GPU manufacturing

[jedisoulfly]

I read a review on the HD 2900xt (forget where) and the reviewer said that there was only 1 factory that manufactures ati cards. is this true? or do they only make the GPU itself and then the other companys put them together. is the only difference between cards that are exactly the same execpt the brand name the sticker on the card? if this is true is it true for nvidia cards as well?

 

[Matt2]

Yes, one fab makes the GPUs.

Chips are sent to board partners who slap the chip on the board and then put their sticker on it.

Same goes for Nvidia.

I might be mistaken, but I think TSMC is the company that makes both AMD and Nvidia GPUs.

 

[jedisoulfly]

so is there any real difference between like cards then? does one maker "slap the chip on the board and then put their sticker on it" better than others? or are you basicly paying for a brand name? just to be clear each partner manufactures the boards or does another company do that too? haha

 

[Cookie Monster]

The GPUs from ATi/AMD and nVIDIA are all made from TSMC and some from UMC. Im talking about just the graphics processing units where they are born from the wafers, packaged etc etc and sent to nVIDIA/ATis partners for completion in becoming a video card.

However, the thing is that these partners often want to differentiate themselves from others. They do this through several means:

a) They try to order quality GPU samples that can hit higher than stock clock frequencies i.e selling their video cards at a high core speed for extra performance without voiding the warranty
b) Employ their own custom PCB design to reduce cost, or make it more efficent instead of using the IHVs reference PCB design
c) Using their own coolers (or partnering up with 3rd party cooling companies like AC or thermalright/zalman) instead of using IHVs reference coolers
d) Use/employ different type of ram e.g samsung/hynix etc
e) Use quality components like solid state capacitors etc etc

Then theres other things like bundles e.g games, software for free or warranty.

I guess theres alot more going on but lets leave it at that.

 

[CP5670]

Apparently the boards are also all made by a third party company, not only the GPUs. I remember someone here saying that Asus makes almost all of the Nvidia cards.

 

[jedisoulfly]

is there really any reason to buy one brand over another then? talking between like cards and just the card...as if there was no warranty or games etc just the card

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: jedisoulfly
is there really any reason to buy one brand over another then? talking between like cards and just the card...as if there was no warranty or games etc just the card

Though the TSMC fab may produce both AMD/ATI and nVidia chips there are substantial design differences between them - including die size.

The new nVidia GPUs coming out late this Fall will be TSMC 65nm. If I remember correctly the ATI HD2600xt series was the first gpu at 65nm., manufactured, of course, at the TSMC fab.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: jedisoulfly
is there really any reason to buy one brand over another then? talking between like cards and just the card...as if there was no warranty or games etc just the card

No, those cards are basically identical. This is true of both Ati and Nvidia cards, that's why I usually buy whichever brand has a cheaper version of the card.

 

[jedisoulfly]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo

Originally posted by: jedisoulfly
is there really any reason to buy one brand over another then? talking between like cards and just the card...as if there was no warranty or games etc just the card

Though the TSMC fab may produce both AMD/ATI and nVidia chips there are substantial design differences between them - including die size.

The new nVidia GPUs coming out late this Fall will be TSMC 65nm. If I remember correctly the ATI HD2600xt series was the first gpu at 65nm., manufactured, of course, at the TSMC fab.[/q

basicly I am only refering to "like" cards i.e. same gpu same board same cooler same ram...meaning same clock speeds on gpu/ram

 

[alaricljs]

Sapphire makes all the "Built by ATI" boards and all the ati reference spec'd boards for other brands as well. If there isn't a difference between there reference board and the board you're looking at, it's a very high likelihood that it was build by Sapphire.

 

[rbV5]

PC Partner manufactures 60% to 70% of all ATI graphics and motherboards (or more) and is the exclusive manufacturer for all Sapphire Graphics and Motherboards. In 2006 PC Partner also began manufacturing Nvidia based graphics cards.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: CP5670
Apparently the boards are also all made by a third party company, not only the GPUs. I remember someone here saying that Asus makes almost all of the Nvidia cards.

Youd be shocked to know how many motherboards are actually made by Foxconn too 😉