X-bit labs

The Fastest Graphics Cards of 2003 (page 9)

Category: Video

by Alexey Stepin

[ 12/10/2003 | 10:57 PM ]

Q2 2003

In the second quarter already NVIDIA lost 3% of the desktop GPU market due to the delays with the launch of their new graphics processor and the customers’ rising mistrust. ATI Technologies, on the contrary, enlarged its share from 35% to 37%. As for DirectX 8 solutions, ATI’s share grew from 40% to 53%, while NVIDIA’s one dropped from 44% to 11%. The humble SiS somehow nipped off a morsel of 36% with its Xabre, probably due to the company’s contacts in Asia as there’re few Xabre GPUs offered in Europe and the USA.

The sector of DirectX 9.0-comaptible GPUs was most curious: ATI practically monopolized the high end of the market, controlling about 87%, but had only 30% of the inexpensive GPU market against NVIDIA’s 70%. It is natural since the latter had two new GPUs, NV31 and NV34, while ATI had nothing like that and actually doesn’t have till today.

I should also mention that the shares of NVIDIA and ATI in the discrete desktop GPU market remained the same compared to the first quarter: 64% and 28%, respectively.

As for the mobile graphics market, the Canadians fortified their positions further from 62% to 68%. NVIDIA’s share shrunk from 28% to 19%.

Q3 2003

The third quarter brought nothing principally new. ATI’s share of the market grew by 3% more, from 37% to 40%, while NVIDIA’s dropped from 54% to 53%. The DirectX 8-compatibles market was in fact monopolized by ATI (80%), while SiS receded: from 36% to 18%.

NVIDIA had recovered from the blows it had been receiving and was boosting its influence in both DirectX 9.0 graphics chip market sectors. By the end of the third quarter it had 72% of the low-end sector and 32% of the high-end. The shares of ATI Technologies diminished to 27% and 68%, respectively.

NVIDIA also won 2% of the mobile GPU market, increasing its share to 21%, while ATI gained 3 points to control 71% of the market.

ATI’s share of the discrete desktop GPU pie grew to 32%, while NVIDIA’s dropped to 62%.

The fourth quarter is still going on, so there’s no sense talking about its results – we don’t have the data yet. Anyway, I suppose it will be much alike to the third: NVIDIA is regaining with the help of its shader compiler what it has lost. The two giants are making ready for the next round.