Rumored (now Denied). nVidia to Recall 600 series cards? (xbitlabs via pnosker.com)

[Schmide]

Update: and it's denied by nVidia.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphics/display/20120521120817_Nvidia_Denies_Plans_to_Recall_GeForce_GTX_600_Due_to_Performance_Degradation.html

Nvidia Corp. on Monday denied plans to recall GeForce GTX products based on the GK104 graphics processing units due to rumoured eventual performance degradation. The company claims that the rumours are incorrect and the graphics products work fine.

"There is no truth to this," said Bryan Del Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia.

The official for the company declined to provide any further details or colour to the information published earlier on Monday. According to a media report, Nvidia GK104 "chips may be suffering from serious performance degradation over long periods of heavy load". The exact effects of performance degradation were not indicated: it is unclear whether certain stream processors stop working, or the chips drop clock-speed. As a result, the company was rumored to initiate recall process for the GK104-based products.

Before making it to the market, all the new GPUs are vigorously tested in various applications; they also pass Microsoft HCL tests, which not only stress graphics chips, but take hours to complete. Therefore, chances that chips may degrade in performance over time are pretty low.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphics/display/20120521112051_Nvidia_Rumoured_to_Recall_GeForce_600_Series_Graphics_Cards.html

I hope this is just the rumor mill exaggeration or crossed wires.

Nvidia Corp. reportedly plans to recall all the consumer desktop graphics cards based on the code-named Kepler architecture, including GeForce GTX models 670, 680 and 690. Apparently, Nvidia GK104 graphics processors suffer from performance degradation after usage under heavy load for long periods of time.

Pnosker.com reports that "chips may be suffering from serious performance degradation over long periods of heavy load". The exact effects of performance degradation are not indicated: it is unclear whether certain stream processors within GPUs stop working, or the chips drop clock-speed. As a result, the company is now rumored to initiate recall process for the GK104-based products. The information is not confirmed by Nvidia or makers of graphics cards.

Update 20 min ago.

Update 2:35 PM EST: pnosker.com

A few quick comments: our source has been accurate with some prior information but this is the first time we are citing something said about GPUs. Let’s just wait and see. Hopefully this isn’t true as I my new computer coming in will feature dual GTX 680 cards along with a GTX 580. Additionally, it’s interesting reading the commentary throughout the web regarding this story. Firstly, I am not shorting this stock. I hold no interests in any tech companies. Some commentary has stated the lack of relation between this and Intel’s SATA snafu. I wasn’t suggesting the mechanism of failure was alike but rather that the problem and this one, if true, would be of similar magnitude shortly after release. Finally, some have stated that NVIDIA, Microsoft, and vendors all test rigorously. Yes, that should happen, but let’s look at EVGA’s announced recall of some of their GTX 670 cards due to failures. These cards were tested yet the screening failed to stop the cards from being released. We don’t have any specific details beyond “possible recall” so anything else is just speculation. For some more reading about some related occurances read The Inquirer’s report of EVGA’s GTX 670 Superclocked recall and SemiAccurate’s account of NVIDIA’s Kepler supply issues. According to SemiAccurate, supply issues may be caused by poorly designed lithography and mask problems. Perhaps that’s what’s causing defective chips?

Updated links:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphics/display/20120521112051_Nvidia_Rumoured_to_Recall_GeForce_600_Series_Graphics_Cards.html
http://videocardz.com/33185/nvidia-to-recall-all-geforce-gtx-600-series-cards
http://tech.pnosker.com/2012/05/21/nvidia-potentially-recalling-all-gtx-670-680-690-kepler-video-cards/
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2175661/evga-recalls-geforce-gtx-670-superclock-graphics-cards

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Woah! Good thing I haven't been able to get one if true.

 

[xp0c]

http://videocardz.com/33185/nvidia-to-recall-all-geforce-gtx-600-series-cards

http://tech.pnosker.com/2012/05/21/...lling-all-gtx-670-680-690-kepler-video-cards/

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I hope not. Considering I sold my gtx 480 for next to nothing and bought a gtx 670.

 

[Shmee]

damn, hopefully this wont effect prices in a bad way...

 

[SlowSpyder]

You would think the forums would be full of posts regarding performance suffering after hours of gaming, if this was true. I'd wait and see on this one.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

You would think the forums would be full of posts regarding performance suffering after hours of gaming, if this was true. I'd wait and see on this one.

Only thing that has me worried is nvidia declined to comment on it according to the article.
This is going to be a mess for those that bought a Kepler used.

 

[ZimZum]

damn, hopefully this wont effect prices in a bad way...

AMD 7xxx series price bumps coming in 3...............2....................

 

[RussianSensation]

Wow, if true NV would be in a whole lot of trouble. After bumpgate, this would be a PR disaster, not to mention with shortages of GTX670/680 as it is, that means refunds would be the only viable alternative for customers.

I wonder how performance of a chip can degrade since it's not like they are overvolting these 28nm chips. Perhaps TSMC's 28nm high-performance process for these chips is flaky.

I've never heard of Pnosker.com though. I am going to wait for a more credible source.

 

[JBT]

Only thing that has me worried is nvidia declined to comment on it according to the article.
This is going to be a mess for those that bought a Kepler used.

Agreed. That is odd.. You think if it wasn't true they would just say no that is not true... Pretty cut and dry.

 

[boxleitnerb]

Terrible if true. Don't know what so say...

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

All of those affected such as myself better be first in line for a replacement. I'd be pissed if they took my 670 and I can't get a new 670 when it's fixed.

 

[Phynaz]

Title needs changing to indicate this is nothing but rumor from one unknown website.

I'm afraid this one is too far out there to be believable.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Wow, if true NV would be in a whole lot of trouble. After bumpgate, this would be a PR disaster, not to mention with shortages of GTX670/680 as it is, that means refunds would be the only viable alternative for customers.

I wonder how performance of a chip can degrade since it's not like they are overvolting these 28nm chips. Perhaps TSMC's 28nm high-performance process for these chips is flaky.

I've never heard of Pnosker.com though. I am going to wait for a more credible source.

How would they even give you a replacement when all the stock is defective?

 

[nemesismk2]

I hope not. Considering I sold my gtx 480 for next to nothing and bought a gtx 670.

I hope not as well because that would be bad for prices because I was looking to get something from the GeForce 600 series.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Nvidia denies it:

"There is no truth to this," said Bryan Del Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphi...e_GTX_600_Due_to_Performance_Degradation.html

 

[darkewaffle]

People actually believe this crap?

 

[blastingcap]

This is the updated article:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphi...e_GTX_600_Due_to_Performance_Degradation.html

Nvidia Corp. on Monday denied plans to recall GeForce GTX products based on the GK104 graphics processing units due to rumoured eventual performance degradation. The company claims that the rumours are incorrect and the graphics products work fine.

"There is no truth to this," said Bryan Del Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia.

The official for the company declined to provide any further details or colour to the information published earlier on Monday. According to a media report, Nvidia GK104 "chips may be suffering from serious performance degradation over long periods of heavy load". The exact effects of performance degradation were not indicated: it is unclear whether certain stream processors stop working, or the chips drop clock-speed. As a result, the company was rumored to initiate recall process for the GK104-based products.

Before making it to the market, all the new GPUs are vigorously tested in various applications; they also pass Microsoft HCL tests, which not only stress graphics chips, but take hours to complete. Therefore, chances that chips may degrade in performance over time are pretty low.

 

[ShintaiDK]

People actually believe this crap?

Sensationalism still works to make the lemmings click so you get ads revenue

But ye, journalism is pathetic today.

 

[RussianSensation]

People actually believe this crap?

Well NV had issues with GeForce 8000/9000 chips before.

AMD viral marketing at play?

 

[MiRai]

Whew. Disaster averted.

 

[buklau]

Interesting article and I'm glad I didn't wait for GTX660 and jump straight to 7850.

 

[Don Karnage]

Amd was hoping this to be true so they could increase prices

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Amd was hoping this to be true so they could increase prices

Yes I'm sure they were popping the champagne bottles when this "story" broke.

Sad part is I still wouldn't of bought an Amd card because of how I felt they price gouged the market for so long before nvidia showed up.

 

[Destiny]

Amd was hoping this to be true so they could increase prices

Just an unknown website posting FUD to get web hits... or some one in position to make money short selling their stocks...:thumbsdown: