Nvidia is planning to broaden its NV40-based GeForce 6800 line in a bid to compete more effectively with products based on ATI's R420 chip, which is expected to launch today as the Radeon X800 Pro.

According to a company presentation foil posted at German site ComputerBase, Nvidia is planning to add a GeForce 6800 GT to its product line, filling a gap between the already launched 6800 and 6800 Ultra.

Like the Ultra, the GT features 16 pixel pipelines - the vanilla 6800 has 12. However, the GT will sport lower core and memory clock frequencies than the top-end chip, and lower average board prices as a result.

While the Ultra runs at 400MHz, with memory clocked to 1.1GHz, the GT is set at 350MHz and 1GHz, respectively. Both will ship on cards with 256MB of GDDR 3 SDRAM.

The foil reveals that the GeForce 6800 is clocked at 325MHz while its 128MB of DDR SDRAM runs at 700MHz. It also leaves room for a 375MHz part between the GT and the Ultra.

Nvidia has already said boards based on the GeForce 6800 and 6800 Ultra will ship for around $299 and $499, respectively. That suggests a $399 price point for the GT, if the slide information is accurate. ®

Related stories

Review: Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra
Nvidia rolls out GeForce 6800
Nvidia green lights Quadro FX 4000 chip
Nvidia acquires network processor maker
ATI kicks off Radeon X800 promo plan
ATI R420 slips from April to May