Is ATI really that hard up for TSMC's product?

Just wondering if anyone else has seen how quickly NewEgg sold out of the 5800 series graphics cards. NewEgg had 5870s and 5850s for like...3 or 4 days? And they're sold out already?

Anyone get the feeling that there's an artificial shortage to drive up prices?

Oh well, at least I already got my 5770s for now, and maybe I'll get a 5970 later when they come out.

I really doubt it's artificial, the prices have only been raised marginally.

If ati wanted to drive up prices then why did they release the cards for so cheap in the first place?

Hey jenny what happen to your siggy? How will AMD make that profit if we have no GPU's??? As far as I know this shortage is going to continue till at least Q1 2010....

Then that would make no sense cause the money was obtained by a lawsuit and not by sales. I was under the impression that we were hoping to see AMD get out of the hole due to CPU and GPU sales.... Not by relying on money from a lawsuit, of course it doesn't hurt to win that amount but if AMD is thinking that this will be an ongoing cycle they have a surprise coming....

No, then who is going to shell out the cash? Santa?

OvrClkr, intel have to pay the full $1.25bn in 30 days.

That will actually be counted in both companies balance sheets for Q4.

Well you include debt load not incurred by current activities, why not add the $1.25B from intel?
If they use the money to reduce debt, then that could mean ongoing benefit and potentially help maintain and increase profit from revenue not siphoned off for debt.

Yea 1.5b is not bad dispite all the money they could have made if Intel didn't cheat.

As i have posted on other threads i really dont think there was a need to force prices up. The cards are good enough to sell for more than they were first asking anyway.
Maybe they were saving chips for the 5970, maybe they decided to release the 5970 sooner than planned because its cheaper to make than two 5870's and so maximise profits on what chips they do have while keeping the ball rolling and pleasing top end consumers ? All speculation on my part of course.
Its possable the shortage was due to the 5970 getting the chips in preferance, but that would be the only way i could see it being worth ATI having anything to do with the shortage directly.

Mactronix

= 25% price increase in 1 month?

I just smell a profit maker here.

Buy up as much inventory as TSMC will sell, don't increase production to meet the market demand, and validate your increases in price based on "supply and demand".

You can't say ATI doesn't know that in the first week there was a high demand when suppliers like NewEgg sold out within 72 hours.

I just smell a rat. Maybe I'm paranoid, but it doesn't make much sense unless TSMC isn't willing to increase their production. And, what company wants to pass up increased sales?

To be totally honest i wouldnt rule out another rise never mind waiting for the prices to go down. I think we are lucky the price is where it is and didnt start where it is now and went up $20 on top of that.
I was dissapointed at first as well but when its all sunk in and you look at it from a view of the thing as a whole and not just as a pissed off consumer that wanted one thing and got another, well then reluctantly i cant blame them for pricing what is after all a premium product where they did. Still dosent mean im paying whats being asked though

Mactronix

Agreed, it makes no sense at all from any view point to reduce the amount of cards going to market, they have the best all round product with the best features. The cards are pretty much selling themselves and i think that if they could magically flood the market tomorrow but put another $20 on the price they would still fly off the shelves.

Mactronix