Tuesday, Nvidia announced a brand new graphics card during its annual GPU (graphics processing unit) Technology Conference in San Jose. Think GDC (game developers conference) for card lovers. They call it the GeForce GTX Titan Z, and it promises to deliver “supercomputer-inspired performance” for both PC gamers as well as its cloud-computing partnership with VMWare for professional use. For true PC gaming enthusiasts, this high-end component could be a saving grace considering the personal computing industry is currently losing some steam. A typical problem seen with 4K gaming is memory, but with the new Titan line, 5K solves the issue with its frame buffering memory. Chipmakers are moving more and more towards the mobile device constituent of the gaming business; and Nvidia is getting heavily involved in its graphics technology in order to provide a wider range of applications. Even cars and data centers could be a part of the mix soon. In fact, during the presentation, and in front of over 3,000 attendees, CEO Jen-Hsun Huang demonstrated the chip's processing power while a self-driving, Nvidia-powered Audi drove on stage.

Following Nvidia's previous Titan chip (which sold for about $1,000), the new top of the line Titan Z will sell for $2,999, and contains two Kepler graphics processors. This is capable of supercharging PCs with a total of 5,760 processing cores (that's about .50 cents per core!), and 12 amazing gigabytes of video memory. A statement from an Nvidia press release describes how its dual-GPU mixture is an attractive alternative for HD gaming.

“Unlike traditional dual-GPU cards, Titan Z’s twin GPUs are tuned to run at the same clock speed, and with dynamic power balancing. So neither GPU creates a performance bottleneck. And that performance is delivered in a card that is cool and quiet, rather than hot and loud. Low-profile components and ducted baseplate channels minimize turbulence and improves acoustic quality."

But consider this, and only if you want to, a single GTX Titan still costs about $1,000, therefore it remains obvious just how expensive Nvidia's tweaked new version is. But, if you want premium, sometimes you have to pay a heavy premium. Yet, the Titan Z is for “next-generation 5K and multi-monitor gaming”, both of which require the highest of standards; clearly targeted to those serious about having a capable rig in their home. The Titan Z won't only be marketed to those crazy about upping their home PC gaming, but as a supercomputing card that professionals will want as well. Think of anything from oil exploration, to data centers providing web-based processing power for enterprise customers. VMWare, as a partner, would incorporate the technology into its virtualization software; something that could help companies save on storage/server costs. “If you're in desperate need of a supercomputer that you need to fit under your desk”, with this much potential, all while being cool and quiet, “we (Nvidia) might just have the card for you”.