EVGA.com is proud to announce its first of many online live chat sessions on 09-12-2001. This chat included special guests, Brian Winslow - nVidia Channel FAE, and Brian Burke - nVidia PR representative; answering questions about nVidia and nVidia 3D products.
A complete transcript of the chat follows:
EVGA.com Chat Transcript: 09-12-2001 (4:30 PM - 5:30 PM PST)
Guests: Brian W, and Brian B from nVidia Corporation
ChatMaster
Welcome everyone. Please go ahead and start asking your questions. EVGA.com would like to welcome nVIDIA people Brian B and Brian W.magako
Wow right on the dotChatMaster
EVGA.com users go ahead and start asking your questions. Our moderator Keith will be answering along with the Brians from nVIDIA. Your questions will not post until an answer has been givenBerk
Can you guys tell me when the new mobile Geforce3 will actually be available from OEMs?nVIDIA_BrianW
Unfortunately we are not allowed to comment on unannounced products.magako
Alrighty....well, I'd like to ask....Will the nForce for the P4 be equipped with SDRAM as seen with i845 or will it use DDR? if DDR, what speed will it use and how could it compete with RDRAM?nVIDIA_BrianW
Right now we do not have the Intel license for the P4. The Nforce is only a AMD productmagako
How will nVIDIA deal with memory bottlenecks? As I have noticed with the Geforce 2 Ultra and the Geforce 3, the memory bandwidth is the same. Why is that? and how come we don't see a difference from the 2 cards?nVIDIA_BrianW
Bandwidth is the the Same on the Geforce 2 ultra and the Geforce 3 because the is the fastest memory available. But the way we use memory is totally different. The Geforce 3 uses lightspeed memory arch. It uses memory allot more efficiently.segala4122
I have currently been feeling the stress of the Geforce 2 GTS 32MB DDR card that I have. Will the price of the Geforce 3 lower quickly enough so many more us 'lower end' users be able to buy the product?nVIDIA_BrianB
We can not discuss future pricing issues. Are goal is to have the best available card at ever price point. So the best choice for low, medium or high end users will be an NVIDIA product.magako
Which texture compression method is best for the 32MB Geforce 2 and the Detonator XP drivers?nVIDIA_BrianB
Our goal is to be the best in ever market segment we compete in. Desktop, Mac, Integrated and mobile. I would not really say we respond though. We have a very aggressive roadmap. It will be interesting to see if they can innovate as quickly as we can.bigboy
Is it true Brian Winslow was the main character in the hit EA Game "ShowBiz '99"?nVIDIA_BrianB
yes he stared in the game.magako
What is a safe operating room temperature for the Geforce cards? Specifically the Geforce 2. I have a room temperature during the summer of typically 80-100F, will the heat affect any performance issues other than stability(those of which I have not experienced)?Keith_EVGA
There is an article about operating temperatures on our website at: http://www.evga.com/articles/1.aspmagako
thank you Keith =DKeith_EVGA
Not a problemfingas
A question for both nVidia and EVGA: nVidia has pushed for an approximate 6-month schedule (give or take depending on circumstances); it's evidently been about that long since the GeForce 3. Will we see something soon (no dates needed, of course)? Also, does EVGA expect to implement any of this new technology as soon as they can?Keith_EVGA
EVGA.com is committed to developing consumer solutions as quickly as possible.magako
How will Nvidia stimulate the Geforce 3 into the market of today? It is priced considerably lower than previous new NVIDIA product lines. The Geforce 3 also brings the future of video gaming on the PC platform that we are used to seeing being brought on first by the gaming industry. Many games are going to use the Geforce 3 features, and that will leave us Geforce 2 users out. Could you state any plan on what is or will be done? Geforce 3 in new PCs with OEM computers, etc.?nVIDIA_BrianB
We can not talk in detail about future plans. Look at our history. When we bring out new technology, we move our older technology in to new segments.maniacjc
I love my geforce 3 by evga. Will the stepup program continue in the future? What pixel shader games are you most excited about?nVIDIA_BrianW
Auqanox look really good.. I am excited about that..nvmax
NVIDIA uses a unified driver for all products apart from the GeForce 2 Go! chipset. Why is this?nVIDIA_BrianB
The unique features required for an effective mobile solution (like Power saving, etc.) add a lot of extra data to the mobile driver. The mobile driver will is unified within the GeForce2 Go family.magako
Has Nvidia ever previously considered using a rambus solution for any products? Even for previous products such as the Geforce 3. Due to the higher memory bandwidth capabilities, could it ever possibly happen?nVIDIA_BrianW
We look at all technologies and try to implement the optimum solution for our customers.ben6
Andrew and evga when will the retail product announcements be made?Keith_EVGA
We have already issued the announcement for our retail products on our website (just take a look at the front page at http://www.evga.com)magako
What do you recommend for a minimum of a processor to really see the benefits of the Geforce 3 over previous generation video cards? Does the Geforce 3 have that much benefit to those users say, that use under 800 mhz PCs?nVIDIA_BrianB
You will see the benefits of a GeForce3 at all processor levels. The more processor speed you have, the better overall system performance you will see.jorge3
what is the planned release date for the det.4 drivers ?Keith_EVGA
They are actually called Detonator XP now, not Detonator 4 - and they have already been released and are available on both our website and nVidia'smaniacjc
Will the step up program continue with EVGA?Andrew_EVGA
Yes, we'd love to support customers in any possible ways.MageX
rumor has is that the Quadro and GeForce chips are really the same chip with different IDs set via resistors. Is this completely accurate?nVIDIA_BrianB
Not accurate. The Quadro and GeForce chips are not the same chips. The Quadro series has hardware features that the GeForce series do not have.jorge3
is the personal cinema break-out box available stand alone for existing owners of geforce cards w/TV out ?nVIDIA_BrianW
There is none planned at this time. But we will be looking into if the possibilities.magako
Will Nvidia ever offer any form of 'beta' drivers for those users that like to live on the edge of gaming and driver development? That time between driver releases is quite a boring one for us. The recent end to the driver leaks hurts a little bit of us all and actually makes some users lose faith in Nvidia. Some of us, even sort of require the usage of these leaks in order to see if something was fixed.nVIDIA_BrianB
We have stated many times that we do not support or recommend BETA or leaked drivers.magako
Is Nvidia at all worried about possible market share loss to ATI as we have seen with Intel and AMD?nVIDIA_BrianB
We are always looking at the competition. ATI is a very good company and has good products. We are very confident that the roadmap we have in place will allow NVIDIA to continue to grow our market share. All we need to do is continue to execute. Our goal is to take large chunks of market share in the integrated and mobile segments from ATI.maniacjc
will evga be coming out with custom det xp drivers or do we just use the reference drivers?Keith_EVGA
EVGA.com uses the reference designs and drivers from nVidia. We do maintain our own custom installation software (ADM) that makes the installation of those driver much easier however.nvmax
NVIDIA announced Fast-Write support back with the GF256 however it has never been stable on the majority of systems. Does NVIDIA still view this as viable technology (skipping the system memory) or is it relying more on increasing bandwidth, as shown with the 4.2GB bandwidth of the nForce?nVIDIA_BrianW
We will keep supporting fast writes as well as looking into newer technologies as in the nforce products. Obviously we will always want to get the more and more about of memory.magako
Where does Nvidia see themselves in 5 years? 10 years?nVIDIA_BrianB
Our goal is to push every pixel on the planet. We want to be the dominate force in 3d graphics and bring Hollywood style 3d rendering to the desktop in real time.fingas
A good deal of Windows 2000 and XP users are concerned about getting 60 Hz refresh rates in a lot of Direct3D and OpenGL titles. Small utilities and manual fixes have resolved these in past and current drivers - does nVidia know about the issue, and if so will there be a built-in remedy in future drivers?nVIDIA_BrianW
We are working to resolve allot of the refresh rates in windows 2 K and Xp. We are working on it and are trying to find solutions.maniacjc
EVGA has done a great job with the all the nVIDIA products. I look to be a long time customer with products that have been the easiest to install of all my video card past. Keep offering step up and You will be a major player! KUDOS!Andrew_EVGA
Thank you. My staffs are trying very hard to support our customers even a lot problems wasn't on our side. Thanks again.nvmax
Does NVIDIA support the idea of ATI/Matrox n-patch technology or does it think that higher polygon count to mimic a curve is the way forward?nVIDIA_BrianB
We feel that b-splines and bezier curves are superior methods to achieve higher order surfaces.davina
Sorry if this was already asked, is work on the Twinview drivers for Windows 2000 continuing? Will we be able to use different resolutions on different monitors?nVIDIA_BrianW
We are always going forward with our twin veiw driver. We will be addressing limitations and hopefully solving these issues.ben6
when might we see 3dfx influence in Nvidia products?nVIDIA_BrianB
It usually takes about a year and half to develop a chip. GeForce 3 was way to far in development, as was the follow on product.jorge3
just a word to say how pleased I have been with the quality of service and professionalism I have experienced in my dealings with your company. This is rare and refreshing behavior Bravo EVGA !Andrew_EVGA
We are trying to do the different ways as the rest of the card makers used to do. We foresee the needs from you, the endusers, and we will more....nvmax
A big question for the majority of NVIDIA users is how the lack of competition will effect future products. It is now clearly a NVIDIA -v- ATI battle for the high end market. Will NVIDIA remain competitive even when (and lets face it) ATI goes under?nVIDIA_BrianB
We are not driven by ATI. We are driven by our own competitive fire. Sounds chessy, but it is true. Our roadmap would blow your mind. We will execute on our roadmap regardless of the competition. We are THE company to work for if your a computer graphics engineer. The stuff we have coming out is mind-blowing.magako
What is Nvidia's preferred route for product design? Will we ever see Nvidia-designed boards on the market? Or will you stay as a dominate chip manufacturer? Also, as seen with the nForce an integrated chip into the board, do you guys feel that an integrated solution is the best? Or will video cards themselves be the best way to carry on the future?nVIDIA_BrianW
The products you are talking about are two separate product lines. There are two solutions to provide our customers. Integrated and add in card.. Two markets that can help customers have solutions.magako
Could ram chips be a decent design for a product? Top end 3d cards are very expensive, and when one buys a 32MB, then a 64MB comes out. When one buys a 64MB, 128MB will be due out. Most of us can't be buying these cards every time they come out. Will we see one day the ability to just upgrade ram on a video card?Andrew_EVGA
That why EVGA.com offers the STEP UP program to our G3 buyers. We are considering to open the STEP UP program to all the customers who owns EVGA.com's graphics acceleratorsfingas
We've heard of the Final Fantasy movie segment running at 2.5 frames per second - impressive compared to what we're used to seeing for professional-quality graphics. You may just want to venture personal guesses, but how long do you think it will be before nVidia chips could render that kind of detail in a game?nVIDIA_BrianB
It was actually 12 frames per seconds on a Quadro DCC. It really depends on how developers use vertex and pixel shaders in their games. You can a lot of cool effects with those. Our Chameleon demo uses Terminator2 and Predator effects now.jorge3
Does nVidia have plans to bring a Quadro3 card? or has nVidia left the workstation graphics market?nVIDIA_BrianB
We are the leader in workstation graphics. We are committed to maintaining that lead and to continue to innovate.ben6
Sorry if this has been asked but do all Geforce3 support 3d textures and shadow buffers ? Even the reference boards sent out in March?Keith_EVGA
Yes - the GeForce3 does support both of those modes.nvmax
The increasingly volatile computing economy is causing companies to become 100% efficient. Every day there are many job losses throughout the industry as companies cut back workforce. Does this effect the 'fun' factor that was once in working in the computing industry? or because of NVIDIA's rapid product development does this not apply to yourself?nVIDIA_BrianB
We are benefiting from the slow down by adding a lot of very, very talented people to our company. Nvidia is still fun.jorge3
does nVIDIA consider upping visual quality in predominantly gaming based cards a priority or is it all about FPS, don't get me wrong I love my geforce cards ... but , image quality on my Radeon is superior , I don't just game , I also use my computer for a variety of tasks.nVIDIA_BrianW
We have Digital Vibrance control in our Chips that should produce the best possible image quality also we can run High resolution AA that will improve the image quality.magako
Does the manufacturer of ram affect performance of a card? I saw a few weeks back of someone seeing 2 exact cards but using different ram manufacturers. What affect does this have? if any?Keith_EVGA
It doesn't make that much of a difference - the big differences are how much bandwidth the memory supports (64 bit or 128 bit) and the speed of the memory (7ns, 6ns, etc.) and if it is DDR or SDR memory. Memory with the same specs from different makers should be about the same - but if the memory specs are different you will see it.Koala
A friend of mine is going into college at MIT for Computer Engineering, he is going into Computer Engineering, but he wants to go into Computer Graphics Engineering, what courses should he take for such a career? should he go into Computer Science?nVIDIA_BrianB
He should ask his counselor. A lot of colleges have great computer graphics departments.Koala
why does 2D image quality suffer so much on nVidia based cards? Even on high end monitors I've seen the GeForce cards with ghosting at low resolutions of 1024x768x32 @100Hz, lowering the refresh rate doesn't always fix the problems. Why is this such a problem on such high quality cards?nVIDIA_BrianW
I have not seen this issue with our cards..Be sure to specify the monitor INF. and have all the drivers loaded correctly. I know on the monitors I use Sony and Mitsubishi the have no ghosting. Hope this helps...waveee
no geforce 3 mx updates???Andrew_EVGA
I've not heard anything about G3MX.magako
What will be next for cards? Will we push beyond the 1600x1200 limit? Or will we be seeing better AntiAliasing methods being implemented to current game resolutions?nVIDIA_BrianB
We are planning on pushing as hard as we can can AA is important, as is the ability to run at higher resolutions. It is nice to have the choice. You will see a lot of great technologies in coming from NVIDIA that will improve image quality. The goal is photo realism.nvmax
One last question from me, is NVIDIA 'investigating' using cheaper, slower DDR memory in future Mx type products?Andrew_EVGA
EVGA.com may consider this.nvmax
coolAndrew_EVGA
Thanks everybody.magako
Goodbye...nvmax
Yep my thanks to Brian and of course the EVGA team for having the balls to do this sort of thing. Good work!jorge3
thanx to Brianw,Keith,and EVGA great chatting w/youKeith_EVGA
It was great to have an opportunity to chat with you and everyone else out there as well!ChatMaster
All right, Thank you again for joining us everyone. Please stay tuned for our next monthly chat. If you have any suggestions please email our webmaster @ webmaster@evga.com. Thanks again to the two Brians for joining EVGA.com for this.magako
Thanks for the chat, is there a way I can save this?ChatMaster
Thank you Andrew of EVGA.com for taking time from your busy schedule to join us.Keith_EVGA
The transcript will be posted to our website tomorrow.nVIDIA_BrianW
Thanks again for all your questions.. We really do appreciate it.. We will keep trying to bring you the best products we can.. Thanks again.nvmax
Thanks Brian, Andrew, Keith, Joe and the othersAndrew_EVGA
You are welcome.ChatMaster
CLOSED CHAT SESSION
