ATI has according to NHOHQ decided to stop sending out its graphics cards to its AIB partners (Add-In-Board) along with its stock coolers. It will instead send the cards naked. Not because it has come up with a magic formula that eliminates the heat that dissipates from the circuits but that it sees several advantages with skiping the cooler. ATI’s partners will still be able to choose whether they want the reference coolers or not but by default the cards will be naked. This makes it possible for ATI to keep the prices down and at the same time force the partners to develop their own cooling solution, which should result in better products and more options for us consumers. On paper this seems like a real win-win and hopefully this means a we will get a bigger variety on the graphics card market.
