In a quest for bragging rights, both NVIDIA and ATI seem to suddenly be in a mad rush to be the first to integrate 512MB of memory on a consumer graphics card.
Technically NVIDIA struck first , specifically Gainward, with their Gainward CoolFX PowerPack! Ultra/2800PCX “Golden Sample�?. The 2800 PCX GS is a PCI-E GeForce 6800 Ultra card with a 450MHz core clock, and 512MB of "carefully qualified" 1.2GHz GDDR3 memory, video-out, and dual DVI. The card also ships with a single-slot water cooler manufactured by Innovatek. The card will begin shipping at the end of next month, but price wasn't announced.
If the 2800 PCX GS is too expensive for you, Gainward will also be producing a lower cost 512MB card that swaps the water cooler with copper cooling, the Gainward PowerPack! Ultra/2800 PCX “Golden Sample�?.
On the ATI front, their
PR is more mum, only announcing that they will be showing off a 512MB gaming card at the Texas Gaming Festival this weekend. The VPU used isn't mentioned, nor is a potential release date and price, but this tidbit from the
PR provides some clues: "Participating in events like this gives us the opportunity to find out what gamers want and need for competitive gaming," said Rich Heye, Vice President and GM, Desktop Discrete Products, ATI. "And to say thanks for supporting ATI, we are giving attendees at this event an opportunity to check out the world's first 512MB gaming cards before we send them out to our software partners for development of next-generation games."
It's pretty interesting to see the sudden interest both companies are taking in the rush to get to 512MB. It was not a well kept secret that ATI would be debuting a 512MB graphics card this weekend, members of the press that will be attending have known for weeks what would be occuring at TXGF. It was quite a surprise however to see Gainward's
PR this morning. I have no doubt that NVIDIA didn't want to look flat-footed when ATI demonstrated 512MB graphics cards to the public this weekend, partnering with Gainward to deliver an even more extreme GeForce 6800 Ultra Extreme card.
512MB graphics cards debut
nd the explanation they have is that they want the site to be "dial up user friendly".....!!!! 
Seen the max res? 
Linear Mode
