[Arun]

Based on specifications leaked on chinese websites and other indications we have seen, the RV630 seems to be a minuscule 65nm chip, measuring approximately 80mm². The website further claims the chip will sport a 128-bit memory bus and be the first 65nm GPU on the market. Let us disagree on both points; given that die size, an external 64-bit bus is more likely (with a 128-bit internal memory bus, think R5xx!), and NVIDIA's 65nm shrink of G72 (GeForce 7300 GS/LE) will likely be on the market first. Also, it'd make more sense to us if the 80mm2 chip was the RV610, but perhaps ATI has "randomized" their codenames a bit this time around; or perhaps the report is confusing two parts.

But this does not decrease the significance of this information in any way whatsoever, quite on the contrary. Should this rumour be accurate, and AMD manage to release an entry-level DX10 chip within the next 3 to 6 months, with a die size much smaller than NVIDIA's low-end G86, this could help them extremely favorably in terms of market share. It is easy to see how OEMs would gladly replace IGPs with extremely cheap DX10 GPUs for marketing reasons, following Microsoft's Windows Vista release later this month. NVIDIA's current roadmaps seem to indicate they will compete in this market segment with the 80nm G73-B1 (100mm2) and the 80/65nm G72 derivatives, at least until H2 2007.

Another chip, the RV550, is also likely to remain in AMD's line-up longer than the other DX9 ones, based on our information; in fact, this video-centric chip sporting UVD (Universal Video Decoder) technology hasn't even entered it yet! The 80nm and UMC-produced RV505 will also survive a tad longer to compete against the GeForce 7300 Series, while our good old friend the RV370 (aka Radeon 9600 aka Radeon X1050) would stay for its arch nemesis, the NV44, also known as the GeForce 7100GS or 6200TC in the ultra-low-end segment.