As many of us are settling into some beautiful weather, AMD and NVIDIA have decided to give us reason to stay indoors, with the release of some new graphics cards. AMD’s cards are coming next week, and in typical fashion, NVIDIA has decided to rain on Radeon’s well-publicized parade by launching its new SUPER series right now.
I didn’t anticipate NVIDIA launching SUPER ahead of Navi (somehow), so I had been focusing entirely on updating our CPU suite and scripts ahead of the arrival of our samples. The level of complexity in updating one suite is enough, so we shelved GPU testing until that was finished, and then jumped on updating the gaming. At this point, a few cards have been tested so far with the new suite, but a few more need to be pushed through the gauntlet before a good picture of competitive performance can be posted. Our look will be posted in the next day or two.
I’m not entirely sure why NVIDIA decided to go with the SUPER branding for these cards, since Ti would have fit the bill just fine. And, admittedly, I think Ti would have looked a lot better. These green SUPER logos detract from the aesthetic more than add to it, at least to me. But, at the end of the day, it’s just a logo on a shroud, and an admittedly good-looking shroud.
At this point, the RTX 2060 and its SUPER addition have been tested, and based on those results, I can say that the performance uplift is notable, and would be worthy of the $50 premium (especially when you consider that you move from a 6 to 8GB framebuffer). The verdict is still out on the other cards, but that will come soon.
Ultimately, the RTX 2060 SUPER is an addition to the RTX 2060, not a replacement. The RTX 2070 SUPER is a replacement, however, retaining the $499 pricing of the non-SUPER. The same can be said for the upcoming 2080 SUPER, as it’s priced the same as the original. Who doesn’t love free performance? Well, “free” is relative, since there is a power-draw boost, but that’s to be expected.
Despite their unveiling today, the SUPER cards are not available at retail, but are expected to hit there soon. Some vendors, like EVGA, have already announced their updated lineups. With AMD’s Radeon Navi coming out next week, it truly is a busy season for GPUs. With SIGGRAPH right around the corner, we can hope that the professional market is going to get another shot in the arm soon, too.
As mentioned earlier, we’re still working on our review of SUPER, and are aiming to get it up as soon as possible (while juggling benchmarking for more content next week!). Stay tuned.
Rob founded Techgage in 2005 to be an 'Advocate of the consumer', focusing on fair reviews and keeping people apprised of news in the tech world. Catering to both enthusiasts and businesses alike; from desktop gaming to professional workstations, and all the supporting software.