NV40 new shoes outed as GeForce 6800 Ultra Extreme

OUR INQUIRER STORY here suggests that Nvidia's just released - but not yet shipped to retail - high-end sixth-generation GeForce 6800 Ultra (NV40), has had its clock frequencies raised.

We can now clarify this further and say that all the indications are that these higher-clocked parts will be introduced under the model name 'Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra Extreme'.

For any Nvidia board partner to ship a GeForce 6800 Ultra, the GPU clock must be set to at least 400MHz and the memory at 550MHz. These frequencies are as per the NV40 reference samples Nvidia initially shipped to the press during the last few weeks, and upon which all reviews to date have been based.

As we also indicated, the press samples of the 'GeForce 6800 Ultra Extreme' that have just been shipped feature a 450MHz core but with the same 550MHz memory clock (1100MHz G-DDR3).

But if you want any 6800 Ultra you better raid your piggy bank fast, because we've heard that only 2000 of the 10,000 NV40 GPUs produced are expected to qualify at the '6800 Ultra' clock rate of 400MHz.

If that's not, "Limited Edition" enough and you want some of the 6800 Ultra Extreme action that select reviewers are receiving just now, you should be forming a line outside retailers that specialise in only Gainward, and maybe XFX products.

This is because it's been suggested that only 200 or so pieces might make the grade as a '6800 Ultra Extreme' with its 450MHz clock.

Gainward will almost certainly introduce both air and liquid cooled variants of GeForce 6800 Ultra. Two of the models seem likely to be called the Gainward PowerPack! Ultra-2600 TV/DVI and the Gainward CoolFX Ultra-2600 'Golden Sample'.

We suggest that the 450MHz 6800 Ultra Extreme core will form only the starting point for Gainward's overclockers wet-dream, the liquid-cooled CoolFX Ultra-2600 'Golden Sample', and we suggest that 500MHz is Gainward's target for the GPU Core.

If Gainward can mate such a core with GDDR3 that is officially rated to 600MHz, and extract a bit more frequency there too, then as things look, such a product may be the only one based upon Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra that could topple ATI's most high-end 16x1 R420 offering. µ