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Author Topic: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?  (Read 4821 times)

Bowdon

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Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« on: February 20, 2017, 12:48:26 AM »

I was thinking earlier about mechanical devices in the PC.

How storage devices have changed over the years, most notable from the hard drive HDD to SSD. Even the SSD drives are smaller in physical size too. I've been learning about the SSD's that connect and sit on the motherboard. So already the SSD technology as moved on.

The only other mechanical device in the traditional PC is the graphics card.

Will there ever be a technological jump for graphics cards moving them away from a mechanical device to maybe a combo looking cpu/ssd type technology, with no moving parts?
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NEXUS2345

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2017, 01:34:56 AM »

The only moving parts on a GPU are the fans that are included on it. It is otherwise a purely electronic design with no moving parts, so I don't really understand what you mean by this.

In terms of SSDs, they have no moving parts either, yes, but as I said, a graphics card is also a plug and play device. Most CPUs have one included nowadays anyway, albeit not very capable. The reason we use dedicated GPUs is because the CPU integrated ones are bound by thermal and power limits of the motherboard, and the system RAM being slow, whereas a dedicated GPU has access to more power and cooling, as well as having much higher bandwidth memory (3-4x bandwidth).
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Chrysalis

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2017, 08:45:35 AM »

The only evolution I can see in the next 10 years or so is GPUs been moved to a all in one unit with the CPU aka APU's which is already what consoles and smartphones do, PC's dont yet do it because the level of performance requires a dedicated larger device.

Most of the bulk of a GPU is a spread out PCB and the cooler, the actual chips are already quite small.

We are slowly getting there tho, a gtx 1080 is in terms of TDP similar to what a GTX 460 was as an example.  We also no longer have dual GPU cards like the GTX 590.

Now gtx 1060 cards can be like really small and a 1050ti doesnt even need a pci express power connector.
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banger

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2017, 10:38:08 PM »

I have a GTX610 with no fan and a passive heatsink, so no moving parts.
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Ronski

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2017, 08:33:35 AM »

The only evolution I can see in the next 10 years or so is GPUs been moved to a all in one unit with the CPU aka APU's which is already what consoles and smartphones do, PC's dont yet do it because the level of performance requires a dedicated larger device..

Actually that's not right, most the PCs I use have no dedicated  graphics cards. Many CPUs have built in GPUs these days,  and they are quite powerful, in fact the first was in 2009.

https://www.bit-tech.net/news/tech/cpus/intel-details-first-cpu-with-integrated-gpu/1/

Some are even powerful enough for casual gaming,  but for demanding high res & detailed gaming a dedicated card is required.

http://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-without-a-dedicated-graphics-chip-on-i7-7700k/

AMD also includes integrated graphics with various CPUs.
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Chrysalis

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2017, 01:17:35 PM »

Sorry I meant high end graphics PCs.
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Ronski

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Re: Will graphics cards ever evolve like the HDD did?
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2017, 04:31:34 PM »

Intergrated is certainly getting far more powerful,  I remember the rather dire integrated graphics that used to be integrated on the motherboard.
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