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[dr_rus]

There's been some rumors on the next NV's architecture recently so I've decided to post them in a separate thread:

1. Fudzilla reported a week ago that Volta will be using the same TSMC 16nm FinFET production process as Pascal: http://www.fudzilla.com/news/graphics/41122-nvidia-volta-is-16nm-finfet

2. The Motley Fool is speculating that the first Volta GPUs will launch in May 2017, at GTC'17, less than a year from now: http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/19/nvidia-corporation-may-launch-first-volta-processo.aspx

Now, this isn't something unexpected since NV have contracts for supplying Volta GPUs for supercomputers in 2017 (Oak Ridge's Summit and Lawrence Livermore's Sierra). The question which remains however is will NV use Volta for HPC markets only in 2017 (essentially supplanting GP100 with GV100 while leaving the lower part of GP line intact) or will they launch a GeForce Volta lineup as well?

In any case, it's possible that Volta will be as big of a switch from Pascal as Maxwell was from Kepler ("Our same deep throat told us that the performance per watt is expected to increase tremendously."), and it certainly may happen in about a year if Volta GPUs will use the same 16nm FinFET process. This is also likely a point at which NV will adopt HBM2 usage for their top end gaming GPUs.

 

[Patrick Young]

I'll be in prime purchasing mode next year as I upgrade all my hardware to support 4K. Bring it on.

 

[Dennis]

So....you are telling me that in the future there will be a faster GPU?

Decisions, decisions.

 

[clockworkinyou]

I'm saving up for the FE starting today.

 

[General Lee]

We'll be lucky to have a 1080Ti by that time, let alone Volta.

 

[Kyzer]

I really love how fast tech moves

 

[Kazuhira]

the waiting game never ends..

 

[laxu]

I'll be in prime purchasing mode next year as I upgrade all my hardware to support 4K. Bring it on.

This. I'm aiming to get a 4K @ 120+ Hz G-sync display and a GPU capable of running that at roughly the same performance as my overclocked 980 Ti runs 1440p now, which is very smoothly.

 

[SpiceMelange]

Don't think 2017 will be the year for us, those will be for workstations and super computers. Besides that makes the launch of 1080ti awkward, not enough space. Want to be proven wrong tho.

This would obsolete the 1080 Ti instantly. Not sure a 2017 Volta launch makes sense.

Yup

 

[The Omega Man]

I have a 970 and was considering a 1080 that will last me a few years since I game a 1080p 144hz, but now I don't know if I should wait one more year since my 970 is still strong at 1080p

 

[Danielsan]

Sounds good. I'll stick with my 970 until then.

 

[BrettHeazy]

First the Mars

Now Nvidia

How much Volta can body handle!?

 

[Renekton]

How reliable is Fudzilla?

 

[Memorabilia]

This would obsolete the 1080 Ti instantly. Not sure a 2017 Volta launch makes sense.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Eh. Gonna grab a 1070 and game at 1440p for two years on my 4K set, then upgrade to something that can do 4K and 4K VR well.

 

[b0bbyJ03]

Damn, I just got a 1080 and we're already talking Volta. Not ready for this.

 

[Atolm]

No point for Nvidia to rush so much. They totally dominate the GPU market, AMD can't really compete at anything but the low-mid range. Launch the 1080Ti next year, and then Volta 10nm in 2018 I say. 2 years cycle per architecture seems about right.

 

[ktroopa]

RRP £2000. Il start saving for the Founders edition..

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

Silly rumour so 1080 Ti is going to be obsolete after a couple months on the market?

Why would Nvidia rush to do that?

 

[InsaneTiger]

So....you are telling me that in the future there will be a faster GPU?

Decisions, decisions.

I can't believe it either. So that 1080 I just bought is useless? Damn.

 

[Widge]

I operate on a 3/4 year cycle. This would have to be earth shattering to inspire a move from a 1070.

 

[dr_rus]

How reliable is Fudzilla?

Well, I'll put it this way:
> More reliable than WCCFT.
< Less reliable than Videocardz and ChipHell.

This would obsolete the 1080 Ti instantly. Not sure a 2017 Volta launch makes sense.

If Volta launch will happen in the same cadence as Maxwell and Pascal did then we're looking at GV104 with ~ GP102 performance in summer 2017 and GV100 or GV102 in 4Q17 or 1Q18. Seems like enough time for a Pascal Titan and 1080Ti - about the same year as 980Ti and Titan X had.

 

[mjontrix]

Would be for HPC for sure.

Inevitably some will end up in the Engineering Sample sellers' hands and we'll get out results.

They'd be lower clock speed than a normal retail card since they'd be Teslas to start. And a bucketload of HBM2 Ram to run code all in memory - bypassing I/O.

That's my prediction if they're going for May 2017.

 

[Renekton]

No point for Nvidia to rush so much. They totally dominate the GPU market, AMD can't really compete at anything but the low-mid range. Launch the 1080Ti next year, and then Volta 10nm in 2018 I say. 2 years cycle per architecture seems about right.

People speculate many fabless chipmakers may skip 10nm and wait for 7nm.

 

[jacobeid]

Bought my 970 in May of 2015. May of 2017 sounds like a nice time for an upgrade.

 

[AP90]

Sweet.. First gotta upgrade from my old beast the 2600k (oc'ed to 4.5ghz), then go from there...

But since I'm recently married and don't own a house yet buying said house is one of my top priorities with my spouse.

But, by the time I do rebuild now, the power of the tech will be a tremendous jump!

 

[Zojirushi]

Damn, I just got a 1080 and we're already talking Volta. Not ready for this.

New GPUs come out every year.

Speaking of which, does this thread officially mark the transition from "Wait for Pascal" to "Wait for Volta!"?

 

[MaDKaT]

Just got a 1080 myself but will upgrade in a heartbeat for the next generation of VR headsets.

 

[Zaph]

Don't think 2017 will be the year for us, those will be for workstations and super computers. Besides that makes the launch of 1080ti awkward, not enough space. Want to be proven wrong tho.

This.

Nvidia is more than just consumer tech. Launches of new architecture does not coincide with GPU's on the shelves.

 

[OnionPowder]

New GPUs come out every year.

Well, we didn't get a new Nvidia gen last year. Maxwell lasted too long.

 

[xVodevil]

Sounds good. I'll stick with my 970 until then.

Yup, same plan.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

That's the line my 970 is getting replaced by, provided it actually has HBM2 anyway.

 

[nubbe]

Consumer version in 2018, 1180 $1500

 

[ekgrey]

New GPUs come out every year.

I mean, this summer is two years since the 970/80 launched. Almost two years from those to the 1070/1080. I don't pay much attention to the Titan and Ti lines because they're so outside my price range, so I don't remember when they launched (both were after the mainline chips, right?) but if we get the 11xx series next year, that would indeed be a bit faster than this last cycle.

 

[MuchoMalo]

May 2017? LMAO

No, Volta's launch was not moved up by a year. Don't be silly. Maybe they'll first show off the chip then, but even a launch for HPC is pushing it that early.

 

[nkarafo]

Just a question, how lower than 16nm can humanity go? Like, aren't we very close to the limits of what's physically possible to reach?

 

[Mufausa The 3rd]

So I guess I wont be buying a 1070 then..

 

[McHuj]

Just a question, how lower than 16nm can humanity go? Like, aren't we very close to the limits of what's possible to reach?

The current road maps for TSMC are 10, 7, and 5nm. Who knows if we actually get to 5, but 7 will happen.

 

[LelouchZero]

I highly doubt we'll see Volta in May 2017 unless these are low-end to mid range products, or even mobile GPUs.

Big die Pascal is still to come. Unless the big die GPUs are going to release in the last 5 months of this year.

 

[nkarafo]

The current road maps for TSMC are 10, 7, and 5nm. Who knows if we actually get to 5, but 7 will happen.

It's pretty exciting that in less than 3-4 years from now, we will either witness a brand new technology that will change everything (in the same way transistors changed everything after the vacuum tubes) or computer technology hitting a wall and freezing.

 

[DouglasteR]

Just a question, how lower than 16nm can humanity go? Like, aren't we very close to the limits of what's physically possible to reach?

On Silicon ? With luck perhaps 8nm

Even Intel is slowing down to research more on this.

 

[Servbot24]

I've never had a PC but am planning on building one next year. Guess I'll start once this and 1080Ti are out?

 

[Finaika]

RIP 980 Ti

 

[Daingurse]

Hmm, maybe I'll try to ride my 970 out till Volta drops. Gonna be hard tho, I want more VRAM lol.

 

[dr_rus]

I highly doubt we'll see Volta in May 2017 unless these are low-end to mid range products, or even mobile GPUs.

Big die Pascal is still to come. Unless the big die GPUs are going to release in the last 5 months of this year.

GP102 cards (anyones guess if that's a Pascal Titan only or if there will be a 1080Ti as well) are expected to be announced at the end of August.

 

[cheezcake]

It's pretty exciting that in less than 3-4 years from now, we will either witness a brand new technology that will change everything (in the same way transistors changed everything after the vacuum tubes) or computer technology hitting a wall and freezing.

Say goodbye to MOSFETs and embrace the TFET future.

Spoiler

In 20 years

.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

The rumours of the full fat Pascal Titan are sounding rather tasty - 2 versions - 12GB and 16GB HBM2 (although the 12GB version could be the 1080 Ti) and being around 50% more powerful than a GTX 1080, which if true, is an insane amount of power.

So how much more powerful will Volta be ? Pretty exciting times for graphics with these big jumps in performance.

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

The rumours of the full fat Pascal Titan are sounding rather tasty - 2 versions - 12GB and 16GB HBM2 (although the 12GB version could be the 1080 Ti) and being around 50% more powerful than a GTX 1080, which if true, is an insane amount of power.

So how much more powerful will Volta be ? Pretty exciting times for graphics with these big jumps in performance.

Exciting times indeed. I'm waiting on a single GPU solution for 4K / 120+ FPS and G-Sync. Come on, Volta.

 

[Durante]

Well, I am very inclined to believe the 16nm part of that.

May 2017 is around the earliest possible I can imagine for HPC Volta GPUs.

 

[_woLf]

Sticking with my 970 until HBM2 comes along. That will slaughter anything out these days.