Check this shit out! Basically they are re-thinking the way video rendering happens on a computer, and have come up with a way to achieve basically unlimited detail (well, limited by the resolution you are working at of course) without even using a GPU....this is all software based, not graphics card, and takes relatively little processing power! Assuming this isn't vaporware, the consumer-level computer graphics world is going to blow up soon!
Short Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ATtrImCx4&ttl=1
Website with more info
http://unlimiteddetailtechnology.com/home.html