- Joined
- Oct 21, 2008
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Processor | ??? |
---|---|
Motherboard | 760 |
Cooling | HK |
Memory | 3x1gb |
Video Card(s) | 285 Classified / EVGA 480 |
Display(s) | 22" Acer /42" Toshiba |
Case | Stacker |
Power Supply | Toughpower 1000w / Coolmaster 650w |
Software | All of them |
Basically, engineering failure after engineering failure has left Nvidia without a high end part, they are left waving shells while trying desperately to convince the loyal press that it is real. While that is a problem for the future, the current concern is that they have nothing that can compete with the ATI's Evergreen line, HD5870, HD5850, and the upcoming Junipers.
The G200b based parts can compete on performance, but not at a profit, so they are going to die. Nvidia was booted out of the high end market, and are now abandoning the mid range in a humbling retreat. Expect a similar backpedaling from the rest in January when Cedar and Redwood come out.
There are no half or quarter Fermi derivatives taped out yet, so at a bare minimum, Nvidia has nothing for 2 more quarters. To make matters worse, due to the obscene 530++mm^2 die size on TSMC's 40nm process, Fermi is almost twice the size of it's competitor, Cypress/HD5870/HD5850. A cut down half version would cost less but still be barely competitive with Juniper. That chip would once again be vastly larger and more expensive than the ATI equivalents, and that is before board costs are examined. As the product stack waterfalls down, the ratios remain the same, Nvidia can not be cost competitive for the Evergreen vs Fermi generation, period.
Massive engineering failures and cover-ups, starting with Bumpgate, have defined the company for the last two years. More recently, this includes the G212 failure, G214 fiasco and failure, now morphed into the G215 which is 3Q late so far, if it can ever be made profitably, and the G216 and G218 with the broken GDDR5 controllers. One or two failures are understandable, this many is flat out mismanagement.
As we have been saying all along, there is no savior chip, no plan B, they all failed. Nvidia can make chips and sell them at a loss, or retreat from those markets and lose less money. The only question now is whether or not they can fix their engineering problems and get competitive parts out before they run out of cash. Given that the earliest that this can happen is next summer, it will be very touch and go.
Source:
http://www.semiaccurate.com/2009/10...x275-gtx260-abandons-mid-and-high-end-market/