R520 in May, says Inq

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Is it just me, or are things hella lot quiter than they were around this time last year? Maybe the hype machine's still just revving up, but it sure seems to be a lot less hectic and rumor-ridden round, no?

It took so long to get the NV40/R420 class hardware out into retail, the last thing ATI or Nvidia want to do is kill off current sales by talking about their next chip 3-6 months before they can sell it to you.

 

[Mulciber]

i just cant understand why they'd release that tidal wave of x800s and x850s that aren't even readily available still, and then go and release the r520 only a 3 months later.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

i just cant understand why they'd release that tidal wave of x800s and x850s that aren't even readily available still, and then go and release the r520 only a 3 months later.

Process improvements, having a product that might be more available than the first run of X800, the ability to do a new marketing launch to remind people there is now actually a product to buy.

R520 might be delayed if ATI want to get more sales on R480. They don't need to launch it until they feel the SM3.0/32 bit pressure. Maybe they didn't expect .09 to go so smoothly or are allowing for things to slip or go wrong and need respins.

 

[DegustatoR]

i just cant understand why they'd release that tidal wave of x800s and x850s that aren't even readily available still, and then go and release the r520 only a 3 months later.

B/c R520 won't be really available till autumn? Or b/c they plan to sell it for 600+USD this time?

 

[Fodder]

And I imagine the R430-based X800s will effectively be ATI's midrange parts for 2005. There doesn't seem to be any real need for them to be superceded by ~RV510.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

i just cant understand why they'd release that tidal wave of x800s and x850s that aren't even readily available still, and then go and release the r520 only a 3 months later.

or maybe ATi just want to stick it to Nvidia.

US

 

[Waltar]

And I imagine the R430-based X800s will effectively be ATI's midrange parts for 2005. There doesn't seem to be any real need for them to be superceded by ~RV510.

And completely alienate themselves from nvidia by having their only sm3 chip be highend whereas nvidia has top to bottom with sm3?

Not likely.

 

[Mulciber]

And I imagine the R430-based X800s will effectively be ATI's midrange parts for 2005. There doesn't seem to be any real need for them to be superceded by ~RV510.

for them to do that, they'd have to get the price of the x800xt down below $600 somehow

 

[Fodder]

for them to do that, they'd have to get the price of the x800xt down below $600 somehow

Notice I said R430-based, so that's the X800 and X800XL, which are coming in at $199 and $299.

And completely alienate themselves from nvidia by having their only sm3 chip be highend whereas nvidia has top to bottom with sm3?

Kinda like only having SM2.0 this generation, and DX8 budget parts last generation?

 

[DegustatoR]

And completely alienate themselves from nvidia by having their only sm3 chip be highend whereas nvidia has top to bottom with sm3?

Not likely.

Very likely indeed. I would expect R520-based mid-range part somewhere around autumn'05 with real availability close to holyday season (same way it was with RV410 this year). That means that R430 will be ATIs mainstream part for the major part of the year and that only hi-end will see ATIs SM3 implementation in 2005.