Nvidia will next month launch a 320MB version of its 640MB GeForce 8800 GTS graphics chip, it has been claimed.

According to a DailyTech report, the new model matches the existing part's specifications in all but one respect: the amount of frame-buffer memory it's intended to be connected too. Both products will contain 500MHz cores, each with 96 unified-shader processors Memory will be clocked at 800MHz.

Nvidia is expected to pitch the new board as a low-cost DirectX 10 board for Windows Vista.

Past versions of Nvidia's ForceWare driver package have revealed a range of GeForce 8800-class GPUs coming to market, including the G80-200, G80-400, G80-600, G80-850 and G80-875. Asian industry sources have pointed to G84 and G86 parts in the past, both of which the latest report refers to as the G84-300 and G86-300.

All are expected to ship in Q1 this year. The 320MB 8800 GTS is said to be set to ship mid-February. ®