Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced updated consumer GeForce graphics processors for gaming PCs — costing up to US$2 000.
The GPUs — short for graphics processing units — were created with the same Blackwell design that Nvidia uses in its AI accelerators, Huang said at the CES technology expo in Las Vegas late on Monday.
Nvidia, based in Santa Clara, California, initially gained fame as a maker of graphics cards for videogames. But now those products are overshadowed by its accelerator chips for data centres. Still, gamers clamour for GeForce-equipped machinery, and the division brings in about US$10-billion/year in revenue.
Read: Intel hoofed off the Dow – to make way for Nvidia
New GeForce 50 series cards will take advantage of Blackwell’s capabilities to create even more realistic experiences for computer gamers, the company said. While traditional graphics chips build an image by calculating the shade of each pixel in the picture, the new technology will lean more heavily on AI to anticipate what the next frame should look like.
“GeForce allowed AI to reach the masses, and now AI is coming home to GeForce,” Huang said during the presentation.
Laptops using the chips also will get more battery life, Nvidia said. And the company said that high-powered desktop users won’t have to make the trade-off that’s always been a part of gaming: choosing between a more responsive experience or a more realistic one.
The flagship RTX 5090 model will be available later this month for $1 999, with less powerful cards following later. The RTX 5070, costing $549, will debut in February with better performance than the prior range’s top model, the RTX 4090, Nvidia said.
As recently as 2022, gaming was Nvidia’s biggest source of sales. Now the chip maker’s data centre operation is far larger. It’s on course to contribute more than $100-billion this year. — (c) 2024 Bloomberg LP
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