Origin PC Opting for Nvidia Over AMD GPUs for Gaming PCs
Origin PC is no longer offering AMD GPUs in its pre-built systems.
On Friday boutique desktop builder Origin PC stopped offering AMD Radeon GPUs in its customizable pre-built systems. In an emailed statement, CEO and co-founder Kevin Wasielewski said the decision to drop AMD GPUs was based on a combination of many factors including customer experiences, GPU performance/drivers/stability, and requests from the Origin PC support staff.
"Based on our 15+ years of experience building and selling award winning high-performance PCs, we strongly feel the best PC gaming experience is on Nvidia GPUs," he said. The title of his email stated that Origin PC is "going green!"
Origin PC's discontinuation of Radeon GPUs is just another blow to AMD this week. On Friday Valve Software finally revealed the specs of its prototype Steam Machine "console," and we cautiously use that word because the form factor is similar to the Xbox One. All prototype models shipping to 300 testers will include Nvidia "Kepler" GPUs and Intel Core CPUs.
Yet to AMD's defense, the Xi3 Piston will ship November 29 with a quad-core AMD "Trinity" chip clocked at 3.2 GHz and a Radeon Series GPU. This will likely be a Steam Machine as well, although the company hasn't made an official announcement. This "console" is also upgradable, allowing users to pull out a processor card and slide in a new one with an upgraded chip.
AMD also supplies APUs for both the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4, both based on the company's Graphics Core Next architecture. AMD is working on a unified gaming front thanks to its new Mantle low-level API that will supposedly give developers direct access to the hardware. Thus it will be possible to have games with the same AMD-exclusive features on both consoles and PCs with GCN-based Radeon GPUs. However, now it appears that Origin PC will be one less vendor supplying the latter.
Typically, boutique system builders stock AMD, Intel and Nvidia components to appeal to everyone. But as of this writing, the company seems to be clearing out all references to AMD in the system spec lists although there are still a few options during the customization process like the AMD FX-9590 "Vishera" chip (Genesis desktop). As it stands now, the company seems to be going all Nvidia and Intel.
Origin PC was also just revealed to be one of Nvidia's Battlebox partners, offering the Millennium and Genesis customizable high-end desktops with GTX 690, GTX 770, GTX 780 and Titan GPUs. Both will provide dual and triple SLI options along with the company's "professional" graphics card overclocking, whereas the Genesis adds a quad option as well (four Titans for $3,173!). The Genesis Battlebox will also use Origin PC's Cryogenic liquid cooling.
We've reached out to Origin PC to get more information regarding the problems that led up to abandoning AMD GPUs. So far we haven't heard anything back, but we'll provide an update here or in a second article.
UPDATE: Technical Support Manager Alvaro Masis had this to say: "Primarily the overall issues have been stability of the cards, overheating, performance, scaling, and the amount of time to receive new drivers on both desktop and mobile GPUs."

ROFL...riiiiiiiiiight.....
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1825735/origin-drops-amd-graphics.html
ROFL...riiiiiiiiiight.....
although, 'going green' answers quite a bit. nvidia and their benjamins must be at play here.
It's not about crippling AMD sales but rather having the balls to to tell it like it is and if they are lying then why haven't AMD gone for the lawsuit to make them retract their statement? They did take on Intel after all because they felt they had a case and they won so if these guys are lying why haven't AMD squashed them like a bug?
Using nVidia GPU watching blu-ray/HD is a self-punishment.
I really would like this statement as a sarcasm. Origin is a boutique-class company. They don't sell in big number, but in few well done items.
That's why most of theirs PC have an attached premium on it.
AMD have problems to be addressed but they are doing fine by now so it shouldn't be a surprise if later on the road they use AMD GPU's again.
Please don't, it's only you keeping Nvidia afloat and if you leave they're doomed, DOOMED!
Because not everyone wants to build their own PC or have you never heard of a company called Dell or Hewlit Packard or Alienware and if that's the case have you been living under a rock all these years?
Just wait until AMD flips the table once Mantle takes off. If Mantle delivers, then AMD GPUs will have a clear advantage in many future PC gaming. It would be interesting to hear what Origin PC says to justify going back to AMD again ;-).
I'm waiting for Silicondoc to turn up and repeat his assumptions that he's been making over on the Anandtech forums, now they're funny!
Sure if youre one of the 15% of the country without a pc you might end up buying a package deal for a few years till you try to play a new game and dont want to upgrade your entire system so you buy more ram or a new gpu and then it doesnt work with your system for some reason or another and you end up learning all about building a pc from your own mistakes... just like the rest of us!
Get this latest story, I built a dual boot XP, Windows 8 for a customer and the 8570D driver is no longer supported by AMD for XP but Asus on the other hand released a driver to support the 8570D. The 8570D is located in the A8-6600k APU. AMD last driver release was 13.4 for XP and no 8570D support and no beta for XP. AMD let Asus clean up there damn mess. Thank Asus, Screw you AMD. I'm also considering not offering AMD produces at my computer shop, that driver shit caught me off guard and almost cost me a sell and a reacquiring customer.