ATI Interview

[jAkUp]

Interesting interview... Here is a snip:
FiringSquad: NVIDIA’s SLI technology has drawn a lot of buzz from both end users and the media alike. Has ATI run any projections on how large this potential market may be?

Paul Ayscough: This is a very interesting area, one where 3DFX tried to capture.
I personally believe that there is a market for ultra high end PC gaming technology and these users are important to address as they influence buy decisions. We feel we currently have the right the right products with the RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition. Watch this space for future announcements!

http://www.firingsquad.com/features/ati_interview05/

[wshadow]

Interesting interview... Here is a snip:


http://www.firingsquad.com/features/ati_interview05/

IN OTHER WORDS...ATI isn't doing SLI ???????????

[ChrisRay]

IN OTHER WORDS...ATI isn't doing SLI ???????????


I got the exact oposite impression.

[SlyBoots]

I got the exact oposite impression.

Chris, since you're running SLI, what do you think of this article? > http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/article/1784/

ASUS has already put out 10 bios revisions for the A8N-SLI? :eek:

[ChrisRay]

I'm not sure. I'm using 1.02 I think. Whatever bios it came with,. I never actually looked. I havent had any problems though. My 6600GT's are reference models.

[jAkUp]

Chris, since you're running SLI, what do you think of this article? > http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/article/1784/

ASUS has already put out 10 bios revisions for the A8N-SLI? :eek:

Thats including beta releases... your not supposed to include beta BIOS's as a real BIOS...

Chris you are probably runnin 1002.
I was using the 1004 beta bios when my board kicked the bucket.

[1337_Like_ThaT]

That is ridiculous. Ati may also do something similar to SLI in the future. But knowing how hard it is currently to get any high end ATI card, imagine how much harder it is goign to be to obtain 2 identical cards!! ATI first has to start putting more cards out on the market, rather than consider selling them for SLI

[MUYA]

I think the statement about 3DC was a lil more pertinent. Included in WGF?

[rohit]

We feel we currently have the right the right products with the RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition. Watch this space for future announcements!

I feel ATi MR is on its way, maybe will b a lil late.

[BrianG]

That was quite a puff-piece.

Why not ask the biggest questions? What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models? How is not having a dual card upgrade going to hurt you in future upgrade applications?

And before an ATI fan attacks me, I am questioning the interviewer, not the interviewed. *ducks* :D

[r2d2d3d4d5]

nVidia have a significant chunk of the mid/high end motherboard market. Introducing SLI was a profitable thing for them to do as it allowed them to sell more cards and more boards at the same time.

ATI are going to have a harder time introducing ATI SLI boards, unless they make their cards compatible with nVidia’s motherboards (not sure nVidia will allow them to do that anyway). In which they'll end up helping nVidia sell more motherboards.

[BrianG]

nVidia have a significant chunk of the mid/high end motherboard market. Introducing SLI was a profitable thing for them to do as it allowed them to sell more cards and more boards at the same time.

ATI are going to have a harder time introducing ATI SLI boards, unless they make their cards compatible with nVidia’s motherboards (not sure nVidia will allow them to do that anyway). In which they'll end up helping nVidia sell more motherboards.
Catch 22, the ATI chipsets are immature compared to NVIDIA's and dual PCI 16 is the only to do multi card, correctly. Unless, they do a PCI 4X/1X daughtercard with additional memory to act as secondary texture/vertex data storage.

It was my idea, I have winesses. If they do it, I'm suing for intellectual property theft!!!

[Pandora's Box]

nVidia have a significant chunk of the mid/high end motherboard market. Introducing SLI was a profitable thing for them to do as it allowed them to sell more cards and more boards at the same time.

ATI are going to have a harder time introducing ATI SLI boards, unless they make their cards compatible with nVidia’s motherboards (not sure nVidia will allow them to do that anyway). In which they'll end up helping nVidia sell more motherboards.


i thought VIA were making chipset that is capable of ati mr?

[jbirney]

Why not ask the biggest questions? What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models?

Actually the current highend cards from ATI can be found close to the MSRP right now with little effort. Newegg has the 850XT in stock for $530 ish is just one example of where you can get the 850XT today. I would agree that its still not idea, but its much better than last time....

I think the statement about 3DC was a lil more pertinent. Included in WGF?

Dave at B3D hinting that it was on the plate to possible be included. Its not that far fetched of an idea. If you think about it, the next Xbox is the stepped grounds for WGF. It has a chip in it build by ATI. And 3Dc is part of what that chip features. And now that NV has a software workaround for 3Dc its no longer vendor locked feature. So it just could make it....

[BrianG]

Actually the current highend cards from ATI can be found close to the MSRP right now with little effort. Newegg has the 850XT in stock for $530 ish is just one example of where you can get the 850XT today. I would agree that its still not idea, but its much better than last time....
I do not want to turn this into ATI vs. NVIDIA here, but your example is a Sapphire X850XT OEM. Where are the ATI cards? We have seen around the web that ATI pre-orders are being cancelled.

The point of my post is that if someone is going to go through the trouble of doing an interview, ask tougher questions. That was a press release, not an interview.

[SlyBoots]

I do not want to turn this into ATI vs. NVIDIA here, but your example is a Sapphire X850XT OEM. Where are the ATI cards? We have seen around the web that ATI pre-orders are being cancelled.


For your edification> http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=546905&postcount=27

Then> http://firingsquad.com/hardware/sapphire_radeon_9800_xt_ultimate/

"While PC Partner handles the OEM contracts, retail cards are sold directly to consumers under the Sapphire brand. So when you’re buying an ATI card, you’re technically purchasing a Sapphire board. With the most notable exception of ASUS, most of the first generation RADEON 9800 XT cards also come from Sapphire."

and then> http://www.pcpartner.com.hk/products/graphic.htm

Those should give you some insight into the business decisions ATi has been making for the last 3+ years.....

If you need any more help understanding just ask (salute)

[BrianG]

For your edification> http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=546905&postcount=27

Then> http://firingsquad.com/hardware/sapphire_radeon_9800_xt_ultimate/

"While PC Partner handles the OEM contracts, retail cards are sold directly to consumers under the Sapphire brand. So when you’re buying an ATI card, you’re technically purchasing a Sapphire board. With the most notable exception of ASUS, most of the first generation RADEON 9800 XT cards also come from Sapphire."

and then> http://www.pcpartner.com.hk/products/graphic.htm

Those should give you some insight into the business decisions ATi has been making for the last 3+ years.....

If you need any more help understanding just ask (salute)
Gee, thanks for the offer.

http://www.ati.com/buy/pricespcusa.html

X8xx pulled from the ATI store and pre-orders were TAKEN and then cancelled months afterward. This happened before publication of the interview. I would have to think there are a few pissed off ATI customers. Hmmm, that might be a good interview question.

Again, I am not after ATI here. My comments were directed to the interviewer.

Here is an example of a good question from Hexus: Are ATI having production issues with high-end R420, R423 and now R360, causing world-wide shortages of those GPUs? There seems to be an incredible shortage of at least high-end R420 and your customers would like to know the reasons why."

http://www.hexus.co.uk/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD05ODc=

The PR answer was oriented around demand and not supply and turned into a status report of their fiscal filings. However, they do repeat the fimiliar mantra of "we will be doing everything we can to ensure better supply in the future."

I stand by my original comments, the Squab lobbed up a puff piece.

[jbirney]

I do not want to turn this into ATI vs. NVIDIA here, but your example is a Sapphire X850XT OEM. Where are the ATI cards?

Errr I guess I dont understand the point here. Since everyone know thats Sapphire is contracted to make the BBATI cards why would it matter if its OEM/Shapphire/ATI? Alls that matter is getting the card at the cost you want to pay. Your first post ('What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models? ") was directed at the availibility of ATI cards not who made them. Now if you meant "'What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models from the ATI store?" then well :) :) :) :)

I gues the point I am trying to make that if a user really wants the high end ATI card, he/she can get it today with little efffort which is unlike what had to happen to try to get the PE cards of last year.

[BrianG]

Errr I guess I dont understand the point here. Since everyone know thats Sapphire is contracted to make the BBATI cards why would it matter if its OEM/Shapphire/ATI? Alls that matter is getting the card at the cost you want to pay.Not to the people that pre-ordered for MSRP from ATI.
Your first post ('What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models? ") was directed at the availibility of ATI cards not who made them. Now if you meant "'What is ATI going to do about the availability and price point of the phantom flagship models from the ATI store?" then well :) :) :) :)I wasn't asking you, that is the question I wanted them to ask ATI. The same thing is causing the inflated prices and order cancellations. They do not have supply even though this was a major point of conversation at the X850 launch. If I were interviewing ATI, from the point of view of an NVIDIOT or fanATIc, you should grill ATI on the why's and what's.
I gues the point I am trying to make that if a user really wants the high end ATI card, he/she can get it today with little efffort which is unlike what had to happen to try to get the PE cards of last year.But the point I am trying to make is that the interview didn't ask the halfway tough question on everyone's mind. Stop defending ATI and start talking about the subject of my posts, criticism of the fluffy interview. I would have to exert a little effort to write the $750 check for the $550 MSRP card I pre-ordered a month and a half ago. ;) I would want to know what is up with them giving thier would-be customers the run-around.

[john19055]

I f they keep pissing people off ,they are going to keep loseing customers,Now the X850XT PE is hard to get in retail ,when I thought they said it would not be a repeat of the X800XTPE.I mean I wanted a X800XTPE a lot but after three cancelled orders and was told the card was cancell,I gave up and to say if they realy wated one they could find one ,that might be true now but when I really wated one I could'nt get one no where except maybe Ebay at a $1000,and I did'nt want it that bad.

[jbirney]

Now the X850XT PE is hard to get in retail ,when I thought they said it would not be a repeat of the X800XTPE.

Pricewatch.com shows 2 sites that have the x8500XT PE in stock now around the MSRP. Newegg has one as well but its OEM. So there are three places now you can get one if you wanted. That was not the case with the x800 XT PE thingy last time around...



Stop defending ATI and start talking about the subject of my posts, criticism of the fluffy interview. I would have to exert a little effort to write the $750 check for the $550 MSRP card I pre-ordered a month and a half ago. I would want to know what is up with them giving thier would-be customers the run-around.

I agree the fluffy inteview stuff. I was not defending ATI. I was just showing you that you can today get a X850 XT PE for $556. Thats a whooping 6 bucks over MSRP not the $750 as you posted above. Granted its not from the ATI store...

[BrianG]

I was just showing you that you can today get a X850 XT PE for $556. Thats a whooping 6 bucks over MSRP not the $750 as you posted above. Granted its not from the ATI store...
You mean the card that is now listed at $599 and not due back in until 2/28? ;)

Anyhow, glad you agree with my point of view, though we seem to have differing opinions on what a pre-order is and what "available at MSRP" means. :afro: