No update for R420 and NV40 this year

[phenix]

Leading Graphics Chips Designers Have No Plans for High-End Update in 2004

ATI Technologies, NVIDIA Corp. Reluctant on New High-End Chips
Two leading graphics processors designers – ATI Technologies and NVIDIA Corp. – do not have plans to update their high-end families of products this year, a source familiar with the plans of both told X-bit labs. The news may seem strange to graphics enthusiasts, as both NVIDIA and ATI typically tend to offer new high-end products twice a year.


http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20040930061344.html


Something worth to discuss I think.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I think this news is tied in to the big switch over to PCI-e, I think that's what both companies will be focusing on at the end of the year rather than any upgraded cards.

 

[phenix]

I think this news is tied in to the big switch over to PCI-e, I think that's what both companies will be focusing on at the end of the year rather than any upgraded cards.

Do you mean AGP is dead officially? I mean are R420 and NV40 the summit chips for AGP based systems?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Do you mean AGP is dead officially?

Me official? Has anyone ever known me to even pretend to act "official"?

Sorry, no...I'm just guessing here like everyone else.

 

[LeStoffer]

Lack of high speed GDDR mainly, me thinks.

The fact that it is still so darn difficult to buy a X800 XT (PE) or 6800 Ultra have to do a lot with limited supply of 1.6 ns ram.

 

[PaulS]

If it's true, it's for the best, really. There isn't even proper availability of the existing high end cards, so there's really little point in refreshing yet (since we're already into that kind of 'refresh' time period). It will also save both companies some money.

All around, a very sensible move. Let things settle down, get the full lineup out, and THEN worry about refreshes

 

[phenix]

Lack of high speed GDDR mainly, me thinks.

The fact that it is still so darn difficult to buy a X800 XT (PE) or 6800 Ultra have to do a lot with limited supply of 1.6 ns ram.

I am not sure. They were selling pro cards with 1.6ns memory.

My guess is (officially ) they are both having difficculty in getting good yields with these cards. ATI for instance is planning to make R420 at 110 nm process to get better yields but the process is not good for a refress product. They couldnt even get RV410 to 500 MHz which is a smaller chip than R420. There cannot be any refreshes before a better process technology comes along (110 nm low-k?) eventually. That is why there wont be a update for the chips. Its all my guesses but seems logical to me.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Not to mention that the current crop of next gen cards are about 13 steps ahead of CPU speeds, mebbe the viddy industry is just waiting for the CPU industry to catch up.

 

[phenix]

Not to mention that the current crop of next gen cards are about 13 steps ahead of CPU speeds, mebbe the viddy industry is just waiting for the CPU industry to catch up.

Dude, that's exactly what 3D companies would say officially!

 

[digitalwanderer]

Dude, that's exactly what 3D companies would say officially!

No way, there ain't no PR department that would use the word "mebbe" in their announcement!

(It did sound a bit officially though, I'll grant ya....and I wasn't even trying! )

 

[Brimstone]

Whats the latest word on GDDR-4?

 

[Sunday]

From mine sources:

NV48=NV45 on .11 micr. tech ("integrated" HSI in to GPU core) with litle higher GPU freq then NV40.
R480=R423 on .11micr tech with small speed bump
TOA: End of November!

 

[Pete]

TR has reported that R480 has supposedly just taped out a 110nm. That puts it on track for a 2004 release, no?

I'm suspecting very early spring refreshes for both ATi and nV, tho, given the paucity of high-end cards in the market, but this tape-out puts a crimp in my pessimism. Perhaps ATi is just getting less-than-satisfactory yields out of the R420, and would rather move to (a 110nm) R480 than futz around with a respin of (a 130nm low-k) R420?

 

[PatrickL]

We started to talk about that here this morning

 

[Pete]

*sigh* Another minute, another thread.