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AMD had its 40nm GPU transition under way back in April with the launch of its impressive Radeon HD 4770. Back then, we stated that the card comfortably raised the bar in the sub-£100 graphics-card market, and we didn't hesitate to recommend the card to our readers.

However, here we are some seven weeks later, and would-be buyers are facing an unusual problem - the tantalising card has become increasingly difficult to find. We went as far as to state that two Radeon HD 4770s in CrossFireX make for a potent-but-affordable combo, but the truth is, you'll now struggle to find even one.

So what's happened? And why isn't AMD filling the channel with cards that consumers seem to want? Well, here's an official explanation from AMD's European technical PR manager Antal Tungler:

With TSMC's current 40nm yields, AMD was able to deliver a significant quantity of high-quality 40nm GPUs to ensure a worldwide hard launch, with every region receiving a supply of ATI Radeon HD 4770 cards.  Although initial demand was met, AMD couldn't foresee the tremendous enthusiasm from the marketplace for the ATI Radeon HD 4770, and is currently working closely with TSMC on supply.  In addition, we are working with our AIB partners to deliver a compelling solution in the same price band that will ensure supply long term.  Even today, many users are opting instead to purchase a higher performance ATI Radeon HD 4850 card, which is available at e-tailers worldwide starting around $100  or 99 EUR  including VAT.

There you have it, and if ever there was a sign of supply problems, here it is:

UK Market
etailer	Product	Availability	Price (inc. VAT)
SCAN.co.uk	Sapphire Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£78.53
	HiS Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£79.10
	XFX Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£85.65
	ASUS Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£79.80
	XFX Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£83.35
	GIGABYTE Radeon HD 4770	Pre-order	£85.62
As always, UK-based HEXUS.community discussion forum members will benefit from the SCAN2HEXUS Free Shipping initiative, which will save you a further few pounds plus also top-notch, priority customer service and technical support backed up by the SCANcare@HEXUS forum.
Ebuyer.com	No Radeon HD 4770 products listed
C3 Computers.co.uk	Sapphire Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	£79.99
Misco.co.uk	Sapphire Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	£82.98
Euro Market
etailer	Product	Availability	Price (inc. VAT)
Alternate.de	HiS Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	€99.90
	MSI Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	€99.90
	Sapphire Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	€99.90
US Market
etailer	Product	Availability	Price (excl. localised charges )
NewEgg.com	Sapphire Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	$109.99
	VistionTek Radeon HD 4770	Out of stock	$109.99

Not a pretty picture, and many etailers are suggesting a wait of around six weeks on some of the above-listed cards. It's no wonder, then, that certain AMD partners are introducing an alternative in the form of the 55nm Radeon HD 4730.

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