ATI's flagship R580 chip and two 7xxx series from Nvidia are expected to enter mass shipments by the end of the first quarter of 2006, website reports. ATI's current 90nm GPU lineup includes the Radeon X1800, X1600, and X1300 series, but out of these only the lower-end X1300 series is sufficient enough in supply to meet current demand. ATI's next-generation flagship GPU, the R580, which the graphics chip vendor expects to release in January of 2006, should actually start shipping at the end of the first quarter, according to Taiwanese makers.

Nvidia is scheduled to introduce its GeForce 7600 (G73) and 7200 () graphics chip during the same period when ATI?s R580 hits the market, graphics card makers noted.