The next generation of Geforce and Radeon is delayed

During the year, AMD and Nvidia each rolled out a set of 28 nanometer graphics cards. Southern Islands and Kepler respectively consist of a total of about thirty models in almost all price ranges. Apart from the occasional odd bird, the model series are thus complete, which usually means that a new generation is lurking on the horizon.

However, those waiting for Sea Islands and Kepler Refresh, as AMD and Nvidia’s upcoming graphics card series are called, must be prepared for a long winter. Several independent sources from partner manufacturers tell SweClockers that no major launches are forthcoming in the near future and that it will probably take until the end of the first or the beginning of the second quarter of 2013 before a generational change may be relevant.

– We have not been informed of any new graphics card series. It usually takes 2-3 months before the launch, an anonymous source at one of the major Taiwanese graphics card manufacturers tells SweClockers.

Partner manufacturers usually find out that new graphics cards are in the works a number of months before the start of sales. This is to be able to empty the warehouses and prepare the production lines. The exception is if AMD and Nvidia choose to handle the launch themselves and do not involve the partner manufacturers, which sometimes happens when it comes to graphics cards like the Geforce GTX 690, which do not sell in any major volumes but are mainly used as marketing tools.

At these launches, an exclusive collaboration partner is used for the production, while the rest can buy ready-made graphics cards and sell them under their own brand. The partner manufacturers’ production will only start at a later time. The normal case, however, is that AMD and Nvidia signal well in advance before a new generation of graphics cards finds its way onto the market.

The reason for the silence is said to be a combination of several reasons. There is a shortage of new demanding games that drive the sale of faster graphics cards. At the same time, the personal computer industry is facing declining demand due to the weak world economy and the ongoing shift towards mobile devices.

Finally, after a long period of problems, TSMC is said to have finally got its production of 28-nanometer circuits in order, which improves the much-needed profit margins for AMD and Nvidia. These margins are at risk when switching to a new generation of graphics processors, even if 28 nanometers are used for both Sea Islands and Kepler Refresh.