Not content to be a generation (not to mention months and months) behind its rival in the race for DirectX 11, NVIDIA has recently created the mobile GeForce 300-series out of none other than chips fielded from the preexisting GeForce 200 series.
While SemiAccurate claims the GeForce GTS360M is nothing but the desktop GeForce 240 in disguise (itself renamed from the 9800 GT), there is little evidence to support this allegation. What is convincingly damning, however, is the fact that NVIDIA has not yet launched a new mobile architecture. This means that “GeForce 300” parts had to come from somewhere, and the only possible “somewhere” is the company’s crop of 200-series GPUs.
It really is a delightful scheme if consumers are last on the list of groups you’re concerned about. OEMs cash in through consumers dazzled by the allure of what appears to be a next-gen GPU, NVIDIA cashes in through notebook sales, and NVIDIA investors make bank as their company spins its way to profitability. Too bad, so sad for customers who really thought they were buying into a part with new and superior technology.
Though some may be surprised by NVIDIA’s antics, it’s actually little more than the most recent entry to the company’s storied history in the annals of creative marketing. Even so, it’s a sad day when marketing must pass for product.
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