nVidia harming their "Partners". Compensation?

[Xyclops]

Seems to me that nVidias behavior is causing some unwelcome negative responses to both their board partners and their resellers. This is sure to be damaging reputations.

Are any of them likely to claim for damages do you think? Or is nVidia a goliath that nobody dare tackle? Their behavior is just plain wrong. Adding NDAs to prevent sellers mentioning stock levels is trying to hide their incompetence (or their evil plan depending on how you look at it).

Sending chips and drivers so late that board partners can't produce in volume or test properly before launch date should be seen as a selfish act that shows they don't care if they cause damage to other companies.

 

[Woodsta888]

Some good points there.

Yes, the NDA's were considerable in breadth and very tight and if you are trying to hide so much then something isn't right.

Sounds to me like as the 8nm Samsung process is struggling with yields and the fact that Nvidia have already booked to move next year to TSMC's 7nm process that they tried to get production away from the big two (TSMC and Global foundaries) and it hasn't gone well, with Samsund being unable to get good yields. Which is worrying considering quality on current cards. Will they last? It's not like we haven't been here recently with 2080ti's and the space invader failures.

Just seemed Nvidia wanted to be out before AMD, over-egged it and now we are where we are.

NDA's on availability and stock levels just annoys everyone with retailers holding £M's of pre-order moneies and the expense of managing queue lists and refunds which is just extra work and essentially costs, paying employees to manage it.

Oh and the demand problem from Huang, sound like he should be in politics, moving the blame.

 

[Petrolhead]

Did i see recently that Nvidia will stop selling their cards direct and instead go through designated retailers?

 

[Rroff]

I think the AIBs are going to be a bit wary of biting the hand that feeds.

Yes, the NDA's were considerable in breadth and very tight and if you are trying to hide so much then something isn't right.

This has been the way with nVidia for a few years now - it points more to the corporate mentality than having something to hide. I'm surprised they even bother with AIBs any more with the level of control they like to have (even with considerations like customer service burden and other logistics). They've become increasingly Apple like in thinking.

Sounds to me like as the 8nm Samsung process is struggling with yields

Samsung 8nm yields aren't terrible, OK rather than good but not in the toilet like some suggest - nVidia have a 10% frequency uplift from the original Samsung 8nm process and data from AIB "binning" is reasonable for this early in production (which generally wouldn't be the case if yields are poor though there is a difference between ASIC quality and defect density, etc.) - in theory you can have lots of non-functioning cores but the ones that are working could be flawless but generally there is a correlation.

 

[K1LaW8tt5]

This has been the way with nVidia for a few years now - it points more to the corporate mentality than having something to hide. I'm surprised they even bother with AIBs any more with the level of control they like to have (even with considerations like customer service burden and other logistics). They've become increasingly Apple like in thinking.

To be fair I don't think there has ever been a ban before on retailers mentioning the numbers in stock or giving out details of expected delivery dates and quantities. It certainly points at having something to hide in this case.

 

[Andrei23]

I genuinely believe Nvidia wanted to steal AMD’s thunder by releasing something that was not ready to ship. Just get something out there so people think we’re still relevant. Hope AMD are able to deliver the goods and nvidia get punished for this absolute disgrace of a sh*tshow.

 

[ALXAndy]

Did i see recently that Nvidia will stop selling their cards direct and instead go through designated retailers?

Best Buy. They are using Best Buy as they have done in the past (they did so with the 460 when they were on the floor with Fermi).

From what I have been hearing though it isn't because of what they said (that their website could not stop bots etc). It was because they don't really actually want to sell any FE cards because they cost too much to manufacture. There isn't 60% in it for them, so they have just passed any responsibility off.

As some said it was a token gesture any way. They had no intention of making loads of FE cards. They were just for reviewers etc.

 

[adrichardson81]

Seems to me that nVidias behavior is causing some unwelcome negative responses to both their board partners and their resellers. This is sure to be damaging reputations.

Are any of them likely to claim for damages do you think? Or is nVidia a goliath that nobody dare tackle? Their behavior is just plain wrong. Adding NDAs to prevent sellers mentioning stock levels is trying to hide their incompetence (or their evil plan depending on how you look at it).

Sending chips and drivers so late that board partners can't produce in volume or test properly before launch date should be seen as a selfish act that shows they don't care if they cause damage to other companies.

I think it's highly unlikely that anyone would risk it - there is no evidence of financial harm to start with (if anything, the opposite). Not to mention Nvidia would stop supplying them.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

I'm surprised they even bother with AIBs any more with the level of control they like to have (even with considerations like customer service burden and other logistics). They've become increasingly Apple like in thinking.

I'm not surprised in the slightest it fits their marketing strategy perfectly let the AIBs deal with the hassle, and the complaints and the customer returns and the inevitable price rises when they stop subsiding the artificially low MSRP. Sell the chips and pocket the cash and let everyone else deal with the heat.

They've certainly become like Apple though thats for sure their marketing masterstrokes prove that, I mean people queueing overnight outside stores in the US for the ridiculously overpriced 3090's launch? Good grief.

 

[Slam62]

I think a lot of the suggestions in this thread are correct, nvidia are playing but can't deliver, I mean nearly a month on and no significant stock, its ridiculous.

I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the retailers, they are gouging but haven't actually got many to sell so won't make much money.
I suspect that once the initial rush is satisfied they won't sell that many, as it goes on longer more customers will decide they won't bother.