Radeon R9 390X | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 14 Jul 2015 09:29:35 +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 Radeon R9 390X | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 AMD Radeon 2015 roadmap leaks: Whole lineup now revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-2015-roadmap-leaks-whole-lineup-now-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-2015-roadmap-leaks-whole-lineup-now-revealed/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2015 22:29:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253645 A web-site has published a slide that reveals AMD’s graphics products lineup that will be available later this year. The image does not only unveil the names and positioning of AMD’s upcoming Radeon solutions, but also code-names of the new graphics processing units from the company. If the slide published by VideoCardz is genuine, then …

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A web-site has published a slide that reveals AMD’s graphics products lineup that will be available later this year. The image does not only unveil the names and positioning of AMD’s upcoming Radeon solutions, but also code-names of the new graphics processing units from the company.

If the slide published by VideoCardz is genuine, then AMD’s new lineup of graphics adapters will consist of seven new models based on various graphics processing units. The flagship products based on the code-named “Fiji XT” and “Fiji Pro” graphics processors will not formally belong to the Radeon R9 300-series. Previously it was reported that the new boards will carry the Radeon Fury brand-name. It is noteworthy that the new Radeon Fury graphics cards based on the “Fiji” GPUs will be available a little later than the members of the Radeon R9 300-series, which may indicate that the new flagship products will not hit the market right after formal announcement of the 16th of June.

The high-end Radeon R9 390 and R9 390X will be based on the “Grenada” graphics processing units, which are claimed to be improved versions of the “Hawaii” chips with higher clock-rates and revamped architecture. Both boards will carry 8GB of memory and will cost $329 and $389, respectively, according to WccfTech. Higher clock-rates of GPU and memory will help the new cards to offer performance that will be higher than that of Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 970, but it is unclear how the Radeon R9 390-series will compare against GeForce GTX 980.

amd_radeon_roadmap_2015

AMD also plans to introduce Radeon R9 380 with 4GB of memory based on the code-named “Antigua” chip also known as “Tonga Pro”. The product is expected to cost $235. In addition, AMD wants to offer Radeon R9 380 with 2GB of memory for $195.

AMD also intends to roll-out Radeon R7 370 and Radeon R7 360 based on the “Pitcairn” and “Bonaire” graphics processors, which have been available for years. The outdated GPUs will address $100 – $175 market segment. Keeping in mind that graphics boards based on the “Pitcairn” and “Bonaire” GPUs have been available for years, it is unlikely that the new Radeon R7 will actually get popular. People who wanted them have already bought such boards.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: Although AMD’s Radeon R9 390-series graphics adapters may actually be rather competitive, it is obvious that they are late. AMD needed to respond to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 970 and 980 last September, but decided to cut prices of existing solutions, not offer anything new.

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AMD teases ‘Fiji’, but refuses to reveal ‘Fury’ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-teases-fiji-but-refuses-to-reveal-fury/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-teases-fiji-but-refuses-to-reveal-fury/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 07:30:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252659 At a press conference at the Computex trade-show Advanced Micro Devices has officially demonstrated its first graphics processing unit with high bandwidth memory (HBM) code-named “Fiji”, which is set to power AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card known unofficially as the Radeon Fury X. But while the company did show its “Fiji” chip, it did not …

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At a press conference at the Computex trade-show Advanced Micro Devices has officially demonstrated its first graphics processing unit with high bandwidth memory (HBM) code-named “Fiji”, which is set to power AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card known unofficially as the Radeon Fury X. But while the company did show its “Fiji” chip, it did not want to show the “Fury” card, reports Leo Waldock, a KitGuru editor, from Taipei.

amd_radeon_fiji
AMD “Fiji” graphics processing unit is held by Lisa Su, chief executive of AMD. Photo by WccfTech

Leo arrived at Nangang at 9am and was told the floor was closed to the Press until 9:30am. He took the opportunity to head up to Sapphire, who were in a separate room, so he could say hello and grab a chair. At the Sapphire booth, Leo bumped into Ron Myers, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Marketing at AMD. Ron is a big guy in every sense of the word and only slightly intimidating.

Earlier AMD waved a “Fiji” chip around on stage. They refused to give its name but the unnamed chip had four stacks of HBM so it was “Fiji”, no question.

AMD is showing a running and apparently fully working version of “Fiji” to customers but not to the Press, so Leo asked Ron if he might relent. They both knew the other side of the Sapphire NDA door was the card Leo wanted to see, so Leo asked if he could see the card and take photos.

“How about static without performance?” Leo asked.

“No,” said Ron, and that was the end of that.

sapphire_nda_demo
The closed door

While it was impossible to take photos of the AMD Radeon Fury X, Leo tried to discuss some aspects of the flagship graphics card that only features 4GB of memory (compared to 12GB on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX Titan X). His question about the 4*1GB limit was side-stepped so it is unclear whether AMD could install 8GB of HBM if they choose. A natural guess is they cannot. Ron Myers assured that 4GB of high bandwidth memory is plenty for 4K gaming so it is not just a question of the amount of memory, but also the speed and bandwidth. Put it another way, the requirement for 8GB (or whatever) is in combination with the current, slower bandwidth.

Apparently, AMD wants to build the marketing impetus for the 16th of June, when the first reviews hit the Web, or the 24th, when the graphics cards hit the stores. The problem is, many aspects about the graphics board are already known: it has 4GB of memory, it has short printed circuit board, it requires two 8-pin PCI Express power connectors, it is power hungry (may consume up to 375W of power), it uses hybrid liquid cooling system, etc. The main intrigue about the AMD Radeon Fury X graphics board is its performance. Obviously, a static image of the product cannot reveal any performance details. Moreover, an image of the graphics card itself was recently published by Johan Andersson, technical director of Frostbite at Electronic Arts, in a Twitter post.

amd_radeon_fiji_unofficial
Image of AMD Radeon Fury X published by Johan Andersson

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KitGuru Says: It is hard to understand why AMD is not prepared to show “Fiji” to the Press. During the conversation Leo called the chip both “Fiji” and “Fury” and Ron did not blink, so we know that it is the correct name.

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The name of flagship AMD Radeon revealed: Fury is back https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/the-name-of-flagship-amd-radeon-revealed-fury-is-back/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/the-name-of-flagship-amd-radeon-revealed-fury-is-back/#comments Sat, 30 May 2015 00:50:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251878 AMD’s next next-generation flagship Radeon graphics card will be the world’s first add-in-board to use stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that will ensure unprecedented performance and will open a number of new doors for graphics adapters. It is rather ironic that for a graphics card that shows the future of GPUs, AMD has reportedly decided to …

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AMD’s next next-generation flagship Radeon graphics card will be the world’s first add-in-board to use stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that will ensure unprecedented performance and will open a number of new doors for graphics adapters. It is rather ironic that for a graphics card that shows the future of GPUs, AMD has reportedly decided to use a name from the past.

In a bid to emphasize that its next-generation flagship Radeon graphics adapter based on the code-named “Fiji” graphics processing unit is a very special product, Advanced Micro Devices plans to assign a special name to it, not a model number. The new top-of-the-range graphics board from the company will reportedly be called AMD Radeon Fury, which should imply how furiously fast the new GPU is.

AMD’s flagship Radeon Fury “Fiji XT” graphics processing unit is reportedly based on the revamped GCN 1.3 architecture and integrates 4096 stream processors (64 compute units), 256 texture units as well as all-new memory controller to support vertically stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface. The top-of-the-line Radeon graphics adapter is expected to carry 4GB or 8GB of HBM memory with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate). The Radeon Fury graphics card will feature a hybrid liquid cooling system and will require two 8-pin PCI Express power connectors.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

The AMD Radeon Fury reminds of ATI Rage Fury, a popular graphics card for gamers from ATI Technologies in 1998. The add-in board was among the first graphics adapters to feature 32MB of SDRAM, but it was not nearly as popular as 3dfx Voodoo or Nvidia Riva TNT. While it did demonstrate great performance in 32-bit colour mode, it was not a dream graphics solution and certainly was not a legend.

It is interesting to note that the dual-chip Radeon Fury Maxx launched in 1999 introduced the alternate frame rendering multi-GPU technique to the consumer market, but received a bad reputation for poor drivers and lag issues. Nowadays all multi-GPU sub-systems use AFR method of multi-GPU rendering.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: The Radeon Fury is definitely a nice name. Moreover, many experienced gamers will clearly remember good-old days of 1998 – 1999 as well as the ATI Rage Fury and the ATI Rage Fury Pro graphics cards (which were actually manufactured by ATI in Canada back then!). But the key to success of AMD’s new flagship is not nostalgia. They keys to success are actual performance in video games, price and availability. Will AMD Radeon Fury deliver? Let’s wait and see! In the meantime, let's think, what variations of AMD Radeon Fury we can expect from Advanced Micro Devices. The dual-chip could be called Radeon Fury Maxx, whereas a slightly slower version could carry the name Radeon Fury Pro…

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AMD’s new flagship Radeon ‘Fiji XT’ pictured: moderate size, LCS https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-next-gen-flagship-radeon-fiji-xt-pictured-moderate-size-hybrid-cooler/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-next-gen-flagship-radeon-fiji-xt-pictured-moderate-size-hybrid-cooler/#comments Sat, 23 May 2015 01:16:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250824 Johan Andersson, technical director of Frostbite at Electronic Arts, has published a picture of AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card code-named “Fiji XT” in a Twitter post. The new top-of-the-range AMD Radeon graphics solution does not look like graphics cards available today. As it appears, the new enthusiast-class AMD Radeon “Fiji XT” graphics adapter will use a closed-loop …

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Johan Andersson, technical director of Frostbite at Electronic Arts, has published a picture of AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card code-named “Fiji XT” in a Twitter post. The new top-of-the-range AMD Radeon graphics solution does not look like graphics cards available today.

As it appears, the new enthusiast-class AMD Radeon “Fiji XT” graphics adapter will use a closed-loop hybrid liquid cooling solution that is supposed to ensure quiet operation and maximum efficiency. The board will no longer support DVI connectors and will only feature DisplayPort and HDMI outputs.

The new top-of-the-range Radeon graphics adapter will not be very long, like today’s high-end graphics cards from AMD or Nvidia Corp. In fact, the length of the graphics card seems to be comparable to the length of ATI Technologies’ advanced graphics adapters that were available a decade ago. Therefore, it will be possible to build a very high-performance small form-factor gaming PC using a “Fiji XT” with liquid cooler.

amd_radeon_fiji_unofficial

AMD’s flagship Radeon “Fiji XT” graphics processing unit is reportedly based on the revamped GCN 1.3 architecture and integrates 4096 stream processors (64 compute units), 256 texture units as well as all-new memory controller to support vertically stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface. The top-of-the-range Radeon graphics adapter is expected to carry 4GB or 8GB of HBM memory with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate).

Mr. Andersson did not reveal any additional information regarding the upcoming flagship graphics card from AMD,

“This new island is one seriously impressive and sweet GPU,” said the game programmer.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Tweets like the one made by Johan Andersson are clearly sanctioned by AMD and are intended to attract attention to the product. In fact, the amount of teases – both official and unofficial – that AMD and its partners have made regarding “Fiji XT” is quite overwhelming. Let’s just hope that performance of the product will be a breakthrough.

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AMD’s flagship ‘Fiji XT’ to use new branding and cost $849 – rumours https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-flagship-fiji-xt-to-use-new-branding-and-cost-849-rumours/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-flagship-fiji-xt-to-use-new-branding-and-cost-849-rumours/#comments Tue, 19 May 2015 22:59:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250180 The next-generation top-of-the-range AMD Radeon graphics card may no longer carry a model number, but will introduce a new brand akin to Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce Titan, according to a media report. The highest-performing single-chip graphics adapter is also rumoured to cost unprecedented amount of money for an AMD single-GPU solution. In a bid to emphasize …

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The next-generation top-of-the-range AMD Radeon graphics card may no longer carry a model number, but will introduce a new brand akin to Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce Titan, according to a media report. The highest-performing single-chip graphics adapter is also rumoured to cost unprecedented amount of money for an AMD single-GPU solution.

In a bid to emphasize extreme performance of its next-generation flagship graphics solution based on the code-named “Fiji” graphics processing unit and 8GB of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), AMD will not call it the “Radeon R9 390X,” but will introduce a separate branding akin to Intel’s Extreme Edition or Nvidia’s Titan, reports SweClockers. Back in the days ATI Technologies offered Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition, which featured improved performance compared to the Radeon X800 XT, but had the same GPU configuration.

At present it is unclear how many “Fiji”-based graphics card models AMD intends to release, but previously it was reported about three solutions with different GPU configurations, cooling systems, performance and prices.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

Fudzilla reports AMD’s new top-of-the-range graphics card will cost $849. If AMD releases three “Fiji”-based graphics adapters, then it can sell the highest-performing product in the lineup for $849. However, if the number of solutions in the lineup will be limited to two, then it will be rather hard to successfully position them while selling one for $849.

AMD’s “Fiji XT” GPU is reportedly based on the revamped GCN 1.3 architecture and integrates 4096 stream processors (64 compute units), 256 texture units as well as all-new memory controller to support vertically stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface. The top-of-the-range Radeon is projected to feature 8GB of HBM memory with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate).

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it makes some sense to introduce a rival for Nvidia’s GeForce GTX Titan X with a loud name, in a bid to actually re-capture market share, AMD will still need both Radeon R9 390X and Radeon R9 390 that do not cost nearly $850. Therefore, we are likely to see three graphic cards based on AMD’s code-named “Fiji” GPU.

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AMD to start actual sales of Radeon R9 300-series in mid- and late-June https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-start-actual-sales-of-next-gen-radeon-r9-300-series-in-mid-and-late-june/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-start-actual-sales-of-next-gen-radeon-r9-300-series-in-mid-and-late-june/#comments Wed, 13 May 2015 02:11:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249187 Advanced Micro Devices plans to formally unveil its new family of graphics adapters at the Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show in early June, but the actual sales of its new graphics adapters are expected to start later next month. AMD’s partners will begin to sell Radeon R9 380, R9 370 and R7 360 graphics cards as …

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Advanced Micro Devices plans to formally unveil its new family of graphics adapters at the Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show in early June, but the actual sales of its new graphics adapters are expected to start later next month.

AMD’s partners will begin to sell Radeon R9 380, R9 370 and R7 360 graphics cards as well as their derivatives on the 18th of June, 2015. The flagship products – the AMD Radeon R9 390-series – will hit the market on the 24th of June, 2015, reports BenchLife web-site citing undisclosed sources.

Developers of graphics cards often begin selling their latest products a couple of weeks after official announcements. A slight delay with the Radeon R9 390-series introduction will hardly harm its sales.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

As reported, the new flagship graphics solutions from AMD – the Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards – are based on the code-named “Fiji” graphics processing unit. The GPU reportedly features revamped GCN 1.3 architecture and integrates 4096 stream processors (64 compute units), 256 texture units as well as all-new memory controller to support vertically stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface. The top-of-the-range Radeon R9 390X is expected to feature 8GB of HBM memory with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate).

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It has taken AMD quite a long time to prepare the world’s first graphics card with HBM memory, but it looks like the company is on the home straight now.

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Supply of AMD Radeon R9 390-series may be constrained – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/supply-of-amd-radeon-r9-390-series-may-be-constrained-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/supply-of-amd-radeon-r9-390-series-may-be-constrained-report/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:02:55 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=246173 Supply of next-generation AMD Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards is expected to be very short initially. A media report suggests that the main reason behind supply constraints is limited availability of high-bandwidth memory made by SK Hynix. Even though Advanced Micro Devices taped out its code-named “Fiji” graphics processor that powers the Radeon R9 390-series …

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Supply of next-generation AMD Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards is expected to be very short initially. A media report suggests that the main reason behind supply constraints is limited availability of high-bandwidth memory made by SK Hynix.

Even though Advanced Micro Devices taped out its code-named “Fiji” graphics processor that powers the Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards in the middle of 2014 and currently its yields should be high, there is a major problem, which could hamper availability of such adapters: yields of high-bandwidth memory at SK Hynix. According to a report from TweakTown, there will not be enough memory available to fulfill AMD’s needs in the coming months.

amd_radeon_r9_295x2_295_x2_1

The first-generation HBM (HBM1) stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit channels per die on a base logic die using through silicon vias (TSV), which results into a memory device with a 1024-bit interface. The first-gen HBM stacks are made using proven 29nm (which SK Hynix calls “2xnm”) process technology. High-bandwidth memory comes in HBM 4Hi stack (4 high stack) packages, which are tested by SK Hynix before shipments. Each HBM 4Hi stack is placed on an interposer next to the graphics processing unit, a process that has not been used for graphics cards before.

It is unclear whether yields of HBM memory is the only problem that affects availability of AMD’s Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards, or there is a combination of problems that involves HBM, usage of interposer, testing procedure of multi-die devices and so on.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_1

AMD Radeon R9 390-series graphics adapters will be the first add-in-boards to utilize HBM memory. The new graphics processing unit from AMD reportedly packs 4096 stream processors/64 compute units, 256 texture mapping units and has a 4096-bit memory interface. The Radeon R9 390’s memory bus operates at up to 1.25Gb/s data-rate (1.25GHz effective DDR frequency) and delivers massive 640GB/s memory bandwidth.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If AMD really has problems with production of its Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards, then it explains why the company wants to release the whole lineup of next-gen adapters at once. On the other hand, the company itself expects its GPU market share to increase after it releases its new graphics solution. If AMD cannot ship enough graphics cards, then its market share will drop, not increase.

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AMD reiterates plans to introduce new Radeon R9 300 GPUs in June https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-reiterates-plans-to-introduce-new-radeon-r9-300-series-gpus-in-june/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-reiterates-plans-to-introduce-new-radeon-r9-300-series-gpus-in-june/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2015 10:28:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=245701 Advanced Micro Devices has reiterated plans to start high volume shipments of new graphics products and accelerated processing units later in this quarter with meaningful revenue contribution starting in the second half of the year. As reported, AMD is set to officially release its new lineup of GPUs in June. Because of weak demand for …

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Advanced Micro Devices has reiterated plans to start high volume shipments of new graphics products and accelerated processing units later in this quarter with meaningful revenue contribution starting in the second half of the year. As reported, AMD is set to officially release its new lineup of GPUs in June.

Because of weak demand for personal computers, AMD’s issues with channel inventory as well as competitive positions of its products, shipments of AMD microprocessors and graphics processing units have been dropping for about a year now. Moreover, AMD’s CPU and GPU market shares have been decreasing for many quarters in a row as well. As a result, the primary tasks for AMD’s management is to boost sales and improve positions on the market. According to the chief exec of the company, this is exactly what AMD plans to do in the second half of the year after launching “Carizzo” accelerated processing units, Godavari (Kaveri Refresh) APUs and all-new Radeon graphics processors in the late second quarter.

“As we go into the second half of the year, we would like to see some regain of share in both the desktop and the notebook business,” said Lisa Su, chief executive officer of AMD, in the company’s quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts. “I talked about Carrizo being a strong product for us, I talked about some of our graphics launches that we will talk about later this quarter.”

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

As reported, AMD plans to officially introduce its new Radeon 9 300-series graphics processors in June, around the Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show. According to sources with knowledge of AMD plans, this time the company will take a rather untraditional approach to introduction. Instead of unveiling numerous new graphics cards one after another, the company is going to reveal the whole family at once. As reported, the new series will contain both new and old graphics processing units.

Based on media reports and sources with knowledge of AMD’s plans, it is expected that the Radeon R9 300-series family will contain three all new graphics processors: Fiji, Grenada (improved Hawaii) and Trinidad. In addition, some forecast that AMD to finally use Tonga XT chip with all compute units/stream processors activated.

Here is the compilation of what we do know about the Radeon R9 300-series range so far (please keep in mind that not all model numbers and specifications may be accurate):

  • AMD Radeon R9 390/390X – Fiji Pro/Fiji XT graphics processing units featuring GCN 1.3 architecture with up to 4096 stream processors and 4096-bit interface to HBM memory. Price range: $649 and upwards.
  • AMD Radeon R9 380/380X – Grenada Pro/Grenada XT graphics processing units featuring GCN 1.2 or GCN 1.3 architecture with up to 2816 stream processors and 512-bit interface to GDDR5 memory. Price range: $249 – $299 – $329. Since “Grenada” GPU is basically a revamped “Hawaii”, it is possible that instead of making a new GPU, AMD will simply use the old one under a new moniker.
  • AMD Radeon R9 375X – Tonga XT graphics processing units featuring GCN 1.2 architecture with up to 2048 stream processors and 384-bit interface to GDDR5 memory. Price range: around $229.
  • AMD Radeon R9 375 – Tonga Pro graphics processing units featuring GCN 1.2 architecture with up to 1792 stream processors and 256-bit interface to GDDR5 memory. Price range: around $199.
  • AMD Radeon R9 370/370X – Trinidad Pro/Trinidad XT graphics processing units featuring GCN 1.3 architecture with up to 1536 stream processors and 256-bit interface to GDDR5 memory. Price range: $119 – $149.

The situation with the upcoming Radeon R7 300-series look less clear. On the one hand, AMD could continue offering its code-named “Curacao” graphics processing units for Radeon R7 360-series graphics cards, but the company could also introduce something powered by the GCN 1.2 or the GCN 1.3 for the price range of around $100.

amd_radeon_graphics_artwork

If the compiled information about the new Radeon R9 lineup is correct, then AMD’s positions in the second half of this year will be somewhat better than today. Still, given that the market is very competitive, a lot depends on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 900-series refresh plans. Nonetheless, AMD remains optimistic about its future products.

“I think from the standpoint of being able to capture more of the market and increase more to where our normal shares are in graphics, I think that something that we believe we can make progress towards,” said Ms. Su.

AMD did not comment on the potential Radeon R9 300-series lineup.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see how successful will the new Radeon R9 300-series family be. Releasing one new graphics card after another ensures that every GPU receives a lot of attention from the media. When AMD launches the whole lineup at once, the press concentrates on the flagship product and hardly covers mainstream offerings. As a consequence, some customers may never learn about AMD’s new offerings in the $100 – $200 range.

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SK Hynix demos HBM2 memory ICs, opens way for 32GB graphics cards https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sk-hynix-demos-hbm2-memory-chips-opens-way-for-32gb-graphics-cards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sk-hynix-demos-hbm2-memory-chips-opens-way-for-32gb-graphics-cards/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:36:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=240939 SK Hynix has demonstrated a wafer with second-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) at the CeBIT trade-show in Hannover, Germany. The new memory chips will emerge on the market sometimes next year and will increase memory bandwidth and memory capacities for graphics cards and other applications. The first-generation HBM (HBM1) stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit …

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SK Hynix has demonstrated a wafer with second-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) at the CeBIT trade-show in Hannover, Germany. The new memory chips will emerge on the market sometimes next year and will increase memory bandwidth and memory capacities for graphics cards and other applications.

The first-generation HBM (HBM1) stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit channels per die on a base logic die, which results into a memory device with a 1024-bit interface. Each channel supports 1Gb capacities (2Gb per die), features 8 banks and can operate at 1Gb/s – 1.25Gb/s data-rates (1GHz – 1.25GHz effective DDR frequency). As a result, each HBM 4Hi stack (4 high stack) package can provide 1GB capacity and 128GB/s – 160GB/s memory bandwidth. The first-gen HBM stacks are made using 29nm (which SK Hynix calls “2xnm”) process technology. While even the first-generation HBM can enable graphics cards with up to 8GB (with the help of dual-link interposing) of memory and 640GB/s of bandwidth, it will not be enough for the future.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_2

The second-generation HBM (HBM2) greatly expands capabilities of the high-bandwidth memory in general and will evolve in the coming years. The HBM2 uses 8Gb dies with two 128-bit channels featuring 16 banks. Data-rates of the second-generation HBM will increase up to 2Gb/s (2GHz effective DDR frequency). The architecture of the HBM2 will let manufacturers built not only 4Hi stack (4 high stack) packages, but also 2Hi stack and 8Hi stack devices.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_1

In the best-case scenario HBM2 memory chips will feature 8GB capacity (8Hi stack) with 256GB/s bandwidth (2Gb/s data rate, 1024-bit bus). Such HBM2 devices will let developers of graphics processing units to build graphics adapters with 32GB of onboard memory and incredible 1TB/s peak bandwidth. Nvidia Corp. has already announced that its next-generation code-named “Pascal” graphics processing architecture will support up to 32GB of HBM2. Mainstream HBM2 ICs will likely sport 2GB (2Hi stack) or 4GB (4Hi stack) capacities with 1.6Gb/s data rate (204.8GB/s bandwidth per chip), which should be more than enough for high-performance graphics cards in 2016.

sk_hynix_hbm_2_hbm2_wafer_fudzilla

Fudzilla reports that SK Hynix demonstrates a wafer with HBM2 memory ICs [integrated circuits] at CeBIT. Typically, manufacturers of memory can show off future DRAM products years before mass production. According to a roadmap leaked by SemiAccurate some time ago, SK Hynix plans to start production of HBM 2 in early 2016. It is expected that second-gen HBM stacks will be manufactured using 20nm fabrication process (which SK Hynix calls “2znm”).

sk_hynix_tsv_roadmap_hbm

Going forward the JESD235 standard that powers HBM memory will evolve in terms of clock-rates, die densities (do not expect 16Gb dies any time soon, though) and other ways to improve performance. Extreme memory bandwidth will be required by high-end graphics cards in the coming years as the world transits to ultra-high-definition displays with 4K (3840*2160, 4096*2160) and 5K (5120*2880) resolutions. Even more memory bandwidth will be needed towards the end of the decade when the first displays with 8K (7680*4320) resolutions emerge.

The first graphics cards to use HBM memory will be AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 390X. The new graphics processing unit from AMD reportedly features 4096 stream processors/64 compute units, 256 texture mapping units and 4096-bit memory bus. The Radeon R9 390X’s memory interface operates at 1.25Gb/s data-rate (1.25GHz effective DDR frequency) and delivers whopping 640GB/s memory bandwidth.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The HBM looks incredibly good on paper. It provides nice scaling both in terms of bandwidth and capacity for devices like graphics cards. Nonetheless, it is obvious that HBM is not cheap and will never become a standard for system memory.

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AMD Radeon R9 390X to cost more than $700 – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-390x-to-cost-more-than-700-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-r9-390x-to-cost-more-than-700-report/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2015 02:56:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=240402 Although the Radeon R9 390X will offer significantly higher performance than existing graphics cards from Advanced Micro Devices, it will also cost considerably more than current graphics adapters from the company. In fact, the new flagship graphics solutions from AMD will be more expensive than all single-chip Radeon graphics boards ever introduced. Heise.de reports citing sources …

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Although the Radeon R9 390X will offer significantly higher performance than existing graphics cards from Advanced Micro Devices, it will also cost considerably more than current graphics adapters from the company. In fact, the new flagship graphics solutions from AMD will be more expensive than all single-chip Radeon graphics boards ever introduced.

Heise.de reports citing sources with knowledge of AMD’s plans that the AMD Radeon R9 390 graphics adapter will cost around $700, whereas more advanced AMD Radeon R9 390X will be priced at over $700. The price of the AMD Radeon R9 390X WCE [water-cooled edition] is unknown, but it will naturally be very high. The Radeon R9 380X will carry $400 price-tag, whereas the Radeon R9 380 will be available for around $330.

Previously the most expensive single-chip Radeon graphics cards cost no more than $649, but, apparently, the company wants to increase pricing of its flagship products going forward.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

The Radeon R9 390-series graphics cards will be the first add-in-boards to use high-bandwidth memory (HBM) from SK Hynix in the world. Extreme performance in ultra-high-definition resolutions that the new cards will provide will justify their high prices.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is noteworthy that AMD wants to position its upcoming Radeon R9 390X above the GeForce GTX 980, but clearly below the GeForce GTX Titan X, which is expected to cost between $999 and $1349. For some reason AMD does not want to compete against Nvidia’s graphics cards at the same price-points.

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AMD Radeon R9 390X to feature 8.6TFLOPS performance, 8GB HBM memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amdradeon-r9-390x-to-feature-8-6tflops-performance-8gb-hbm-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amdradeon-r9-390x-to-feature-8-6tflops-performance-8gb-hbm-memory/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:20:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=240343 A web-site has published excerpts from an alleged AMD presentation that describes the company’s upcoming Radeon R9 390X graphics card. As expected, the new top-of-the-range graphics from Advanced Micro Devices will feature unprecedented performance thanks to massive amount of compute horsepower and high-bandwidth memory. The slides from an AMD presentation for its partners, which were …

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A web-site has published excerpts from an alleged AMD presentation that describes the company’s upcoming Radeon R9 390X graphics card. As expected, the new top-of-the-range graphics from Advanced Micro Devices will feature unprecedented performance thanks to massive amount of compute horsepower and high-bandwidth memory.

amd_radeon_shop-home-component

The slides from an AMD presentation for its partners, which were published by Videocardz web-site, reveal a number of previously unknown details about the Radeon R9 390X. As expected, the code-named Fiji XT graphics processing unit has 4096 stream processor and 4096-bit HBM memory bus. However, unlike previously suggested, the graphics card carries 8GB of memory, not 4GB of HBM DRAM.

AMD-Radeon-R9-390X-Specifications

The forthcoming Radeon R9 390X GPU will feature improved GCN 1.3 architecture with full DirectX 12 implementation. According to AMD, the new chip will support new dual-GPU modes as well as specialized render modes for VR gaming. The processor will also support new H.265/HEVC decoder.

In a bid to install 8GB of memory, AMD used multi-layer 1GB chips from SK Hynix on dual-link interposer. Previously it was believed that AMD would only equip its new graphics card with 4GB of memory. Peak memory bandwidth of the Radeon R9 390X will be 640GB/s.

amd_hbm

The Radeon R9 390X will have peak compute performance of 8.6TFLOPS, which is even higher than that of the GeForce GTX Titan X.

AMD-Radeon-R9-390X-4k-and-VR

In addition to traditional version, AMD plans to introduce Radeon R9 390X WCE [water-cooled edition] with improved performance that will be designed specifically for enthusiasts. The typical version of the R9 390X will require one 6-pin and one 8-pin auxiliary PCIe power connectors, whereas the WCE will use two 8-pin connectors to deliver more power to the graphics adapter and improve its overclocking potential. It is unclear whether AMD plans to release Radeon R9 390 in addition to the R9 390X and the R9 390X WCE.

AMD-Radeon-R9-390X-vs-290X-performance

According to AMD’s own performance estimates, the Radeon R9 390X will be 55 – 65 per cent faster than the Radeon R9 290X.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: Since AMD is already showcasing Radeon R9 390X in action, it is not surprising that its specifications show up on the web. Still, we have no idea whether these specs are final.

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AMD demonstrates unannounced flagship Radeon R9 at GDC https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-demonstrates-unannounced-flagship-radeon-r9-300-series-at-gdc/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-demonstrates-unannounced-flagship-radeon-r9-300-series-at-gdc/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2015 16:41:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=238807 Advanced Micro Devices uses yet unannounced Radeon R9 graphics card for a virtual reality demonstration at the Game Developers Conference, the company confirmed on Thursday. The GPU developer reveals no details about its new flagship graphics card, but those, who have seen it in action, notice impressive performance. Although AMD decided to postpone the launch …

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Advanced Micro Devices uses yet unannounced Radeon R9 graphics card for a virtual reality demonstration at the Game Developers Conference, the company confirmed on Thursday. The GPU developer reveals no details about its new flagship graphics card, but those, who have seen it in action, notice impressive performance.

Although AMD decided to postpone the launch of its new flagship Radeon R9 graphics card to Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show because of business reasons, according to unofficial sources, the product seems to be ready and AMD and its partners already use it for demonstrations. During a press event at the GDC trade-show AMD ran a virtual reality demonstration called “Showdown” that used Oculus Rift “Crescent Bay” VR headset and was rendered using a PC powered by “unannounced flagship AMD Radeon R9 graphics card,” a spokesman for the company revealed.

amd_radeon_shop-home-component

The Showdown demonstration powered by Unreal Engine 4 and developed by Epic Games is designed to show capabilities of virtual reality technologies and hardware. According to a report from Tom’s Hardware, “the performance of this demonstration was remarkably responsive” on the system powered by AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 graphics adapter, latencies were low and graphics quality was very high. It is unknown whether AMD used its LiquidVR technologies to improve experience, but it is a possible scenario.

oculus_oculusvr_oculus_rift_crescent_bay

High performance and lack of any problems with this particular demo indicate that drivers for AMD’s new Radeon R9 graphics cards are in good condition. This points to the fact that AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 is generally ready to ship and its software is fine for a commercial product.

Previously it was reported that AMD’s next-generation top-of-the-range Radeon R9 features GCN 1.2 or even better architecture, 4096 stream processors and 256 texture units. The memory sub-system of the new Radeon flagship relies on SK Hynix’s stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips that provide up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate). The graphics boards will be equipped with 4GB of HBM memory.

Some estimate that the Radeon R9 380X will provide over 50 per cent performance improvement compared to the Radeon R9 290X and will demonstrate particularly high results in ultra-high-definition resolutions, such as 4K (3840*2160, 4096*2160) or 5K (5120*2880).

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KitGuru Says: It is pretty obvious that AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 is here and its launch is inevitable. The only reason why AMD postpones the official introduction of its all new graphics card with innovative type of memory is the company’s intention to sell through existing Radeon R9 280-/290-series inventory. But who will buy an outdated graphics board knowing that something brand new is just around the corner?

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AMD to introduce its Radeon R9 300-series lineup at Computex https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-introduce-its-radeon-r9-300-series-lineup-at-computex/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-introduce-its-radeon-r9-300-series-lineup-at-computex/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2015 11:05:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=238767 Sources with knowledge of Advanced Micro Devices’ roadmap have revealed that the company plans to introduce its new family of Radeon R9 300-series graphics cards closer to Computex than CeBIT, as originally planned. AMD had hoped to push out one or two new cards in March and then re-brand many others to refresh the range. …

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Sources with knowledge of Advanced Micro Devices’ roadmap have revealed that the company plans to introduce its new family of Radeon R9 300-series graphics cards closer to Computex than CeBIT, as originally planned. AMD had hoped to push out one or two new cards in March and then re-brand many others to refresh the range. That is no longer the plan.

The challenge for Advanced Micro Devices is that it needs to achieve two rather different (and sometimes opposing) tasks in the first half of this year. It must significantly reduce inventory in the channel and it has to try and boost its dropping market share. If AMD does not ship anything new, its own sales and market share will decline. However, if AMD ships brand-new offerings, older hardware stalls in the channel, impacts prices and makes it difficult to sell new products.

FOLLOW UP: AMD demonstrates unannounced flagship Radeon R9 at GDC.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

According to sources from the Far East, AMD originally wanted to unleash at least one of its all-new Radeon R9 300-series graphics card at the CeBIT trade-show in early March. These new cards would feature the company’s latest high-end GPU and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). If AMD’s engineers have done a good job, then this Radeon R9 290-series replacement would be the company’s fastest card ever, especially with the latest games running ultra-high-definition resolutions like 4K or 5K. If that happens, then the launch would significantly disrupt sales of all other Radeon R9 series products, so the company decided not to unveil its new top-of-the-range graphics boards this month.

Once AMD has a new Radeon R9-class product ready, it could change the schedule again, but it seems that the company does not want to launch its new product as soon as possible. In the wake of the GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation issue for Nvidia, a new launch might have helped AMD capture market share, but it now seems to be taking other factors into account.

The sources with knowledge of AMD plans revealed to KitGuru that Computex has been targeted as the launch timeframe for AMD’s upcoming graphics adapters and a “full line up” was demanded from senior management and engineers. Instead of launching just one new graphics solution and a load of re-brands, AMD intends to roll-out a whole new range of graphics cards at Computex in early June. At present details about the lineup are not clear, but expect several all-new graphics solutions to be unveiled, whereas some re-branded products will likely show up in the following months.

amd_radeon_shop-home-component

While AMD does not comment on reports about product plans and launch schedules, the company indirectly confirmed that its new graphics processing units will be out rather later than sooner during the Morgan Stanley Technology, media and telecom conference this week. Apparently, AMD considers second half of this year as a time when it will try to regain lost market share from Nvidia.

“We are confident that as we get into the second half of 2015 with the launch of that [new graphics] product, we will gain back the market share which is low from my standpoint and historically,” said Devinder Kumar, chief financial officer of AMD. “We need to be significantly higher than where we are right now.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The reason why AMD prefers to delay introduction of new graphics processing units seems could be rather simple: sales dynamics of Radeon R9 280- and 290-series is not very good in the first quarter and AMD’s partners need additional time to get rid of them. Still, while AMD’s plan regarding launch timeframe seems to be clear now, the details about the exact lineup will probably remain in doubt until the last moment. KitGuru will continue to investigate AMD’s intentions in the coming weeks.

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Details about AMD Radeon R9 300-series product line emerge https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/details-about-amd-radeon-r9-300-series-product-line-emerge/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/details-about-amd-radeon-r9-300-series-product-line-emerge/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2015 04:47:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234827 As reported, Advanced Micro Devices plans to introduce its new Radeon R9 and Radeon R7 300-series products in the second quarter of the year. While the new product line will carry new model numbers, it will include graphics processing units that will not be exactly new. The Radeon R9 300-series lineup will consist of seven …

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As reported, Advanced Micro Devices plans to introduce its new Radeon R9 and Radeon R7 300-series products in the second quarter of the year. While the new product line will carry new model numbers, it will include graphics processing units that will not be exactly new.

The Radeon R9 300-series lineup will consist of seven graphics adapters: Radeon R9 370/370X, Radeon R9 380/380X, Radeon R9 390/390X as well as dual-chip Radeon R9 395X2, reports 3DCenter. In addition, AMD intends to introduce Radeon R7 360/360X graphics boards for entry-level market segment.

The top-of-the-range Radeon R9 390/390X as well as the R9 395X2 graphics adapters will be based on the code-named “Fiji” graphics processing units. The new GPUs feature GCN 1.3 architecture, up to 4096 stream processors and will rely on high-bandwidth memory from SK Hynix.

amd_radeon_r9_295x2_295_x2_1

The high-performance Radeon R9 380/380X will be powered by the code-named “Grenada” graphics chip that will be a revamped version of the “Hawaii” GPU. The novelty will sport 2816 stream processors, 512-bit GDDR5 memory bus and will offer performance comparable to that of the Radeon R9 290/290X. It is unclear whether the chip will feature any architectural improvements over existing GPUs.

The Radeon R9 370/370X will rely on the code-named “Tonga” graphics processing unit with up to 2048 stream processors and 256-bit memory bus.

The Radeon R7 360/360X will use code-named “Trinidad” graphics chip with unknown specifications and GCN architecture.

All-in-all, only AMD Radeon R9 390/390X graphics card will feature an all-new graphics processor with improved architecture and considerably higher performance compared to chips that are available today. All other graphics boards in the lineup will be powered by GPUs that are similar to those, which are already on the market.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If the information about the Radeon R9 300-series lineup is correct, then the new product family will not be very impressive. To make the matters worse, AMD will barely improve performance of its graphics solutions compared to those available today.

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AMD: We are putting the finishing touches on the Radeon R9 300-series https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-are-putting-the-finishing-touches-on-the-radeon-r9-300-series/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-are-putting-the-finishing-touches-on-the-radeon-r9-300-series/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2015 07:08:29 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234357 A representative of Advanced Micro Devices has confirmed that the development of its forthcoming product family based on a new breed of graphics processing units is on the finish line. While the novelties will not hit the market shortly, they will likely enter production in the coming weeks. “We are still putting the finishing touches on …

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A representative of Advanced Micro Devices has confirmed that the development of its forthcoming product family based on a new breed of graphics processing units is on the finish line. While the novelties will not hit the market shortly, they will likely enter production in the coming weeks.

“We are still putting the finishing touches on the [Radeon R9 300] series to make sure they live up to expectation,” an unknown representative from AMD said in the company’s official Facebook account. “Cannot wait to reveal them though. We are pretty excited.”

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

Previously it was reported that the new flagship graphics solution from AMD is called Radeon R9 380X. The graphics card is expected to be based on the GCN 1.2 architecture, to feature 4096 stream processors, which, in case of the GCN 1.2 architecture, means 64 compute units and 256 texture units. The memory sub-system will rely on SK Hynix’s stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface (compliant with the JESD235 standard) and up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate). The graphics boards will be equipped with 4GB of HBM memory.

It is expected that the Radeon R9 380X will provide over 50 per cent performance improvement compared to the Radeon R9 290X and will demonstrate particularly high results in ultra-high-definition resolutions thanks to massive memory bandwidth.

In addition to the high-end product, AMD is also working on a mainstream GPU code-named Trinidad, which is set to replace the AMD Radeon R9 270-series “Curacao” graphics processor that has been on the market for about three years now. The “Trinidad” graphics chip is expected to feature 1280 or more stream processors to deliver new levels of performance to the market segment.

amd_gaming_evolved_radeon_graphics_artwork_2

Even though AMD has confirmed development of its new-generation graphics solutions for a number of times, the company also said that it would release them only in the second quarter of the year, which means from April to July.

“Going into the second quarter and the second half of the year with our new product launches, I think we feel very good about where we are positioned there,” said Lisa Su, chief executive officer of AMD, during a conference call with investors and financial analysts. “Commercial will definitely be important, as well as improving our overall mix.”

If AMD plans to formally roll-out its new Radeon R9 380 and Radeon R9 380X graphics cards in April, then it should start production of cards in late February or early March.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is rather ironic that AMD is consistently fuelling the discussion about its next-generation Radeon graphics processors, but does not launch them because it needs to sell off existing graphics cards first. Quite naturally, discussions about the next-gen always slowdown interest towards current-generation among enthusiasts.

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Alleged performance of AMD Radeon R9 380X in 3DMark revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/alleged-performance-of-amd-radeon-r9-380x-in-3dmark-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/alleged-performance-of-amd-radeon-r9-380x-in-3dmark-revealed/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2015 17:22:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234002 A Chinese web-site has published what it claims to be preliminary performance benchmarks of an upcoming high-performance graphics card from Advanced Micro Devices. Just like previous unofficial test results, the new ones indicate that AMD’s forthcoming high-end graphics solution will beat everything that is available on the market today except the dual-chip Radeon R9 295X2. …

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A Chinese web-site has published what it claims to be preliminary performance benchmarks of an upcoming high-performance graphics card from Advanced Micro Devices. Just like previous unofficial test results, the new ones indicate that AMD’s forthcoming high-end graphics solution will beat everything that is available on the market today except the dual-chip Radeon R9 295X2.

amd_radeon_shop-home-component

Chinese-language Chiphell web-site has once again published alleged benchmark results of an unknown AMD graphics card that is claimed to be the forthcoming flagship Radeon R9 graphics solution. Recently AMD employees confirmed that the next-gen top-of-the-range single-chip solution will be called the Radeon R9 380X; hence, it is highly likely that the web-site published the so-called benchmark results of this product. The company used a picture of an island instead of an actual name on its graphs.

amd_radeon_r9_380_alleged_benchmark_results

According to the numbers released by the web-site, the alleged Radeon R8 380X scores 8374 points in the 3DMark FireStrike Extreme benchmark, which is considerably higher compared to the GeForce GTX 980 and the GeForce GTX 780 Ti. While the unconfirmed results look impressive, the numbers do not seem to be very consistent. The GeForce GTX 980 and the GeForce GTX 780 Ti usually demonstrate similar results in the 3DMark FireStrike Extreme. But Chiphell’s graph indicates that the former is considerably faster than the latter.

amd_radeon_r9_380_alleged_benchmark_results_1

Another graph published by the web-site reveals relative performance advantage the alleged Radeon R9 380X has over existing graphics adapters. If the numbers are correct, then the novelty is around 58 per cent faster than the GeForce GTX 970 and the Radeon R9 290X, which is something that was expected.

The data by Chiphell further shows that the Radeon R9 380X consumes up to 295W, but thanks to usage of a hybrid liquid + air cooler, the GPU temperature is only about 73°C.

In general, the published data looks interesting. However, it should be kept in mind that the Radeon R9 380X is due in several months’ time and it is unclear whether at present AMD has finalized specifications of the commercial product or not. Final configuration and final clock-speeds are usually finalized weeks before commercial shipments, whereas drivers are released sometimes days before the announcement. As a result, it is pretty hard to make conclusions about performance using preliminary hardware and software.

It is expected that the Radeon R9 380X is based on the GCN 1.2 architecture and sports 4096 stream processors as well as 4GB of stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM) with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If the Radeon R9 380X truly delivers 50 per cent performance improvement over the Radeon R9 290X, it will be a very good result that will probably let AMD and its partners to sell loads of such graphics cards. Unfortunately, we have no idea when exactly AMD plans to roll-out its new product. As a result, we do not know what Nvidia will use to compete against the new GPU from AMD. The Santa Clara, California-based GPU developer is not standing still and is working not only on its new-generation GeForce GTX Titan based on the code-named GM200 GPU, but is also developing new solutions to refresh its lineup this fall.

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AMD: Future GPUs will significantly boost performance in 4K resolutions https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-future-gpus-will-significantly-boost-performance-in-4k-resolutions/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-future-gpus-will-significantly-boost-performance-in-4k-resolutions/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2015 07:12:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233612 Even though modern graphics cards are powerful enough to play the majority of video games in ultra HD resolutions, two modern graphics cards are usually required to play all the latest video games in 4K (3840*2160) ultra-high-definition resolution with all graphics effects enabled. AMD believes that the forthcoming graphics chips will significantly improve performance in …

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Even though modern graphics cards are powerful enough to play the majority of video games in ultra HD resolutions, two modern graphics cards are usually required to play all the latest video games in 4K (3840*2160) ultra-high-definition resolution with all graphics effects enabled. AMD believes that the forthcoming graphics chips will significantly improve performance in high resolutions and one GPU will be enough to enjoy titles in UHD mode.

“Ultimately, the evolution of GPU horsepower is the biggest factor in driving 4K forward,” said Robert Hallock, head of global technical marketing at AMD, in an interview with GamingBolt web-site. “Graphics being such an important part of our business, of course, you can count on great progress on that front as the years wind on.”

At present only elite enthusiasts play in 4K resolutions partly because UHD displays are still pretty expensive. Moreover, far not all gamers can afford several high-end graphics cards. AMD’s upcoming graphics adapter – the Radeon R9 380X – will feature 4096 stream processors as well as 4GB of high-bandwidth memory with up to 640GB/s bandwidth. Increased GPU horsepower and increased memory bandwidth will significantly improve performance in 4K resolution.

amd_radeon_r9_290_2

“If you think back to the launch of the AMD Radeon R9 290X, our graphics card marked arguably the first time anyone could reasonably expect to play games at 4K on a single GPU,” said Mr. Hallock. “Sure, there were some games that needed two for peak image quality, but one was and is pretty solid for the majority of titles. We were also the first company to offer full support for 4K SST displays in our driver.”

While it is clear that increased performance of upcoming high-end graphics processing units will make single-GPU 4K gaming a reality, it is completely unclear when performance mainstream graphics solutions will be able to provide decent amount of performance for UHD gaming.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Display resolutions have been increasing throughout the history of personal computers, therefore, UHD is the future of all displays and the future of PC gaming.

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AMD to update its graphics lineup in May – July timeframe – Insider https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-update-its-graphics-lineup-in-may-july-timeframe/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-to-update-its-graphics-lineup-in-may-july-timeframe/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:59:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233055 Although Advanced Micro Devices officially told its investors and financial analysts not to expect any new graphics cards on the market before the second quarter of calendar 2015, many observers still expected AMD to announce a new single-chip flagship graphics solution in the Q1. However, a person with knowledge of AMD plans confirmed this week …

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Although Advanced Micro Devices officially told its investors and financial analysts not to expect any new graphics cards on the market before the second quarter of calendar 2015, many observers still expected AMD to announce a new single-chip flagship graphics solution in the Q1. However, a person with knowledge of AMD plans confirmed this week that there will be no novelties from AMD in the coming months.

“[AMD’s new graphics cards] are not around the corner, there will be no new product from AMD until around May-July time and then it will probably be a Radeon R9 380X,” said Andrew “Gibbo” Gibson, a purchasing manager at Overclockers UK, a leading retailer.

amd_radeon_OEM-HUB

While Mr. Gibson did not reveal any additional details, it is highly likely that he had received certain updates from AMD in addition to those made at the company’s earnings call last week and most probably knows the AMD’s short-term plans because he needs to make purchase decisions for a major store.

AMD’s next-generation high-end Radeon R9 graphics processing unit is projected to feature 4096 stream processors/64 compute units, 256 texture units as well as 4096-bit memory interface to connect to four SK Hynix HBM memory devices. The GPU’s memory interface operates at 1.25Gb/s data-rate (1.25GHz effective DDR frequency) and delivers unprecedented 640GB/s memory bandwidth. Each HBM IC [integrated circuit] stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit channels per die on a base logic die, which results into a memory device with a 1024-bit interface. Each channel is similar to a standard DDR interface, but is completely independent and therefore each channel within one stack and even within one die can operate at different frequency, feature different timings and so on. The high-bandwidth memory chip uses 5mKGSD (molded known good stacked die) packaging.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_1

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The confirmation from a respectable independent source once again proves that AMD is not going to release anything new in the first quarter of the year. On the other hand, to clear the road for its upcoming graphics solutions, AMD could once again ask its partners among add-in-card makers and retailers to lower prices of their products that are already in stocks and need to be sold off before introducing anything news.

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AMD developers confirm Radeon R9 380X with HBM memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-developers-confirm-radeon-r9-380x-with-hbm-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-developers-confirm-radeon-r9-380x-with-hbm-memory/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2015 23:59:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=230580 Two employees of Advanced Micro Devices have revealed in their LinkedIn profiles that they had worked on AMD Radeon R9 380X graphics processing units with vertically-stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM). The engineers at AMD essentially confirmed that the company’s next-generation flagship graphics processor will use HBM memory and will carry the “R9 380X” model number. …

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Two employees of Advanced Micro Devices have revealed in their LinkedIn profiles that they had worked on AMD Radeon R9 380X graphics processing units with vertically-stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM). The engineers at AMD essentially confirmed that the company’s next-generation flagship graphics processor will use HBM memory and will carry the “R9 380X” model number.

Linglan Zhang, a principal member of technical staff at AMD, wrote in his profile at LinkedIn that he was involved in development of the “world’s first 300W 2.5D discrete GPU SOC using stacked die high bandwidth memory and silicon interposer.” The engineer also revealed that the Radeon R9 380X is the “largest in ‘King of the hill’ line of products.” Previously it was believed that this year’s flagship GPU from AMD carries the “R9 390X” model number. The employee of AMD has already deleted the information regarding the next-generation AMD Radeon.

Ilana Shternshain, ASIC physical design engineer from AMD, also revealed in her profile that she was responsible for “taping out state of the art products like Intel Pentium processor with MMX technology and AMD R9 290X and 380X GPUs.”

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

Previously it was reported that AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics solution would feature HBM DRAM. Back in Q4 2014 SK Hynix even revealed that it would start mass production of HBM memory in the first quarter of this year.

Each HBM IC [integrated circuit] stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit channels per die on a base logic die, which results into a memory device with a 1024-bit interface. Each channel is similar to a standard DDR interface, but is completely independent and therefore each channel within one stack and even within one die can operate at different frequency, feature different timings and so on. Each HBM 4Hi stack (4 high stack) package can provide 1GB – 32GB capacity and 128GB/s – 256GB/s memory bandwidth. The high-bandwidth memory chip uses 5mKGSD (molded known good stacked die) packaging that stacks four 2Gb dynamic random access memory dies on one base logic die.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_1

AMD’s next-generation high-end Radeon R9 graphics processing unit is expected to feature 4096 stream processors/64 compute units, 256 texture units as well as 4096-bit memory interface to connect to four SK Hynix HBM devices. The GPU’s memory interface operates at 1.25Gb/s data-rate (1.25GHz effective DDR frequency) and delivers whopping 640GB/s memory bandwidth.

The LinkedIn findings were made by members of Beyond3D forums.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is interesting that AMD decided to use “R9 380X” model number for its flagship graphics solution. When AMD introduced its Radeon R9 200-series lineup, it rebranded older products to make the family complete; as a result, the Radeon HD 7970 became the Radeon R9 280X. If the new family's flagship carries the “R9 380X” model number, then it means that the Radeon R9 290X solution will not be renamed to something like the Radeon R9 380X. Potentially it means that AMD’s new GPU lineup will include a number of all-new chips and will not feature any re-branded products.

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AMD: We have great GPU products in the pipeline, we will gain market share https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-have-great-gpu-products-in-the-pipeline-we-will-gain-market-share/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-we-have-great-gpu-products-in-the-pipeline-we-will-gain-market-share/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 04:33:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=229988 Lisa Su, chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices, said at the Consumer Electronics Show that the company has a number of “great” graphics products in the pipeline that will help it to fight back market share from Nvidia Corp. The year 2014 was a mixed a bag for Advanced Micro Devices when it comes …

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Lisa Su, chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices, said at the Consumer Electronics Show that the company has a number of “great” graphics products in the pipeline that will help it to fight back market share from Nvidia Corp.

The year 2014 was a mixed a bag for Advanced Micro Devices when it comes to graphics processing unit (GPU) business. On the one hand, AMD managed to introduce the world’s highest-performing graphics card, the Radeon R9 295X2, which carries two code-named “Hawaii” GPUs. On the other hand, the company released no new GPUs, except the code-named “Tonga” chip, which hardly increases performance compared to previous-generation Radeon R9 280-series “Tahiti” in modern titles. By contrast, its rival Nvidia released two new graphics processors and four new graphics solutions only on the desktop market, addressing different market segments and winning multiple awards for exceptional performance. As a consequence, AMD lost market share to Nvidia in the second half of 2014. Nonetheless, the company remains optimistic and plans to fight the lost share back.

“As I look into 2015, we have some very good products in the pipeline, we will talk more about them as we go through the year,” said Lisa Su at the J.P. Morgan 13th annual tech forum at International CES. “I absolutely view it as a share gain opportunity over that period of time.”

amd_radeon_artwork

Quite naturally, the head of AMD does not reveal any particular details about the company’s plans. From unofficial sources it is known that the company readies at least one new Radeon R9-series enthusiast-class high-end graphics processor that will not only significantly improve performance compared to existing graphics adapters, but will also be the first GPU in the industry to take advantage of the stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM).

A good news is that Ms. Su confirmed that the company has multiple products in the pipeline, which means that the company is on-track to release not one, but a number of new graphics processing units.

“You will see, obviously, new graphics products from us this year, we usually keep that quite tight until we are ready to launch those,” said Ms. Su.

amd_radeon_r9_290_2

Given the fact that many graphics chips in AMD’s product lineups for desktop and laptop computers are more than two years old, it is about time for the company to introduce new GPUs. Unfortunately, it is completely unclear how many new graphics processing units and how many new products on their base AMD plans to bring to the market in the coming quarters.

Keeping in mind that AMD plans to introduce its post-GCN graphics processors only sometimes in 2016, the 2015 GPUs from AMD will continue to use the current graphics core next (GCN) technology. Expect AMD’s new Radeon graphics products to feature GCN 1.2 architecture, a couple of new graphics-related enhancements, hardware decoders/encoders for 4K/UHD video (H.265/HEVC, VP9, H.264 for 4K, etc.), video playback quality improvements and some other things.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A good news for AMD is that it already knows what to expect from Nvidia in 2015 and that the next-generation products from its arch-rival based on the code-named “Pascal” architecture are at least a year away. Obviously, Nvidia could refresh its product lineup later in 2015 using its chips based on the Maxwell architecture, which could bring a number of surprises. Nonetheless, AMD still has better understanding what to expect from its rival than it did last year.

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AMD readies ‘Caribbean Islands’ graphics processors – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-readies-caribbean-islands-graphics-processors-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-readies-caribbean-islands-graphics-processors-report/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2014 04:38:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225434 Advanced Micro Devices is working on a new family of graphics processing units code-named “Caribbean Islands”. At present the details about the new lineup of graphics products are absent. The only thing that is known is that AMD plans to release the new graphics processors next summer. Fudzilla reports that AMD is preparing to introduce …

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Advanced Micro Devices is working on a new family of graphics processing units code-named “Caribbean Islands”. At present the details about the new lineup of graphics products are absent. The only thing that is known is that AMD plans to release the new graphics processors next summer.

Fudzilla reports that AMD is preparing to introduce its “Caribbean Islands” product line between June and August, 2015. At present it is unknown how many graphics processors the new family will include and what kind of new features it will support. It is also unknown what process technology will be used to manufacture the new GPUs.

It should be noted that AMD’s product families like Southern Islands, Northern Islands and other do not necessarily include graphics chips based on the same architecture. Therefore, Caribbean Islands family may include GPUs based on the GCN 1.2, the GCN 1.3 and other architectures.

amd_radeon_shop-home-component

It is unknown whether AMD Radeon code-named Fiji will belongs to the Caribbean Islands family or not.

AMD has already used names after Caribbean islands, such Antilles, Cayman, Turks and Caicos.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is rather surprising that AMD plans to introduce a new family of GPUs in summer. Traditionally AMD rolls out new GPUs in spring or autumn.

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Alleged benchmark results of AMD Radeon R9 300-series ‘Fiji XT’ published https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/alleged-benchmark-results-of-amd-radeon-r9-300-series-fiji-xt-published/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/alleged-benchmark-results-of-amd-radeon-r9-300-series-fiji-xt-published/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:50:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=223733 A Chinese web-site that leaks unofficial information about future central processing units and graphics processing units has published what it claims to be the first benchmark results of AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 300-series graphics card code-named “Fiji XT”. If the benchmark results are correct, then the graphics adapters will offer rather high performance in all …

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A Chinese web-site that leaks unofficial information about future central processing units and graphics processing units has published what it claims to be the first benchmark results of AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 300-series graphics card code-named “Fiji XT”. If the benchmark results are correct, then the graphics adapters will offer rather high performance in all existing games.

Chiphell, which has a reputation of leaking both accurate and inaccurate information, has published two charts representing average performance and power consumption of AMD Radeon R9 300-series graphics card – which was called “Captain Jack” graphics adapter to emphasize that it belongs to the Pirate Islands family of products – across a number of benchmarks versus current-generation graphics boards.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

The list of benchmarks that were used to get “average” FPS [frames per second] number features a long list of games, including Alien Isolation, Assassins Creed: Unity, Battlefield 4. Crysis 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4, Metro Last Light Redux and many others. All titles were benchmarked in 2560*1440 resolution with all eye candy (antialiasing, level of details, etc.) set at maximum. The testbed used was powered by Intel Core i7-4790 (3.60GHz) microprocessor. The testers claim that they utilised AMD Catalyst 14.11.2 beta and Nvidia GeForce drivers 344.75.

While the results clearly show that the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji XT” graphics card is a clear winner that provides around 10fps performance advantage – or a solid 16 per cent – on average versus a factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 980 graphics board, it should be noted that the test conditions are not clear and thus the result cannot by verified anyhow. Moreover, even if the result is correct, then the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji XT” is only 30.9 per cent faster than the Radeon R9 290X “Tahiti XT”, a not very high generation-to-generation improvement.

amd_radeon_r9_390x_alleged_benchmark_average_fps

At present the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji XT” (or Captain Jack) graphics cards are probably already available in test labs of AMD’s partners in various southeast Asian countries, therefore, it is possible that an enthusiast employed by a partner could benchmark one of them. What should be noted is that at this time nobody has final specifications of the product that will be sold as the Radeon R9 390X. The GPU configuration is unclear: it may feature 4096 stream processors and 256 texture units, but AMD can well disable two compute units inside its chip for redundancy reasons and the final chip will sport 3968 SPs and 248 TUs. Even if the configuration of the chip itself is locked (i.e., will not be changed), both AMD and Nvidia finalize clock-rates weeks, not months, before commercial launch. As a result, whatever it was used to get benchmark results, it was not a product that will be known as the Radeon R9 390X. Finally, while the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji XT” is believed to be based on the GCN 1.2 architecture and thus should have decent software support now, the drivers used by the benchmarkers were re not final drivers for a shipping product.

amd_radeon_r9_390x_alleged_benchmark_power

It is interesting to note that if the performance and power consumption measurements are correct, then the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji” graphics cards should be rather power efficient. Keeping in mind that AMD’s Radeon R9 285 “Tonga Pro” consumes lower amount of power than AMD’s Radeon R9 280 “Tahiti Pro” (both chips are made using 28nm process technology and feature similar amount of transistors), increased power efficiency of GCN 1.2-based “Fiji” GPU may be true.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We have no idea whether the benchmark results are correct or not, but even if they are, “average” fps across multiple games is a metric that is not good. Moreover, assuming that the results are correct, if the Radeon R9 300-series “Fiji XT” graphics card (we assume that the anonymous tester used a higher-end model) is only 15.9 per cent faster than a factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 980, then it will hardly be a performance breakthrough, despite of massive amount of stream processors and HBM DRAM memory with incredible bandwidth.

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SK Hynix adds HBM DRAM into catalogue, to start production in Q1 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sk-hynix-adds-hbm-dram-into-catalogue-set-to-start-mass-production-in-q1-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sk-hynix-adds-hbm-dram-into-catalogue-set-to-start-mass-production-in-q1-2015/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2014 17:14:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=223006 SK Hynix, a major maker of high-performance memory, has added high bandwidth memory (HBM) devices compliant with the JESD235 specification into its product catalogue for the fourth quarter of 2014. The addition of chips into the databook means that they are in production and can be obtained from the company. At present SK Hynix lists …

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SK Hynix, a major maker of high-performance memory, has added high bandwidth memory (HBM) devices compliant with the JESD235 specification into its product catalogue for the fourth quarter of 2014. The addition of chips into the databook means that they are in production and can be obtained from the company. At present SK Hynix lists QL samples of the HBM devices, mass production of commercial HBM products is set to start next quarter. Among other things, HBM will be used on next-generation AMD Radeon R9 390-series “Fiji” graphics cards due in 2015 as well as on Nvidia GeForce “Pascal” graphics adapters due in 2016.

The HBM JESD235 standard stacks four DRAM dies with two 128-bit channels per die on a base logic die, which results into a memory device with a 1024-bit interface. Each channel is similar to a standard DDR interface, but is completely independent and therefore each channel within one stack and even within one die can operate at different frequency, feature different timings and so on. Each channel supports 1Gb – 32Gb capacities, features 8 or 16 banks (16 banks configuration is used with 4Gb and larger channels) and can operate at 1Gb/s – 2Gb/s data-rates (1GHz – 2GHz effective DDR frequency). As a result, each HBM 4Hi stack (4 high stack) package can provide 1GB – 32GB capacity and 128GB/s – 256GB/s memory bandwidth. It is expected that the HBM JESD235 standard will evolve to accommodate stacks of eight DRAM dies (HBM 8Hi stack package/topology).

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_3   sk_hynix_hbm_dram_2

Back in September, 2014, SK Hynix started to ship its QL samples to customers for qualification purposes. The qualification level (QL) sample of SK Hynix HBM memory solution (H5VR8GESM4R-20C), which is listed in the company’s Q4 2014 databook, has 1GB density (even though the document states that the chip has 1Gb density, its H5VR8GESM4R-20C product number implies that its density is 8Gb, not 1Gb), 1024-bit wide interface and 1Gb/s per pin data-rate, which results in massive 128GB/s per-device bandwidth. The high-bandwidth memory chip uses 5mKGSD (molded known good stacked die) packaging that stacks four 2Gb dynamic random access memory dies on one base logic die. The QL 4Hi stack HBM deivce features VDD/VDDQ voltages of 1.2V. The particular 1GB HBM chip may be designed for qualification purposes and it is unknown whether it will be used for commercial products.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_1

Recently SK Hynix announced that it would start mass production of commercial HBM DRAM devices in the first quarter of 2015. The first commercial HBM chip is expected to feature 8Gb capacity (eight 1Gb 128-bit channels, four 2Gb DRAM dies), 1024-bit wide interface, 1Gb/s per pin data-rate and 1.2V voltage. In general, all architectural, clock-rate and electrical specifications of the commercial HBM 4Hi stack are similar to those of QL samples. The chip will be made using 29nm process technology. It is possible that there will be commercial HBM chips with 1.25Gb/s data rate.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_6

According to market rumours, AMD’s next-generation Radeon R9 390X “Fiji XT” graphics processing unit (which is expected [based on a leak in SiSoft Sandra’s database] to feature 4096 stream processors/64 compute units, 256 texture units) will feature 4096-bit memory interface to connect to four SK Hynix HBM devices. Based on the leak, the Radeon R9 390X’s memory interface operates at 1.25Gb/s data-rate (1.25GHz effective DDR frequency) and delivers whopping 640GB/s memory bandwidth. Even at “standard” 1Gb/s per-pin data-rate the memory sub-system will feature 512GB/s bandwidth.

AMD has neither confirmed nor denied plans to use SK Hynix HBM 4Hi stack DRAM devices on its next-generation graphics adapters. Nvidia Corp., another potential adopter of HBM, publicly stated that its first graphics processor to support HBM DRAM will be based on the code-named “Pascal” architecture that will be released in 2016. The fact that SK Hynix will start to manufacture appropriate devices in volume in Q1 2015 implies that there is a customer who needs HBM devices in the first half of next year.

sk_hynix_hbm_dram_5 sk_hynix_hbm_dram_4

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The evidence mounts that AMD’s next-generation high-performance graphics adapters based on the “Fiji XT” and “Fiji Pro” graphics processing units will use high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sub-systems with unprecedented bandwidth. Based on the information from SK Hynix, qualification of its HBM devices is well underway and mass production is on-track for Q1 2015. Looks like a revolution is incoming. Imagine what kind of performance will a GPU with 4096 stream processors, 256 texture units and up to 640GB/s memory bandwidth provide in 4K (3840*2160) ultra-high-definition resolution! Just a small reminder: 1Gb/s data rate is just the start for the HBM memory type.

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AMD’s Radeon R9 390X ‘Fiji XT’ may feature 4096 SPs, extreme memory bandwidth https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-radeon-r9-390x-fiji-xt-may-feature-4096-sps-extreme-memory-bandwidth/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amds-radeon-r9-390x-fiji-xt-may-feature-4096-sps-extreme-memory-bandwidth/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2014 22:33:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=221621 Advanced Micro Devices’ next-generation graphics processing unit is still several months away, but it looks like it is worth waiting. According to unofficial information from SiSoft Sandra benchmark’s database, the forthcoming GPU features unprecedented compute horsepower as well as uses multi-layer high-bandwidth memory with extreme bandwidth. If the listing in Sandra’s database is correct and …

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Advanced Micro Devices’ next-generation graphics processing unit is still several months away, but it looks like it is worth waiting. According to unofficial information from SiSoft Sandra benchmark’s database, the forthcoming GPU features unprecedented compute horsepower as well as uses multi-layer high-bandwidth memory with extreme bandwidth.

If the listing in Sandra’s database is correct and really describes a prototype of the Radeon R9 390X “Fiji XT” graphics card, the next-generation offering from AMD will feature 4096 stream processors (SPs) (which, in case of the GCN 1.2 architecture, means 64 compute units and 256 texture units) and 4096-bit memory bus. The memory sub-system will rely on SK Hynix’s stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface (compliant with the JESD235 standard [and, possibly, with the Wide IO protocol]).

amd_radeon_hd_7000_artwork

The graphics card allegedly sports only 4GB of memory since the first-generation HBM features 2Gb DRAM dies and comes in 1GB memory devices, reports Wccftech. Only the second-generation HBM is expected to use 8Gb dies and therefore support 4GB and 8GB configurations.

If AMD’s Radeon R9 390X actually uses four first-generation HBM DRAM chips with 4096-bit memory bus operating at 1.25GHz, then the actual memory bandwidth the graphics card will sport will be whopping 640GB/s.

sk_hynix_hbm

With 4096 stream processors and amount of bandwidth never before seen on a single-chip graphics cards, the Radeon R9 390X will be the fastest graphics adapter on the market. In fact, with such extreme amount of stream processors, it will clearly leave behind any graphics solution based on Nvidia Corp.’s GM200 graphics processing unit.

sk_hynix_hbm_1

While performance-wise the Radeon R9 390X “Fiji XT” seems to be very powerful, it remains to be seen how expensive will it be. New types of memory tend to cost a lot. Moreover, given that memory devices have to be placed on the same piece of substrate with the GPU, the whole graphics card has to be redesigned.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: While in general listing in various benchmarks’ databases tend to be rather accurate, it is necessary to take them with a grain of salt. Moreover, keep in mind that for the second time in one week we get juicy details about next-generation graphics processing units from SiSoft Sandra’s database, which seems a bit suspicious.

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