ATI - Now with less T&I!

[The Continental]

As a result of AMD (http://www.amd.com)'s buyout of ATI (http://www.ati.com/), it appears that all future ATI products will bear the AMD name instead. Savor the flavor:

AMD announced today that ATI's days are numbered. All future products developed by ATI will now ship under the AMD brand name, effectively ending 21 years of ATI brand-history.

AMD is reportedly anxious to assert that its ATI acquisition is a full take-over rather than a merger or partnership. What impact the decision will have upon deepening the AMD-AMD (ATI) vs. Intel-Nvidia divide remains to be seen. Source: IGN (http://gear.ign.com/articles/724/724015p1.html)

Looks like the end of an era, I guess AMD figures the strength of their brand name surpasses that of ATI.

[absolut taco]

It's all good, as long as it's not less T&A!

[Tricky Thumb]

Either that or they would like AMD to become an even more well known brand name.

Oh well at least Nvidia is still around, I've always preferred them.

[NoName]

Looks like the end of an era, I guess AMD figures the strength of their brand name surpasses that of ATI.
This move seems silly to me, I would have kept the name ATI. I don't see the benefit of branding their CPUs and GPUs both as AMD, other than to try and look bigger.

[Shifteh]

Well it doesn't really instill investor confidence to take the name of the company you just bought.

[michaelwhite]

My balls have more investor confidence. Losing the name ATI is bad news.

[Heretic Machine]

AMD... please make ATI suck less. Pretty please, with sugar on top. The last ATI card I had was absolute trash.

[Limech]

Hum, so generations of casual gamers that are not even aware of this merger will be shopping for their next video card and see AMD or nVidia video cards on the shelves. Since the last time they bought a video card the two big players were ATI and nVidia, they will shrug and wonder where ATI went, not think twice and go with nVidia. I mean, many casual gamers go with Intel over AMD simply because Intel has a longer history and "nobody ever got fired by going with Intel". So if they pick Intel over AMD for a CPU, why would they pick AMD over another well known company nVidia for their video card?

Indeed a bad move if you ask me (and yes, I know, nobody did ask).

[boratika]

Well I guess this means Microsoft are going to have to change the Xbox 360 packaging.

[Citizen Philip]

I suppose this change could be a general indicator to the intentions of AMD? I do believe Tricky has a good point, more PR face for AMD will help against the ubiqutious Intel logos.

I am not familiar with the differences between a CPU and a GPU, but if I do recall a GPU is considerably more powerful than a CPU (in some ways). In any case, I am very excited about the potential.

By the time they get some product on the market, give or take 3-4 years, I'll be looking to upgrade then anyways. Good times.

[Soap]

Hum, so generations of casual gamers that are not even aware of this merger will be shopping for their next video card and see AMD or nVidia video cards on the shelves. Since the last time they bought a video card the two big players were ATI and nVidia, they will shrug and wonder where ATI went, not think twice and go with nVidia. I mean, many casual gamers go with Intel over AMD simply because Intel has a longer history and "nobody ever got fired by going with Intel". So if they pick Intel over AMD for a CPU, why would they pick AMD over another well known company nVidia for their video card?

Indeed a bad move if you ask me (and yes, I know, nobody did ask).

Uhm, how many casual gamers do you know who go out and buy (and I assume install) their own video cards? The casual gamers I know, ask me what to recommend, then it goes downhill from there. Because next thing you know, you've become free 24/7 technical support for silly things like Photoshop, Firefox, stuck drink holders, etc.

[Heretic Machine]

Uhm, how many casual gamers do you know who go out and buy (and I assume install) their own video cards? The casual gamers I know, ask me what to recommend, then it goes downhill from there. Because next thing you know, you've become free 24/7 technical support for silly things like Photoshop, Firefox, stuck drink holders, etc.

Can you print this resume for me? Can you fix my intertron? It don't work good. Why won't this copy of Kameo play on my computer right? Can you get this purple monkey to stop talking to me?

[Philonious]

3-4 years? It isn't as if all the R&D ATi has done will be going to waste. We can expect AMD DX10 cards this January most likely.

[Bone]

I am not familiar with the differences between a CPU and a GPU, but if I do recall a GPU is considerably more powerful than a CPU (in some ways).
A GPU is nothing but a CPU specially designed to process graphics, and usually sits on a video card.

I think it's a smart move, in the long run. Just like Nvidia got into the motherboard business, AMD is going to eventually be known for an all-in-one solution. The average user may wonder where ATI is today, but when they're buying an AMD box from Dell, they won't care.

[AversionFX]

Looks like the end of an era, I guess AMD figures the strength of their brand name surpasses that of ATI.[/i]

Perhaps. I love AMD. I hate ATI.

AMD+nVidia=Win.

For me, at least.

Hum, so generations of casual gamers that are not even aware of this merger will be shopping for their next video card and see AMD or nVidia video cards on the shelves. Since the last time they bought a video card the two big players were ATI and nVidia, they will shrug and wonder where ATI went, not think twice and go with nVidia. I mean, many casual gamers go with Intel over AMD simply because Intel has a longer history and "nobody ever got fired by going with Intel". So if they pick Intel over AMD for a CPU, why would they pick AMD over another well known company nVidia for their video card?

Indeed a bad move if you ask me (and yes, I know, nobody did ask).

I don't even know where to begin pointing out fallacies in that one.

[Soap]

Can you print this resume for me? Can you fix my intertron? It don't work good. Why won't this copy of Kameo play on my computer right? Can you get this purple monkey to stop talking to me?

My favorite (College Years):

Me: Why did you buy Mac software for your Windows PC?
Her: Is there a difference?
Me: .....
Her: Can you install this for me or what?
Me: .....

:(

[Watership]

Sad. ATI was a Canadian company and It was pretty pround of that. I remember I used to work by it's Corporate Headquaters just north of Toronto.

That said, the AMD ATI deal will make their graphics cards even better.

[Uncle Ben]

Perhaps. I love AMD. I hate ATI.

AMD+nVidia=Win.

For me, at least.

...


Oh, wouldn't it be shitty if AMD prevented non-AMD video cards from working on computers with AMD CPUs?

[AversionFX]

Oh, wouldn't it be shitty if AMD prevented non-AMD video cards from working on computers with AMD CPUs?

I'm sure a good many people would be understandly upset. Not to mention, they would literally be shooting themselves in the foot. With a shotgun. Loaded with slugs.

That said, the AMD ATI deal will make their graphics cards even better.

I really hope so. Lackluster ATI driver support is what really keeps me from ever wanting to purchase one of their cards.

[Heretic Machine]

Oh, wouldn't it be shitty if AMD prevented non-AMD video cards from working on computers with AMD CPUs?

If they did that, they'd cut out most of their business.

[SexualChoc]

Oh, wouldn't it be shitty if AMD prevented non-AMD video cards from working on computers with AMD CPUs?

Would that then provoke Intel to pick up nVidia? Or stop nVidia products being used with AMD stuff? I doubt it will happen, but if it did.... yeesh.

[XenonCJ]

That said, the AMD ATI deal will make their graphics cards even better.I doubt it. With stupid corporate shake-ups, it will most likely scare, distract, and confuse the engineers and programmers that make the cards into finding other jobs or delivering crappy products for the next few years.

All of a sudden you have eggheads bitching and/or worrying about HR stuff instead of doing thier job.

[TrackZero]

Ugh, AMD is so wrong on this one. I prefer the ATI logo over the AMD one any day of the week.

[AntB]

Yea, I think AMD shoud just become ATi.

[1FSTCAT]

Lackluster ATI driver support is what really keeps me from ever wanting to purchase one of their cards.

Huh? They release new drivers as often as Nvidia does (once a month). I've always seen the two manufacturers as 50/50. Same as AMD and Intel.

[easi]

From what I understand, ATi was seen as the "good guys" fighting the evil monopolist corporape machine nVidia, who was somehow responsible for the death of 3DFX. Not that that matters to anyone besides a few geeks on the internet, but they had some decent brand loyalty and it seems weird to chuck it.

AMD+ATI = DAMIT FYI.

[AversionFX]

Huh? They release new drivers as often as Nvidia does (once a month). I've always seen the two manufacturers as 50/50. Same as AMD and Intel.


I work in compatibility. I have seen ATI cards at work.

Did I say "ATI products are never very up-to-date"?

No, I believe I said, "ATI driver support is lackluster."

Their drivers suck. When I update my [video] drivers, I expect to not get artifacting and various other graphical glitches.

nVidia cards always work consistently better. Not as powerful from a sheer numbers stand-point, but always much more reliable in my opinion.

Please read the post before you jump to conclusions.

[crashedout]

I don't care what they call if it does what I want. IF they make GPU sockets...you can call it Dung-master 2000 and I will get it.

[Royal Fool]

To me, ATI is a much more powerful brandname. I know AMD is huge and has been around longer, bit ATI's marketing and presence has been much more apparent to me than AMD's. That's just my two cents... think it's a stupid move to throw away such a big name.

[phantomhitman]

they just announced the new name of A². They were going to go with "we pwn bitches" but it didnt pass in the boardroom meeting.

[AversionFX]

they just announced the new name of A².


That actually sounds half decent :P

[drakkarim]

i could care less what they call ATI, i just hope that AMD bitch slaps the former ATI with a 'lower-price' mentality.

ATI could've went so much further (and sold so much more) if they just kept in the same price ballpark as nvidia.

i don't know if ati execs just has cushier compensation packages or they were just idiots with maintaining their budgets (hence the constantly higher prices) but the hardware was always overpriced.

since AMD has a name as performance on a budget, maybe they'll export that to the old ati system.

[shnastybiznastic]

What really gets me excited is the fact that AMD has awesome support of linux, and if they are going to migrate that over to the GPU division, I will have a peegasm. :D

[XenonCJ]

What we really need is a 3rd player in the market to help drive prices down... 500+ bux for a top of the line graphics card is dumb.

I'm thinking someone with deep pockets, like Apple, Dell, Wal-Mart, India or Bitboys Oy.

[Xerxes]

A² would of been a great name...

[easi]

i could care less what they call ATI, i just hope that AMD bitch slaps the former ATI with a 'lower-price' mentality.

ATI could've went so much further (and sold so much more) if they just kept in the same price ballpark as nvidia.

i don't know if ati execs just has cushier compensation packages or they were just idiots with maintaining their budgets (hence the constantly higher prices) but the hardware was always overpriced.

since AMD has a name as performance on a budget, maybe they'll export that to the old ati system.

They just dropped the prices on the X1900 cards quite considerably, although that was to make way for the X1950. The 1900s will still be competitive for a good while though, especially in Crossfire, but that is a mess.

[phantomhitman]

stay away from my name bitches, i gotta get a ip copyright!!

[Nithrakis Arcanius]

ars technica is reporting this to be incorrect.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060808-7446.html

[shnastybiznastic]

ars technica is reporting this to be incorrect.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060808-7446.html
Danm, I was hoping AMD would step in and show those jerks what's what!

[Frogleg Special]

Good riddance to ATI. You have forsaken PC gaming and look what you're now.

Good luck and best wishes to AMD.

[Dragonpriest]

Reguardless of what's it's called, AMD or ATI, it's one crappy video card that I still won't buy, even if I do like the AMD processors. Different box, same crappy product.

[Frogleg Special]

Actually, AMD can bring a somewhat hardcore mentality to the mainstream, attention whore ATI to clash with NVidia head on.

[DeadScreenSky]

Good riddance to ATI. You have forsaken PC gaming and look what you're now.
Huh?

From what I understand, ATi was seen as the "good guys" fighting the evil monopolist corporape machine nVidia, who was somehow responsible for the death of 3DFX. Not that that matters to anyone besides a few geeks on the internet, but they had some decent brand loyalty and it seems weird to chuck it.
Do people really believe that shit? :eek:

[51|RandoM]

AMD... please make ATI suck less. Pretty please, with sugar on top. The last ATI card I had was absolute trash.

I've seen you mention that before. Wasn't it a 9600 pro? The 9600/9700pro was actually a comeback for ATI. Was yours an ATI part, or from somebody else(like evga, asus, etc.)?

Anyways, people will be bummed at hardforum and anandtech, we won't be able to call people fanATIcs anymore.

[51|RandoM]

Huh? They release new drivers as often as Nvidia does (once a month). I've always seen the two manufacturers as 50/50. Same as AMD and Intel.

it doesn't matter how often you release new drivers if they still suck ass.

ATI drivers have a long history of mostly sucking ass. They've been heading in the right direction since they started the Catalyst unified driver, but then again, where do you think they got that idea? lol.

Just when they had it going pretty smooth, they screwed the pooch by taking their already bloated driver package and mating it with .NET, boggle.

In the windows space, ATI has a name for integrated graphics, very good TV/VIVO support, and often crappy drivers. Nvidia is known for great drivers(usually), a line of chipsets that saved many of us from AMD on VIA hell, and the rebirth of 3dfx's SLI.

I've flipflopped between the two vendors just about every other major release, and it looks like the next upgrade will put me on an intel+nvidia rig.

[Voodoo]

I've been very impressed with ATI products from the x300 onward. That whole in-die video ram thing is pretty bad assed. Plus their next IGP will have SM 4.0, that is pretty awesome too. :)

[Barrapa]

This is not accurate. They only ever said that the new company name would be AMD and that ATI would be a division of AMD. They never said anything about brands except that they weren't saying anything yet.

[bKangy]

Why all the ATi hate? Compared to nVidia they're fucking saints, the 5200 was the worst card I have ever had the displeasure to purchase.

[Watership]

I'm glad the report was false as ATI is a still a good brand name. And the ATi hate here is surprising. I've always been a fan of their stuff, even if I jumped around from Nvidia to ATi every few pcs. I found the forceware drivers on Nvidia to be better than the Catalysts on ATi however.

[Slack3r78]

Why all the ATi hate? Compared to nVidia they're fucking saints, the 5200 was the worst card I have ever had the displeasure to purchase.
That's your mistake for expecting a bottom rung card to perform any better than a bottom rung card. The Radeon 9200 series was the 5200's direct competition, and that was just a rebadged Radeon 8500. Not trying to be overly harsh, but really, that level of card is going to be relative garbage from either company.

Speaking as someone who remembers when VLB was the hot new thing in video cards, the only period in which ATI has been almost inarguably better was during the R300/9x00 days. And as someone who owned one then, the drivers, while far better than the Rage 128/XL/SUPER DELUXE SQUARED days, still blew.

Ever since then, Nvidia's been at least competitive, and in the midrange, where you get the best price-performance has generally wiped the floor with ATI. And they have better driver support. Especially if I get some wild and crazy idea like running an OS other than Windows.

Seriously, the only people I know that are full out erection ATI fanboys are people that have only really been into PCs for 3 or 4 years. If you ever had to suffer through RAGE era drivers, it'll haunt you for the rest of your life.

[bKangy]

That's your mistake for expecting a bottom rung card to perform any better than a bottom rung card. The Radeon 9200 series was the 5200's direct competition, and that was just a rebadged Radeon 8500. Not trying to be overly harsh, but really, that level of card is going to be relative garbage from either company.


The 9800 is a bottom rung card these days, but at least it will actually play any game I choose to purchase right now.

[Slack3r78]

The 9800 is a bottom rung card these days, but at least it will actually play any game I choose to purchase right now.
The 9800 was also ATI's premiere card at one time. The 5200 was never meant to be more than a budget solution. You know what I use 5200 (and now 6200) series cards for? Something to stick in a SOHO server so the video card doesn't sap system memory.

Really, I find it a bit absurd to bash Nvidia for a card that was never meant to be more than a "Good enough for desktop use" that happened to have OGL/DX hooks for very light gaming when ATI's direct competition for that card was really no better.