BFG = Chaintech?

[SilverLock]

I have a BFG 5700Ultra card and PowerStrip is identifying it as a Chaintech... is that correct?

 

[Apocalypse23]

yea they buy chaintech cards and refurbish them under the BFG tag basically. correct me if im wrong

 

[nRollo]

I'm pretty sure BFG is Visiontech reorganized.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/other/display/news126.html

Whether they rebadge Chaintech or not, I don't know.

 

[Big Lar]

I heard BFG was Visiontek as well.

 

[Viper96720]

Chaintech probably made your card. Like how MSI also makes cards that someone else rebadged.

 

[slpavman]

I bet MSI downgrades their rebadged stuff though, hehe - cuz MSI rules!

 

[ctk1981]

BFG has some people that are from visiontek and from another company as well. I believe the guy from visiontek was the head marketing man or something. Some of the old visiontek people are still at visiontek, which is owned by hartford group now.

As to who made the card...most likely some asian person in a factory made your card.

 

[SilverLock]

Err... so this is normal then. If it is really a refurbished card I would be upset as hell.

 

[MDE]

They use Asian built cards, but if you're really worried about it just send them an email.
BFG is a bunch of former Visiontek people with an ex-3Dfx guy and a few others, but they're a completely different company.

EDIT: Calls my 5900 a Chaintech too. I'll email them about it.

 

[Chucko]

Originally posted by: SilverLock
Err... so this is normal then. If it is really a refurbished card I would be upset as hell.

I think they mean to say REBADGED, not REFURBED. This process takes place with about any product you buy anymore.

 

[MDE]

Response to my email...

We contract with a few different companies to build our cards. We supply the reference nvidia BOM along with our changes and additions and then the card is built. The manufacturer will insert a code in the bios string so the card you checked was probably built by Chaintech. We do not re-badge their cards, they build ours.

David Ash
Product Manager

O. (847) 615-1955 x226
C. (847) 867-2447
dash@bfgtech.com

[BFG Technologies]
86 Albrecht Dr
Lake Bluff, IL 60044

 

[hans007]

lots of cards are actually built by another company. there are huge oems out there that build everything for other companies.


think about it this way... ECS/pc chips actually builds a lot of abit and shuttle motherboards.


creative lab's nvidia cards were MSI.

some PNY nvidia cards were MSI.


sapphire manufactures the built by ATI cards.

and so on.

 

[Rankor]

Not refurbed. Most definitely outsourced.

Chaintech does outsource cards to BFG. I noticed this on their 5700 Ultras.

 

[SilverLock]

I guess I should have purchased an MSI card then.

 

[Pete]

Originally posted by: Apocalypse23
yea they buy chaintech cards and refurbish them under the BFG tag basically. correct me if im wrong

Just to be clear, BFG won't get far selling refurbed cards as new. They don't make their cards, they hire someone else to make products that they sell (just like ATi, Dell, Apple, etc.).

BFG is made up of a few ex-Vtek people, but apparently they're not the same company: BFG tour.

 

[tenoc]

We do not re-badge their cards, they build ours.

Hill-arious! Typical marketing-speak!

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: Pete

BFG is made up of a few ex-Vtek people, but apparently they're not the same company: BFG tour.

Where do you think I got that email address ? (BTW, if you're wondering I'm the guy that won the 5700 Ultra)

 

[hans007]

when visiontek went out of business, their assets and name were bought by a company in connecticut if i remember . or maine, vermont something.


the assets were sold off, and the name was used to start the new company that is visiontek now. thats why they do not use nvidia now, and are an ATI house.


the people who used to run visiontek still had contacts in retail, etc. so some of them started bfg. chaintech obviously does not have contacts at say bestbuy or compusa. anyhow, chaintech is a subcontractor, and bfg is just a brand name that has connections with retail stores.