Poll: ** The AMD VEGA Thread **

[N19h7m4r3]

What a truly baffling launch this is. Someone mentioned that the build quality of the shroud is top notch, but didn't think that AMD went down to the PCB level, in terms of build quality. Considering that they didn't advertise this surely they wouldn't spend so much time and money on a card if they thought it would be DOA, or really struggle against Nvidia.

I have to agree. The reference card has better power delivery and quality than most Lightning and HoF cards; and for reference that's extremely impressive.

Only minor complaint was that the reviewer would have liked a dual phase for the HBM instead of one.

 

[Mauller]

Not sure if posted, but the Frontier Edition PCB is on the levels of Lightning cards for quality, and power delivery. Impressive, FE also has Dual BIOS, and BIOS switch under the shroud. That's interesting, I if there are two different BIOS on there right now; no one has tested yet.

the bios switch is basically quiet and high performance mode etc. in high performance the fan will rev up sooner and to higher speeds.

 

[KompuKare]

Not sure if posted, but the Frontier Edition PCB is on the levels of Lightning cards for quality, and power delivery. Impressive, FE also has Dual BIOS, and BIOS switch under the shroud. That's interesting, I if there are two different BIOS on there right now; no one has tested yet.

Isn't that pretty much the norm for AMD reference cards? Overspec'ed in everything except cooler most of the time. (Except Fury-X which an overspec'ed cooler too but the chip was just too close to it's limit for any of this to matter.)

 

[humbug]

Not sure if posted, but the Frontier Edition PCB is on the levels of Lightning cards for quality, and power delivery. Impressive, FE also has Dual BIOS, and BIOS switch under the shroud. That's interesting, I if there are two different BIOS on there right now; no one has tested yet.

12 Phase VRM, not only that but also the best quality components.

As he said, it couldn't be any better.

Why do AMD over-engineer their reference PCB's like this? we all know from AMD's past over-engineerd PCB's AIB's often remove some of the phases and use lesser quality components and they work perfectly well.

Save some costs.

 

[Chuk_Chuk]

Do AMD cards usually have top notch build quality?

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Do AMD cards usually have top notch build quality?

Yes, even with the RX 480; most AIB cards were lower quality PCBs.

 

[Panos]

Wonder how many waiters have already jumped on the Green train after seeing the FEs gaming results ?

Why make a choice based on the performance of a card that isn't made for gaming?
Only morons do so.

 

[Panos]

Do AMD cards usually have top notch build quality?

Oo yeah. The 295X2, the both the Furies (X & Nano) were just AMD build with Sapphire strap their own BIOS. Which replaced on the two latter ones, with the AMD UEFI for further overclocks and performance. (something that the "reviewers" haven't done since it was released back in April 2016).

Great build quality and cannot fault it. And waiting for the "reference" Vega one also.

 

[Steampunk]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say there are going to be a lot of embarrassed websites come the end of July. I think AMD have decided they are not going to show any gaming performance until the launch of their RX gaming card. They've deliberately hid that in their FE non-gaming card they needed to hit the H2 release promise.

 

[tyler_jrb]

Why make a choice based on the performance of a card that isn't made for gaming?
Only morons do so.

It may not be an accurate representation for gaming.

However it does give you an indication on the overall architectural performance.

It is questionable as to how much difference if any there will be between the FE and the RX drivers, hardware (clocks etc) wise.

 

[Panos]

12 Phase VRM, not only that but also the best quality components.

As he said, it couldn't be any better.

Why do AMD over-engineer their reference PCB's like this? we all know from AMD's past over-engineerd PCB's AIB's often remove some of the phases and use lesser quality components and they work perfectly well.

Save some costs.

Actually makes sense because it simplifies the process of the two variants.
a) The one with the SSD
b) The one with the second Vega chip on. (using the Infinity Fabric connection so goodbye Crossfire).

 

[LoadsaMoney]

the bios switch is basically quiet and high performance mode etc. in high performance the fan will rev up sooner and to higher speeds.

 

[Panos]

It may not be an accurate representation for gaming performance.

It does give you an indication on the overall architectural performance though.

Not actually. With just a version of Fiji drivers from January 2017, what I see is perf between 1070 and 1080 (and close to GTX1080Ti on Fallout 4, a gameworks game).
WITH NO DRIVERS!!!!!!!!!!
What would be the perf of the 1080 if someone put Kepler drivers to it trying to run Spy or Firestrike today? I bet even the RX470 would trash it on those benchmarks.

Also the FE drivers have "Game mode" not "Gaming Mode". There is a difference in the English language between the meaning of those two, that even a Greek like myself can understand.
Maybe people should open the dictionary?

 

[Panos]

I remember also the humble pies a month later many ate, when the likes of the 3 fan Sapphire came out.
Or just 8 months later, when drivers started maturing, where the GTX780Ti was on the benchmarks.........

Let alone fast forward 4 years. The Titan Black & 780Ti long forgotten as obsolete, while the 290X still going stong with more perf coming out of it every new driver.......

 

[Martini1991]

I remember also the humble pies a month later many ate, when the likes of the 3 fan Sapphire came out.
Or just 8 months later, when drivers started maturing, where the GTX780Ti was on the benchmarks.........

Let alone fast forward 3 years. The Titan Black & 780Ti long forgotten as obsolete, while the 290X still going stong with more perf coming out of it every new driver.......

That wouldn't make anyone eat humble pie though, when evidence points one way, to believe another is blind faith.
I think my 290X has been excellent quality, but I would never have assumed it'd last as long as it has.

 

[Panos]

That wouldn't make anyone eat humble pie though, when evidence points one way, to believe another is blind faith.
I think my 290X has been excellent quality, but I would never have assumed it'd last as long as it has.

Fortunately they did

Hell my FuryX is 2 years old, and at 1190 clock is doing a descent job considering the limitations.
And I had GTX1080 heavily overclocked last year (2190 core), and for the last three weeks had borrowed from a friend who went on holidays, hit 1080Ti. And that heavily overclocked but not watercooled.
(nothing exceptional to post in the benchmark section)
However I prefer Freesync ON, and the only games the 1080/1080Ti looks better is the TW Warhammer and Tomb Raider.

(edited my original post. 290X came out 2013 not 2014).

 

[tyler_jrb]

Not actually. With just a version of Fiji drivers from January 2017, what I see is perf between 1070 and 1080 (and close to GTX1080Ti on Fallout 4, a gameworks game).
WITH NO DRIVERS!!!!!!!!!!
What would be the perf of the 1080 if someone put Kepler drivers to it trying to run Spy or Firestrike today? I bet even the RX470 would trash it on those benchmarks.

Also the FE drivers have "Game mode" not "Gaming Mode". There is a difference in the English language between the meaning of those two, that even a Greek like myself can understand.
Maybe people should open the dictionary?

Well considering the FE has its own vega drivers?

In most cases even then it's 1070 levels. Still miles (50+%) behind a 1080Ti(£600-800) or TXP (in the same pricing bracket)

Time will tell when the FX is released eventually...

 

[Chuk_Chuk]

Yes, even with the RX 480; most AIB cards were lower quality PCBs.

Oo yeah. The 295X2, the both the Furies (X & Nano) were just AMD build with Sapphire strap their own BIOS. Which replaced on the two latter ones, with the AMD UEFI for further overclocks and performance. (something that the "reviewers" haven't done since it was released back in April 2016).

Great build quality and cannot fault it. And waiting for the "reference" Vega one also.

In that case my previous comment is obsolete. Well they have the physical quality, now they need the computational quality.

 

[Panos]

Well considering the FE has its own vega drivers?

In most cases even then it's 1070 levels. Still miles (50+%) behind a 1080Ti(£600-800) or TXP (in the same pricing bracket)

Time will tell when the FX is released eventually...

But the FE DOESN'T HAVE ITS OWN VEGA DRIVERS. It has a Fiji set of drivers to run, with more than half the subsystems turned off and not been used.

 

[Martini1991]

But the FE DOESN'T HAVE ITS OWN VEGA DRIVERS. It has a Fiji set of drivers to run, with more than half the subsystems turned off and not been used.

That's AMDs fault though?