Nvidia marks 20th anniversary of GeForce 8800 GTX GPU
Nvidia is commemorating the 20th anniversary of its GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card with a new Steam demo that recreates the hardware installation experience of 2006.
Launched on November 8, 2006, the GeForce 8800 GTX served as a pivotal moment for Nvidia as the first graphics card to feature support for CUDA. This platform enabled GPU-accelerated computing beyond basic image rendering, establishing the architecture that would eventually underpin the company's modern data center and AI business.
Based on the 90nm G80 architecture, the card featured 128 cores and 768MB of GDDR3 memory. Retailing at $599, it was one of the few high-end products of its time capable of handling demanding titles such as Crysis and BioShock, setting a benchmark for graphical fidelity in the late 2000s.
To mark the milestone, Nvidia has released a commemorative demo on Steam developed by artist Dylan Browne. The software allows users to virtually assemble the 8800 GTX in a 2006-style gaming room while showcasing modern rendering techniques such as DLSS 4.5 and path tracing.