The GPU universe grew Monday with releases from two major providers targeting distinct functions and markets. Nvidia announced the availability of the inaugural chips in its new Geforce GTX 200 line of graphic processors. The GTX 280 and GTX 260 have 1.4 billion transistors and 192 to 240 processor cores. AMD also unveiled its own new GPU, the FireStream 9250. Unlike multi-core central processing units, which involve connecting multiple CPUs together, GPUs are a single chip with millions -- or in the case of the GTX 200 series, more than 1 billion -- transistors on each chip.
June 16th 2008