Has Everyone heard!?!

[Banrion]

AMD & ATI are teaming up!!! I am super excited by this, as I am an AMD loyalist, and have been building my own AMD puters for years now, and usually with ATI video. Finally AMD will be able to make a power play into Intel's market share.

Full Press Release here:http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543~110899,00.html

[stormtreader]

I was actually discussing this with some friends the other night :D

Very odd situation, since AMD have been working with NVidia for years and are mid contract with them at the moment. Its always been AMD/NVidia, and Intel/ATI.

We reckon this could be the end of nvidia in a few years time, or at least see them shrink, since intel stuff is optimised for ATI, and AMD have a head start over Intel in changing their preferred GPU makers (AMD must have had this in the works for a while).
Intel would have to spend time optimising for nvidia as well as keeping up with AMD developments in CPUs, and gamers who are buying the top-end stuff want the most optimised combinations to get peak performance out of their kit.

AMD have been talking about making chips with GPUs on them, maybe nvidia werent cooperating or wanted a big cut?

[Rapscallion]

I've always been baffled by the partisanship in computing.

I'm sure I could learn to use a Mac or Linux, but since I'm a gamer I use a PC with Windows.

There are options other than IE for browsing, but I don't want to have to learn another interface. I could learn the ins and outs of a different browser, but I don't need to do so.

When buying hardware, I look at the stats and cost to work out bang-to-buck, and though AMD usually win that hands down, it's not always been my choice.

Rapscallion

[NightWolf]

Meh, I'm really not too hyped up about the merge. I've always used AMD and my Video taste is always changing. One card will be Nvidia, the next ATI. I go with whatever has the best bang for buck at the time. Like Raps said, I'm a gamer. I tend to upgrade my video a lot, so I usually go for middle of the road. Sometimes Nvidia is better, sometimes ATI. I know one thing for sure. Video Card prices are horrendous with the newer models. :eek:


So Raps, what games do you fancy?

[Rapscallion]

Usually RTS, though mostly I play Guild Wars at the moment.

Rapscallion

[LostMyMind]

I don't think much will change. Considering the nforce chipset is still one of the most desired chipset for motherboards. And nvidia is still better at multi-video cards and their drivers are alot better than ATI. I think ATI is pushing hard because nvidia got a jump start on them with the nforce chipset.

As long as nvidia learned from 3dfx mistakes and don't repeat them. They should be fine. Nvidia is on the right track, video cards are starting to max-out as far as how fast they can go. So the next stop is to do what 3dfx did and that was link two video cards together. (I can actually remember when 3dfx linked 4 video cards together, that was impressive)

[PuckishOne]

Nvidia is on the right track, video cards are starting to max-out as far as how fast they can go.
I can report pretty good results playing World of Warcraft with a GeForce in a laptop (with AMD - throwing a bone to Banrion the AMD Cheerleader :) ) .

I'd tend to agree with NightWolf & Raps, going for what I need trumps what's the "hot new toy" or latest & greatest geek status symbol/brand. (Although I do use Firefox and can find my way around a Mac OS, the rest of the time it's good ol' Windows, IE, and white-bread PCs.) It's all about meeting needs without needing a second mortgage, basically.

Having said that, I'm drooling waiting to upgrade to a dual-core desktop...but it's partially self-defense, since I'm getting tired of saying, "Yes, really, I play MMORPGs on a laptop!!" :D

[NightWolf]

I can report pretty good results playing World of Warcraft with a GeForce in a laptop

:yourock: Excellent choice for a game. ;)

[PuckishOne]

:yourock: Excellent choice for a game. ;)
Why, thank you very much. :D I do believe at one time there was a gaming thread in Off Topic...maybe we should resurrect that sometime....hmmmm.....*wheels turning*

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

[stormtreader]

Usually RTS, though mostly I play Guild Wars at the moment.

Rapscallion

Lol, i considered a thread about this, my friend has just gotten me into this game. Assassins rule :D

[Rapscallion]

I prefer Elementalist myself - Infidels clan. I've started to learn Necromancer and am playing with a Ranger as well. I have an assassin, but she falls over quickly.

Back on topic, my current computer was the first I had someone build for me commercially for some time. I checked the price/performance ratio and requested an NVidia card as it was the better bang-per-buck contender. I allowed the builder to put in a more expensive ATI card, since he's fanatically loyal to them, but the performance, according to unbiased reports, was worse. I found this out too late, but there's no persuading fanatics...

Card works on everything I use, so I don't really care, but it's twenty quid that could be in my pocket.

Rapscallion

[SengaKitty]

*reads original post and nearly falls out of chair after grabbing person sitting next to her who is also in Computer Tech class* NO WAY. Ohmigod I can't wait to show this to my instructors! Thanks guys! This is REALLY exciting news!