IT LOOKS LIKE Nvidia’s legendary honesty is matched only by its counting skills, at least that is what it looks like after the GTX470 and GTX480 launch numbers leaked. If you believed the 30,000 number, well, it was off by a lot.
Since Nvidia didn’t officially give any launch numbers, that is, promise how many GTX470 and GTX480 cards would be available in retail channels at initial release, but just whispered in the ears of the gullible analysts and press, we can’t call it a liar. Those people once again just parroted the vague total number they were told without thinking or doing any research. It seems a ‘scoop’ is worth more than the truth to some. In the end, yesterday’s Nvidia analyst day had the 30K number bandied about with abandon, even though it wasn’t close to the truth.
Short story, the cards, both combined, worldwide, for all launch partners is less than 8,000 units in the first week. Yes, within spitting distance of one quarter of the leaked but not ‘promised’ number. Let me repeat that, less than 8,000 units. The number we have been hearing for months is in fact true.
No, it is not
What precious little inventory there is at launch will be shifted to several high profile etailers and retailers to make it appear as though there is actual stock available. There isn’t. All the companies that ordered thousands will never see them, unless they happen to be called Newegg.
Two major AIBs have allocated less than 100 cards each for Europe – not per country, but for Europe as a whole. If there are only five launch partners, that is only 1,600 cards, GTX470 and GTX480 combined, each, for the world. That isn’t enough to pay for the printing of the boxes.
Earlier, we told you about the forced bundling Nvidia is inflicting on resellers. As one forum member pointed out, at least in Germany, the distributors are being much worse than Nvidia is ‘recommending’, (English-ish here). Remember, the gamer comes first, which is why you need to buy 600 worthless cards to get 20 GTX470s and GTX480s.
Nvidia has had almost three months of production to make GF100 chips, and it can’t manage 10,000 units. It is losing a lot of money on each and every card it sells, since sub-20% yields mean the chips alone cost at least $250 each to make. There is almost no chance of a second run once the first chips all trickle out, much less the fourth round that Hi-tech.at is hoping for. This isn’t a launch, it’s a hoax and a joke. But at least we know that Nvidia hasn’t changed, its habitual values are still intact.S|A
Charlie Demerjian
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