Timing is key, and with NVIDIA’s GTX 1080 set for May 27th AMD will want to ensure Polaris gets some time in the limelight prior to Computex2016.
Timing is key, and with NVIDIA’s GTX 1080 set for May 27th AMD will want to ensure Polaris gets some time in the limelight prior to Computex2016.
Following the stunning unveiling by NVIDIA of the GTX 1080 and 1070 the onus is now on AMD to articulate the plans for their own next-gen Polaris consumer GPUs. Today there comes news that AMD’s silence may extend until a planned launch event of their own closer to Computex2016, prior to a full launch in partnership with AIBs during Computex2016.
TechPowerUp are reporting that the alleged event will take place in Macau, China a few days prior to Computex. A small selection of media have been invited to the event, with a Livestreamed conference similar to Capsaicin also on the cards.
The Macau event will likely focus on both mid-range ‘Ellesmere’ (~130W TDP) and entry-level ‘Baffin’ (~50W TDP) GPUs, avoiding a head to head battle with NVIDIA GTX 1080. The ‘Big Core’ chip – codenamed ‘Greenland’ – remains AWOL, potentially leaving NVIDIA unchallenged in the performance/enthusiast segment for an extended period of time.
By launching in mainstream desktop segments AMD may be hoping to swallow large chunks of market share at the less profitable affordable end. In the short term that might prove successful, but long-term trends tend to be determined at the cutting edge, as we have seen in the CPU market. AMD cannot afford to be seen as the ‘cheap option’ – what you buy if you can’t afford Pascal – and should be wary of NVIDIA flooding the market with cut-price but still competitive Maxwell parts.
SOURCE: Zolkorn via TechPowerUp
