R9 285 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 30 Sep 2015 02:08:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png R9 285 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 AMD unveils embedded ‘Tonga XT’ GPU with 2048 stream processors, 256-bit memory bus https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-unveils-embedded-tonga-xt-graphics-chip-with-2048-stream-processors-256-bit-memory-bus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-unveils-embedded-tonga-xt-graphics-chip-with-2048-stream-processors-256-bit-memory-bus/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2015 21:10:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=269973 Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday introduced its new lineup of embedded graphics processing units designed for various special-purpose and professional applications. Among the new embedded graphics solutions that AMD introduced, there is AMD Embedded Radeon E8950 MXM module, which is based on the highly-anticipated “Tonga XT” silicon with all stream processors activated. The AMD Embedded …

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Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday introduced its new lineup of embedded graphics processing units designed for various special-purpose and professional applications. Among the new embedded graphics solutions that AMD introduced, there is AMD Embedded Radeon E8950 MXM module, which is based on the highly-anticipated “Tonga XT” silicon with all stream processors activated.

The AMD Embedded Radeon E8950 MXM module features 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units, 32 raster operations pipelines and 256-bit memory controller. The chip is based on the GCN 1.2 architecture, it fully supports decoding/encoding of ultra-high-definition videos using H.265 and H.264 codecs. The GPU is compatible with DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, OpenCL, Mantle and Vulkan application programming interfaces. The small form-factor solution carries 8GB of GDDR5 memory and can drive up to six displays.

amd_embedded_radeon_e8950_1

The AMD Embedded Radeon E8950 is the company’s most powerful and feature-rich embedded graphics solution designed for high-end casino and arcade gaming machines, medical imaging devices and military/aerospace applications. The product has maximum single precision compute performance of around 3TFLOPS.

“The demand for rich, vibrant graphics in embedded systems is greater than ever before, and that demand is growing,” said Scott Aylor, corporate vice president and general manager of AMD Embedded Solutions. “Our latest additions to the embedded product lineup help designers build mesmerizing user experiences with 4K multi-screen installations and 3-D and interactive displays. In addition, the powerful capabilities of our GPUs can address the toughest parallel compute challenges.”

amd_embedded_radeon_e8950

In addition to the high-performance Radeon R8950, AMD also introduced slightly less powerful solutions, including the Radeon R8870MXM and the Radeon E8870PCIe with up to 768 stream processors as well as the Radeon E6465MCM, the E6465MXM and the E6465PCIe with up to 128 stream processors.

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KitGuru Says: If AMD now offers “Tonga XT” for embedded systems, it is only a matter of time before the company rolls-out its Radeon R9 380X based on the same chip.

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AMD Radeon R9 380X with ‘Tonga XT’ to hit the market in late October https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-380x-with-tonga-xt-gpu-to-hit-the-market-in-late-october/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-380x-with-tonga-xt-gpu-to-hit-the-market-in-late-october/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2015 21:05:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=268228 Advanced Micro Devices and its partners are gearing up to release the Radeon R9 380X graphics card featuring the code-named “Tonga XT” graphics processing unit. The product is expected to hit the market next month and will become a good addition to the company’s lineup for the holiday season. Manufacturers of graphics cards already have …

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Advanced Micro Devices and its partners are gearing up to release the Radeon R9 380X graphics card featuring the code-named “Tonga XT” graphics processing unit. The product is expected to hit the market next month and will become a good addition to the company’s lineup for the holiday season.

Manufacturers of graphics cards already have samples of the fully-fledged “Tonga” graphics chip with 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units and 32 raster operations pipelines. AMD is expected to start shipping commercial versions of the “Tonga XT” GPUs shortly and makers of add-in-boards should be able to start selling their Radeon R9 380X products sometimes in late October, reports Fudzilla.

The AMD Radeon R9 380X graphics adapters will carry 4GB of GDDR5 memory, which indicates a 256-bit memory bus, not a 384-bit memory interface, as expected by several unofficial sources. Usage of 256-bit memory interface should simplify printed-circuit boards of the graphics cards and make them cheaper. As a result, makers of add-in-boards will be more flexible in terms of final pricing.

amd_radeon_r9_280

Performance of AMD Radeon R9 380X in actual games should be higher than that of the Radeon R9 280X (aka Radeon HD 7970) despite of wider memory interface supported by the latter thanks to improvements on the micro-architectural level (such as better support for async shaders, improved performance of tessellation/gemetry and so on) and new techniques that improve effective memory bandwidth (e.g., delta colour compression).

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: The Radeon R9 380X looks rather good on paper. However, its success will be determined by pricing. Right now, AMD and its partners sell the Radeon R9 380 for $249, whereas the Radeon R9 390 is priced at $349. Keeping in mind that AMD used to sell its Radeon R9 290-series products for as low as around $250, it is hard to imagine that a product with lower performance for $299 will become a success. If AMD actually wants to fight back market share from Nvidia, it will have to reconsider its prices for the holiday season. As a result, it is logical to expect that the launch of the Radeon R9 380X will be accompanied by changes in AMD’s price-list.

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AMD preps Radeon R9 380X with fully-fledged “Tonga” GPU https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-preps-radeon-r9-380x-with-fully-fledged-tonga-gpu/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-preps-radeon-r9-380x-with-fully-fledged-tonga-gpu/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2015 21:25:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=267731 Advanced Micro Devices is reportedly working on a new graphics card based on its code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit. The Radeon R9 380X will be powered by the fully-fledged GPU with all stream processors activated. Performance of the product will be similar to that of the Radeon R9 280X. The AMD Radeon R9 380X will …

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Advanced Micro Devices is reportedly working on a new graphics card based on its code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit. The Radeon R9 380X will be powered by the fully-fledged GPU with all stream processors activated. Performance of the product will be similar to that of the Radeon R9 280X.

The AMD Radeon R9 380X will feature “Tonga” GPU with 2048 stream processors as well as 384-bit memory bus, reports Expreview. The graphics board will offer considerably higher performance than the Radeon R9 380, but will also consume more power. Thanks to the GCN 1.2 architecture, the new graphics adapter will significantly outperform the Radeon R9 280X, which is based on the outdated “Tahiti” graphics chip.

xfx_radeon_r9_380x

AMD reportedly decided not to offer Radeon R9 285X with unlocked “Tonga” chip last year because it considered its power consumption too high. Right now, the company needs a new product that would feel the gap between the Radeon R9 380 and the Radeon R9 390-series products.

AMD’s partners among graphics card makers have already received the unlocked “Tonga” graphics processor and are reportedly preparing adapters based on their own designs of printed circuit boards. One of such graphics cards developed by XFX has been pictured.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is great to see AMD working on a new graphics card, it is completely unclear why the company did not introduce a product with “full” “Tonga” graphics processor unit earlier.

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AMD: We have not cut prices of GPUs, partners run promotions https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-have-not-cut-prices-of-graphics-cards-partners-are-conducting-promotions/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-have-not-cut-prices-of-graphics-cards-partners-are-conducting-promotions/#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2014 20:49:28 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=217325 We looked here and asked there to bring you everything you need to know about AMD Radeon R9 price reductions and promotions. Last week it was reported that Advanced Micro Devices and its partners among suppliers of graphics cards reduced prices of AMD Radeon R9-series graphics adapters in a bid to be more competitive against Nvidia …

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We looked here and asked there to bring you everything you need to know about AMD Radeon R9 price reductions and promotions.

Last week it was reported that Advanced Micro Devices and its partners among suppliers of graphics cards reduced prices of AMD Radeon R9-series graphics adapters in a bid to be more competitive against Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce GTX 970/980 graphics solutions. Then, the report was somehow denied. Unfortunately, since AMD was in its quiet period before the announcement of Q3 financial results this Thursday, the company could not provide us a lot of answers, but today we managed to get loads of important details right from AMD.

It’s getting hotter on the graphics cards market…

During the earnings call AMD admitted that Nvidia has released very competitive products in the form of the GeForce GTX 970/980 and that it had to adjust to “some competitive dynamics” or even reposition certain products.

“We have certainly adjusted to some of the competitive dynamics, and we have made some positioning changes as well as some new marketing activities that you will see from us in the fourth quarter,” said Lisa Su, chief executive officer of AMD.

It is important to understand that while AMD executive admitted that Nvidia’s competitive positions became much stronger with the release of the new GeForce GTX graphics cards, it neither confirmed nor denied any price-cuts during the conference call.

amd_radeon_r9_290

Richard Huddy: We are very, very competitive

In a bid to understand how AMD sees its positions on the market of high-end graphics cards and how it plans to compete against new offerings from its arch-rival, we decided to ask Richard Huddy, AMD’s chief gaming scientist, a few questions.

KitGuru: Hi Richard, nice to chat with you again! How do you consider competitive positions of AMD Radeon R9 product line these days? Are the Radeon R9 290-series graphics cards still the best high-end single-GPU graphics solutions for their money?

Richard Huddy: AMD continues to offer strong performance and great pricing on Radeon R9 series graphics cards right now thanks to channel promotions. You can purchase an AMD Radeon R9 290X starting at $369 (€320 in Europe, £275 in the U.K. and there are this week only promotions at OcUK that start at £233) – considerably better value than the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980, which is its equivalent. AMD provides excellent value for performance that is on par in most scenarios, especially at higher resolutions such as 4K, which matters greatly to gamers today. Looking at our AMD Radeon R9 290, you should start seeing prices starting at $299 (€250 – €260 in Europe, £215 – £240 in the U.K.). If you look historically, I don’t think we’ve ever seen that much performance for under $300. It’s insane. It’s very, very competitive.

KitGuru: You are talking about lower prices. There were reports that AMD decided to cut-down prices on the majority of the Radeon R9 graphics cards to better position them against Nvidia’s GeForce GTX. Is that true?

Richard Huddy: We have not issued any price cuts, nor price protection and we have not announced any for the future. We are conducting some promotions with our AIB partners that enables them to reach such competitive pricing on the Radeon R9 290 and 290X.

KitGuru: For how long these promotions might run?

Richard Huddy: The best news is that we have very healthy stock levels for both the Radeon R9 290 and 290X in the channel and the time to buy is now, with channel promotions bringing such great deals. We’ve got phenomenal products in the market and there’s plenty of it around.

KitGuru: Given your background with game development and some other things, I know you would like to add something… 🙂

Richard Huddy: If you look at competitive offerings, there are no free games, but with our 290X you can choose three of the latest games from the back catalogue. There are around 30 titles right now that you can choose from – and these include some of the latest triple-A games. There is Alien Isolation, for example, which came out last week and that’s already in the bundle. So you can choose from a selection of games that have been out over the last few months.

Talking of performance for a moment, if you look at some of the latest games coming out for example, Sniper Elite 3 it is one of the latest titles that is enabled with Mantle as an API. For example, the Radeon R9 290X is about anywhere between ten or 12 per cent faster than the GeForce GTX 980 when running on Mantle. So if you compare that, you’re getting more performance in the latest games for less money.

KitGuru: Thank you so much, Richard!

amd_radeon_r9_290_1

Final words

AMD claims that it has not cut prices of graphics cards and also does not offer price protection on its Radeon products, yet, they are available at discount prices. It is completely unclear how AMD has managed to do this, but at the moment it is possible to get the AMD Radeon R9 290-series graphics cards with rather significant discounts. If one can get a Radeon R9 290X at the price of a GeForce GTX 970 at a local retailer, the deal seems to be a great one!

The Radeon R9 graphics cards also come with free games and support AMD’s Mantle API that can provide performance boosts in select cases. On the other hand, as Nvidia continues to polish off its drivers and optimize them for the Maxwell architecture, performance of the GeForce GTX 900-series graphics cards will get somewhat higher over time as well.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While we could not get a confirmation from AMD about the price-cuts, we now know that there is a plenty of Radeon R9 290/290X graphics cards in the channel, which need to be sold. Why? Maybe to maintain AMD’s market share going forward (when the stocks deplete to certain levels, resellers start to buy from AMD, which is when market observers register sales), or maybe to prepare for something newer and bigger.

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AMD slashes prices of Radeon R9 graphics cards https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-slashes-prices-of-radeon-r9-graphics-cards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-slashes-prices-of-radeon-r9-graphics-cards/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2014 00:33:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=215433 Advanced Micro Devices has cut down the official recommended prices of its Radeon R9 graphics cards to better compete against Nvidia Corp.’s recently introduced GeForce GTX 970 and 980 graphics cards. Starting from now on, the Radeon R9 290X will cost $399 (down from $549), whereas the Radeon R9 290 will be priced at $299 …

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Advanced Micro Devices has cut down the official recommended prices of its Radeon R9 graphics cards to better compete against Nvidia Corp.’s recently introduced GeForce GTX 970 and 980 graphics cards.

Starting from now on, the Radeon R9 290X will cost $399 (down from $549), whereas the Radeon R9 290 will be priced at $299 (down from $399), reports Wccftech web-site. In the U.K. it is possible to get a Radeon R9 290X for £299.99 at Overclockers.co.uk, but expect prices to decrease going forward. Official prices of the Radeon R9 285 and 280X are also expected to be reduced in order to make the cards more competitive.

The massive price-cuts are expected to help AMD to sell more graphics adapters and fight back market share it lost to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 970 and 980 graphics boards. Thanks to lower prices, AMD’s Radeon R9 graphics cards should offer better price/performance ratio.

amd_radeon_r9_290_1

While the price-cuts will be definitely welcome by the market, it should be noted that many enthusiasts are waiting impatiently for AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards that will bring in new levels of performance. Unfortunately, it is unknown when does AMD plan to introduce its all-new new graphics solutions. In the short-term future AMD is expected to introduce its Radeon R9 285X graphics card that will retail for about $249.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: For $299 the Radeon R9 290 seems to be an excellent choice. It will be interesting to see how Nvidia will react on this and whether a new round of price-war between AMD and Nvidia will begin…

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Radeon R9 285X ‘Tonga XT’ could feature 2048 SPs, 384-bit memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285x-tonga-xt-could-feature-2048-stream-processors-384-bit-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285x-tonga-xt-could-feature-2048-stream-processors-384-bit-memory/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2014 22:59:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=214493 Advanced Micro Devices yet has to unveil its Radeon R9 285X graphics card known as the code-named “Tonga XT”, but certain unofficial sources indicate that the new graphics solution could offer much higher performance than originally thought. The code-named Tonga graphics processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices seemed to be a strange chip when the …

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Advanced Micro Devices yet has to unveil its Radeon R9 285X graphics card known as the code-named “Tonga XT”, but certain unofficial sources indicate that the new graphics solution could offer much higher performance than originally thought.

The code-named Tonga graphics processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices seemed to be a strange chip when the first details about it emerged earlier this year. When AMD officially launched its Radeon R9 285 graphics card, the situation got even more complicated. The new GPU was even slightly larger (359mm² vs. 352mm²) than the one it replaced (code-named Tahiti), however, its performance was on par with the Radeon R9 280, not a breakthrough for the year 2014. According to a newly-released information, the fully-fledged Tonga XT graphics processing unit should be able to leave the Radeon R9 280X behind in terms of performance.

PC Watch reports that the Tonga XT (Radeon R9 285X) in its full configuration features 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units and 384-bit memory bus, just like the Tahiti XT (Radeon R9 280X). It is unclear whether the Tonga XT has 32 raster operating pipelines (ROPs), like its predecessor, or features 48 ROPs in order to offer better performance in high resolutions. Previously it was believed that the Tonga XT features 256-bit memory bus, which could limit performance in certain cases.

amd_radeon_r9_285

Since the Tonga XT is based on the GCN 1.2 architecture, whereas the Tahiti XT is powered by the GCN 1.0 architecture, the newer GPU should naturally outperform its predecessor in a number of cases, especially if they have similar amount of execution units and similar memory bus. The Japanese web-site claims that apart from already mentioned innovations of the GCN 1.2, the new architecture is better suited for heterogeneous computing applications.

If the Radeon R9 285X manages to significantly outperform the Radeon R9 280X, then AMD’s competitive positions on the market of graphics cards should improve a bit. The Radeon R9 280X “Tahiti XT” is about three years old and it does not seem to be a truly innovative solution anymore.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What is completely unclear is the reason why AMD decided to configure the Radeon R9 285 in a way that it does not really outperform its predecessor, the Radeon R9 280. The novelty does have a number of advantages over its ancestor , but AMD has never really advertised advantages of the GCN 1.2 and buyers are hardly aware of them.

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Nvidia to cut price of GeForce GTX 770 to fight Radeon R9 285 https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/nvidia-to-cut-price-of-geforce-gtx-770-to-compete-against-radeon-r9-285/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/nvidia-to-cut-price-of-geforce-gtx-770-to-compete-against-radeon-r9-285/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2014 22:58:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=210406 Based on previous reports, Nvidia Corp.’s next-generation GeForce GTX 960 graphics card is over a month away from its launch. However, the company needs to respond to the release of AMD’s Radeon R9 285 graphics board somehow. According to a media report, the GPU designer decided to significantly cut the price of its GeForce GTX …

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Based on previous reports, Nvidia Corp.’s next-generation GeForce GTX 960 graphics card is over a month away from its launch. However, the company needs to respond to the release of AMD’s Radeon R9 285 graphics board somehow. According to a media report, the GPU designer decided to significantly cut the price of its GeForce GTX 770 in order to maintain market share.

At present Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 costs around $325 – $350 in the U.S., which is considerably higher compared to reference AMD Radeon R9 285 graphics cards, which retail for $249. In order to respond to both the Radeon R9 285 and the incoming Radeon R9 285X, Nvidia plans to cut the price of the GTX 770 to around $275, which is on par with prices of factory-overclocked Radeon R9 285 solutions, reports TechPowerUp.

The GeForce GTX 770 is essentially an improved version of the 2.5 years old GeForce GTX 680 graphics board with 1536 stream processors, 128 texture units, 32 raster output units and 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus. While the solution is clearly somewhat outdated, it still delivers solid performance that is at least on par with the Radeon R9 280X.

nvidia_geforce_gtx_770

Without any doubts, the GeForce GTX 770 is a very strong rival for the Radeon R9 285. The solution used to compete successfully with much more powerful Radeon HD 7970/Radeon R9 280X graphics boards, so if Nvidia’s partners really drop the price of the GTX 770 to $275, AMD will have to reconsider its strategies regarding prices.

Back in the second quarter of 2014 the total available market of standalone graphics cards decreased to 11.5 million units, according to Jon Peddie Research. AMD’s quarter-to-quarter total desktop add-in-board unit shipments decreased 10.7 per cent, whereas Nvidia’s quarter-to-quarter unit shipments decreased 21 per cent, JPR claims. Nonetheless, Nvidia continued to hold a dominant market share position at 62 per cent. Based on these numbers, AMD should get more aggressive with its prices to win market share from its rival.

Nvidia did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If Nvidia plans to drop the price of the GeForce GTX 770 to $275 right now, then the actual rival for the Radeon R9 285 – the GeForce GTX 960 – is still pretty far away from the market. The likely price of the GeForce GTX 960 is $249. Given that the prices of the GTX 770 and 760 seem to be similar this may mean that their performance will not be too different too…

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Sapphire debuts Radeon R9 285 for ultra-small PCs https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sapphire-debuts-radeon-r9-285-for-ultra-small-pcs/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sapphire-debuts-radeon-r9-285-for-ultra-small-pcs/#comments Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:11:51 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209690 There is a clear trend towards small form-factor (SFF) personal computers on the market. Thanks to high-performance low-power processors and solid-state drives, even small PCs can deliver high performance even in demanding general-purpose applications. However, when it comes to games and high-performance graphics cards, there is always a trade-off between physical size and performance. Fortunately, …

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There is a clear trend towards small form-factor (SFF) personal computers on the market. Thanks to high-performance low-power processors and solid-state drives, even small PCs can deliver high performance even in demanding general-purpose applications. However, when it comes to games and high-performance graphics cards, there is always a trade-off between physical size and performance. Fortunately, Sapphire Technology decided to put an end to this, at least to a certain degree.

This week Sapphire introduced its Radeon R9 285 ITX compact OC edition 2GB GDDR5 graphics card, which was designed specifically for small form-factor PCs. As the name implies, the novelty is powered by AMD’s code-named “Tonga” graphics processor featuring the GCN 1.2 architecture as well as 1792 stream processors, 112 texture units, 32 render output units and 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface.

The Sapphire R9 285 ITX compact OC edition has almost similar clock-rates as AMD’s reference design (928MHz for GPU and 5.5GHz for memory), hence, it provides similar performance while being considerably smaller than competing solutions. It should be noted that the R9 285 ITX compact OC edition graphics card features a two-slot cooling system. While the board itself could be installed into many SFF PCs, it should be noted that it can consume rather huger amount of energy (up to 190W, according to AMD), thus, a fine power supply unit is a must.

sapphire_radeon_r9_285_itx

Separately, Sapphire introduced this week two other products based on the Radeon R9 285. The Sapphire R9 285 Dual-X sports the company’s advanced Dual-X cooling system featuring two aero-foil fans and a set of heat-pipes, but default 918MHz/5.5GHz clock rates. The R9 285 OC model features the enhanced frequencies of 965MHz for the GPU and 5.6GHz for memory.

All three graphics boards will be available starting the 2nd of September, 2014, worldwide. Prices will vary depending on the region.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Sapphire Radeon R9 285 ITX compact OC edition seems like a really interesting graphics card for owners of SFF systems.

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Key features of AMD’s third iteration of GCN architecture revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/key-features-of-amds-third-iteration-of-gcn-architecture-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/key-features-of-amds-third-iteration-of-gcn-architecture-revealed/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2014 22:57:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209426 As reported, the code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices is powered by a new version of AMD’s graphics core next (GCN) architecture, but few details about it have been revealed so far. Thanks to sources with knowledge of the matter, the key improvements of the third iteration of AMD’s GCN are now …

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As reported, the code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices is powered by a new version of AMD’s graphics core next (GCN) architecture, but few details about it have been revealed so far. Thanks to sources with knowledge of the matter, the key improvements of the third iteration of AMD’s GCN are now more or less clear.

The third-generation GCN (we may call it GCN 1.2) architecture will support everything supported by the previous iterations of the architecture, including DirectX 11.2/OpenGL 4.3/OpenCL 1.1 capabilities, CrossFire XDMA multi-GPU technology, AMD TrueAudio technology and other, but will have a number of important innovations designed to improve performance and efficiency.

amd_radeon_r9_285

The list of main GCN 1.2’s advances looks as follows:

  • One of the key features of the third-generation GCN is updated instruction set architecture (ISA). While there are not a lot of details available at the moment, expect the “Tonga” and other GPUs based on the GCN 1.2 to support certain new capabilities that improve its overall efficiency when it comes to computing.
  • Another thing featured by the new GCN is yet again improved tessellation/geometry processing performance. It is unclear whether AMD redesigned its geometry processors in general, or just increased their amount, but tessellation should work better on the GCN 1.2 compared to previous-gen GPUs.
  • To reduce requirements for memory bandwidth and improve performance in high resolutions, the GCN 1.2 supports delta colour compression. The latter is an image compression technique that encodes a row of pixels by replacing their colour information with values that represent difference between subsequent pixels (e.g. if one pixel in RGB format is 255:0:0, the other one is 255:1:1, the third one is 255:2:0, then with delta compression the sequence can be represented as 255:0:0, 0:1:1, 0:1:-1).
  • The GCN 1.2-based GPUs will also feature a new multimedia engine – which comprises of universal video decoder 6.0 (UVD 6) and video encoder engine 3.1 (VCE 3.1) technologies – as well as a new high-quality scaler for video. There is no word about support for ultra-high-definition (UVD) video codecs, such as H.265/HEVC or VP9, so it looks like the new GPUs will not support them.

The first graphics card based on the “Tonga” GPU and the GCN 1.2 architecture will be the Radeon R9 285 (1792 stream processors, 112 texture units, 32 raster operating units, 256-bit memory bus). It will hit the market on the 2nd of September, 2014, and will have a recommended price of $249.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The GCN 1.2 looks very promising on paper. It will be interesting to learn about all of its innovations in-depth…

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AMD introduces ‘Tonga’ GPU, Radeon R9 285 graphics cards https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-introduces-tonga-gpu-radeon-r9-285-graphics-cards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-introduces-tonga-gpu-radeon-r9-285-graphics-cards/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2014 03:17:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=208878 Advanced Micro Devices has officially introduced its new Radeon R9 285 graphics card as well as the code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit. The new graphics card will cost $249 and is projected to deliver performance akin to that of the Radeon R9 280. The AMD Radeon R9 285 based on the Tonga Pro GPU features …

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Advanced Micro Devices has officially introduced its new Radeon R9 285 graphics card as well as the code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit. The new graphics card will cost $249 and is projected to deliver performance akin to that of the Radeon R9 280.

The AMD Radeon R9 285 based on the Tonga Pro GPU features 1792 stream processors, 112 texture units, 32 raster operating units as well as 256-bit memory interface. The graphics chip is clocked at 918MHz, whereas recommended GDDR5 memory frequency is 5.50GHz. The graphics card requires two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors and consumes up to 190W, according to AMD. The Radeon R9 285 with 2GB or 4GB RAM will become available on the 2nd of September, 2014, for $249.

Later on AMD plans to release its Radeon R9 285X that will feature Tonga XT graphics processing unit with up to 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units and presumably higher clock-rates.

amd_radeon_r9_285

AMD’s code-named “Tonga” graphics processor is based a new incarnation of the GCN [graphics core next] architecture. The GPU supports DirectX 11.2 capabilities, Eyefinity, TrueAudio and other technologies supported by other AMD graphics chips.

The “Tonga” GPU is not designed to offer leading-edge performance, but to power performance-mainstream graphics cards that should be competitive in terms of price.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The “Tonga” GPU is basically a cheaper version of the good-old “Tahiti” graphics chip that costs a little less to manufacture and which has lower memory bandwidth. If you already own a Radeon R9 280/R9 280X or a Radeon HD 7950/7970, then the Radeon R9 285/285X are not for you.

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AMD Radeon R9 285 ‘Tonga’ to hit shelves in early September https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285-tonga-to-hit-shelves-in-early-september/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285-tonga-to-hit-shelves-in-early-september/#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2014 22:56:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=208360 Advanced Micro Devices plans to release the first details regarding its new code-named “Tonga” graphics processing units already this week and start to sell the Radeon R9 285 graphics cards based on the new GPU in early September, according to a new media report. AMD intends to reveal some preliminary information about the Radeon R9 …

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Advanced Micro Devices plans to release the first details regarding its new code-named “Tonga” graphics processing units already this week and start to sell the Radeon R9 285 graphics cards based on the new GPU in early September, according to a new media report.

AMD intends to reveal some preliminary information about the Radeon R9 285 graphics boards and the “Tonga” GPU during a special event called “Celebrating 30 Years of Graphics & Gaming at AMD” that will take place on Saturday, the 23rd of August, 2014, at 10:00AM EDT/9:00AM CDT/7:00AM PDT/2:00PM GMT/3:00PM U.K. time. The show will commemorate achievements of ATI Technologies (which AMD acquired in 2006) as well as AMD in the field of computer graphics. The event will be hosted by AMD’s chief gaming scientist, Richard Huddy, and will be broadcasted live.

At present it is unclear which details about Tonga does AMD plan to reveal at its show, but it is likely that the event will cover AMD’s vision for the future of computer graphics in general. VideoCardz web-site reports that all the information about AMD Radeon R9 285 graphics cards and the “Tonga” graphics processors will be revealed on the 2nd of September, 2014. On the same date sales of the Radeon R9 285 products will begin.

amd_radeon_graphics_artwork

Earlier it was reported, based on unofficial revelations, that AMD’s code-named Tonga silicon features 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units, 32 raster operating units and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus. In general, the graphics solution is expected to offer similar processing capabilities as the fully-fledged Tahiti XT (Radeon R9 280X, Radeon HD 7970), but lower memory bandwidth. The Tonga GPU is expected to be based on a new iteration of the GCN [graphics core next] architecture with some new features and capabilities.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it will be interesting to see what Tonga GPU is all about, it will be even more interesting to see where computer graphics and graphics processing architectures are heading in general. Tune in to AMD’s webcast on Saturday to find out!

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AMD Radeon R9 285 ‘Tonga’ graphics cards pictured https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285-tonga-graphic-cards-pictured/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-285-tonga-graphic-cards-pictured/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2014 23:05:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=206882 The first pictures of what is claimed to be AMD Radeon R9 285 graphics cards have been posted online along with some additional information about the new graphics processing unit code-named Tonga. The publication of the images indicates that the graphics cards will be released shortly from now. VideoCardz web-site has published press photos of …

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The first pictures of what is claimed to be AMD Radeon R9 285 graphics cards have been posted online along with some additional information about the new graphics processing unit code-named Tonga. The publication of the images indicates that the graphics cards will be released shortly from now.

VideoCardz web-site has published press photos of AMD Radeon R9 285 graphics cards from Sapphire, XFX and HIS. All graphics cards utilise coolers developed by the aforementioned companies, but it is unclear whether designs of printed-circuit boards (PCBs) were also developed by them.

XFX-Radeon-R9-285-VideoCardz_jpg-1

The graphics cards seem to be rather short, which confirms that the code-named Tonga GPUs are not very power hungry and thus do not require sophisticated power supply circuitry. Nonetheless, all graphics cards feature two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors and use rather advanced coolers with heat-pipes, which means that the GPU still needs a lot of energy (up to 225W in theory) and is pretty hot.

HIS-Radeon-R9-285-Mini-VideoCardz-1

While exact specifications of the Radeon R9 285 are unclear, it is known that the graphics cards will come with 2GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 5.5GHz. It is strange that memory bandwidth of the Radeon R9 285 – 176GB/s – is lower compared to that of the Radeon R9 280 and the Radeon R9 280X graphics boards. Given lower memory bandwidth, it is unclear whether the R9 285 will actually be faster compared to the R9 280/R9 280X.

Sapphire-Radeon-R9-285-DualX-VideoCardz-2

Earlier it was reported that AMD’s code-named Tonga silicon features 2048 stream processors, 128 texture units, 32 raster operating units and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus. In general, the graphics solution is expected to offer similar processing capabilities as the fully-fledged Tahiti XT (Radeon R9 280X, Radeon HD 7970), but lower memory bandwidth.

XFX-Radeon-R9-285-VideoCardz_jpg-2

It was also reported that AMD’s new graphics processors due out this year are based on a fresh incarnation of the GCN [graphics core next] architecture, which could be called the “new GCN” (some call it GCN 1.2 or even GCN 2.0). Previously it was rumoured that the new GCN would support a number of enhancements related to heterogeneous system architecture (HSA), including GPU compute context switch as well as GPU graphics pre-emption, something that is already supported by the Kaveri accelerated processing unit. The Tonga GPU supports DirectX 11.2, Eyefinity, TrueAudio and other technologies.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While everything is more or less clear about the Radeon R9 285 and the Tonga GPU, the fate of AMD’s high-end 28nm GPU due this year is completely uncertain. Traditionally both AMD and Nvidia tend to unveil “halo” high-end GPUs first and then follow with performance-mainstream products. For some reason this time AMD decided to roll-out the performance-mainstream part first.

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