Fozzik
09-29-2005, 04:27 PM
739There have been a few more developments from everyone's favorite Canadian graphics chip company, ATI. First off, in case you haven't seen them around the web, ATI has begun a countdown ad campaign, showing roughly 6 days remaining. This is most likely a countdown to the launch of at least some of their next-gen line of graphics processors (maybe all, meaning R520, RV530, and RV515).
We'll have to wait until next week to find out which cards, and maybe more importantly, what will be available on launch day. After Nvidia laid down the gauntlet earlier this year with their hard launches of the 7800GTX and GT, one would think that nobody would attempt to get away with a paper launch. Launching a product and not having it ready to sell for weeks or months after is generally quite annoying to consumers, especially when hardware review sites have all the highest-end cards in-house on launch day. Nobody likes to see great performance numbers from cards they can't even buy.
At any rate, it looks like we have less than a week of waiting left, and hopefully all questions will be answered.
Second on the list is something that really leaves me scratching my head. I'd like to be able to talk to ATI and ask them what in the world they are thinking. It appears that ATI has decided to reduce the warranties on their graphics cards from three years down to one year. Considering the fact that many companies (BFG and XFX come to mind) who make Nvidia graphics cards are now offering lifetime warranties or more, this move by ATI is extremely odd, and more than a bit worrisome. There are other companies who produce graphics cards using ATI chips (Sapphire is one), it will be interesting to see if those other players try to be a little more competitive with the Nvidia options.
Last but not least, it was understood not long ago that although Nvidia was not producing any more AGP cards, ATI was still intending to make AGP versions of their next-gen products. This seems to have changed, and the current info is that we have seen the last AGP cards from both companies...ATI will not be making AGP versions of their R520 lineup. It's the end of a long relationship with a decent bus technology (AGP), so let's all wave and perhaps shed a tear...It appears that the X850 XT will be the last, and most powerful, AGP graphics card we ever see.
We'll have to wait until next week to find out which cards, and maybe more importantly, what will be available on launch day. After Nvidia laid down the gauntlet earlier this year with their hard launches of the 7800GTX and GT, one would think that nobody would attempt to get away with a paper launch. Launching a product and not having it ready to sell for weeks or months after is generally quite annoying to consumers, especially when hardware review sites have all the highest-end cards in-house on launch day. Nobody likes to see great performance numbers from cards they can't even buy.
At any rate, it looks like we have less than a week of waiting left, and hopefully all questions will be answered.
Second on the list is something that really leaves me scratching my head. I'd like to be able to talk to ATI and ask them what in the world they are thinking. It appears that ATI has decided to reduce the warranties on their graphics cards from three years down to one year. Considering the fact that many companies (BFG and XFX come to mind) who make Nvidia graphics cards are now offering lifetime warranties or more, this move by ATI is extremely odd, and more than a bit worrisome. There are other companies who produce graphics cards using ATI chips (Sapphire is one), it will be interesting to see if those other players try to be a little more competitive with the Nvidia options.
Last but not least, it was understood not long ago that although Nvidia was not producing any more AGP cards, ATI was still intending to make AGP versions of their next-gen products. This seems to have changed, and the current info is that we have seen the last AGP cards from both companies...ATI will not be making AGP versions of their R520 lineup. It's the end of a long relationship with a decent bus technology (AGP), so let's all wave and perhaps shed a tear...It appears that the X850 XT will be the last, and most powerful, AGP graphics card we ever see.