Wednesday, August 18th 2010

BFG Tech Explored AMD Partnership Before Quitting?

Aug 18th, 2010 11:22 Discuss (44 Comments)

The enthusiast community witnessed the sad "demise" of BFG Tech, as it categorically announced an exit from graphics cards business, and then unofficially left other businesses such as PSUs and PCs. It has come to light, however, that BFG Tech did in fact toy with the idea of doing what XFX did, and become an AMD add-in-board partner. Pictures surfaced that showed a Chinese OEM had made samples of ATI Radeon HD 5000 series graphics cards carrying the BFG Tech name, and other things BFG has been known for - such as free 24/7 tech-support, lifetime warranty, and other tiny BFG-esque details.

Under a partnership with that company, BFG would just have to market the cards and run support, while everything from manufacturing to packaging would be carried out by the OEM (earlier BFG, like EVGA, would package, market, and run support for the products). The company while working with BFG did produce a batch of ATI Radeon graphics cards to supply to BFG. When inquired by AMD about who these cards were being made for, the company mentioned BFG Tech. AMD responded saying that BFG Tech wasn't an authorized board partner, and would not be allowed to sell ATI Radeon graphics cards. This sent the OEM into panic, which got back to BFG only to find out that the marketing staff there had been let go of. The company now has with it a batch of "BFG Tech" labelled graphics cards it can't sell. It plans to rebadge and exhibit them at the China Sourcing Fair later this October, to exhibit its capabilities and possibly find a buyer for those cards.

Source: PC Perspective

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44 Comments on BFG Tech Explored AMD Partnership Before Quitting?

INSTG8R

Vanguard Beta Tester

That's too bad really. That might have helped them. Even tho I never owned any BFG products I still hate to see another brand go under.
I miss Abit alot too. I am still holding onto my MoBo despite the fact their gone. It has served me well and still does.

KainXS

too bad, couldn't get their hand in AMD's cookie jar fast enough, went to Nvidia's first and the cookies costed too much

Nvidia - Here want these 20 cookies BFG, then buy 80 other cookies that aren't the cookies you want first
BFG - We can't afford those cookies
Nvidia - Then go buy AMD's cookies
BFG- Fine we will
Too late
Death from starvation.

ShRoOmAlIsTiC

INSTG8RThat's too bad really. That might have helped them. Even tho I never owned any BFG products I still hate to see another brand go under.
I miss Abit alot too. I am still holding onto my MoBo despite the fact their gone. It has served me well and still does.

I miss the old good Abit stuff too, seems more and more companies are going belly up. DFI is another im gonna miss more then all of them.

entropy13

And why don't the French have a word for "entrepreneur"?

Because the word is already French LOL

Well at least the cards would still serve some purpose for the manufacturing company, they can show their worth in efficiently and timely making the cards to specifications. I must admit that it was quick, considering it was done within a month or so.

cadaveca

My name is Dave

So, seems like they lost the ability to get new cards because of this deal...

Did I get that right? The company's marketing team was fired...was that BFG, or the OEM maknig the cards for BFG?

entropy13

cadavecaSo, seems like they lost the ability to get new cards because of this deal...

Did I get that right? The company's marketing team was fired...was that BFG, or the OEM maknig the cards for BFG?

"The company attempted on many occasions while working with BFG to speak with the executives about why AMD does not recognize BFG as a partner, but were ignored. Only a few weeks after the company began ongoing attempts to get a clarification as to why this was a situation, they discovered that the entire graphics marketing and product management staff at BFG was let go."

cadaveca

My name is Dave

ah, so the company that made the cards, not BFG, will re-label them?

Yikes, BFG stuck some others in a pickle, then. I was hoping that this might explain why BFG failed so hard.

KainXS

the question I want to know is did BFG know a year in advance that they were going to be going out of business based on all this they probably did with all the lawsuits and general BS around them.

entropy13

cadavecaah, so the company that made the cards, not BFG, will re-label them?

Yikes, BFG stuck some others in a pickle, then. I was hoping that this might explain why BFG failed so hard.

This was more of an attempt to prevent the failure, it didn't work so the inevitable happened.

#10

cadaveca

My name is Dave

Ugh. That's a pretty bad failure. I feel bad for the employees, altohugh, maybe they are at fault for BFG's failure...but those people still need to eat, and pay bills.

At the same time, there's quite a few other "OEM" companies I'd like to see dissappear.

Maybe this means there will be some cheap ATI cards floating around soon?:laugh:

#11

AlienIsGOD

Vanguard Beta Tester

Sad news, BFG could have made some good coin off of AMD cards.

#12

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

KainXStoo bad, couldn't get their hand in AMD's cookie jar fast enough, went to Nvidia's first and the cookies costed too much

Nvidia - Here want these 20 cookies BFG, then buy 80 other cookies that aren't the cookies you want first
BFG - We can't afford those cookies
Nvidia - Then go buy AMD's cookies
BFG- Fine we will
Too late
Death from starvation.

It's not that AMD denied authorization to BFG. BFG never asked for one. BFG contemplated switch to ATI Radeon, and here's what happened:

BFG - NVIDIA treats me like a bitch. Maybe I'll switch to ATI Radeon like XFX did
Opportunistic Chinese OEM - OMG, I should get BFG's contract, I'll make some [thousands of] cards right away
Opportunistic Chinese OEM buys GPUs from AMD
AMD - Which "Authorized Partner" did you make these thousands of cards for?
OEM - BFG Tech, you know them, everybody knows them, I'll be rich!
AMD - BFG? They're not authorized. We won't let unauthorized people sell ATI Radeon cards, at least not in countries that respect trade laws
OEM - *gulp* BFG! what is this I'm hearing?
*BFG defunct, marketing department already fired/let go of*
OEM - What am I supposed do with these 1000s of cards now? :cry: Maybe I'll exhibit at the China sourcing fair, and find someone to sell these cards to, rebadged

#13

buggalugs

BFG must have done something to upset people. Both Nvidia and AMD didnt want nothing to do with them and cut them off knowing they will die.

ATI/Nvidia wouldnt do it for no reason you would think....

#14

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

buggalugsBFG must have done something to upset people. Both Nvidia and AMD didnt want nothing to do with them and cut them off knowing they will die.

ATI/Nvidia wouldnt do it for no reason you would think....

NVIDIA-exclusive partners are going broke one by one not because of something they do to piss NVIDIA, but because of the way NVIDIA treats them. They're treated like sweatshop workers. They're overly regulated and controlled in the name of "fair opportunity". NVIDIA basically works like a Communist state with its partners.

And again, BFG didn't approach AMD for a tieup.

#15

W1zzard

btarunrNVIDIA-exclusive partners are going broke one by one not because of something they do to piss NVIDIA, but because of the way NVIDIA treats them.

it's not only that but for almost 1 year there wasnt much you could sell or that anyone wanted to buy if you were an nvidia partner.

#16

KainXS

btarunrIt's not that AMD denied authorization to BFG. BFG never asked for one. BFG contemplated switch to ATI Radeon, and here's what happened:
BFG - NVIDIA treats me like a bitch. Maybe I'll switch to ATI Radeon like XFX did
Opportunistic Chinese OEM - OMG, I should get BFG's contract, I'll make some [thousands of] cards right away
Opportunistic Chinese OEM buys GPUs from AMD
AMD - Which "Authorized Partner" did you make these thousands of cards for?
OEM - BFG Tech, you know them, everybody knows them, I'll be rich!
AMD - BFG? They're not authorized. We won't let unauthorized people sell ATI Radeon cards, at least not in countries that respect trade laws
OEM - *gulp* BFG! what is this I'm hearing?
*BFG defunct, marketing department already fired/let go of*
OEM - What am I supposed do with these 1000s of cards now? :cry: Maybe I'll exhibit at the China sourcing fair, and find someone to sell these cards to, rebadged

terrible,

BFG's employees got screwed
the chinese company selling these cards got screwed
BFG's customers got screwed

wierd though that BFG was founded by ex visiontek employees, visiontek makes ATI cards(now), BFG tried to make ATI cards to save themselves after nvidia bitch slapped em.

its like when visiontek nearly died off they screwed all their warranty holders and the engineers almost all took off, maybe a new company will spawn from all this like what happened with visiontek which didn't die.

#17

Sasqui

btarunrIt's not that AMD denied authorization to BFG. BFG never asked for one. BFG contemplated switch to ATI Radeon, and here's what happened:
BFG - NVIDIA treats me like a bitch. Maybe I'll switch to ATI Radeon like XFX did
Opportunistic Chinese OEM - OMG, I should get BFG's contract, I'll make some [thousands of] cards right away
Opportunistic Chinese OEM buys GPUs from AMD
AMD - Which "Authorized Partner" did you make these thousands of cards for?
OEM - BFG Tech, you know them, everybody knows them, I'll be rich!
AMD - BFG? They're not authorized. We won't let unauthorized people sell ATI Radeon cards, at least not in countries that respect trade laws
OEM - *gulp* BFG! what is this I'm hearing?
*BFG defunct, marketing department already fired/let go of*
OEM - What am I supposed do with these 1000s of cards now? :cry: Maybe I'll exhibit at the China sourcing fair, and find someone to sell these cards to, rebadged

Well summed up.

#18

DannibusX

Bad business decisions are made every day and most companies will suffer the consequences. That includes all their employees, customers and suppliers.

If they had reached out to AMD earlier they could have been saved, but I was under the impression that AMD didn't keep a lot of Authorized Partners to prevent starving them out.

#19

KainXS

when visiontek almost went bankrupt and died didn't some say that it was because of Nvidia's pricing, so they swiched sides, anyone remember anything about all of that, not very sure.

#20

DarthCyclonis

Sure they thought about switching. But too late. XFX was smart and already selling ATI cards before BFG considered it. They put all their eggs in one basket being told the Fermi would make them tons of money and it did not happen. They probably thought about going the ATI route and then realized with all the other ATI vendors they would not make enough to stay alive.

#21

jonnyGURU

KainXSwhen visiontek almost went bankrupt and died didn't some say that it was because of Nvidia's pricing, so they swiched sides, anyone remember anything about all of that, not very sure.

Technically, Visiontek did go bankrupt and did die. The company they are today has little to do with the company of back then....

Visiontek Focuses on Buyer:
www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=6340

Visiontek, Going... going... GONE!:
www.hardocp.com/article/2002/08/15/visiontek/

Visiontek, LLC Complete Late Model PCB Surface Mount & Insertion Assembly Factory Auction:
archive.dovebid.com/brochure/bro1595.pdf

Hartford's Visiontek division will bring Radeon-based graphics products to resellers under Xtasy brand:
www.gamespot.com/news/2902054.html

#22

ozama

I asked them for a rma number for my dead gtx 280 one month ago but never got any answer from them. Im Very disappointed.

#23

human_error

Buy the new BFG 5750! With lifetime warranty*!

* = "lifetime" refers to the life of the company, which by the way, died last week.

#24

RadeonProVega

jonnyGURUTechnically, Visiontek did go bankrupt and did die. The company they are today has little to do with the company of back then....

Visiontek has a new website.
www.visiontek.com/

they are hardly dead.

Anyways, is there a chance those bfg cards will come out?

#25

crazyeyesreaper

Not a Moderator

there dead as in the company in terms of the buisness world went defunct and was replaced by the same brand name imagine Target goes out of buisness wallmart buys all of target and reopens target lol same idea

visiontek of years ago is not the same visiontek today that said the same thing might happen with BFG someone basically buys the name and reopens shop so to speak only time will tell of course

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BFG Tech Explored AMD Partnership Before Quitting?

44 Comments on BFG Tech Explored AMD Partnership Before Quitting?

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