The Inq. reporting XFX & EVGA have defected from Nvidia...

[g00n]

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/...nvidia-partners-defect

"THE PAIN JUST KEEPS coming for Nvidia, this time in the partner space. Two of their key 'alpha' partners have just defected.

It is nearly impossible to make money selling Nvidia cards right now, NV squeezed partners margins too much, and when the going got rough, prioritised its own margins over partner survival. This gave partners the choice of popping like a zit financially or moving to less green pastures.

Like Gainward before them, two of the largest ones, XFX and EVGA have defected. Want to bet Nvidia doesn't know yet? In any case, partners leaving a company like rats leaving a sinking ship is never a good sign, lets see what happens in the coming months when the pain really piles on at NV."

Here is the real crazy part "The really interesting part is who they defected to, and it isn't ATI. Paperwork has been signed though, and it is a done deal."
---------

I can hardly believe EVGA is actually defecting. Waiting for validation from other sources...

for some background on some of Nvidia's recent problems see:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/...ia-meltdown-blame-game

 

[taltamir]

you missed a sentence...

The really interesting part is who they defected to, and it isn't ATI. Paperwork has been signed though, and it is a done deal.

So... not to ATI... that means either S3 (pfft), or intel.
Or, quite possibly, it is just fud and not true.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Tsk tsk tsk.. *slaps forehead*

 

[g00n]

Intel has got big plans for the integrated GPU/CPU market. The time when GPU makers and CPU makers could peacefully co-exist may be coming to an end. The natural evolution of the hardware is forcing this situation as the paths were bound to cross eventually. For the consumer the competition is probably a good thing though.

 

[NoStateofMind]

INQ = BS

/thread

 

[OCGuy]

Did you just quote 2 Inq articles in the same post :disgust:

 

[AmberClad]

Everyone just calm down. Charlie enjoys making things out to be all sensational, especially when Nvidia is concerned. Fact of the matter is, Gainward didn't "defect" so much as they decided to stop being Nvidia-exclusive. In other words, they're now selling both NV and ATI cards.

Assuming this isn't just FUD, all this probably means is that XFX and EVGA have decided to partner up with someone in addition to NV. Who that might be, I have no idea.

 

[MarcVenice]

To bad, it would actually be great to see XFX and EVGA ( and BFG perhaps ) sell ATI cards.

 

[hemmy]

By Charlie Demerjian:

Nothing more needs to be said.

Every thing he posts is NVIDIA hatred.

Besides, if you can't make money selling NVIDIA cards, why according to Tigerdirect.com's top 10 sellers, are 9 of the 10 NVIDIA cards, and spots 8,9,10 are different GTX 280 models.....

But I agree I would like to see much better vendors on the ATI side.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: hemmy
Besides, if you can't make money selling NVIDIA cards, why according to Tigerdirect.com's top 10 sellers, are 9 of the 10 NVIDIA cards, and spots 8,9,10 are different GTX 280 models.....

The margins that the AIB partners make are actually quite small -- most of those cards are reference models that they have to buy whole from NV or ATI. This isn't like motherboards where they buy chipsets and build their own boards up around them, and where there's a lot of added value they can profit from. (Edit: For clarification - that's referring to AMD and Intel based motherboards. NForce motherboards from XFX/EVGA/BFG are still reference models, I believe.)

Tough business to be in apparently, and various sources (TGDaily, Fuad) are indicating that some of those companies are just barely making ends meet.

 

[g00n]

I have to admit, Inq is very Nvidia biased as of late. They have also jumped the gun in the past. That said, they have also broke a few juicy stories before anyone else. Its the nature of the beast. It sort of reminds me of the sensational slant of The Drudge report. Its now one of the most viewed and most influential news/politics sites on the net but I often chuckle at some of the headlines.

Anyway, don't shoot the messenger. I just thought this was some pretty amazing news/rumor and wanted to pass it along.

Update: Kyle @ HardOCP 6:08 PM (CST): We have picked up the phone and called both EVGA and XFX. XFX was not able to be reached. But word is at EVGA that Charlie?s story linked above is, ?Bogus.? I have no doubt that Intel is going to make a run at NVIDIA?s best North America partners when it comes time to truly push Larrabee into the market, but now is not the time, at least from what I understand.

Maybe Intel offered them better margins than Nvidia. Nvidia might have been squeezing them to death in a Wal-mart like fashion and it was a prime chance for Intel to swoop in. Things in the GPU industry are only going to get more wild now that Intel is getting involved. The time line just isnt right for that though. Intel has no product it needs to get into the retail channel right now. It would seem a bit early but perhaps they inked a deal with a 4-6 month time line until it goes into effect. I agree though, until this is confirmed by another reputable source it remains rumor.

 

[The Odorous One]

the son of VooDoo is coming

 

[AmberClad]

I don't think it's the INQ...so much as Charlie himself who has a major chip on his shoulder as far as Nvidia. Pretty much any time you see a sensational NV-related headline on the INQ, you can almost be guaranteed that it's Charlie's work. Has something to do with him not being welcome at NV's media events, I guess.

That's not to say that this story is necessarily wrong or right. He's been both spot on at times, and also completely off-base at other times. (That whole bit about all GeForce desktop and mobile 84XX and 86XX chips being defective is generally considered pretty dubious by more mainstream tech journalists.

Originally posted by: g00n

Update: Kyle @ HardOCP: We have picked up the phone and called both EVGA and XFX. XFX was not able to be reached. But word is at EVGA that Charlie?s story linked above is, ?Bogus.? I have no doubt that Intel is going to make a run at NVIDIA?s best North America partners when it comes time to truly push Larrabee into the market, but now is not the time, at least from what I understand.

Maybe Intel offered them better margins than Nvidia. Nvidia might have been squeezing them to death in a Wal-mart like fashion and it was a prime chance for Intel to swoop in. Things in the GPU industry are only going to get more wild now that Intel is getting involved. The time line just isnt right for that though. Intel has no product it needs to get into the retail channel right now. It would seem a bit early but perhaps they inked a deal with a 4-6 month time line until it goes into effect. I agree though, until this is confirmed by another reputable source it remains rumor.

It'd be kind of amusing if the rumor originated at one of the video card vendors...perhaps to give them a better bargaining position with NV?

 

[Dadofamunky]

Sounds like horsecrap to me. Inq is readable for entertainment value but not for actual news. A less partial source would be hard to find. EVGA dumping NVidia? Yeah, right. :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

 

[WelshBloke]

I cant see this being true.

maybe its to do with motherboard chipsets, or it could be complete BS.

 

[KIAman]

They didn't defect to ATI because... they defected to AMD?

 

[taltamir]

i can read fortunes in my toilet after a hefty meal that are more accurate then Fud/Inq...
Ofcourse they are sometimes right, they are guessing things left and right, eventually they get lucky.

 

[IEC]

The answer is clear: 3dfx glide is back! :laugh:

 

[AmdInside]

Number Nine? Matrox?

 

[Wreckage]

I swear the Inq is just a million monkeys typing on the keyboard. Maybe in a million years they will get something right, or at least write Shakespeare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem

If either of these 2 wanted to jump they would have done it a long time ago to ATI. Intel's card won't be out till the end of next year (or later). So I doubt they jump on an untested card that may or may not exist.

 

[HOOfan 1]

I once read in The National Inquirer that Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil had a baby together named batboy....

TheInquirer.com is just a digital tabloid that focuses on technology....you know tabloids, if they can't dig a story out of Bill Gates' trashcan then they will just make one up.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: taltamir
you missed a sentence...

The really interesting part is who they defected to, and it isn't ATI. Paperwork has been signed though, and it is a done deal.

So... not to ATI... that means either S3 (pfft), or intel.
Or, quite possibly, it is just fud and not true.

Intel's Larabee is too far off.
Now then, maybe PowerVR wants to get back in the game?

 

[Acanthus]

Ive got all my money on bitboys :laugh:

 

[SergeC]

According to XFX and eVGA, it's BS. Not a shocker.

 

[toslat]

Still I wont be surprised if there is some truth to it e,g, they agreeing to making boards (not necessarily GPU) for another company