NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 promises to be fastest DX11 chip

NVIDIA officially released the GeForce GTX 580, claiming it's world's fastest DirectX 11 GPU. The card features a Fermi-based GPU with 512 CUDA cores and has a 772MHz core, 1544MHz shaders and 1536MB GDDR5 memory clocked at 4008MHz. Cooling is provided by a vapor chamber cooling solution, the card is 10.5" long and has a TDP of 244W. Pricing seems to be around $500-$550.

NVIDIA(R) today announced the latest consumer GPU based on the NVIDIA(R) Fermi architecture, the GeForce(R) GTX 580, which has been reengineered from the transistor-level up to deliver increased power efficiency and performance over previous generation products.

The GeForce GTX 580 GPU delivers the world's fastest performance for DirectX 11 (DX11) games, and support for NVIDIA 3D Vision(TM), Surround, PhysX(R), SLI(R) and CUDA(TM) technologies, further entrenching GeForce-based PCs as the most robust gaming platforms in the world. The combination of an innovative vapor chamber thermal solution and new architectural enhancements make the GTX 580 the fastest and quietest GPU in its class, delivering an increase of up to 35 percent in performance per watt(i), and performance that is up to 30 percent faster than the original GeForce GTX 480(ii).

For the most recent games that feature tessellation -- the key feature of DX11 -- the 512-core GeForce GTX 580 is up to 160 percent faster(iii) than the closest competitive product. Even in previous-generation DX9 and DX10 games, the GeForce GTX 580 is faster by up to 62 percent(iv), including in the blockbuster PC title StarCraft II.

"For Crysis 2, we'll take advantage of what NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 580 GPUs bring," said Cevat Yerli, president and CEO of Crytek. "A supersoldier that needs to save NYC from an alien invasion needs the best tech possible. That's not only his Nanosuit, but also stunning DX11 geometric realism that a GPU like the GeForce GTX 580 can offer for our PC gamers."

"At Epic, we've standardized on NVIDIA GeForce GPUs for Unreal Engine 3 development," said Tim Sweeney, Founder, Epic Games. "The GTX 580 offers even more rendering and compute power than NVIDIA's previous high end GeForce GPU but thanks to its new cooling system it's also much more quiet. Whether you're an engineer working with the Unreal Technology or a gamer who wants the ultimate Bulletstorm experience, the GTX 580 delivers."

With full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision and NVIDIA Surround technologies, the GeForce GTX 580 GPU also provides the graphics horsepower and video bandwidth needed to experience games and high-definition Blu-ray movies in eye-popping stereoscopic 3D on a single display or spanning across three screens for an immersive gaming environment. And with NVIDIA SLI(TM) technology, the industry's most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers will be delighted by the sheer increase in gaming performance by adding a second or third GeForce GTX 580 to their PC.

The GeForce GTX 580 is available starting today from the world's leading add-in card partners, including ASL, ASUS, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle, Zotac and others.

Summary Highlights of New GeForce GTX 580 GPU:

-- 512 cores and 16 PolyMorph engines deliver massive tessellation and compute firepower for games
-- Hard launch with immediate availability at an estimated SEP of $499 USD.
-- Up to 35 percent improvement in performance/watt efficiency
-- New vapor chamber thermal solution results in the quietest GPU in its class
-- New level of geometric realism -- 2 billion triangles/second
-- Provides game developers total creative freedom to create cutting-edge DX11 games