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Nvidia sticks new names on old cards, hopes no one will notice
AS IF ITS OLD naming scheme wasn’t complex enough, Nvidia has gone and done it again, hoping that by adding a few more Gs 'n' T and Ss into the mix, it can make its old cards seem more appealing.
Rumours of the Nvidia name shuffle have been floating around for a while now, but today a VR-Zone forum thread established that a file in the Forceware 178.15 beta graphics drivers did indeed have details about the changes.
Apparently, the Nvidia_G92.DEV_0615.1 is to become Nvidia Geforce GTS 150, whilst Nvidia_G94.DEV_0626.1 becomes Nvidia Geforce GT 130 and Nvidia_G96.DEV_0646.1 magically transforms into Nvidia Geforce GT 120.
The re-branding will reportedly apply to all 55nm GeForce 9-series cards although it remains unclear whether current cards will also get the peel-off-old-and-stick-on-new-name sticker treatment.
So, to follow what appears to be Nvidia’s bizarrely-complicated and irrelevant re-naming process, the Geforce GTS 150 is a die-shrunk Geforce 9800 GTX+ which is a faster Geforce 9800 GTX which is a faster 8800 GTS 512.
Similarly, a Geforce GT(S) 1xx is a die-shrunk Geforce 9800 GT which is just a Geforce 8800 GT with Hybridpower.
Lost yet? Wait, there’s more.
Apparently the Geforce 9600 GSO is a renamed GeForce 8800 GS, the Geforce GT 130 is a die-shrunk Geforce 9600 GT and the Geforce GT 120 is a die-shrunk Geforce 9500 GT. Feeling green with nausea?
It is also important to bear in mind that the 9800GTX+ is 55nm, so it really is ONLY getting a name change. Also, despite the fact that most 9800GTXs are 65nm, there are also 55nm 9800GTXs, so they’re also only getting rebranded.
The INQ asked Nvidia if it cared to comment as to why it had to renamed the cards. We suggested it sounded like a case of flogging old lamps as new.
In trying to shift a whole load of parts sloshing about the channel due to them no longer being competitive, re-labelling them seemed lthe easiest way to go about things, apparently.
We politely waited all day for a response which we didn’t receive.
If Nvidia thinks it can change a few names and hoodwink card-buyers into buying cards with neither boosted performance or lower prices, the firm, obviously, still has much to learn about the name of the game. µ
Tags: Nvidia
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"Their answer will be: In the renaming scheme we trust.
posted by : Ed, 04 October 2008"
It's more like "Renaming Scam"...
Am I understanding correctly that only the 55mm die-shrinked versions of the 9 series will be renamed? If so, it's not too bad, as it allows the buyer to distinguish between, for example a 65mm 9500GT and a 55mm GT120.

Of course, it's still bad in the sense that it only gives the illusion of a new product to the less-informed buyer.
Nvidia is now a fashion company. Gamers should buy a *new* card every season to stay cool.

I think HP has a lot in common too. New printers come out every year perform very like predecessors but with new model numbers.
These aren't the graphics cards you are looking for...

/Obi Wan
Is Nvidia going to be able to overcome the negative publicity following their current set of anti-consumer practices? Until just a few days ago, I thought I'd just have to wait till they fix their manufacturing process before I'd buy anything from them. Now, I'm thinking it's better just to avoid Nvidia for anything till I read the headline, "Nvidia board fires CEO and clears house -- promises to get back on track..." It is hard to believe they've let things get this bad.
You all assume nVidia is renaming to sell some old stock. Why can't it be as simple as them realising that having 2 concurrent naming schemes with the old cards having a higher number than the new ones could potentially mislead Joe Average into thinking that a 9800 is a newer and better card than 280?
I know Inq loves to flame nVidia but in this case you need to think a little before u flame.
I don't care what Nvidia names their cards because I don't have any plans to purchase a card from them for at least a year. I'm sticking to ATI. At least I can be a bit more confident my ATI card will keep working one year from now. I have an ECS laptop that just died and the repair shop told me it's the GPU. And yes, it's Nvidia.
Wait, your'e not Charlie!
Their answer will be: In the renaming scheme we trust.
it is getting extremely obvious whoever writes these articles hates nvidia, u sound like u wish the company would just die out? If that happens ATI can monopolize the industry, is that how much you love ATI? Nvidia will make a come back, you exxagerate the extent to which they are down, the summer maybe have been for ATI, but we will see.
"The INQ asked Nvidia if it cared to comment as to why it had to renamed the cards. We suggested it sounded like a case of flogging old lamps as new."

Probably 50% right.
The other 50% is them trying to move beyond the bad chip fiasco as they move forward with better materials. 


But truly, just ain't nothing like confusing the masses for a bit more income with little to no investment.
Maybe these are build with GPU's that use the new manufacturing process, you know the ones without the soldering mistakes.

Not sure if this is funny or not.
You lost me when you started talking about 9800 gtx and the GT 1xx part. I still today had no idea what happened in those monthes when those to cards came out. No idea which is faster or newer. Wasn't the first 9800gtx just two 8800 cores on one pcb? That is not a valid reason to go up a series number.
It won't matter to the NV Fanboys what they name the cards as long as they perform well. The fan boys won't even think twice about NV changing names while selling the same cards. Even pointing out the name change will create an uproar with the fanboys. I think I hear one coming now....
well, you've blasted nvidia for having the most confusing naming scheme in the business. now you're blasting them for simlifying their graphics naming system. very nice, any more irony you want to present us today?

they know they have a problem, so they are taking steps to fix it. this is a good thing for us, the consumers.
Yeah, NVidia knows the customer isn't that stupid, right ? [tick, tock, tick]

Oops......

They actually are. Only 0.1% is aware of the game.

I found the new GT260-Core216 a nice buy though. Try and say that new name ten times without stuttering.

So.. somebody is going to sue NV on this naming thing or what. The worst naming scheme perhaps might be a felony in the land of the fray, home of the brawl ?
Excellent job NV. Glad to see you making it easy for the buyer to distinguish between the old cards and the die shrunk cards. It makes it easy for us to get the cooler, easier to Overclock cards. Also simple for HTPC people to get a cool/noiseless card.

Smart business. Inq needs to get their heads examined.
You guys didn't give this one to charlie?


He's been frothing at the mouth for any nvidia slip-ups.
Sylvie kapara, this is exactly what we read La Inq for!

Great article.
their naming is so messed up that it's better to have some control over it and now they're trying to make the names somewhat more understandable in terms of the performance of the cards.
It's actually the funniest comment on Nvidia's rebranding scheme. 

I think I should stop reading anything about nVidia's naming scheme before my head get exploded!
Criminal NVIDIA executives will burn in Hell for eternity!