EVGA's Farewell & Repair Facility Behind The Scenes

[DukenukemX]

If it's a ploy, it's an incredibly stupid one. Nvidia isn't going to change due to a single AIB leaving them, it has zero real effect on their business. Everyone loves to come up with wild conspiracy theories, but I feel like Occam's Razor applies here. They're definitely using everything as a good PR opportunity to remain in the public eye, but I don't think there's some grand conspiracy to force Nvidia to change or to jump ship to AMD/Intel. It's simply PR making the company look good to entice customers into buying their non-GPU products.

Remain the public eye for what though, power supplies? Sometimes companies do play games like this. I wouldn't be shocked if sometime this year if EVGA starts selling RTX 4050's.

 

[ChadD]

It would be more impressive if this wasn't all about a company that is exiting the business. It would be cool to get a tour of the facilities from a company that actually still sells cards. Is this video supposed to be an example of how to do things right, or how to do things wrong (since they ultimately decided that their business model was not sustainable)?

I think its more Nvidia decided their model was not sustainable.
Lets be honest;
Nvidia didn't want them hacking their firmware to mess with voltage and freq limits.
Nvidia didn't want them fixing cards by salvaging perfectly fine GPUs. They wanted them doing like everyone else and stocking backup cards for years just in case. (or better having to upgrade customers and move more new silicon for them)
Nvidia didn't want them competing with Nvidia made cards, at least not really.

Did EVGA run the perfectly tuned profit machine. No probably not... but the slightly better margins at the other guys come at a cost.

Part of me says too bad they didn't switch to AMD... or even Intel at some point. Then part of me also knows AMD and for sure Intel would be no different. They aren't letting 3rd parties mess with firmware anymore, and really its just where things are going the GPU companies all want more more more, they aren't really looking for partners in the sense EVGA would like to be.

 

[Zepher]

Indeed, I've been buying EVGA cards since my 6800 GT (2005) right up to the 3080 FTW Ultra I had last year.

The AGP 7800GS was my first EVGA card, and every Nvidia card I have bought since has been EVGA, except the 3080Ti, I went FE with that model.

I still have my GTX 285 and it's still in warranty. I wonder what they will send me in a few years when their stock dwindles? Maybe a 3080.

 

[ChadD]

They're incapable of making AMD cards?

I wouldn't doubt they looked into it. Then realized AMD puts all the same restrictions in place Nvidia does.

 

[lopoetve]

While EVGA RMAs have always been smooth for me. I think what's even better is my experience with the companies I've never had to RMA graphics cards to before because they never broke in the first place. Like Zotac, Powercolor and XFX.

There is no company currently making hardware that I have not had to do at least one, if not generally two RMAs for. That includes PowerColor, XFX, EVGA, ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Seasonic (heh), etc. I haven't bought Zotac yet, so that one is out.

It's truly the old koan; shit happens. I expect shit to happen. How you fix said shit once it's happened, that's what makes your company special. Obviously there are bad products too - but even with good products, and a good company, stuff sometimes burns out.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

They are known for their Dark motherboards and PSUs

GN has 3 videos total of EVGA dark board reviews, 1 from a year ago, 1 from 3 years ago, and 1 from 5 years ago. HU has no content on EVGA Dark board, neither does Debauer. Just how known do you think they are for those boards when there's basically crumbs of content on them? Here's some food for thought, you know of the Dark motherboards because of their GPUs.

 

[German Muscle]

GN has 3 videos total of EVGA dark board reviews, 1 from a year ago, 1 from 3 years ago, and 1 from 5 years ago. HU has no content on EVGA Dark board, neither does Debauer. Just how known do you think they are for those boards when there's basically crumbs of content on them? Here's some food for thought, you know of the Dark motherboards because of their GPUs.

Thats a wild perspective you have there. AS for the food for thought... The board came first, the multiple kingpin cards i have came after.

 

[lopoetve]

GN has 3 videos total of EVGA dark board reviews, 1 from a year ago, 1 from 3 years ago, and 1 from 5 years ago. HU has no content on EVGA Dark board, neither does Debauer. Just how known do you think they are for those boards when there's basically crumbs of content on them? Here's some food for thought, you know of the Dark motherboards because of their GPUs.

They’re known as niche boards for extreme users.

 

[German Muscle]

I wouldn't be shocked if sometime this year if EVGA starts selling RTX 4050's.

Id bet that nvida will never do business with them again.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

They’re known as niche boards for extreme users.

Niche can work fine. What doesn't work is a niche of a niche, which this most definitely is.

 

[lopoetve]

Niche can work fine. What doesn't work is a niche of a niche, which this most definitely is.

I’m sure they’ve done the math on the business case. Rumor has it they made no margin at all on cards, so this doesn’t really change profit levels or cash flow- just revenue. Their support/etc cost too much.

Lots of markets they can enter - given the success they’ve had so far I wouldn’t bet against them without a much more significant look at their books than what has been leaked so far. ASUS didn’t start out making everything they make either.

 

[GotNoRice]

Then part of me also knows AMD and for sure Intel would be no different. They aren't letting 3rd parties mess with firmware anymore

I'm not so sure about that. For example, AMD specifically disabled most overclocking features on the 5800X3D, yet many motherboard makers released BIOS updates that bypassed those restrictions. Isn't that basically the same thing?

 

[lopoetve]

I'm not so sure about that. For example, AMD specifically disabled most overclocking features on the 5800X3D, yet many motherboard makers released BIOS updates that bypassed those restrictions. Isn't that basically the same thing?

GPU are more locked down than that. The BIOS is always somewhat 3rd party for a cpu, to maintain all the old compativiiity layers and stuff. Gross simplification of course, but that leaves a lot of holes to get creative. With a GPU, nvidia or amd own a LOT more of the stack.

 

[M76]

Well, you say that but then go and cite all the wrong reasons.

Parroting me is not exactly going to work Especially when it doesn't apply.

The question was not why EVGA would show it. Go read the question once more, carefully this time. Since it did not specify a "who" I provided answers for all of the revelant parties, including EVGA

Yeah, you provided the answer for the question nobody asked. Everyone else seemed to know the question only had relevance in the context of EVGA, not Gamersnexus.

and the person you call a "tech jebus."

You must be fun at parties. GN Steve has been joking referred to like that by many due to his hair. There is no derogatory intent in it.

This is even more off base than your first retort. Businesses offer "behind the scenes" tours all the time to generate buzz internally and externally.

And isn't that just exactly what I said? To raise public awareness? Except I'll say it again, relying on external players to raise internal morale is a loosing strategy.

I've done perhaps a dozen myself--how many have you done, or perhaps you don't understand much about businesses?

Oh, the appeal to authority fallacy, here we go. Two can play that game. I admit I can't compete I only appeared on national TV and Radio, and I only represented the company at trade fairs. BTW Taking your lower level employees on a field trip to a trade fair as visitors not as exhibitors = good morale boost. The best way too boost employee morale is to pay them fairly and show that they are valued. Them seeing a video shot by a youtuber, is not going to fix a low morale issue. It would actually make it worse "You play buddies with Steve, but crap on your own staff" is how it would be taken if morale was already low.

Oh, you're one of those people who think there are "GPU engineers" and "PSU engineers" and "motherboard engineers" and never do any of these skill sets actually intersect in the slightest. Nice. Got it.

Don't play obtuse with me. A higher level GPU engineer will not stay around to work on lowly PSU ICBs. They are not the same level and category. Also presumably their PSU / MB businesses are fully staffed already, why would they need GPU techs to switch over? Of course if some want to stay despite the admittedly less exciting work that's fine, but it is not a situation where if they leave EVGA is in trouble.

Now please respond to the person I was originally quoting and ask that person why he's so surprised that a company would give a factory tour to raise awareness for their products.

LOL? My exact issue was that you gave an answer from the perspective of Gamersnexus, not that of EVGA. So thanks for admitting that you answered the wrong question after all.

 

[M76]

Guessing you have never heard of a loss leader? EVGA just buried their loss leader, and as such will slowly but surely proceed to be forgotten; unless they do something to stay in the public eye, like said video.

I'll forgive you because you are probably from the US, but for us not US folks EVGA is much better known for their MBs and especially PSUs. Their GPU business was never that prominent here due to their usually higher prices compared to the competition. I think they might even completely pulled their GPUs at some point in the past from this market, but don't quote me on that.

I don't blame most people for not seeing through their thinly veiled attempt at staying relevant, most don't know or even care enough to really look at these sort of things for what they are.

I don't get all the cynicism and dirt thrown at EVGA here. Why so much hate and bitterness? All I can think of is a bad case of NV fanboyism.

In the end, no one is going out of their way to purchase any of their other products by themselves. They aren't particularly known for anything except their GPUs. Some would purchase additional EVGA products to go with their EVGA GPU, but that will no longer be the case.

Well, that's just your perception of it, and as I said in the first paragraph it is not true outside the US. I'm not even sure it is true for the US, but I can't speak for that.

 

[M76]

Being a significant source of their revenue isn't exactly dead weight. Outside of maybe PSUs it seems like everything else they do isn't exactly popular. I am sure marketing can lean more into that and maybe they will become the next Corsair, but I am doubting it.

It is the exact definition of dead weight. Just being there, but not contributing to their profits. As I've told the others, the "EVGA was only known for video cards" line doesn't hold up here in the EU. Unless you count infamy, as in being infamously expensive.

 

[Okatis]

GN has 3 videos total of EVGA dark board reviews, 1 from a year ago, 1 from 3 years ago, and 1 from 5 years ago. HU has no content on EVGA Dark board, neither does Debauer. Just how known do you think they are for those boards when there's basically crumbs of content on them? Here's some food for thought, you know of the Dark motherboards because of their GPUs.

To your point about consumer awareness EVGA has had in-video ads for their motherboards within other GN videos IIRC (that is, baked in, not Youtube-interrupted ads). So there's still some marketing occurring in that space.

They'll obviously have to do more though as this becomes their main focus now.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

I'll forgive you because you are probably from the US, but for us not US folks EVGA is much better known for their MBs and especially PSUs. Their GPU business was never that prominent here due to their usually higher prices compared to the competition. I think they might even completely pulled their GPUs at some point in the past from this market, but don't quote me on that.

Fair enough, I can't really speak for their reputation outside of the US, so I'll take you at your word on it.

I don't get all the cynicism and dirt thrown at EVGA here. Why so much hate and bitterness? All I can think of is a bad case of NV fanboyism.

What?!?!? Since when is speaking an opinion (a well founded one at that) hate and bitterness? All I can think of is EVGA fanboyism, but you don't rub me that way so w/e.

Well, that's just your perception of it, and as I said in the first paragraph it is not true outside the US. I'm not even sure it is true for the US, but I can't speak for that.

Maybe, but it's likely the majority in the US share my perception. And as I stated, I can not speak of their reputation outside of the US. But isn't the US like the majority of their business?

To your point about consumer awareness EVGA has had in-video ads for their motherboards within other GN videos IIRC (that is, baked in, not Youtube-interrupted ads). So there's still some marketing occurring in that space.

They'll obviously have to do more though as this becomes their main focus now.

People still watch those? I've had a plugin that skips sponsor sections for years now. How do you people live without such an essential plugin?

 

[HockeyJon]

They're incapable of making AMD cards?

That only 8% of gamers will buy?

 

[Okatis]

People still watch those? I've had a plugin that skips sponsor sections for years now. How do you people live without such an essential plugin?

I trust very few addons. Maybe the one you use is different. I'd be curious how it determines baked in sponsor segments of arbitrary videos though, unless it's just user-submitted timecodes and assumes it's the same for every video going forward for that channel.

But also I wouldn't expect them to work on alternative Youtube front-ends like Invidious, since I don't visit Youtube.com at all. Other times I view them in a media player.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

I trust very few addons. Maybe the one you use is different. I'd be curious how it determines baked in sponsor segments of arbitrary videos though, unless it's just user-submitted timecodes and assumes it's the same for every video going forward for that channel.

But also I wouldn't expect them to work on alternative Youtube front-ends like Invidious, since I don't visit Youtube.com at all. Other times I view them in a media player.

User submitted time codes, it never assumes, everyone just pitches in by reporting start and end times of sponsor segments if you run across a video that has not yet been. I'm there 3+ years I've been using it I've had to report maybe 6 videos total, so there is definitely a ton of people chipping in.

Edit: Just checked Invidious, and no, it doesn't work there.

 

[zamardii12]

That was bitter sweet.
I still cant believe EVGA gave up on us.

Nvidia has made competition very difficult with their founder's edition cards and with the recent 4080/4070ti disaster I think EVGA got out just in time.

 

[Flogger23m]

It is the exact definition of dead weight. Just being there, but not contributing to their profits. As I've told the others, the "EVGA was only known for video cards" line doesn't hold up here in the EU. Unless you count infamy, as in being infamously expensive.

GPUs were contributing to profits, just not with as high of margins. And they are probably the most complex of all things EVGA designs/sells so I can understand why they want to exit. But without their GPU business they wouldn't have their motherboard or rebranded mice/keyboards.

Interesting about the price. EVGA has been cheaper than MSI/ASUS in recent years. Essentially why I went back to EVGA after using MSI for a while. Probably some EU wide tax on products from the USA or something.