AMD: R9xx Speculation

[Alexko]

Sounds like CaymanXT performance sentiment relative to the 580 is shifting on an almost daily basis. ATI/AMD have done a remarkable job keeping everyone in the dark this close to launch, but after the inevitable buildup of expectations (even amongst the conservative crowd here at B3D), they may be setting themselves up for a major letdown.

Well, look at it this way:

• AMD is very unlikely to release a Cayman that would have lower perf/W than Cypress;
• Cypress draws up to 188W;
• Cayman is supposed to draw at least 225W, let's be conservative and call it just that, 225W;
• 225 = almost 20% more than 188, so Cayman is pretty much guaranteed to offer at least a solid 20% improvement over Cypress, likely more…
  

That would make it a hair faster than the GTX 570, and a bit more power efficient. And that's about as conservative as you can get.

 

[ZerazaX]

I think it was said its 190W.. but maybe that's whats actually measured

 

[Topman]

Cayman XT (24 SIMD) vs Cayman Pro(22 SIMD), according to table leaked:
Do the math:

+ ~ 10% raster/setup/tess/bandwidth
+ ~ 20% flops/texel fillrate
= same RAM (for the the 2Gb model)

The difference is small, maybe ~10% in games... less than 5870/5850.

 

[DarthShader]

So.... AMD pulled off a HD4870, only in reverse? Will nVidia raise their prices in return?

Seriously, how did that happen? Somebody missunderstood 384sp as being 5D arch and therefore a total of 1920 shaders and the rumour started living it's own life?

 

[ZerazaX]

So.... AMD pulled off a HD4870, only in reverse? Will nVidia raise their prices in return?

Seriously, how did that happen? Somebody missunderstood 384sp as being 5D arch and therefore a total of 1920 shaders and the rumour started living it's own life?

Probably as plausible a theory as any other

 

[neliz]

Cayman XT (24 SIMD) vs Cayman Pro(22 SIMD), according to table leaked:
Do the math:

+ ~ 10% raster/setup/tess/bandwidth
+ ~ 20% flops/texel fillrate
= same RAM (for the the 2Gb model)

The difference is small, maybe ~10% in games... less than 5870/5850.

Pro has 10% slower mem.

 

[Psycho]

Still the difference seems too small. Ofcourse it could have something to do with upping the 6950 a bit (20->22 simd maybe) to be within reach of the 570.
Ofcourse we'll probably also have the "turbo button" and CF-X exclusive for the 6970.

 

[leoneazzurro]

Maybe Pro clocks are lower or XT clocks are higher than these rumors said?

 

[Jawed]

Alternatively 1920 ALU lanes was someone's mistaken interpretation of 24 SIMDs, each with 80 ALU lanes - way back in the mists of time. If it's really 64 lanes per SIMD, then we get 1536 lanes. The increase in SIMD count and the increased average utilisation of VLIW-4, in comparison with VLIW-5, would compensate for 1536 being lower than Cypress's 1600 lanes.

Yep, seems to be what happened

 

[Squilliam]

So what are the chances they would use 32nm GF and release a product based off that technology in the next 12 months? Didn't he say there would be no 28nm products in 2011 not that there will be no die shrinks and new process technologies used altogether?

 

[eastmen]

So what are the chances they would use 32nm GF and release a product based off that technology in the next 12 months? Didn't he say there would be no 28nm products in 2011 not that there will be no die shrinks and new process technologies used altogether?

i'm hoping for a 32nm tranistion in the summer or fall personaly , would go well with a bulldozer build . My 5850 will do fine for now

 

[DarthShader]

Yep, seems to be what happened

But it has to be noted, that AMD did everything not to dispel the 1920 rumours too early. It seems the final spec were revealed to reviewers only today. It appears to me, they did this intentionaly cause they were fond of that rumour and wanted to sustain it.

Why?

 

[fellix]

Radeon HD 6950 "teaser" by ATi-Forum.de

 

[Squilliam]

i'm hoping for a 32nm tranistion in the summer or fall personaly , would go well with a bulldozer build . My 5850 will do fine for now

It'd help them a lot in the more important mobile space especially in conjunction with Bulldozer.

 

[eastmen]

It'd help them a lot in the more important mobile space especially in conjunction with Bulldozer.

to be honest i just want a new video card for sw tor. But i suspect it will be delayed from spring to fall. So amd can take thier time. though i'd love to be able to buy a 6950

 

[jimbo75]

But it has to be noted, that AMD did everything not to dispel the 1920 rumours too early. It seems the final spec were revealed to reviewers only today. It appears to me, they did this intentionaly cause they were fond of that rumour and wanted to sustain it.

Why?

At a wild guess, I'd say they've got better things to do than distance themselves from every rumour going around.

 

[jimbo75]

to be honest i just want a new video card for sw tor. But i suspect it will be delayed from spring to fall. So amd can take thier time. though i'd love to be able to buy a 6950

It doesn't look like that game will be too demanding on the gpu though? If they are aiming to break into WoW's market, they need to have pretty low graphical standards I think.

 

[thatdude90210]

Radeon HD 6950 "teaser" by ATi-Forum.de

Lol, I want my 45 seconds back.

 

[eastmen]

It doesn't look like that game will be too demanding on the gpu though? If they are aiming to break into WoW's market, they need to have pretty low graphical standards I think.

I'm hoping for eyefinity support and the game is coming out in 2011 , i'm sure it will have a dx 11 path , even if its not as demanding as other dx 11 paths. LOTRO a 5 year old game with its new dx 11 path is pretty demanding.

 

[Rangers]

Seems to be a lot of doom and gloom around this 1536 sp thing and I agree, AMD's supposed "small die strategy" never struck me as long term viable. People care about the most powerful card and that's it. AMD aimed too low.

All that said, if 6970 is 90 or 95% as fast as 580 with a much smaller die and lower TDP and lower price, it still works out to a nice win really for AMD despite all this doom and gloom. They will be in the same position they have been in, or better. If it's 85%, I guess that could still be argued as a win, depending, but it will more represent parity with the current generation.

It almost seems like the low TDP is aimed at enabling a dual chip 6990, which then could hold the top spot for a really long time like 5970 did.

All that said, it will be disappointing if AMD doesn't grab the top single GPU spot as it looked like they were about to do, for the first time in ages.