The current extent of Nvidia's Maxwell GPU rollout is limited to just three graphics cards on the desktop platform - the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, GTX 970 and GTX 980. Nvidia's mobile GeForce range has received a larger share of Maxwell-based GPUs - the GTX 850M, GTX 860M and GTX 980M, to name only a few. Arguably, the most anticipated arrival is still yet to come: the mid-range desktop parts.
The latest news emerging from Sweclockers suggests that the mid-range Maxwell gap could be filled as soon as January 2015. Nvidia's next Maxwell desktop GPU, expected to be the GeForce GTX 960, will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, if these reports are to be believed.
Detailed specifications for the GTX 960 are still subject to change; there has been no concrete leak from the green team as of yet. Latest information contends that the GTX 960 will be based on the Maxwell GM206 core which could feature 2GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus.
For those who can recall, shipping manifest data that emerged in early November suggested the GTX 960 would be an altogether more powerful beast with 4GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, clocking in 993MHz core and 6,008MHz memory. Pricing is expected to be between $249 and $299, meaning £190-230 for UK buyers, enabling Nvidia to directly replace and phase out the $249 GTX 760.
Even with the lower-end specification estimate the GTX 960 is expected to perform on par with the current GTX 770. Given its Maxwell design it should also boast greater power-efficiency than the GTX 770's 230W-rated TDP. Excited?
