The delay of the ATI Technologies R520 graphics processing unit (GPU) will benefit sales of the Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (G70), as more PC vendors including Dell and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have decided to adopt the GeForce 7800 series for their high-end PC models slated for release at the end of this year, according to unspecified Taiwan motherboard makers.
ATI is currently revamping the chip design of its R520, said the makers, adding that the company is facing leakage issues, as it attempts to migrates its manufacturing to a 90nm process. The situation is similar to when Nvidia postponed the availability of its 0.13-micron NV30 high-end chip in 2002 due to production issues, the makers pointed out.