AMD next-generation flagship of the end of the single-card dual-core debut

Final8y · 21 Aug 2010 at 20:38

Just got words that AMD will release a new generation of dual-core flagship graphics card by the end of this year, replacing the current top-end Radeon HD 5970.

We have confirmed that AMD's next generation graphics card "Southern Islands (SI)" will come in October or November. The optimization still employs the "small die size" strategy - performance first, then dual-core.

Radeon HD 5970 has been in the market for 10 months, occupying the throne of single card without any competition, which is extremely rare in the graphics card market. nVidia GF10x series still have not taken the mainstream and low-end market yet, and the rumoured GF104 based dual-core model is still just rumour. It looks like AMD does not intend to give the rival any time to breath, and thus Radeon HD 5970 might complete its lonely life without a challenger.

Due to the cancellation of TSMC 32nm process, and the long way to GlobalFoundries 28nm process, SI will still be based on 40nm process, with little change in architecture, which is an enhanced version of Evergreen. It is reported that SI will support the latest HDMI and UVD-Eyefinity technology, supporting ultra-high resolution video playback.

http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=auto|en&u=http://www.cnbeta.com/articles/119955.htm

Phoenixdancer · 21 Aug 2010 at 20:59

WTF need two new cards now -.-

Gashman · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:06

don't see why you'd need to replace your current cards, nothing much is changing in SI as far as im aware. hell its not even a die-shrink, makes me wonder what the marketing advantage they have over current generation will be, im guessing they'll simply phase out and replace for same prices?

Orcvader · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:07

Poor lonely 5970

A new dual-GPU card? I want pictures!

Nerusy · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:23

Seeing so many problems with crossfire and consequently 5970 put me off buying a duel ati card :S

Phoenixdancer · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:29

Gashman said:
don't see why you'd need to replace your current cards, nothing much is changing in SI as far as im aware. hell its not even a die-shrink, makes me wonder what the marketing advantage they have over current generation will be, im guessing they'll simply phase out and replace for same prices?

:O but they wont be the best any more!!!!

Gashman · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:32

they'll be marginally slower i would imagine, nothing a small overclock can't fix

Gashman · 21 Aug 2010 at 21:35

Nerusy said:
Seeing so many problems with crossfire and consequently 5970 put me off buying a duel ati card :S

must say a lot of these crossfire and SLI problems people speak of are blown up out of proportion, had an SLI setup (two 7600GTs), setup another SLI setup for brother in law (two 8800GTS) and setup a crossfire setup for best mate (two X1650XTs), and non of them ever suffered any major problems due to multi-GPU configuration, as long as everything was set correctly it worked fine 99% of the time. currently using 4870X2 which is basically crossfire, again no problems and shocking performance increase over my 8800GTS which it replaced. though i do admit some games don't make good use of SLI or crossfire but at the end of the day thats down to lazy developement rather than problems with the actual technology.

RavenXXX2 · 21 Aug 2010 at 22:46

Hope it comes with better drivers for xfire.

drunkenmaster · 22 Aug 2010 at 00:24

Just a little question, Raven, you didn't actually have an xfire setup before you sold and went to a 480gtx, so, how exactly do you know xfire needs better drivers. I'm running xfire, I've had entirely no issues in games with 5850xf, 3870x2, 4870x2, nor did I have any issues with SLI.

Its one thing to change sides and say you like something more, you're entitled to, but now you pop in any AMD thread and have a pop at xfire and drivers, yet afaik you didn't even use xfire.

Nemesis379 · 22 Aug 2010 at 00:44

Orcvader said:
Poor lonely 5970
A new dual-GPU card? I want pictures!

As do i

JeffyB · 22 Aug 2010 at 00:55

I only had problems with 10.6 and 10.7 with my crossfire setup, tbh don't know why i even bothered updating from 10.5 as performance was great anyway. Was hardly an issue to uninstall and go back to the 10.5's anyway. People also have issues with sli as well, it's just the nature of multi gpu setups. Some of the posturing in the graphics card forum is ridiculous as are a lot of the opinions of people with no experience of what they are preaching about.

antran · 22 Aug 2010 at 01:38

I had no problem with crossfire 5850 or crossfire 4890

RavenXXX2 · 22 Aug 2010 at 01:42

drunkenmaster said:
Just a little question, Raven, you didn't actually have an xfire setup before you sold and went to a 480gtx, so, how exactly do you know xfire needs better drivers. I'm running xfire, I've had entirely no issues in games with 5850xf, 3870x2, 4870x2, nor did I have any issues with SLI.

Its one thing to change sides and say you like something more, you're entitled to, but now you pop in any AMD thread and have a pop at xfire and drivers, yet afaik you didn't even use xfire.

I just say what I see and that's a fair few peps with xfire problems many of who post on these forums, I have nothing against ATI, my previous experience with them was exceptional apart from the odd niggle. I genuinely want them to improve their drivers, as for " pop in any AMD thread " hardly.

An Exception · 22 Aug 2010 at 02:32

^^^
About 9 out of 10 DX11 cards are Ati cards, one would expect to hear up to 90% of problems being an Ati fault rather than an Nvidia fault before even raising an eyebrow.

'Wes · 22 Aug 2010 at 07:49

I use a 5970 and crossfire for me has been fine, except for a few occassions due to the Catalyst 10.7 drivers, which requires you to turn Catalyst AI off to prevent it crashing in some games, for example - Borderlands.

Final8y · 22 Aug 2010 at 07:53

RavenXXX2 said:
I just say what I see and that's a fair few peps with xfire problems many of who post on these forums, I have nothing against ATI, my previous experience with them was exceptional apart from the odd niggle. I genuinely want them to improve their drivers, as for " pop in any AMD thread " hardly.

The problem is that you have no percentage to go on at all & the uptake of CF has been quite high.
And just like a single GPU user will have a problem now & then so will a CF user, nothing is perfect & we now see threads of NVSLI users having issues as well now, yes not as many because there is less users of the new cards than ATI 5xxx owners.

rounddodger · 22 Aug 2010 at 08:36

Now I've never used xfire before and have only briefly flirted with sli in the form of a 7950GX2, which was- lets face it- a bit pants, but from browsing the forum it seems xfire clearly seems to cause a fair few headaches for people, certainly more than sli which itself isn't perfect. The end result is I wouldn't touch either dual-card setups with a bargepole but to suggest that single card users suffer in the same way is laughable.

RavenXXX2 · 22 Aug 2010 at 08:38

Considering the 5000 cards have been our nearly a year I would expect real class drivers by this time but sadly this is not the case.

Final8y · 22 Aug 2010 at 09:10

RavenXXX2 said:
Considering the 5000 cards have been our nearly a year I would expect real class drivers by this time but sadly this is not the case.

From what i have seen its only been the 10.7 10.6 with real issues & in fact no more a longer run of bad drivers than a run of NV drivers a while back where people where going back to old drivers all the time & that was before the fermi hit the shelf.

So that would mean most of the problems were on the 2xx series & how long has that line of cards been out for.