NVIDIA did not present any new graphics cards at Computex 2024, but it showed a lot of technologies that can help gamers. The company unveiled a new standard for compact PCs supported by manufacturers, created an AI assistant for complex games, enabled automatic video card overclocking in its program, and allowed the use of the AV1 codec at 120 frames per second in SDR and HDR formats for game recording.
NVIDIA launches SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Card program. It provides instructions and guidelines for building compact PCs with RTX 40 graphics cards for gamers and enthusiasts, supported by major «hardware» manufacturers. This program involves a variety of companies, including NVIDIA board partners, case makers, power supply providers, and other component developers, who collaborate to meet the defined standards.
NVIDIA provides a list of compatible chassis along with compatible GeForce cards for «enthusiasts». According to the instructions, the minimum GPU that meets the specifications — is the RTX 4070. The requirements indicate a maximum video card thickness of 2.5 slots (50 mm), with dimensions of 304 mm long and 151 mm wide.
As mentioned, all of the cards listed and their cases have similar dimensions, which makes it relatively easy to integrate them with other recommended system components. The list also includes some spoilers like the Palit Infinity 3 graphics cards that have not yet been released. The list does not include any RTX 4060 models — NVIDIA considers these cards to be basic and not sufficiently productive for enthusiasts.
SFF recommendations do not focus on the Mini-ITX form factor. The graphics card manufacturers’ websites will soon be updated with «SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards» and chassis will be labeled «Compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards».
At Computex 2024, NVIDIA introduced is a new type of artificial intelligence assistant that will help gamers get the best experience. Project G-Assist offers players help with strategies and processes in complex games.
With Project G-Assist and a compatible graphics card, gamers can access a large language model (LLM) linked to a database of games directly from the supported game. Using voice prompts or test queries, players can ask the assistant for advice. While Project G-Assist cannot play in place of the gamer, as demonstrated by NVIDIA’s April Fool’s Day 2017 video, it offers a wealth of information.
NVIDIA notes that games have become so complex that many players are facing significant difficulties, even leading to a reluctance to buy the game. Even though they were interested in playing the game, the time and learning curve involved make the game not worthwhile.
To demonstrate the technology, NVIDIA used Ark: Survival Ascended. G-Assist showed that it was able to answer questions about creatures, item creation, history, difficult bosses, etc. In one example, a player asked which early weapon was the best in the game. The AI assistant recommended the spear and explained how to create the weapon, what damage it deals, and the weaknesses of the spear.
Now users of NVIDIA graphics cards will be able to record gameplay at 120 frames per second in SDR and HDR formats. The AV1 codec, which is now supported by many software platforms, requires powerful GPUs to record and encode video at high quality and frame rates. For gamers, this means lower memory requirements and higher streaming quality. This feature will be available for the RTX 40 series.
NVIDIA demonstrated the feature in Horizon Forbidden West. The use of the codec resulted in fewer artifacts in the frame. According to the company, AV1 encoding reduces color banding and allows for more detail.
An interesting new NVIDIA feature is automatic performance tuning. NVIDIA’s program automatically scans the system and selects the best settings for both desktop and mobile graphics cards. These settings will be applied automatically, although advanced users can manually control voltage, power, temperature, or fan speed.
NVIDIA says that once enabled, the auto-tuning feature will perform regular scans to ensure optimal GPU performance. Full tests can take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete, depending on the settings. NVIDIA recommends leaving the system untouched for best results. The good news is that this type of overclocking will not void your warranty. NVIDIA assures you that using this feature will not damage any graphics card.
Source: NVIDIA