That’s a subtle, video card industry version of telling ATI they got served.

But seriously, $1000 for a video card? My entire PC cost $1000 and I can run Vanguard with all settings maxxed as silky smooth as Vanguard can get at 1920×1080. I cannot imagine anything much faster than that. Don’t get me wrong…I want one, but I am pretty sure I don’t need one right now. Hit the jump for some facts and figures. Michael Fahey

New NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra Enables World’s Fastest Gaming Platform

News Facts:

* Today NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) introduced the world’s fastest graphics processing unit (GPU), the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra.
* The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra performs an average of between 10 and 15% faster[i] than the GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, previously considered the fastest GPU on the planet,[ii] across a wide range of top games and applications.
* NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboards for Intel processors provide the fastest and most feature-rich platform for the GeForce 8800 Ultra. NVIDIA refers to these systems as the “definitive gaming platform”.
* Consumers will be able to experience high-resolution, visually rich gaming and high-definition video playback with support for Blu-ray and HD DVD content.
* Definitive gaming platforms built with any nForce 600 Series motherboard are forward compatible with the new Intel processors with support for 1333FSB technology.
Product Facts:

* Graphics cards equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU and 768MB of video memory will be available at e-tailers and retailers worldwide by May 15th. NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics card launch partners include Asus, BFG, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision, Leadtek, MSI, PNY, Point of View, Sparkle and XFX.
* Prices around 699 inc. tax
* GeForce 8 Series GPUs are the first shipping DirectX 10 GPUs and are the reference GPUs for Microsoft DirectX 10 API development.
* GeForce 8800 GPUs are the developer’s platform of choice for this year’s top DirectX 10 titles, including Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Crysis, Age of Conan, Hellgate: London, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, World in Conflict, BioShock, PT Boats, and Cryostasis.
* Developers creating next-generation OpenGL titles, such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars are also using GeForce 8 Series as their development platform of choice.
* GeForce 8 Series GPUs include all required hardware functionality defined in the Microsoft Direct3D 10 specification, with full support for the DirectX 10 unified shader instruction set and Shader Model 4 capabilities.
* DirectX 10 is included with Microsoft Windows Vista and delivers unparalleled levels of graphics realism and film-quality effects for games, all rendered in real-time on a GeForce 8 Series DirectX 10-capable GPU.

Here’s the specs on each of the cards:

“With Windows Vista being the first operating system to require a GPU to fully realise its graphics potential and with the growing list of popular software applications that take advantage of a dedicated graphics processor, GPUs are no longer a luxury required only by hardcore gamers,” said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GPU business unit at NVIDIA. “These new GPUs extend the reach of our award-winning GeForce 8 Series and offer cutting-edge, next-generation features to everyone from the hardcore gamer to the casual PC user.”

“DirectX 10 means higher performance and better looking PC graphics,” said Chris Donahue, group manager, games for Windows at Microsoft. “We are thrilled to see that NVIDIA has taken the first step to help application developers and end users adopt the newest 3D graphics API, by making DirectX 10-compliant GPUs available from top-to-bottom for every type of desktop PC user.”