In April
We don't have many details as yet, but we know that ATI plans to introduce one more GTO card. It will be based on the R580 core, clocked probably again at 500/1000 MHz but will end up faster than the R520 based X1800 GTO. It will put extra pressure on Nvidia 7600 GT as well, that is the idea.
It is rather interesting as ATI still has to ship X1800 GTO card while its partners are already preparing the new one X1900 GTO card. This card will indeed have very high build of material (BOM) cost but we guess it has to be priced higher than €199, probably €249, if not even higher.
This means that the X1800 GTO might drop to €199 to make some space for the new GTO card and X1800 XT 256 MB sits at round €300 price. We still don’t know the master plan.
ATI is really pushing it hard, it wants to drop Nvidia's popularity in the mainstream at all costs, it seems, and it will be financially fine when it moves to 80 nanometre based RV560/RV570 chips.
We don't have many details as yet, but we know that ATI plans to introduce one more GTO card. It will be based on the R580 core, clocked probably again at 500/1000 MHz but will end up faster than the R520 based X1800 GTO. It will put extra pressure on Nvidia 7600 GT as well, that is the idea.
It is rather interesting as ATI still has to ship X1800 GTO card while its partners are already preparing the new one X1900 GTO card. This card will indeed have very high build of material (BOM) cost but we guess it has to be priced higher than €199, probably €249, if not even higher.
This means that the X1800 GTO might drop to €199 to make some space for the new GTO card and X1800 XT 256 MB sits at round €300 price. We still don’t know the master plan.
ATI is really pushing it hard, it wants to drop Nvidia's popularity in the mainstream at all costs, it seems, and it will be financially fine when it moves to 80 nanometre based RV560/RV570 chips.