[Sentential]

http://vr-zone.com/?i=2487&s=1

24-pipes R520 Yield Rate at 3%

We heard that the last R520 spin at TSMC is at 3% yield rate for 24 pipes and we can certainly expect a much lower yield for 32-pipes R520. Obviously ATi is still facing some yield issues for their R520 @ 90nm process and ATI could resort to a 16 pipes R520 for better yield and make up the loss with a much higher core clock of 700MHz+ as INQ has previously suggested. It is still possible for ATi to keep to the time frame of August-September launch if decided to go ahead with 16-pipes R520. If not, 24-32 pipes R520 is expected to delay further to Q4 this year.

[Overclocker550]

im sure ati can do something about it, I hear they plan to clock those that only make 16 pipes to 700-800MHz to kill nvidia's 24 pipe 400MHz card

[d94]

****ttt

[Sentential]

Originally Posted by Overclocker550

im sure ati can do something about it, I hear they plan to clock those that only make 16 pipes to 700-800MHz to kill nvidia's 24 pipe 400MHz card

Oh man oh man...I certinaly hope so. 1% Good god...

[Kevin007]

now, that you have explained that to me, that is incredibly bad.

[Sentential]

Originally Posted by Kevin007

now, that you have explained that to me, that is incredibly bad.

Yea man....thats Voodoo out of buisness bad

[Overclocker550]

its 3% and if ati makes a million cards, 30,000 will be 24 pipes and 470,000 will be 16. the other half million will either be less than 16 pipes or not work and get recycled.
You know very well that the high end market is much smaller than the midrange market. I think ati may just save everyone of their 24 pipe card and hold onto them till the 24 pipe g71 comes out. They can release all those 16 pipes for now and clock em at 700MHz

[Sentential]

Dude, but what you dont understand is how expensive the dies are. THe R520 is supposed to be the biggest core ever concieved. It has to be atleast $50 a pop. Thats millions thrown away

[Overclocker550]

thrown away? They will save those that dont make 24 pipes and cut them into 16 pipe cards......

[Vulcan]

argh... WHY!?

[Sentential]

Originally Posted by Overclocker550

thrown away? They will save those that dont make 24 pipes and cut them into 16 pipe cards......

Yes but even that may be far and few between. Time will tell tho.

[Drec]

gg?

[Overclocker550]

well remember this is ati's third respin and they said they are happy with yields. maybe their yields of 16 pipes is enough to do damage controll, clock em to 700MHz and ride it out

[trueplaya4ever8]

Originally Posted by Drec

gg?

well hopefully they get it settled soon or they are in for some problems.

[silvervalkyrie]

If they have such low yields on the 24 pipe cards then the 32 pipe ones are nonexistent. Goodbye dreams of a X900XT with 32 pipes...

[speed bump]

Overclocker550, the chip design is rather good and works at high speeds it just the yeilds are something like 20 per wafer and wafers cost $3000 apiece. That comes down to $150 a chip just for wafer costs it doesn't include Rnd costs, die cost and any other costs that go with producing this card. You think SLI is expensive if this ends up having to be this way then dual 7800GTX's will only be alittle bit more than an r520.

[consumer9000]

Wow...that's bad economics in play. I'd say it'd easily end up costing them $1000.00 per chip with yields that poor, if not worth, taking in to account the huge die size, low wafer yield, and the R&D behind it and it's 3 retapes.

I sure hope ATI doesn't dig their own grave with this one.

[JasonM]

frankly i would rather have ati delay its release and work more of the bugs out

[pip]

Is this a credible source?

[Sentential]

Originally Posted by pip

Is this a credible source?

Its from VR-zone who has been quite reliable. However these results are a question of WHICH tape out this is from. It might be from the 1st and not the 3rd.