VRAM GDDR6 and a new Boost algorithm
GTX Series 1100 or Series 2000? Rumors are rife about the nomenclature and the probable release date of the next generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards. But few verifiable details have so far filtered, be it the specs or technologies that will characterize the GeForce GPUs of the Chameleon brand based on the Volta architecture.
One thing seems certain though: Nvidia's GeForce Volta graphics chips, which will succeed Pascal, should introduce their batch of novelties with improvements of varying importance. Some of these novelties have already been exposed, while others remain in the strict domain of speculation. It is, for example, very likely to find on the next generation of graphics GeForce green two new technologies: the HDMI 2.1 standard and RTX technology.
It was during the Game Developers Conference 2018 held last March that NVIDIA introduced its RTX technology, a ray tracing technology (a well-known process of the film industry) that allows content creators and developers of video games to provide a rendering of cinema quality in real time to bring virtual worlds to life. Specifically, this technology allows for finer control over brightness, highlights and shadows to provide renders that are meant to be more alive and closer to the real world.
RTX technology has been developed by NVIDIA in close collaboration with Microsoft and is expected to make its appearance on next-generation GeForce GPUs utilizing Volta architecture. This feature has already been implemented by the chameleon brand on its Titan V and Quadro GV100 GPUs.
The HDMI 2.1 standard announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 was, for its part, officially launched last November by the HDMI Forum. It has introduced several improvements that include speed, definition and image quality. The HDMI 2.1 standard supports display definitions up to 10K (10240 x 4320 pixels), HD, FHD, 4K and 8K included.
The HDMI 2.1 standard also introduces several new features such as technology support:
Dynamic HDR not to be confused with the Static HDR that was already supported by the 2.0 standard. Dynamic HDR technology offers a theoretically infinite color space to provide better real-time rendering for contrast and detail as well as better brightness;
VRR or Variable Refresh Rate to optimize the gaming experience. It is a strong reminder of NVIDIA / AMD's G-Sync / FreeSync technologies;
eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) which is supposed to improve the audio quality;
ALLM (auto low latency mode), QFT (quick frame transport) and QMS (quick media switching) that promise lower latency for improved usability.
It is compatible with 4K (up to 120Hz) and 8K (up to 60fps) content and can handle a maximum bandwidth of 48Gb / s, compared to 18Gb / s for the HDMI 2.0 standard . It could very well take its first steps on the side of NVIDIA with the launch of GeForce Volta GPUs.
On the other hand, we already know that technology companies Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix are producing mass GDDR6 memory for the graphics circuit market. The GPU maker GeForce would be well advised to equip its new GPUs with this memory more powerful than the GDDR5 or the GDDR5X in order to consolidate its position of leader on the market.
We could finally suspect the likely arrival of a new algorithm to better control the GPU frequencies, knowing that for three generations the company has, each time, proceeded to an update of its Boost algorithm. The latest Pascal architecture has allowed the GPU manufacturer to commercialize graphics circuits up to 2 GHz in frequency, or more in some cases, with relative ease. The GPU Boost algorithm is already at its third iteration and it would not be surprising to discover a fourth version on the new maps of the Volta generation or a brand new control mechanism.
