The $829 GeForce 8800 Ultra Video Card Arrives

GeForce 8800 Ultra Specifications

The GeForce 8800 Ultra is based on an optimized 90nm process that provides the GPU with improved performance without increasing power consumption. The max power usage of the GeForce 8800 Ultra is 175 watts, slightly lower than the GeForce 8800 GTX. Compared to future competitive architectures, the GeForce 8800 Ultra is up to 54% more power efficient. It’s interesting to see the GeForce 8800 Ultra compared to unreleased products, but it just goes to show how much less energy that NVIDIA uses versus ATI’s upcoming video card series that is due out in the weeks ahead.

The GeForce 8800 Ultra is still a bit longer and taller than the ATI HD 2900 XT though which should be pointed out. The GeForce 8800 Ultra is the same length as the GeForce 8800 GTX, which remains at 10.5 inches. The ATI HD 2900 XT has an 8-pin and 6-pin PCIe power header, but only a pair of 6-pins need to be used for normal operation. The 8-pin only needs to be used when overclocking, so right out of the box both of the latest and greatest graphics cards will require a pair of 6-pin connectors, so no need to worry about upgrading your power supply for either brand. NVIDIA suggests having at least a 500W power supply for the GeForce 8800 Ultra with a +12V current rating of 35A.

After looking at the GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 Ultra specifications it’s clear that the only major chages other than some minor component tweaks and improved cooling is increased clock speeds on the core, shader and memory clocks.