NVIDIA Graphics Cards - dying out?

[cascade9]

Nvidia and ATI were pretty close in the last generation of graphics cards. For this current generation (ATI 5000 series and Nvidia 400 series), ATI's cards are faster, cheaper, more energy efficient and run cooler.

That doesn't mean that Nvidia is "dying out", only that they've got a lot of work ahead of them to produce some GPUs as good as ATI's in time for this current generation, or to try and catch up to next generation's products.

+1.

Unfortunately for Linux users it is extremely limiting - you can either have a graphics card that runs cool but has buggy drivers and extremely locked-up potential; or you can have a space heater installed in your PC.

Or, you can just use a 'low end' nVida card (GT210, 220, 240). They are a bit more power hungy than the equivalent ATI cards, but its liveable. At least you get VDPAU, which works, not XvBA which is a 'work in progress' (and that is being nice).

Just a pity that MXM (laptop/small form factor desktop) video expansion slots are still uncommon, as without that you have about 0 chance of changing the GPU in a laptop.

Laptops are a developmental dead-end, nVidia are aiming for high end desktop machines instead, now that CUDA is being adopted by the 3D crowd you'll see ATI die off instead.

ATI is dead... That is so 1999, and about 6 times since then.

[philinux]

Hey everybody,

I've been noticing through out these past few months that a lot of laptops (particularly Dell and HP) don't have nVidia graphics cards anymore just ATI - and if you really want an nVidia you have to get the highest of high-end laptops to find one (like Dell's Alienware m17X or HP's Pavillion dv8t series) I'm not sure about other major manufactures, but I see this as a pretty big down because nVidia offers great, although proprietary, linux drivers for there cards, while ATI is barely catching up.

Its pretty annoying actually, especially having to lookup an ATI card to see if it's compatible with Ubuntu.

Sooo, anybody know why nVidia cards seem to be disappearing?

Yes and they're usually integrated, especially laptops. Either ATI or INTEL.

[LowSky]

I'm suprised no has mention the real reason Nvidia isn't seen in any lowend computers. AMD makes ATI and Intel makes their own grahics chips too. Nvidia has been priced out of the lowend laptop and desktop market because cheaper onboard models currently exist. Its stimple supply and demand, how can you see a laptop for $40 more if it doesn't have any advantage (and your not Apple)?

[endotherm]

I just bought a netbook with an ion in it, because I didn't want to deal with a Intel GMA.
I generally prefer nvidia to ati, but i will say, the ATI devs have really cleaned up the driver install and lucid finally has an restricted driver that actually works with my cards (HD3870/HD4000)

[forrestcupp]

I'm suprised no has mention the real reason Nvidia isn't seen in any lowend computers. AMD makes ATI and Intel makes their own grahics chips too.

That's exactly right. You really started to see the change when AMD bought ATI. Anything with an AMD CPU will have ATI, and anything with an Intel CPU will have an Intel GPU.

Of course you can still spend a few thousand dollars to get a gaming laptop with an nvidia chip. But honestly, gaming is gravitating more toward the console, so why spend that much on a laptop?

Just a pity that MXM (laptop/small form factor desktop) video expansion slots are still uncommon, as without that you have about 0 chance of changing the GPU in a laptop.

Exactly. MXM should have been standard long ago. How many people still use those PC card expansion slots? MXM would actually be useful.

[Grifulkin]

Not sure, it's a shame.
After moving to Ubuntu, I sold my old HD4850 and upgraded to a GTS250.
I've never looked back, and I've never had a problem with it.

That's not an upgrade, that's a downgrade. Trust me I know I have a GTS250, I should have bought the ATI card, oh well I was dumb.

[LowSky]

Of course you can still spend a few thousand dollars to get a gaming laptop with an nvidia chip. But honestly, gaming is gravitating more toward the console, so why spend that much on a laptop?

Don't tell the fans of StarCraft 2!

I will say my ATI 4550 worked great in my Linux machine until I replaced it with an Nvidia GTX 460.

[kaldor]

I see loads of Nvidia machines still around. My HP and Mac included.

For the sake of Linux and FOSS, I hope Nvidia continues to be abundant or else we'll have to resort to making ATI work.

[betrunkenaffe]

The year Linux owns the desktop is the year desktop gaming dies.

[endotherm]

The year Linux owns the desktop is the year desktop gaming dies.

I've actually been hearing the opposite for the last couple months. at the end of last year the bloggers were predicting the end of PC gaming, but indicators are pointing the other way now. saw somthing on /. just last week about how developers are railing against the limitations of the console.