ATI R600 taped out

WE JUST learned that ATI managed to tape out its next big chip. R600 is taped out and it works well, we're told. When we say big, it will be physically big, very fast and very marchitecturally advanced.

It is the first of the DirectX 10 bits of kit from ATI and we expect it to appear some eight to ten weeks after Nvidia's G80.

It looks like everything is on schedule for now. The company has time to tape it out again and it can still meet the Q4 2006 deadline but let's hope it doesn't have to do it.

We are unable to confirm whether Nvidia has taped out the G80 but if it wants to meet its September-ish, Octoberish deadline its shoudl have done by now.

We know that Nvidia might not have the real unified Shader while ATI will, but only time will tell which approach is better. µ