NVIDIA and their manufacturing partner only received the final (say, A2) revision of their GeForce FX graphics processor about a week and now make plans about the mass-production of the actual graphics cards early next year. Despite of the fact that NVIDIA does not utilise 256-bit memory bus with their GeForce FX powered graphics solutions, the PCBs for the mentioned graphics cards are not less complex compared to those, used by ATI with the RADEON 9700 PRO products. In order to bring significant quantities of its innovative GeForce FX-based graphics cards on the market and also to allow add-in cards makers to learn how to produce complex PCBs needed for the novelty, as well as to receive high initial yield of the newcomer, NVIDIA asked MSI to produce all the GeForce FX-based graphics cards and provide them to other well-known graphics cards vendors, such as Sparkle, Albatron, Chaintech and others, including big companies like ASUS, or small, like PixelView.

Just like ATI, NVIDIA will also start the mass-production of the new high-end solutions on one or two fabs that will supply the quality products for all the other companies around. The move will also allow NVIDIA to achieve higher yields of the graphics cards and only afterwards transit the technology to other vendors’ facilities, ensuring the quality and acceptable yileds. It is not the rule only for the GeForce FX, but for all expensive solutions to come in future, because ATI’s example proved this decision to be wise and economically effective (see this news-story for more details).

Leadtek, who manufactures and sells professional graphics cards, is currently in negotiations with NVIDIA about GeForce FX-based products manufacturing. Given their very-well equipped facilities, NVIDIA may allow them to produce the GeForce FX-based graphics cards, though, the main maker of such devices will still be MicroStar International.

GeForce FX powered graphics cards will be available widely in retail in February 2003.