NVIDIA is preparing a new SKU for the entry-level gaming market according to reports coming from GPU-centric site VideoCardz.com. A new variant of the GM206 - the GPU at the heart of the mid-range GTX 960 - has shown up which indicates that the release of a lower-specced model is imminent, likely occuping the GTX 950/950 TI position in NVIDIA's GeForce lineup.

The GeForce GTX 750-series, comprising the GTX 750 and GTX 750 Ti, were the first GPUs to be released that boasted the latest Maxwell architecture. However the GM108 and GM107 which power these cards have since been surpassed technologically by the Maxwell 2nd generation. A general repositioning of AMD's lineup has also placed the older Maxwell cards under more pressure, which may have precipitated action on NVIDIA's part.

The new GPU, known as the GM206-250, is a GeForce GTX part (meaning that at minimum would occupy the GTX950 position in the product stack) that would likely be pitched against AMD's Radeon R7 370 'Trinidad' or R7 360 'Tobago' in raw performance. It may be downclocked relative to the GTX 960, or (more likely) have shaders fused off to differentiate itself from the GTX 960. The amount of pressure this would put AMD's R7-lineup under would largely depend on performance, although OEMs would appreciate a more power efficient card in this price/perf. bracket.

SOURCE: VideoCardz.com