Go To Latest Video ReviewsRumour: nVidia Abandoning Chipset Manufacture - Updated
| Author | Hugo Jobling |
| Published | 1st Aug 2008 |
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TrustedReviews NewslettersNear enough anyone tech savvy enough to know what nVidia is, also knows that it makes two things: graphics cards and motherboards. If recent rumours hold true, though, that might not remain the case for very long. According to a few sources the company is set to drop its chipset business and no nVidia chipsets means no nVidia motherboards.
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Apparently this decision stems from a loss of support from motherboard manufacturers. Supposedly in a recent meeting, nVidia asked its board partners if they still wanted to make products built around nForce chipsets and didn't get the rousing chorus of support that was doubtless hoped for.
Some credence is lent to these claims based on the recent problems over Intel's forthcoming X58 chipset, that which will be sitting in Nehalem motherboards. In order to add SLI support to Intel's platform nVidia is supplying its nForce 200 chip leading motherboards manufacturers stuck deciding whether to completely change the layout of the boards in order to accommodate the chip. As this gets ridiculously hot cooling solutions need to be reworked too hardly making adopting SLI support with the Intel chipset a compelling option.
Why nVidia would go to the trouble of gaining a QPI license from Intel just to throw in the towel on motherboards is a question for the ages. Hopefully the issue will be clarified post haste.
Update:
We've just heard from nVidia on the subject and can assure you that, as I rather suspected, the company has absolutely no intention to stop manufacturing chipsets. In fact, contrary to rumour, it has several products set to be announced "in the near future". It doesn't seem an unreasonable stretch to imagine more information on those will be available at nVision at the end of this month.
Die, rumour, on wingéd feet...
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ChaosDefinesOrder said on 1st August 2008
Hugo said on 1st August 2008
At worst all nVidia would they'd have to do is put the chip on the GPU rather than the motherboard. Although based on what I know of nVidia's architecture and the fact th... more
Tedd said on 1st August 2008
There is an excellent article on appleinsider.com, posted on July 30th, that claims nVidia may be in talks with Apple to supply them with a proprietary chipset for their line of up... more
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Maybe they should re-focus their time in developing a way to get SLi running on all motherboards without the silly NV200 chip - or failing that, simply make a BETTER chip that does... more