the GeForce 8800M GTX and 8800M GTS. The two GPUs pack a substantial number of stream processors—96 and 64, respectively—and they're based on a flavor of the G92 graphics processor that debuted in the GeForce 8800 GT. In other words, they have enough horsepower to handle pretty much any game you throw at them.Then again, they don't quite have the same specifications as their desktop counterparts, and there are folks out there looking for a laptop that'll let them play Assassin's Creed when it comes out. Presumably in an effort to satisfy that particular demographic, Nvidia has announced that notebooks with dual GeForce 8800M graphics processors running in SLI mode are on their way. Alienware, Dell, Sager, Eurocom, MALIBAL, Cybersystem, Multirama, Nexoc, and Rock have all worked with Nvidia to squeeze two GeForce 8800M GTX chips into their high-end gaming laptops, and the first systems should be available "soon." One of those systems is Dell's XPS M1730, which accommodates only dual GeForce 8700Ms right now but will be updated to support dual 8800M GTXs. In its top configuration, the machine currently delivers a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X7900 processor from Intel, 2GB of DDR2-667 RAM, two 200GB hard drives running in RAID mode, a DVD burner, a mobile Ageia PhysX processor, built-in Creative SoundBlaster Audigy HD audio, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a nine-cell battery. Weight starts at 10.6 lbs (4.81 kg), and Dell charges $4,438 for the machine. We'd expect dual 8800M GTXs to raise the price tag a little, though.
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The nForce 680i SLI has been at the top of NVIDIA’s chipset product stack for well over a year now, which seems like an eternity in this day and age of accelerated product cycles. Although still a top-notch performer, and arguably the best choice for gamers looking to put together a system with multiple GPUs, the nForce 680i SLI is getting a bit long in the tooth. This is most evident when you consider that current 680i SLI motherboards don’t properly support Intel’s sought after 45nm Penryn-derived processors. Technically, the chipset supports the CPUs, but a circuit level issue on today’s nForce 680i SLI-based motherboard implementations causes compatibility problems that cannot be addressed through BIOS or driver updates.
In that regard, "out with the old and in with the new" is the theme this time of year, so today NVIDIA is launching a new (sort of) family of chipsets, dubbed the nForce 700 series, that will properly support Intel’s latest processors and usher in some new features. Initially, the nForce 700 series of chipsets will consist of the flagship nForce 780i SLI and the mainstream nForce 750i SLI. As you can probably surmise, the nForce 780i SLI will be NVIDIA’s top of the line chipset heading into this holiday season and the 750i SLI will be a trimmed down version minus some of the more cutting edge features.
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