Advanced Micro Devices' new graphics chips are taking market share from Nvidia, a report issued Wednesday confirmed.
"AMD has by all accounts exceeded expectations with its Radeon HD 4000 series," according to report issued by market researcher Jon Peddie Research (JPR).
Aggressive pricing by AMD's ATI graphics unit made the difference, bringing down prices on add-in graphics boards. "Priced aggressively yet delivering solid performance, AMD's new line not only took back some market share--jumping up to 40 percent from 35 percent the quarter prior--it forced Nvidia (and partners) to cut prices on its recently released GTX 200 series product," JPR said.
Prices for graphics boards based on Nvidia GTX 260 and 280 graphics chips were slashed back in July. This happened only a few weeks after Nvidia launched the chips.
"Discounts cut into ASPs (average selling prices), taking a toll on revenue for both Nvidia and the market overall, the latter down 27 percent (year-over-year) to $3.8 billion," JPR said.
Graphics add-in board unit shipments were up sequentially but down year-to-year
(Credit: Jon Peddie Research)The sequential growth for add-in boards tracked the growth in the aggregate market for graphics chips (which also includes motherboard-integrated products). The latter saw an increase (sequentially) in unit shipments of 17.8 percent in the third quarter. Unit shipments for add-in boards increased 11 percent to 21.9 million sequentially but fell 15 percent year-to-year.
AMD-ATI and Nvidia are preparing for the next graphics chip showdown. And there is already a good deal of information (and rumor) on the two chips due in June.
The names of the two upcoming product families have been widely reported: The ATI line is branded as the Radeon HD 4800, while the Nvidia is dubbed the GeForce GTX 200.
Advanced Micro Devices is expected to launch the HD 4850 (price estimates of graphics boards range between $189 and $219) and then follow with the 4870 (estimates range between $199 and $279). In the fourth quarter, AMD plans to add the dual-chip ATI Radeon 4870 X2.
Nvidia will respond with the high-end GeForce GTX 200 family. Initial products will be the GeForce GTX 260 and GTX 280.
VR-Zone has already gotten its hands on some preliminary performance numbers for the HD 4850 and 4870. German-language site Hardware-Infos has posted a table with specifications of the HD 4850 and 4870.
Tech site tg daily said "that card vendors will start printing their boxes next week, which means that the specifications are final at this time."
Less seems to be known about the Nvidia GTX 260 and 280, though a Turkish site is claiming to have all the specifications.
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