From the beginning of time the great battle between ATI and NVIDIA computer graphics cards maintained strength as both sides of the competition continually upped one another with new, advanced graphics technologies.  There certainly were times when one company would surpass the other for extended periods of time, but there’s no denying that the graphics arms race between ATI and NVIDIA still remains hotted debate to this day.  But on this day, things are about to change ever so slightly.  When computer processor manufacturer AMD bought ATI Technologies in 2006, AMD thought it was appropriate to keep the ATI brand alive alongside the AMD name, likely because so many consumers and business partners were so aware of that brand leading up to that point.  Today AMD decided to cut ties with the ATI brand, and starting “later this year” all new graphics chips will be branded with the letters AMD only.  AMD Radion and FirePro (see images above) will become the new logos plastered on new graphics chips.  Exisiting products will not see a name change (ie. “ATI Radeon” chips, such as the Radeon HD 5000 series, will not be renamed).  What led to this decision, you ask?  AMD market research findings has an answer for you:

1) AMD brand preference triples when the person surveyed is aware of the ATI-AMD merger.
2) The AMD brand is viewed as stronger than ATI when compared to graphics competitors.
3) The Radeon and Fire Pro brands themselves (without ATI being attached to them) are very high as is.

It has also been reported that the death of ATI branding comes at a time when AMD is readying their hybrid CPU and GPU chips, and Engadget logically points out that would be beneficial to have a “unified branding strategy” during this sensitive transition period from one technology to another.  Long live ATI!

[Via TechReport; Engadget; Gizmodo]