Nvidia has debuted its long-awaited GeForce GTX 590. The card – which targets “über” hardcore gamers – is powered by two Fermi-class GPUs on a single board.
In addition, the GTX 590 boasts 1024 CUDA cores, 3GB of GDDR5 memory, 6 billion transistors, 32 tessellation engines, four separate video outputs and supports resolutions up to 2560×1600.
Nvidia is also billing the GTX 590 as the “world’s quietest” GPU product.
“It [includes] a special cooling system and dual vapor chambers. Measured with a standard decibel meter, the GTX 590 clocks in at 48dB, more than two times quieter than the closest competitive product under full graphics load,” explained Nvidia rep Drew Henry.
“To the human ear, this difference means the GTX 590 delivers a 3D gaming experience that is typical of a quiet library. In comparison, the competition’s product is more on par with a busy freeway.”
As expected, the dual-GPU GTX 590 is somewhat expensive, with prices starting at a cool $700.
Nevertheless, industry analysts Jon Peddie and Robert Dow believe the GTX 590 is currently the “best price-performance” dual GPU combination available.
“For 70% the cost of two GTX 580s you get 85% of the performance which results in a 22% gain in price-performance, plus the other benefits on single AIB and less power consumption – that’s a really good deal,” they added.
