Spotlight
Issue: Volume 39 Issue 5: (Sept/Oct 2016)

Spotlight

GPU SHIPMENTS DOWN

Jon Peddie Research (JPR) announced estimated GPU shipments and suppliers’ market share for Q2 2016. The PC market rose in Q2 from the previous quarter but declined from the same quarter last year, largely due to data centers and servers. Some PC suppliers are seeing growth in 2-in-1 systems and gaming desktops and notebooks, and hope this will offset the slowdown in PC shipments. The two segments combined, however, can only contribute approximately 10 million unit shipments a year, less than the decline of the total PC market.

Overall GPU shipments (rounded up) decreased -4% from last quarter, AMD decreased -1%, Nvidia decreased -20%, and Intel decreased -1%.

Year-to-year, total GPU shipments decreased -10%, desktop graphics decreased -6%, notebooks decreased -12%.

The second quarter is typically down in the seasonality cycles of the past. For Q2 ‘16, JPR saw it decrease -4.0% from last quarter and was below the 10-year average of 2.44%.

QUICK HIGHLIGHTS

The attach rate of GPUs (includes integrated and discrete GPUs) to PCs for the quarter was 132%, which was down -7% from last quarter.

Discrete GPUs were in 27.78% of PCs, which is down -4.94%.

The overall PC market increased 1.06% quarter-to-quarter, and decreased -5.83% year-to-year.

Desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs) that use discrete GPUs decreased -20.81% from last quarter, reflecting seasonality and the clearing out of inventory from older models, and Nvidia introduced several new boards in Q2.

Q2 ‘16 saw a decrease in tablet shipments from last quarter.

One thing to note, the gaming PC segment, where higher-end GPUs are used, continues to deliver growth for PC makers. New gaming content and the promise of virtual reality help drive the demand for gaming desktops and notebooks.

Jon Peddie Research’s Market Watch is available in both electronic and hard copy editions, and sells for $2,500.

EIZO RELEASES CG247X

EIZO RELEASES CG247X

Eizo USA has introduced the ColorEdge CG247X color management monitor – a professional display for postproduction applications, including editing. The 24.1-inch color management monitor offers 1920-by-1200 native resolution and a wide color gamut that reproduces 98% of the DCI-P3 standard used in digital cinema.

Preset modes for EBU, Rec. 709, SMPTE-C, and DCI also ensure that editors can work in the appropriate color spaces and gamma values. The monitor has a contrast ratio of 1500:1, producing true blacks. The CG247X is also equipped with a retardation film that allows dark tones to retain their depth, even when viewed at an angle.

The ColorEdge takes just three minutes for its brightness, chromaticity, and tone characteristics to stabilize. It comes with a light-shielding hood that prevents glare from ambient lighting. The hood attaches magnetically. A built-in calibration sensor swings onto the screen when needed, eliminating the need for third-party calibration solutions.

MAXON SHIPS CINEMA 4D RELEASE 18

Maxon has released Cinema 4D Release 18 (R18), with new, easily accessible tools that meet the challenges of digital production for TV, film, games, architecture, advertising, and design. New MoGraph features include the Voronoi Fracture object for procedural object fracturing and the ReEffector that works like a layer system for Effector setups. New interactive knife tools enable precision cutting across multiple surfaces for modeling. The new 3D object tracking allows seamless integration of 3D assets into video. Shader and surface effects, along with the Substance Engine integration, ensure high-end texturing and rendering results. R18 is available for Mac OS X and Windows; Linux nodes are also available for network rendering.

AUTODESK IGNITES FLAME EXTENSION 1

Autodesk has announced Flame Family 2007 extension 1 release for professional 3D visual effects, compositing, and finishing. The update includes new 3D scene navigation features and enhancements, collaborative workflow enhancements for working with Autodesk and third-party 3D animation tools, a new way of working with multichannel (EXR) render passes, render quality improvements, better color management, and batch compositing enhancements, including a new compass tool.

Flame Family 2017 extension 1 is available globally via subscription.