X-bit labs

ABIT and NVIDIA Break Up.

Category: Video

by Anton Shilov

[ 01/07/2004 | 11:45 AM ]

A well-known maker of computer mainboards for enthusiasts and overclockers, ABIT, and graphics chip designer NVIDIA Corporation have reportedly split up their relations because of  “irreconcilable management differences”.

According to a news-story from The Inquirer, both ABIT and NVIDIA decided not to prolong their relationships in graphics and platform fields. This kind of “divorce” is usually not advertised directly, but is always followed by numerous announcements regarding new partnerships with other companies. 

NVIDIA’s place on ABIT’s graphics cards is likely to be shared between ATI Technologies and eXtreme Graphics Innovation, who manage to provide ABIT with everything needed to create quality graphics cards at affordable price-point. In the mainboard field ABIT is likely to broaden its business with VIA Technologies in case it decides to fully reject NVIDIA from its product families.

Currently shipping NVIDIA-based graphics cards and mainboards are likely to be supported by ABIT in future. Moreover, it is possible that the firm may continue to produce certain successful SKUs powered by GeForce or nForce silicon from NVIDIA to fulfill the demand.

Sources close to ABIT and NVIDIA said that the former was not satisfied with pricing and support offered by the latter, which negatively impacted the company’s ability to deliver certain products into the market on timely basis and at price-points ensuring high profit margins.

In the near future ABIT is rumored to introduce RADEON 9600 XT and RADEON 9800 XT graphics cards with some interesting peculiarities for enthusiasts. The firm will also bring some XGI products into the market, as we reported earlier.

Official comments from Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA and Taipei, Taiwan-based ABIT were not available at press time.