There’s been a lot of talk about the potential power consumption of NV40-based graphics cards, which are expected to have two MOLEX connectors and require a power supply that pushes at least 480W. However, NV40 may not be the only power-hungry graphics chip on the horizon. The Inquirer is reporting that graphics cards based on ATI’s upcoming R420 will also have dual power connectors and pretty stiff power supply requirements. R420 isn’t expected to suck more power than NV40, but the next-gen ATI chip isn’t expected to consume much less, either.
With power requirements rising, one can only hope that NV40 and R420 don’t dissipate an inordinate amount of heat. If the new cards deliver jaw-dropping performance, power consumption probably won’t be a big deal. However, if they require loud Dustbuster-like coolers, all bets are off.
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