NVIDIA Moves Into Direct Retail Sales of Video Cards

[yxz]

I just got back from Best Buy and bought two video cards from NVIDIA. Yes, from NVIDIA, not an add-in-board partner.

http://hardocp.com/news/2010/10/04/nvidia_moves_into_direct_retail_sales_video_cards

[homeboyrocketshoulders]

I always wondered why they never did.

[Sikh]

Thank god. Time for some kick ass box designs and some good support. EVGA and BFG did a great job, now its EVGA only leading the nvidia brand with a kick ass warranty, now time for nvidia to show consumers how much trust/faith they have in there cards!

[Piggy]

Hehe I've always wanted one, and now I can get it!

[arrrgh]

Thank god. Time for some kick ass box designs and some good support. EVGA and BFG did a great job, now its EVGA only leading the nvidia brand with a kick ass warranty, now time for nvidia to show consumers how much trust/faith they have in there cards!

Just to make sure, this was sarcasm right?

When I called the tech support number listed inside the box, the guy on the phone in India told me that NVIDIA did not sell video cards.

[Denis W. Veteran]

Thank god. Time for some kick ass box designs and some good support. EVGA and BFG did a great job, now its EVGA only leading the nvidia brand with a kick ass warranty, now time for nvidia to show consumers how much trust/faith they have in there cards!

You forgot XFX. :s

On topic, this sounds interesting.

[Jiggah]

Nvidia competing against it's partners? How does that work? I know they set recommended pricing for the partners but now they can directly influence those prices. It seems awkward to me.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I always found it odd that NVIDIA didn't sell video cards directly to consumers. ATI (now AMD) has been doing it for a long time. I'm sure some of you remember the "Built by ATI" brand.

[trag3dy]

This is something I was always wondering why they didn't do as well. Don't get me wrong, I love the evga brand, but still.. if they can offer lower prices? Maybe? Maybe not?

[McCordRm]

Yep, and even with their trade-up deals, they still seemed to be

a LOT more expensive than what I could purchase for online

or in stores.

[Boxster17]

ATI (now AMD) has been doing it for a long time. I'm sure some of you remember the "Built by ATI" brand.

I'm pretty sure they were Sapphire cards with ATI branding on them and I don't think they even sell their own anymore (at least I haven't seen them around in a long time).

[Tech Star]

I'm pretty sure they were Sapphire cards with ATI branding on them and I don't think they even sell their own anymore (at least I haven't seen them around in a long time).

They stoped branding their own cards a few years ago. I believe the reason was they were taking sales from 3rd party vendors and they didn't like that, so they stopped. Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember reading that.

Edit: nVidia has an exclusive agreement with Best Buy to sell these cards. Since BFG went under, Best Buy made a contract with nVidia. This is most likely because nVidia has a bunch of excess stock of these cards and get rid of them and this way they can.

[Bimky]

I dunno....anyone rember 3Dfx????? I said when they started to sell thier own cards, that they will run themselves out of business, and ...sure enough....so they did, granted they stopped selling chips to any manufacturer as well.

I know nVidia is a much more mature and well established company, BUT! all it takes is someone to come up with a more desirable product, not a better product... they are not so strong as to control a market, ...people will flock to any new arrival. So if they are selling thier own cards, competeing with themselves, I can see where this will turn of MANY people who will jump to amd(ati) I was a faithfull nVidia guy, but only because one could get lifetime warrenty, from some manufacturers, where it never used to be the case with ATI (AMD), that has all changed.

nVidia best be very very very carefull right now, as all it would take is a minor shift in dynamics for thier retailers (manufacturers) to jump to ATI(AMD), and if nVidia thinks it can sell as many cards by itself as all the manufacturers combined.... they are doomed.

[Ficman]

Interesting move

[treemonster]

Thank god. Time for some kick ass box designs and some good support. EVGA and BFG did a great job, now its EVGA only leading the nvidia brand with a kick ass warranty, now time for nvidia to show consumers how much trust/faith they have in there cards!

having been to the nvidia forums myself... the people that are actually helpful there, end up hating nvidia and saying a lot of newby things about their multiple $5k systems. the forum admin is an idiot and also like to say stupid things.

plus the post below.

Just to make sure, this was sarcasm right?

When I called the tech support number listed inside the box, the guy on the phone in India told me that NVIDIA did not sell video cards.

i read that on the evga forums last night. i loled.

for those who know these won;t compete with evga at all.

I'm pretty sure they were Sapphire cards with ATI branding on them and I don't think they even sell their own anymore (at least I haven't seen them around in a long time).

i had a ati branded video card in 07 or so. when it died i had no idea where to get warranty support. bought it from future shop. no idea if they still sell them though either.

[amon91]

I love that packaging. Honestly if I walked into a store, I'd likely get the most standard card I could find, which would either be a standard nVIDIA or a standard ATI.

[+ir0nw0lf Subscriber²]

Wow, the domino effect continues, HardOCP is now saying that XFX just got the boot by Nvidia. This gets more interesting by the minute!

[Rigby]

Well when 3DFX started making their own cards instead of selling chips to other makers it really turned out great for them, so I have no worries.

[threetonesun]

i had a ati branded video card in 07 or so. when it died i had no idea where to get warranty support. bought it from future shop. no idea if they still sell them though either.

I had an ATi branded 9700 that had a meltdown on me, I sent it back to ATi and they gave me a new one no questions asked. Had an old 7500 AIW from them too.

ATi used to sell the base model of their cards, and the 3rd party manufacturers sold overclocked, or silent, or cards with more memory, etc versions. There's certainly a market for "branded" cards that are different from the base models.

[Boxster17]

i had a ati branded video card in 07 or so. when it died i had no idea where to get warranty support. bought it from future shop. no idea if they still sell them though either.

I had an ATI branded card years ago that I picked up from Futureshop as well (9800 Pro). Never had any issues with it though I believe the RMA process was handled directly through the ATI site if I'm not mistaken.

[treemonster]

Wow, the domino effect continues, HardOCP is now saying that XFX just got the boot by Nvidia. This gets more interesting by the minute!

old news

I had an ATi branded 9700 that had a meltdown on me, I sent it back to ATi and they gave me a new one no questions asked. Had an old 7500 AIW from them too.

ATi used to sell the base model of their cards, and the 3rd party manufacturers sold overclocked, or silent, or cards with more memory, etc versions. There's certainly a market for "branded" cards that are different from the base models.

I had an ATI branded card years ago that I picked up from Futureshop as well (9800 Pro). Never had any issues with it though I believe the RMA process was handled directly through the ATI site if I'm not mistaken.

i couldn;t find anything on the packaging or manual when it happened. don;t recall if i checked their website at the time, but if it's as bad as most ati AIB partners it's probbaly ****ing ridiculously terrible(i've researched support pages and RMA process for a few people for ati cards now)

my first evga card i bough had a notice and url on the inside of each flap to register the card and so on as soon as you opened the box. just to compare.

knowing what i know now, i wouldn't buy and ati or nvidia branded card. i'd do the research into their partners on warranty and support and make my decision after that, depending on what had the best performing card at the time of my purchase.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

old news

Yes and no. It is old news as it was reported back in January that it would happen, and it did to a certain extent as XFX had no access to Fermi, but according to what I just read, it finally officially happened today and they are no longer an "approved Nvidia partner."

[Sikh]

Yes and no. It is old news as it was reported back in January that it would happen, and it did to a certain extent as XFX had no access to Fermi, but according to what I just read, it finally officially happened today and they are no longer an "approved Nvidia partner."

Which why I left xfx out in my Intial commen because xfx no longer counts.

[Boxster17]

i couldn;t find anything on the packaging or manual when it happened. don;t recall if i checked their website at the time, but if it's as bad as most ati AIB partners it's probbaly ****ing ridiculously terrible(i've researched support pages and RMA process for a few people for ati cards now)

my first evga card i bough had a notice and url on the inside of each flap to register the card and so on as soon as you opened the box. just to compare.

knowing what i know now, i wouldn't buy and ati or nvidia branded card. i'd do the research into their partners on warranty and support and make my decision after that, depending on what had the best performing card at the time of my purchase.

Ah fair enough, I've thankfully never had any issues with computer parts until recently (Gigabyte motherboard died on me, which I already replaced with the ASUS but going to send it back for repair then give it to a friend). I see what you're saying though and I'm surprised more graphics card manufacturers don't make it well known how to RMA a product in case it dies on them at some point.

[treemonster]

Ah fair enough, I've thankfully never had any issues with computer parts until recently (Gigabyte motherboard died on me, which I already replaced with the ASUS but going to send it back for repair then give it to a friend). I see what you're saying though and I'm surprised more graphics card manufacturers don't make it well known how to RMA a product in case it dies on them at some point.

it really annoys me to no end how hard many make it.