Nvidia GeForce GTX 470: specifications, overview

NVIDIA is engaged in quite a long time, detailed architecture development to keep the high competitiveness of the produced products. Thus, in the majority of cases, approximately two years is spent by the company to move from one series to the next.

Here is the issue of graphics cards GTX 470 was delayed because the developers were forced strongly enough to rearchitect, there were some problems with the production, eventually created the chip was such that too much heated in the process of their work. Thus, the cycle has remained almost exactly the same as with the previous card, it took almost two years. But anyway, released card GTX 470 was originally intended to be named technology leader of his time. Certainly, they such and were.

GeForce 400

Traditionally, NVIDIA has provided two models of graphics cards, the GTX 470 and 480, but the first version is more common among users to date.

Experts immediately drew attention to the number of transistors that was used in Fermi. On this parameter it was possible to indirectly say how good is the new chip, because it was two times more productive compared to the previous flagship of the company, as well as a half times more compared to more modern Cypress that is a very good result.

Of Course, this indicator is a direct impact on heating. In the process of creating the GTX 470, it was decided to use 40-nm technical process, resulting in the difference in the thermal package with the same devices is approximately the same as the difference in the number of transistors.

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Technical features

Initially, it was decided to use 512 CUDA processors, but over time this decision was revised, so that the figure was slightly reduced to reduce heat dissipation and increasing the yield of the chips really work. However, in the end, the cards were still quite expensive for the majority of users.

The Strange fact was that the memory frequency even the most efficient models less than competing solution HD 5850. The total bandwidth of video memory GeForce GTX 470 is higher, but due to the fact that it had faster chips, there was a possibility of its further acceleration.

How it behaves in games?

Both models support DirectX 11. After the market began to appear the video card model Evergreen, there was virtually nothing to what it would be possible to test the capabilities of this device, but with the release of the GeForce GTX 470, the situation has not changed. Games that could support the new API, represented isolated cases, but over time, of course, was released a large number of different projects that need such graphics card. Even today its use is optimal for the majority of games and if the latest play maximum requirements, then average or at least minimum it will support the stable.

As usual, the company decided to bet in favor of the future, optimizing your NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 to work with such possibilities that the latest DirectX, as well as paying special attention GPGPU.

The architecture of the new chip

In the new device used a chip with a new architecture called GF100. At first glance there were no significant differences from its predecessor, while the latter remain scalar and thus present certain limitations. Slightly changed the composition of versatile processors that decided to come together in large enough blocks. In the model GT200 such blocks were called TPC, and each of them included all the necessary components that may be needed when working with graphics, except the ROPS. In the future, the company rapidly started to produce a lot of cheaper versions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470, in which such units was either disabled or modified.

In each block of the previous model chip, there were three SM (streaming multiprocessors), and eight texture units and the first-level cache size of 16 KB. Block a new device, in turn, was used by one Raster Engine and four SM, each of which was attended by a private cache, and texture units. In the same chip present at the same time four blocks, in sum, provides the user with 32 pixels per beat.

Streaming multiprocessors

If we consider the device at the level of SM, the difference becomes quite significant, since when it was released NVIDIA GTX 470, many experts drew attention to the fact that here the SM are much larger and independent. In the past generation of cards present 8 SP, 2 SFU, but now their number and the ratio was changed, resulting in each device was present for 4 SFU, 32 CUDA Core and 16 Load/Store units.

In each of these multiprocessors is the third generation were presentmultiple texture processors, and shared memory, providing hardware tessellation.

Due to the fact that the texture processors, as well as all relevant cache memory was moved inside the multiprocessors, the developers were able to achieve much more efficient operation of these devices. It was also decided to radically revise the internal architecture of these devices, increase the frequency of their work, plus three times to increase the memory of the second level, actively used in the texturing process.

Shared memory

Shared memory was merged with the L1 cache, resulting in appropriate memory was properly allocated, depending on what task is running at the moment device. Before shared memory consisted of only 16 KB, but at the moment, depending on the type of task being performed, the device will allocate 64 KB of memory. If at the moment a large number of physical calculations, in this case 48 KB of the memory of the GTX 470 distributes on L1. If different processes a large amount of time of addressing certain information it is saved in shared memory. Among other things useful for GPGPU is also triple the amount of L2 cache in GTX 470. Characteristics of the device, so more and more went forward in comparison with competitors.

Tessellation

Tessellation represents one of the key features of the Radeon HD 5000 cards. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470, in turn, are better sharpened to implement this algorithm.

In the DirectX 11 API support includes the specific ‘displacement map” that is a texture volume. Thus, each pixel on the picture of this texture will determine its height. This texture is superimposed in the game in order to make a more detailed image.

Here comes the tessellation, which is equipped with a GTX 470. An overview of this algorithm showed that one of the polygon formed by the whole mosaic. This technology is used regardless of the displacement map, but the most impressive effect can be achieved only if they are used together. The vertices of the evolving polygon will fall or rise to a certain height, bringing the system to a model that is specified in map space.

What are the advantages?

In fact, the model turns completely identical to the standard high-poly, being at the same time, low-poly, because it will give the correct flare and correctly cast a shadow, while requiring all an order of magnitude less resources.

In Other words, NVIDIA GTX 470 features are such that make it possible to load models in memory cards, and subsequently to carry out the loading and unloading of objects with different levels of detail, that was true for devices of the previous generation. All the processes of conversions carried out directly inside the card during the various procedures, which provides much greater scalability. Depending on the presence of a completely free computing power will be closer to the displacement map with a certain accuracy, which is quite important in terms of the geometric performance of the GTX 470. The user reviews say that this technology significantly improves the overall performance of the computer during the execution of complex graphics processes.

What users say?

User Feedback, update your PC by installing the described card, indicate that after the upgrade they managed to put all games maximum settings. The game is not hung, no brakes is not observed.

Of Course, these reviews are typical for 2010-2012, at the moment the map is not affords such endless possibilities. All during this time technology has leaped forward, and go for such games with such a graphics card can only be played on minimum settings.

3D Vision

3D Technology today has got extremely widespread, ranging from TVs and ending with the monitors. Even AMD has long been producing their own glasses, as well as the appropriate software that allows the graphics card manufacturer to display high-quality stereoscopic image.

The GeForce GTX 470 features also provide the opportunity to use this technology, and despite the fact that it significantly beat the performance, the General feel of the gameplay or viewing of the film become completely different.

The Entire set of tools provided by different graphics cards and the API is fairly complex to learn for casual users and is totally useless if nobody is going to use it. For this reason, the company NVIDIA was created by a separate unit, working with modern game developers. Of course, attention is always paid to the most successful projects, and it established a mutually beneficial cooperation, because in the end, the game itself has become much faster and more beautiful if she ran a user onthe computer with this card.

Cooling System

To ensure proper cooling of the card, the company has developed a dedicated cooler, which is one of the most powerful among the counterparts of the reference models. The design of the device made in the form of a standard turbine, but it has several features, certainly deserves special attention.

As the basis of the system is the mechanical frame with fixed on it a plastic cover. Through specialized heat strip the heat generated during operation of the memory chips and subsystems, is transmitted to the frame. From the GF 100 heat is removed with the help of five special heat pipes in contact with the chip directly.

Direct contact heat pipes of the chip is often used in cooling systems, processors, and such a system cannot be said to be obviously more effective than standard. But in this case it suggests that, when developing the GeForce GTX 470, the developers have paid the cooling system particular attention.