As an engineer involved in designing a data processing project, you want to make the selection of the optimal desktop GPU chipset. It is one thing to pick the correct chip, quite another to find a supplier who will actually deliver the part on time. You need to understand the difference between a good supplier and a terrible supplier before risking thousands of dollars and weeks of time on a project.
GPU Chipset Availability Operates in Unpredictable Cycles
Remember that the lifecycle of a chipset does not typically coincide with the completion time of a project. So by the time a Desktop GPU chipset has reached the end-of-life stage with the manufacturer who was first to release it, said manufacturer may have already sold through the vast majority of their inventory. Online retailers, mail-order dealers, and system integrators will then be left to pick up the pieces of whatever remains. In some cases suppliers will hold a genuine inventory of discontinued products, while in other instances their “in stock” statement requires a firm dose of reality checking.
When researching availability online, always verify any claims made by the supplier. It is common for a supplier’s website to state that there are 500 units in stock, for example, when in reality there are only a few hundred in stock along with pending shipments for products for which the supplier had already committed to supply based on prior purchase agreements or forecasts. It is best to get a sense for current inventory levels and a specific delivery time line prior to ordering products that will impact your production timeline. Committing to a delivery date on the basis of phantom inventory can end up causing many problems later on in your project.
Like many segments of the market, lead times between suppliers can vary greatly. What one supplier says will take 6 weeks, another vendor can deliver in days.
Compatibility Verification
Not all part numbers for chipsets will perform equally well. After a close look you may find that within a part number there are different revisions, manufacturing dates and packages. This is especially true for older chips where multiple revisions where released during the product lifetime and a part number may represent a board that is not quite what you need.
When searching for specifications for the Intel Xeon Processor E5-2603 v2, please ensure that the documentation located in the search results includes a revision number, manufacturing date and any released errata. As a prudent planning measure for fully engaged customers, procuring a sample of the specific processor lot before placing a large order to ensure design readiness, will be the standard approach.
Quality Assurance in the Secondary Market
Whilst GPU chipsets are primarily designed with new PC hardware development in mind, there is a large and growing secondary market demand for other GPU related products. Items such as used OEM surplus, returned but refurbished stock, and even second hand servers and data centre kit all command a price. When purchasing surplus GPU products it is important to ask the correct questions regarding the products history and the test processes that the supplier has used. With so many online stocklists available an image online is no guarantee of a seller’s credibility. Ask more questions about the product and the supplier and make your own judgment based on the responses you receive.
It is very important that the supplier you buy from advise you on the condition of the part before you purchase. Most reputable suppliers will advise whether they have tested the part, and whether they have refurbished the part with a warranty/return policy in place should the part fail. When looking to buy an NVIDIA desktop GPU chipset from a secondary supplier ask for details of any tests that have been performed on the part and full operational history of the part.
However, viewing the component visually is not guaranteed to ascertain authenticity as highly counterfeited components have been known to visually appear as real parts. Establish a good relationship with your components supplier early on in the production cycle, and understand the risks involved, as well as the processes that the supplier has in place to mitigate and prevent counterfeit parts entering the supply chain.
Total Cost Analysis
The lowest unit price can be a seductive option, but this does not always translate to lowest total cost. It is also important to consider the cost of having products shipped internationally (which can be much higher for some suppliers) and non-recoverable customs fees which may be paid by either party. What initially seems like a higher cost per unit from a quality supplier can often net you more in savings in the long run.
Other risks to consider are the commodity risk i.e. the type of product and the market in which it is being sold, and the terms of payment risk, some suppliers will want full payment on delivery whilst pushing out the raw material lead times to get more value out of their inventory, whilst others will expect to trade under more standard commercial terms and conditions.
Building Reliable Supplier Relationships
In reality success in sourcing a chipset is more often than not down to the relationships you have with the supplier, more so than the actual purchasing process itself. It is those suppliers that give the earliest alert of potential delay or stock change / alternates that can make all the difference in todays fast fluctuating market.
When searching for suppliers it is very important to consider their level of product knowledge and abiliy to speak to a sales engineer or technical team member. Having a supplier that knows more than to tell you the part number is very important, they should be able to speak to the chipset in the board and applications in which a board might be used. They should also have knowledge of alternatives to products currently in inventory. This is especially important when doing due diligence on potential suppliers, in troubleshooting board level issues related to supplier components, and in needing a quick turn around to find an alternate part.
It is also a good idea to have more than one supplier for critical components. This can help avoid production problems in the event the primary supplier runs into a stock shortage or some other problem.
Chipsets and motherboards are not the same monster they used to be a few years ago. With the product lifecycle shrink effect in play, design engineers must be familiar with the current state of affairs to keep their projects on track. This article will overview how to source suitable chipsets for embedded designs.
