Nvidia jumps on speedy new chip

Nvidia said the chip is the first to run at 500 MHz, with memory running at 1 GHz and will be available for sale in February.

NVIDIA stocks closed up 20 cents or 1.43 percent to US$14.17 on the Nasdaq following the news, having traded as high as US $14.88.

Merrill Lynch analyst Joe Osha said the chip is noteworthy because it has two and a half to three times the performance of the previous flagship – the GeForce Ti 4600.

"With the NV30 finally here, we believe there is one less risk to owning the stock," Osha said.