NVIDEA Kepler cards debut today

The 6xx series of NVIDEA graphics cards released today! personally, it doesnt affect me much yet (I have a laptop, and the high-end cards are still TBA) but the fact that the 680 gives double the performance per watt of the 580 (fastest of the 2011 cards) bodes well for the mobile versions. In fact, the 680 is likely not what NVIDEA intended to be their high-end card for this year, due tho the fact that it's die size is a mere ~300mm^2, and their previous flagship cards have all run closer to 500mm^2. In size and TDP it compares more to the 460 and 560 cards, the "gamer" class cards (relative to the "enthusiast" 480 and 580). However, NVIDEA saw how thouroughly their intended mid-high end card trounced the top-of-the-line 7970, the highest end GCN card (from AMD), and decided to relese it as their high-end card. I expect a 685 coming out soon, honestly, with the full 500mm^2 die and EVEN MORE performance.

Here's hoping for a great year in mobile cards!

Yep, Should be a very exciting year for graphic cards. While I'm partial to the Nvidea cards, I hope that ATI provides some competition for them. Results in better technology overall.

Unfortunately, NVIDEA seems to have beaten AMD on performance, price, and TDP all at once this generation

I mean, they upbranded a card because the competition failed so horribly!

Yeah, I sure wish AMD would step it up. A couple years ago Nvidea and AMD were right up with each other but since then AMD kept falling further and further behind. Plus for some reason AMD cards seem to have more hardware issues (Overheating, Catching on fire, Exploding, ) Then Nvidea. Obviously AMD needs better corporate spies. : P