AMD GPU might get their own gaming brand under GPP

[NumLock21]

Nvidia GeForce Partner Program (GPP) program, where video card makers who signed up for it has a advantage compared to those who didn't such as selling their cards on launch day. There is a catch to Nvidia GPP and that is, video card makers are not allowed to use their own gaming brand on AMD video cards. Now this is a huge problem for some video card makers, not like EVGA where they only make Nvidia cards, but for companies like Gigabyte, MSI, and Asus, where they make cards for both AMD and Nvidia. To get around this, it's rumor that video makers who also make AMD video cards, might create gaming brand exclusively for AMD GPUs. If the rumor turns out to be true, then it's awesome as Nvidia does not have the rights to control any future gaming brands, created by video card manufactures.

 

The article is currently free, but will eventually get behind a paywall, so I'll quote the entire thing.

Quote

Nividia has recently introduced the GeForce Partner Program (GPP) to consolidate its dominant presence in the graphics card market by offering incentives to partners signing up to the program. This has prompted Taiwan's major suppliers of graphic cards and gaming PCs including Asustek Computer, Gigabyte Technology and Micro-Star International (MSI) to adjust related business strategies, as they have maintained partnerships with both Nvidia and AMD for the supply of GPU chips, according to industry sources.

The sources said the GPP is an initiative to bridge the gap between Nvidia and the companies that make add-in cards or systems based on its tech. But GPP partners are required to have all their gaming devices fitted with Nvidia's GeForce GPUs before they can enjoy a spate of incentives from Nvidia, including free marketing publicity, early access to Nvidia's latest innovations, and working closely with its engineering team to bring the newest technologies to gamers.

The program will pose little impact on China's gaming equipment makers including Colorful and Zotac, as they all adopt Nvidia's GPUs for their devices. But Taiwan's Asustek, Gigabyte and MSI are caught in a dilemma over the development and shipment of new gaming models, as they have also long sustained partnerships with AMD.

Industry sources said the three Taiwan brands have reportedly adjusted their new product development roadmaps, and they may also launch new gaming brands based on AMD's GPU platform.

Without commenting on the possible impact from GPP, MSI chairman Joseph Hsu said the market demand for graphic cards will continue to expand robustly for mining and gaming uses. And as Nvidia is slated to release its new-generation GPU architecture soon, Hsu said he is optimistic about MSI's graphic card shipments for 2018.

Meanwhile, while first-tier players are reducing purchases of AMD graphic card chips, Taiwan-based ASRock, which has just joined the AMD camp, has unexpectedly secured sufficient GPU supply from AMD to help it more smoothly tap the gaming and mining markets.

 

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180330PD207.html

[potoooooooo]

Nvidia will probably get the shit sued out of them first, so i wouldn't look too far into this

[Beskamir]

1 minute ago, potoooooooo said:

Nvidia will probably get the shit sued out of them first, so i wouldn't look too far into this

Or forget they exist and let them become AMD only like what happened to XFX

[mr moose]

Quote

Joseph Hsu said the market demand for graphic cards will continue to expand robustly for mining and gaming uses

Quote

Meanwhile, while first-tier players are reducing purchases of AMD graphic card chips,

I wonder which one is more true?

[pas008]

12 minutes ago, potoooooooo said:

Nvidia will probably get the shit sued out of them first, so i wouldn't look too far into this

Sued for what?

Lol

[Arika]

of course this was going to happen

[potoooooooo]

10 minutes ago, pas008 said:

Sued for what?

Lol

Anti competitive business practices

[hobobobo]

Feels like damage control

[DoctorWho1975]

11 minutes ago, pas008 said:

Sued for what?

Lol

 

IF what is rumored to be in the GPP is actually in the GPP it is violating numerous laws worldwide. The problem is getting a hold of a signed agreement between NVidia and a partner then having to spend tens of millions suing for years. That being said if the violations are bad enough a judge may give an injunction to stop the program immediately until its settled in court although that in itself will be a legal fight.

[GDRRiley]

15 minutes ago, pas008 said:

Sued for what?

Lol

same thing that intel got sued in the early 2000s for. anti competitive. 

[Okjoek]

"GTX 1080ti Gaming"

 

vs

 

"Vega 64 Sports"

 

or something like that. Technically not their "gaming brand" and only AMD GPU have access to this new branding

 

[DocSwag]

So how limiting exactly is GPP? Do brands like ROG become nvidia exclusive? Or can companies do something like how asus has ROG crosshair/zenith for amd and ROG maximus/rampage for intel?

[AresKrieger]

1 minute ago, DocSwag said:

Do brands like ROG become nvidia exclusive? Or can companies do something like how asus has ROG crosshair/zenith for amd and ROG maximus/rampage for intel?

Seems like the latter currently, hard to say for sure until ASUS makes new cards but regardless the whole thing was made out to be far worse than it actually was unsurprisingly.

[Misanthrope]

3 hours ago, potoooooooo said:

Nvidia will probably get the shit sued out of them first, so i wouldn't look too far into this

Well about that: let's say they do.

 

Let's say Nvidia wants to get out of selling Asus any chips while they come to a settlement or trial.

 

You think Asus would be ok with being stucked with only Radeon GPUs? If Nvidia can't meet demand right now AMD had trouble meeting demand before the mining started and had basically being paper products for months so not only would they'd be stuck with the worst selling competitor but much lower quantities to boot.

 

Now that being said I don't think Nvidia can get out of supplying Asus completely so this was an extreme example just to illustrate, but the point is that Nvidia aren't complete idiots either: they're probably making GPP compelling enough that it's better for Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, etc. To just accept their terms than to fight them in the long run. Let's also not forget that GPP is not only negative reinforcement but positive as well: partners do get substantial advantages from being in GPP that might ultimately just make them more money for compromising their internal branding.

[NumLock21]

8 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

So how limiting exactly is GPP? Do brands like ROG become nvidia exclusive? Or can companies do something like how asus has ROG crosshair/zenith for amd and ROG maximus/rampage for intel?

My guess is only limited to video cards? That means Asus can still plaster ROG on other AMD products just not their video card.

[natewu]

AMD for life

[8uhbbhu8]

Nvidia Gaming

 

AMD Gaming X 

 

 

[Arika]

7 minutes ago, 8uhbbhu8 said:

Nvidia Gaming

 

AMD Gaming X 

 

 

for MSI they might do similar

 

GTX10** Gaming X

 

VEGA ** X Gaming

 

 

[JuNex03]

XRX580XXX18+

[Blademaster91]

xX580Xx Radeon Ultimate 1337 Gamer

[leadeater]

RX 580 ReForce

[Arika]

1 hour ago, leadeater said:

RX 580 ReForce

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEForce

[Notional]

Just call them esports series. That would be a suppository the size of a V2 rocket for Nvidia.

[Bullion]

10 hours ago, AresKrieger said:

Seems like the latter currently, hard to say for sure until ASUS makes new cards but regardless the whole thing was made out to be far worse than it actually was unsurprisingly.

I don't know if the sub-brands of ROG are sufficient enough for Nvidia, MSI have removed AMD from their Gaming X brand and Gigabyte recently released an external GPU enclosure without the Aorus branding for AMD but still for Nvidia. MSI have new MK2 Armour branded AMD cards which look like they have different fans and heatsink (needs to be better as Armour mk1 was cheap and nasty) but still cheap looking shroud.

 

If you search for GPUs on MSI's website, unselect all GPUs and under features select TORX FAN 2.0 - in my region 38 cards show up, and only 4 of which are AMD (580/570 4gb/8gb) under the new MK2 Armour brand the rest are Nvidia under Gaming X/Lightning.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Bullion
Checked MSI's website

[pas008]

15 hours ago, potoooooooo said:

Anti competitive business practices

 

15 hours ago, DoctorWho1975 said:

 

IF what is rumored to be in the GPP is actually in the GPP it is violating numerous laws worldwide. The problem is getting a hold of a signed agreement between NVidia and a partner then having to spend tens of millions suing for years. That being said if the violations are bad enough a judge may give an injunction to stop the program immediately until its settled in court although that in itself will be a legal fight.

 

15 hours ago, GDRRiley said:

same thing that intel got sued in the early 2000s for. anti competitive. 

Wow you guys are stretching it

Branding their product away from competition isn't anticompetitive or anti consumer

 

And they are in no way blocking the sell of amd cards or paying to block the sell of amd cards

 

So i will ask again sued for what?