AMD Withdraw KitGuru's Fury X Sample over "negative stance towards AMD" (Updated with response from AMD)

[Northstorm]

isn't Kitguru a rumour website? , how do we know this is true ?

What?... Where in the world did you get that notion? KitGuru have been around for ages and are one of the most reputable sources I know of.

 

On Topic:

I really hope AMD retracts their stance on this, it would be SUPER bad PR for them if they start going down this road.

[Deletive]

It all depends on what Kitguru said.  If it was a proper critique, that is bad of AMD.  If it was a bashing to skew AMD's image, why not pull that one reviewer.  People tend to believe stuff on the internet (or anywhere) even if it is not true, when it enforces their personal beliefs... people like to be right.  IF a reviewer is dishonest about a product/line, I don't see why a company should deal with them.  I mean there are plenty of other reviewers so getting the tech specs out will not be a problem.

 

I don't see this as AMD trying to squeeze out the critique of their GPU line (*cough APPLE), but I could be wrong.  The numbers are coming whether AMD likes it or not... they know this.

 

I think there might be more to this, that is what I am saying.

It's I believe 3 reviewers now PCPER and LegitReviews are also included from 6-7 days ago.

There is more to this, but people only see the brick wall of a new article and just throw ignorance around in a forum thread till things get heated. This is just turning into a uninformed high school socials class debate. 

 

What?... Where in the world did you get that notion? KitGuru have been around for ages and are one of the most reputable sources I know of.

 

On Topic:

I really hope AMD retracts their stance on this, it would be SUPER bad PR for them if they start going down this road.

AMD will probably stand with this decision. The problem here is Kitguru may have had some biased opinions against AMD in recent time, the fact that AMD pulled out a review sample from these guys is just like taking that hot potato that kitguru heated in the oven and just gave it to AMD to juggle in their hands with the media. AMD probably had a better more of a reason to not send one then send a review sample.

[MoonSpot]

This makes every single launch day review of the Fury X pointless.

Yup. Unless AMD can publicly state, justify and prove why. But even then.

This sucks.

[QueenDemetria]

"I'm sure everyone does things for reasons, therefore I am staying neutral on the situation". I just don't read KitGuru, so I don't know if AMD made the right decision(since I know some reviewers can be brutal and "unbiased"), but I also know that AMD is being a little weird with the performance numbers of the upcoming cards(again, cant confirm).

[stconquest]

It's I believe 3 reviewers now PCPER and LegitReviews are also included from 6-7 days ago.

There is more to this, but people only see the brick wall of a new article and just throw ignorance around in a forum thread till things get heated. This is just turning into a uninformed high school socials class debate. 

 

AMD will probably stand with this decision. The problem here is Kitguru may have had some biased opinions against AMD in recent time, the fact that AMD pulled out a review sample from these guys is just like taking that hot potato that kitguru heated in the oven and just gave it to AMD to juggle in their hands with the media. AMD probably had a better more of a reason to not send one then send a review sample.

 

Wait, PCPer is excluded from a review sample?  They are pretty darn good.... but Ryan did lash out recently, right?  On social media...

 

In the end it does not matter.  If the GPU holds water, all is good for AMD.  If the card is not relatively good, as good (or really close) as AMD said, then it will look really bad.

[Nexxus]

Guess what... that's business. A lot of other business do this. You act just because it's AMD they're being "childish" and such that isn't always the case.  

 

 

 

Lisa Su is doing better for the company, she is openly more involved with the company on so many aspects. AMD has the right to control who they give their review samples to, it's not a big deal a lot of other companies do it too you know.

 

I'm sorry did every other review on other websites become biased now? No they didn't, look at all those other graphics cards. They can still buy the cards. Just because AMD sent them a review sample doesn't mean they just completely sold out to AMD. Negativity is something this industry needs less of.

 

Comsumers should stop complaining, AMD has every right to do what they did. They're going to probably keep that manager because who would have known it. He's doing his job. 

it has nothing to do with it "just being AMD"

I'm just fucking tired of listening to them cry over everything and playing the victim and I would no matter who the brand wasy

[jbslayer]

AMD probably didn't like this video from KitGuru:

 

where Leo from KitGuru had a very critical view of AMD's choice to rebrand the 2xx series into the 3xx series, even saying it is "scandalous" and a "con" for AMD to do that.

 

I personally don't agree with that view, but I still feel that AMD should've sent a review copy to them. Or maybe it's true that they have a limited supply of the product, so they would rather send cards to reviewers that they have good standing with and are more popular. If that's the case, it's understandable.

[Mooshi]

What exactly was said? It's easy to point fingers at either parter without the whole story. If it were flat out "AMD is trash" or something along those lines, I wouldn't be surprised at AMD for doing what they do. If the criticism was down to Earth, fault is on AMD.

 

Not really a reader of Kitguru, but I have watched a few videos on cases..be lying if I said I've enjoyed them. Something about the approach came off a little off putting. Could just be me, I dunno. Really love LTT and Hardware Cannucks, though! Guess something about Canadians comes off more friendly than Brits?

[simson0606]

they both act kinda childish. but i think amd should have sent him a card, that way they can prove it does well and maybe make him look like a fool. Come on they have to stand behind their product!

[Takata]

I find it a little unbelievable that AMD would openly admit to a reviewer that they're not giving them a card (or in this case, cancelling their card) because they believe the reviewer is unfairly negative towards AMD.

 

Assuming this is true... It's a ridiculous marketing move from AMD. It would have been hard to criticise AMD if they had just neglected to promise Kitguru a review sample. Couldn't they have done that? Or just endured the possibly negative press from this particular reviewer? If this website has been mocking the rebrands, wouldn't it be okay to send them something that certainly isn't a rebrand?

[Ostwind]

How terribly childish of AMD.

[LinusTech]

I think my Fury X is in the mail. No tracking number or even confirmation of what address it was sent to, so hard to say for certain, but there ya go

[Grrizz]

AMD might be working towards fixing their performance but they still have a hell of a long way to go on the marketing side IMO, the interview on ToT made me cringe so hard when they made digs at Nvidia for "rebranding the Titan X as a 980ti".

Discouraging honest reviews, taking shots at the competition for something you do far worse (or just taking shots at the competition because you don't have a modern product), crying about not being able to optimise your drivers in a timely manor and blaming another company on your performance when you failed to make any effort to keep in contact with game developers makes me think of a 12 year old having a tantrum in the school yard.

I really hope AMD can sort them selves out because the market needs them but they sure as hell need to make a lot more of an effort than they currently are.

/rant

P.S. I feel really sorry for their engineers because I'm sure they are doing their best its just their marketing keeps screwing them.

[Humbug]

If they are blacklisting reviewers based on their opinions that's bad and will only serve to create negative press.

But it may be that the manager in charge of this has only a limited amount of fury x samples which she is authorized to give away for free to review sites.

[stconquest]

AMD probably didn't like this video from KitGuru:

 

where Leo from KitGuru had a very critical view of AMD's choice to rebrand the 2xx series into the 3xx series, even saying it is "scandalous" and a "con" for AMD to do that.

 

I personally don't agree with that view, but I still feel that AMD should've sent a review copy to them. Or maybe it's true that they have a limited supply of the product, so they would rather send cards to reviewers that they have good standing with and are more popular. If that's the case, it's understandable.

 

That video was not bad at all.  That could not have been "it".

 

....nu uh.  uh?

[Humbug]

I think my Fury X is in the mail. No tracking number or even confirmation of what address it was sent to, so hard to say for certain, but there ya go

Good to hear. Remember to measure VRAM utilization. AMD said they have optimized it in fury x driver.

[f22luke]

I think my Fury X is in the mail. No tracking number or even confirmation of what address it was sent to, so hard to say for certain, but there ya go

. Will be checking vesle regularly now ...can't wait!

[jbslayer]

That video was not bad at all.  That could not have been "it".

 

....nu uh.  uh?

it's all I can find for now, but you're right it wasn't that bad. The worst would probably be the scandalous part which is pretty mild at most.

[Takata]

I think my Fury X is in the mail. No tracking number or even confirmation of what address it was sent to, so hard to say for certain, but there ya go

Could it be in return for positive impressions on the 295x2 that you did not even get a review sample of?

[bogus]

I think my Fury X is in the mail. No tracking number or even confirmation of what address it was sent to, so hard to say for certain, but there ya go

By any chance do you still have that 5K display?

[Samfisher]

AMD might be working towards fixing their performance but they still have a hell of a long way to go on the marketing side IMO, the interview on ToT made me cringe so hard when they made digs at Nvidia for "rebranding the Titan X as a 980ti".

Discouraging honest reviews, taking shots at the competition for something you do far worse (or just taking shots at the competition because you don't have a modern product), crying about not being able to optimise your drivers in a timely manor and blaming another company on your performance when you failed to make any effort to keep in contact with game developers makes me think of a 12 year old having a tantrum in the school yard.

I really hope AMD can sort them selves out because the market needs them but they sure as hell need to make a lot more of an effort than they currently are.

/rant

P.S. I feel really sorry for their engineers because I'm sure they are doing their best its just their marketing keeps screwing them.

 

ToT...?  Wazzat?

[Grrizz]

ToT...?  Wazzat?

Tech of tomorrow, another YouTuber

[Linusinium]

AMD probably didn't like this video from KitGuru:

 

where Leo from KitGuru had a very critical view of AMD's choice to rebrand the 2xx series into the 3xx series, even saying it is "scandalous" and a "con" for AMD to do that.

 

I personally don't agree with that view, but I still feel that AMD should've sent a review copy to them. Or maybe it's true that they have a limited supply of the product, so they would rather send cards to reviewers that they have good standing with and are more popular. If that's the case, it's understandable.

 

Agreed, that was a bad move. And let's not kid ourselves, this video by Leo is the reason why KG was denied a review sample.

What AMD should have done is give kitguru VIP status precisely because of the "negativity" expressed by Leo.

 

Some conjecture as to what actually happened: Marketing personnel saw the video, heard the quote about "press being lied to" and the 3xx rebadge remark. This person probably has a business oriented background/education and is likely a noob when it comes to technical aspects and GPU releases history. If they weren't a noob, they would have known that Leo was actually taking a stab at Nvidia (wood screws anyone?) but they didn't know this and they made the wrong decision based on that.

[Mo5]

If Apple doesn't send a review unit it's "Apple being Apple", if AMD doesn't send a review unit it's a sin. 

[stconquest]

Agreed, that was a bad move. And let's not kid ourselves, this video by Leo is the reason why KG was denied a review sample.

What AMD should have done is give kitguru VIP status precisely because of the "negativity" expressed by Leo.

 

Some conjecture as to what actually happened: Marketing personnel saw the video, heard the quote about "press being lied to" and the 3xx rebadge remark. This person probably has a business oriented background/education and is likely a noob when it comes to technical aspects and GPU releases history. If they weren't a noob, they would have known that Leo was actually taking a stab at Nvidia (wood screws anyone?) but they didn't know this and they made the wrong decision based on that.

 

That is still speculative on your part.... to a degree.