The nVIDIA statement reads:
We have been receiving some questions and concerns about an article recently posted on The Inquirer claiming that there is a bug in G84 and G86 preventing chips from downclocking into 2D Mode. This article is not correct at all. Please pass the following response on to anyone else who may have concerns on the matter:
There never was, and never will be a "2D Clock Mode" on desktop versions of G84 and G86. The power requirements for these GPUs are low enough to begin with - there is little to no power savings to be had by down clocking into a 2D mode, at least for desktop usage.
We have invested considerable effort into power efficiency in our GeForce 8 series architecture. Our 8800 series has been widely recognized as having an excellent performance/power ratio and our upcoming 8600 and 8500 series will share this distinction."