Hopefully they'll have something good for a 400W PSU because the 3650 is crap.
System Load: (HD 4850 in CrossFire + 3Dmark06) + (Phenom + Prime95) -> 427 W
Seems like you have to buy a new PSU...
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Hopefully they'll have something good for a 400W PSU because the 3650 is crap.
So is this confirmed to be real now?
Oh and since everybody seems to have forgotten about them: what about the other RV7xx chips? When will they appear? What configuration?
The Qimonda white paper is useful:Ah ok. So 1gbit gddr5 chips will, in fact, not be available. I think generally graphic card manufacturers try to avoid the twice-as-many-chips configuration - different board layout (or if only one it must be designed for twice as many chips hence a bit more complicated), signal noise problems etc. (so can't achieve quite the same memory clock). Much easier if you can just swap in the same number of larger parts. Not that this is really a disavdantage compared to GTX260, which needs 14 chips (with much more complicated pcb routing) anyway .
I was refering to the whole diagram - most notably the different tu layout (tu per array not share across arrays thus 40 tus) compared to rv670.
Rumours indicate HD4870 will come in 512MB and 1GB variants. I presume the clamshell configuration will be deployed for 1GB, using double the count of chips as on the 512MB board.
Jawed
I still don't quite understand how clamshell mode actually works. Are all signals actually routed to both chips which belong together (e.g. for easy routing you could for instance put the chips on the front and back of the pcb) and in clamshell mode half of the ios are inactive (tri-stated)? Looks like it has to work that way somehow.The Qimonda white paper is useful:
Clamshell mode is promoted for inventory reasons - I guess this is most attractive to the memory companies and I suppose this means the price of GDDR5 matures more quickly if there are less SKUs.
Hmm, and qimonda has 516Mb chips "in production" and 1Gb chips "available july" - whatever available actually means.I think the different memory companies will specialise in the varied capacities of GDDR5 chips. I think Hynix has 1Gb GDDR5 chips, while Samsung is doing 512Mb chips:
Well, not really. Don't forget scaling isn't that good, and often next to nothing with more than 2 cards (imho more than 2 cards are useless if only because of input lag even if it does scale). R700 might or might not suffer from this, but using multiple cards probably still will...GTX 280 SLI = 4850x4 = 4870x3 ($1300 vs $800 vs $900)
You're a bit lateAn early french review, as always graphs know no language.
That's how I'm interpreting it.I still don't quite understand how clamshell mode actually works. Are all signals actually routed to both chips which belong together (e.g. for easy routing you could for instance put the chips on the front and back of the pcb) and in clamshell mode half of the ios are inactive (tri-stated)? Looks like it has to work that way somehow.
Funny, I really was thinking they'd stick with just 512Mb chips - for inventory reasons. I suppose this means 2GB Firestream cards will turn up, but I wonder if AMD will match the 4GB capability of GT200 in Quadro/Tesla form any time soon - seems unlikely. GDDR5 is intended to come in 2Gb versions eventually...Hmm, and qimonda has 516Mb chips "in production" and 1Gb chips "available july" - whatever available actually means.
So actually maybe clamshell mode may not even be needed for 1GB cards - though if the board layout is indeed designed for this, I'm sure we'll see 2GB cards rather sooner than later .
Well, maybe we could see 2xRV770 Firestream cards,with a total of 4GB memory, with 32 1gbit chips (a true monster card - then again the 4GB tesla card also probably has 32 chips with 2 ram chips sharing all io). Though that would of course only make it really 4GB if that can somehow be used as unified memory...I suppose this means 2GB Firestream cards will turn up, but I wonder if AMD will match the 4GB capability of GT200 in Quadro/Tesla form any time soon - seems unlikely. GDDR5 is intended to come in 2Gb versions eventually...
I forgot about that. But I wonder if X2 boards can only accommodate a maximum of 16 chips (as the PLX chip takes up a pile of space). So still only 4GB with 2Gb chips. Hmm...Well, maybe we could see 2xRV770 Firestream cards,with a total of 4GB memory, with 32 1gbit chips
Is there no bridge chip available in a much smaller package? Still you're right I have trouble seeing 32 ram chips alongside two rv770 and all the other stuff needed on a single pcb...I forgot about that. But I wonder if X2 boards can only accommodate a maximum of 16 chips (as the PLX chip takes up a pile of space). So still only 4GB with 2Gb chips. Hmm...
Nothing disabled just lower clocks - thus likely lower voltage which can make an enormous difference.Okay, I am confused is the 4870 a 4850 with gddr5 or will parts of it be disabled?I've seen pics of the 4870 with two six pin connectors where as the 4850 has one so obviously the 4850 is missing something....
Yes it would require quite a lot maybe it's clocked lower (like 4850) - little is known about the R700...Wouldn't a 4870x2 take a massive amount of power to run if one takes two connectors?
Okay, I am confused is the 4870 a 4850 with gddr5 or will parts of it be disabled?I've seen pics of the 4870 with two six pin connectors where as the 4850 has one so obviously the 4850 is missing something....
Wouldn't a 4870x2 take a massive amount of power to run if one takes two connectors?
Yeah, instead of being 37.5x37.5Is there no bridge chip available in a much smaller package?