The anticipated 26 April launch of ATI's next-generation graphics chip, the R420, failed to materialise yesterday, lending weight to our conclusion that the part will ship later: sometime during the next few weeks.

ATI wasn't inactive yesterday, we note. Its web site now features an invitation to submit your email address and be among the first to hear about the "xtreme [sic], intense gaming" R420 - aka the Radeon X800 Pro - will offer.

Indeed, the original leak of the 26 April date may well have referred to the launch of the marketing campaign rather than the GPU itself.

The R420 is, of course, expected to debut as the Radeon X800 Pro, followed a month or so later by the higher-clocked Radeon X800 XT and the low-end X800 SE. ®

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