It appears to be like like Nvidia is already fascinated with its future GPUs, however CEO Jensen Huang’s current go to to Taiwan was executed underneath the shadow of the fairly embarrassing RTX 4080 12GB drama, which noticed the corporate dramatically pull the GPU mere weeks from launch.

As HotHardware stories, (opens in new tab) whereas in Taiwan, Huang apparently visited the headquarters of TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm), one of many largest chip makers on the planet, which supplies chips for the likes of Nvidia, Apple and AMD. The purpose of that go to seems to be to verify Nvidia is on the high of the listing to get the corporate’s upcoming 3nm course of.

Usually talking, smaller chips are extra environment friendly, and can be utilized to create extra highly effective merchandise. This new 3nm course of may enable Nvidia so as to add extra cores to its GPU lineup sooner or later, and this might be a decisive think about figuring out the winner of the following era of GPUs. The truth that TSMC additionally makes chips for Nvidia’s opponents explains why Huang was so eager to go on a attraction offensive.

If profitable, Nvidia’s subsequent era of 3nm GPUs may have a major efficiency increase over the brand new RTX 4000 ‘Lovelace’ collection, which not too long ago launched with the RTX 4090, and relies on TSMC’s 5nm course of.

Nonetheless, it’s one other Lovelace card, the not too long ago ‘unlaunched’ RTX 4080 12GB, which casted a shadow over Huang’s journey.

Apology tour

Not solely is Taiwan dwelling to TSMC, however numerous tech firms have their headquarters there, together with makers of third celebration GPUs comparable to Gigabyte, Asus and EVGA.

In line with HotHardware, it seems Huang visited just a few of those whereas he was in Taiwan, and it was probably much less of a casual meet up with companions – however a spot of harm management as nicely. As we reported some time again, Nvidia’s choice to drag the launch of the RTX 4080 12GB at such quick discover (whereas the extra highly effective RTX 4080 16GB remains to be on observe to launch in November) isn’t only a blow to Nvidia – but it surely has ramifications for third celebration GPU makers as nicely, a lot of which could have already made their spins on the RTX 4080 12GB, together with branding, packaging and promotional supplies that includes a GPU that now not exists.

So, Nvidia is clearly eager to make amends for this inconvenience. For its half, it has promised to compensate its companions for the RTX 4080 12GB, and it’s probably this is likely one of the causes Nvidia’s CEO was making private journeys to their headquarters (if the stories are correct, after all).

These conferences could have been a bit fraught, as Nvidia’s relationship with its companions seems to be underneath a good bit of pressure recently, with EVGA not too long ago asserting it was pulling out of constructing GPUs, regardless of its playing cards being such an enormous supply of revenue for the corporate, and blaming Nvidia’s therapy of its companions as the explanation.

Has Haung’s current tour helped easy issues over? We actually hope so – as extra firms making their very own fashions of Nvidia GPUs means extra decisions for avid gamers and, probably, extra merchandise for our listing of finest graphics playing cards.