Ah, the key product launch!

Update 1: The hubbub dies down..

Following up from my post last week on AMD's launch of it's intriguing RX 480 graphics chip (see below), here's some updates:

▸ It looks like AMD has acknowledged the power issues and more importantly will be addressing it in a software patch coming as soon as late this week.

▸ My sense is that the issue was overblown and should not change your investment thesis on AMD, whatever it may be.

▸ Here's the reddit thread with the official statement on the issue and fix.

▸ Finally, do check out the Knotifi app that helps you keep track of stock market events, including product launches like these on your iphone. Download here.

Do these ever go smooth ?

So AMD (ticker AMD, easy right ?) launched their next gen, mainstream, affordable graphics chip, the RX 480, yesterday. Here's some quick thoughts:

▸ Major reviewers are unanimously positive about the compelling performance at the budget price point, giving AMD the low end of the market to themselves.

▸ Nvidia's next gen chips, themselves released to positive acclaim a couple of weeks back, are more expensive with more power, putting them at the high end of the market.

▸ With the RX 480, people will be able to build gaming systems for VR headsets like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift at a significantly lower cost. It's a compelling proposition.

▸ Now to the fly in the ointment. It seems a "too large to ignore" set of reviewers/early adopters are claiming that the chips draw more power than they are supposed to from a key component of the system the chips go into.

▸ There's a big thread on reddit that's buzzing with this. See below for details, but long story short there is some risk of this affecting consumer's systems negatively.

▸ Overall, I am going to be watching AMD closely for the next week or two and then decide the course of further action, if any. Note that I have a small long position in AMD and NVDA.

More Information:

Comprehensive review of the RX 480 on Anandtech

Reddit thread on power consumption

Review Roundup on The Verge

App Pitch:

And this is why it's interesting, as an investor, to watch product launches. While we are on the subject of investing, here's an iphone app to help you keep track of upcoming product launches.

Knotifi : Stock market earnings,product and economic events

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• The contents of this blog are the personal opinions and investment choices of the writer. Please don't treat them as investment recommendations.

• I have a long position in AMD and NVDA.