Titan

From X-bit Labs: Nvidia Corp. is getting ready to release its highest-performing single-chip graphics solution ever in the coming months as it adopts its code-named GK110 graphics processing unit originally positioned for high-performance computing only for the consumer graphics market. The new GeForce powered by GK110 is claimed to be code-named Titan and is expected to offer dramatic increase in performance.

The consumer-oriented graphics cards powered by Nvidia GK110 processor will be code-named Titan after the supercomputer that employs Tesla K20X compute cards based on the same chips, according to “multiple sources” of SweClockers web-site. Exact specifications of the consumer graphics solutions based on Nvidia’s most powerful GPU ever are still unclear, but Nvidia is reportedly looking forward to deliver 85% of dual-chip GeForce GTX 690 performance with the novelty.

Nvidia GeForce GK110 chip has 15 SMX clusters with 2880 stream processors, but Tesla K20X compute cards utilize chips with one SMX disabled for redundancy and hence have 2688 active stream processors. It is unknown how many SPs will be activated on consumer products. The monstrous GK110 chip (pictured) contains whopping 7.1 billion of transistors and has potential to deliver 8 – 9TFLOPS of single precision compute performance.

Thanks to more flexible version of Kepler architecture when it comes to programmability, the GeForce GTX “Titan” 700-series graphics solutions for consumers will probably offer a number of interesting performance optimizations and capabilities.

Since the GK110 is an extremely complex GPU, Nvidia will not let manufacturers of actual graphics cards to alter product design, according to the media source. In general, the company will only sell suppliers of graphics cards pre-built boards and will let them place stickers on cooling solutions, just like in case of GeForce GTX 690. The price of the GeForce GTX “Titan” 700-series graphics cards will also be record for single-chip solutions and will reach whopping $899 when it launches in late February.

While everything is more or less clear about Nvidia’s new flagship graphics solution powered by GK110, or at least a version of GK110, not everything is so obvious about other members of the so-called Kepler refresh family of products. For example, it is unclear whether the company intends to increase the number of stream processors inside such chips as GK114, GK116 or GK117.

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