We don't even know the codename of Nvidia's next generation 40nm GPU line but we know that the company should introduce them in Q2 2009. This means that both ATI and Nvidia will have their 40nm line at the same time.

This is quite dangerous for Nvidia, as they won't be able to prepare or react on ATI 40nm RV870 line; and if Nvidia ends up slower than ATI's next generation, it will have a major impact on Nvidia as a graphics chip company.

Nvidia wanted to get its 40nm chips before ATI, but TSMC simply won't be ready to do these chips before Q2 2009. Nvidia tried to shrink its two-year-old architecture behind G92 to 55nm and G92b or Geforce 9800GTX+ didn’t get enough performance as Nvidia expected, and the current step is to go for a full node 40nm process and try it all over again.

One important detail, don't expect these new GPUs in April which is the first month of Q2; when companies say Q2 this means late Q2, and we believe it's realistic to expect these new GPUs from late May to mid-June.

Nvidia has to win this one, but at this point even Jensen can only hope that this will happen.