Via X-bit Labs: "It is not a secret that Nvidia Corp., currently the only supplier of DirectX 10-compliant visual processing units, is working on various versions of its GeForce 8-series graphics chips for various market segments. Which is rather a sensation is that Nvidia already ships beta drivers for Windows Vista that supports top-to-bottom GeForce 8 family, including a rather unexpected model GeForce 8800 Ultra.
   
Nvidia recently released new ForceWare version 100.41 drivers for Windows Vista operating system which, according to some findings, features support for several graphics products that have not been released so far, including GeForce 8800 Ultra, GeForce 8600 GTS, GeForce 8600 GT, GeForce 8500 GT, GeForce 8400 GS, GeForce 8300 GS.

The GeForce 8800 Ultra may become an overclocked version of the GeForce 8800 GTX, which has been shipping for several month, however, considering the exceptionally low availability of the GeForce 7800 GTX 512, which was released in late 2005 and which featured an overclocked by 120MHz GeForce 7800 GTX chip, the new Ultra may not feature extreme clock-speed, but have other improvements compared to the model 8800 GTX. It is also interesting to note that Nvidia has not used the “Ultra” moniker for its graphics processing units for several years already."

The news just keeps coming in about NVIDIA piling on the hurt on ATI. Unfortunately for the past few months consumers really haven't had a choice when it comes to DirectX 10 graphics cards. You've either got an 8800 series GPU or you don't have DirectX 10 compliance at all. Then again it's still some time before massive big name games arrive but it is still unsettling to see ATI have nothing against NVIDIA for months and months. Lately the talk of ATI postponing the R600 for purely marketing reasons sounds exciting, since that obviously shows confidence on ATI's part. However, NVIDIA expanding the entire line and having the impending 8900 series already being talked up must be making some ATI guys sweat since they've basically lost a product cycle already.

Which company do you think will come out on top in the first year of DirectX 10's existence.

ATI

NVIDIA

Source @ X-bit Labs