AMD: R9xx Speculation

[Blazkowicz]

Look at the 8xAA performance :

http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/First-AMD-Radeon-HD-6790-Benchmarks-Leaked-5.png

http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/First-AMD-Radeon-HD-6790-Benchmarks-Leaked-6.png

Another 16 ROP 5830 fail card.

this is why I have to stay away of the gt430/gt440 as well - 4 ROPs, can you imagine that , it feels really lousy even for low res/high AA settings.

 

[eastmen]

Hmm in retrospect I'm not quite sure what you meant. This card looks to me the same fail as HD5830 for all the same reasons - performance (much) closer to HD5770 than HD6850, but price closer to HD6850 instead of HD5770, with still the same crippled rops. Add the comparatively low power efficiency (both compared to HD6850 and HD5770, though it's not as bad as the TDP suggests) and you have a card noone should be interested in buying. If the point was to beat the GTX550 though then yes it's a success (though this one seems to have got cheaper - if the HD6790 can match its price it wouldn't be too bad).
I'm thinking though AMD probably isn't really interested in making this a worthwile card to buy. They might just not have many chips which really need to be crippled more than for HD6850, so better sell HD6850 for a bit more (after all those certainly will at least not cost more to produce, depending on design they might even be a bit cheaper).

Whats the problem with this chip ? Remember the hd5770 is a $200 chip that has been cost reduced. This is a $150 chip. Its quite a bit faster than the hd 5750 that was in this market before .

Its not going to get 5770 owners to upgrade but those with older 4x00 cards its a good upgrade .

Amd already has a great hd5770 replacement card in the 6850s

 

[neliz]

Hmm in retrospect I'm not quite sure what you meant.

I'm talking about this card running at 1GHz (equal performance to a 6850) with no problem at all (at least ours model does) and.. I haven't even talked about.. dare I say it.. unlocking?*


6790 is a little gold nugget but nobody actually went the distance with this card yet. Maybe because everyone assumed it was another 5830.. nobody even tried?







*yes that works!

 

[DarthShader]

I've seen reviews trying to flash a 68X0 bios on it, with no success.

 

[neliz]

I've seen reviews trying to flash a 68X0 bios on it, with no success.

flashing also isn't the answer on non-ref 6950, yet the success rate of edited bioses on non-reference cards is over 95%

It's really like no one even tried.

 

[mczak]

I'm talking about this card running at 1GHz (equal performance to a 6850) with no problem at all (at least ours model does)

That seems a good OC - those I've seen were more about 950Mhz. This is what I expected, given the cards run at the same voltage range as the HD 6870 (which also explains the quite high TDP). Though even when overclocked to 950Mhz it still can't beat the HD6850 (which also will OC), it still has much higher power consumption and is still just not that much cheaper.

and.. I haven't even talked about.. dare I say it.. unlocking?*

Now THAT is interesting. I assume though you are talking about simds? Unlocking ROPs would likely help more. And no I haven't seen anything if and how it's done...
Still, that doesn't really help that much imho. An unofficial feature, which might not work at all on most retail cards even if it does on review cards.

 

[CarstenS]

Word of mouth about unlocking seems to draw enthusiasts-on-a-budget like moths to a candle though. It did with Radeon 9500, X800 Pro at least.

 

[swaaye]

It also increases sales of $300 6950s, I imagine, due to a perceived increase in value. Well, actually it is a somewhat tangible increase in value. I bought my 6950 before the unlock was figured out and I'll say it's pretty uplifting to learn that you can unlock all the goodies in your artificially gimped-for-the-market product.

 

[DarthShader]

flashing also isn't the answer on non-ref 6950, yet the success rate of edited bioses on non-reference cards is over 95%

So, a shader unlocking script is the answer? I guess that means the missing ROPs will be eternaly lost then... Someone needs to tell W1zzard.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I bought my 6950 before the unlock was figured out and I'll say it's pretty uplifting to learn that you can unlock all the goodies in your artificially gimped-for-the-market product.

Artificially?

 

[AlNom]

Naturally gimped is natural!

 

[entity279]

I haven't even talked about.. dare I say it.. unlocking?*

*yes that works!

It appears to be true because it's been officially denied (http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/..._Unlock_the_Full_Power_of_Radeon_HD_6790.html)

 

[DarthShader]

But it also says the SIMDs are fused off. So if it's possible at all, the success rate could be not so high.

 

[CarstenS]

Hm, over here, price search engine geizhals says, HD 6850 is just 16% (18 EUR) more than 6790 (that's cheapest in stock), I'd say that doesn't make 6790 very attractive.

 

[swaaye]

Artificially?

I've just been assuming that Cayman isn't an organic product.

 

[Squilliam]

I've just been assuming that Cayman isn't an organic product.

Silicon based life-form? ;-)

 

[DarthShader]

The plot thickens - some 6790 have 24 ROPs enabled? http://www.techpowerup.com/143753/AMD-Gaffe-Has-AIBs-Ship-Radeon-HD-6790-with-Too-Many-ROPs.html

 

[Kaotik]

edit: posted already

 

[swaaye]

Hmmm how can they "accidentally" not blow some fuses? I want to see tests of the 24 ROP edition. Would be interesting, sort of like a 4870 with 24 ROPs.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Read the update.