R9 Nano Review thread

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:23

humbug said:
Whats the point in any small form factor GPU?

Clearly there is no circumstance where a GPU needs smaller than 10" or 11" long, or that anyone would want a smaller GPU.

That is my point. At that price there is zero point. At 300 I would consider it as it would be great for HTC builds, but with 1.4 HDMI and a stupidly expensive over the top price its hard to see what AMD were smoking when they came up with it... the only thing I can think of is Nintendo asking them for a smaller form factor card for their NX machine that will wipe the floor with PS4 and Xbone.

humbug · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:30

spikerules said:
That is my point. At that price there is zero point. At 300 I would consider it as it would be great for HTC builds, but with 1.4 HDMI and a stupidly expensive over the top price its hard to see what AMD were smoking when they came up with it... the only thing I can think of is Nintendo asking them for a smaller form factor card for their NX machine that will wipe the floor with PS4 and Xbone.

@ £300 is makes the slower £390X look ridiculous, that and the £400 GTX 980 which is also slower.

I have said it many time but i shall say it again, everything above the GTX 970 and R9 390P is over priced. < even they are a little too high.

At least this over priced card is distinct for its tiny size.

AMDJoe · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:31

spikerules said:
That is my point. At that price there is zero point. At 300 I would consider it as it would be great for HTC builds, but with 1.4 HDMI and a stupidly expensive over the top price its hard to see what AMD were smoking when they came up with it... the only thing I can think of is Nintendo asking them for a smaller form factor card for their NX machine that will wipe the floor with PS4 and Xbone.

I keep seeing HDMI 2.0 being brought up although I never noticed it in other product launches at all on other cards that don't have HDMI 2.0. There's an adapter coming that's not expensive which should hopefully offer that 60FPS 4K performance on TV's that don't have DP.

Also, and this might just be me, but I'd prefer having a small form factor PC on my desk rather than a big tower under it. Would make hoovering a hell of a lot easier!

Also, I don't think Nintendo are too fussed about competing with PS4 and Xbone. They were considering going mobile only for a bit right?

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:37

AMDJoe said:
I keep seeing HDMI 2.0 being brought up although I never noticed it in other product launches at all on other cards that don't have HDMI 2.0. There's an adapter coming that's not expensive which should hopefully offer that 60FPS 4K performance on TV's that don't have DP.

Also, and this might just be me, but I'd prefer having a small form factor PC on my desk rather than a big tower under it. Would make hoovering a hell of a lot easier!

Also, I don't think Nintendo are too fussed about competing with PS4 and Xbone. They were considering going mobile only for a bit right?

They are going mobile, but also releasing a new console to compete with the current gen (ps4/Xbox one). And to say no one complained about HDMI 2.0 not being there on other cards is because HDMI 2.0 IS THERE on other cards competing at 4k, apart from AMD cards which people have ALWAYS been complaining about. The fact is that the Nano is aimed at the living room space and does best at 1440p and 4k. Then why not release a card that actually works with living room TVs at 4k and 60Hz?. And from what I have heard the adapter won't be cheap...

Not sure what is going on at AMD, but they need to hire someone with common sense. We all know people with high IQ's have little common sense, but maybe hire someone with some street smarts and common sense to get the smart people working there in line and making SMART decisions with regards to marketing, pricing and specs that people actually want.

Edit - Going to edit this as reading it back it does come off rude. Sorry, but I really wanted to like the Nano. I was eager for one as I was for the Fury X, but it's just frustrating that AMD have screwed up again! I was ready to place an order, but then saw the price and the lack of 2.0 and my eagerness turned to confusion. Do AMD really want to fail so bad and give Nvidia the lead yet again? It just seems like no planning, forsight or even research went into these cards. Are AMD even aware how few 4K TV's support DP?

It's just soooooo frustrating. I want AMD to do well, to do better, but they are their own worst enemy

humbug · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:43

Its an incy wincy tiny little card with a lot of performance, enough to drive 4K gaming with somewhat reduced but very reasonable IQ settings.

Its well made, its a good looking little card, its cool, quiet and power efficient.

its a great little thing, over priced yes, but everything is......

StrongSad · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:50

humbug said:
@ £300 is makes the slower £390X look ridiculous, that and the £400 GTX 980 which is also slower.

I had to look at the current prices because I thought Nah, can't still be £400... yep it is, in fact my card is currently on £40 cheaper now than when I bought it in Feb.... That is insane and just proves the pricing for all cards in la la cuckoo land....

I am still not sure what to think of the Nano. I have so many questions about power draw and lack of HDMI 2 that my brain thing hurts....
How is it 100W less TDP than the fury X??? how

EDIT: Just checked my order history and it's £21 cheaper now...... Wow

Scougar · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:52

AMDJoe said:
*SNIP* There's an adapter coming that's not expensive which should hopefully offer that 60FPS 4K performance on TV's that don't have DP. *SNIP*

They had better hurry up. They can make an entire line of cards, but unable to supply an adapter?

spikerules said:
*SNIP*

Not sure what is going on at AMD, but they need to hire someone with common sense. We all know people with high IQ's have little common sense, but maybe hire someone with some street smarts and common sense to get the smart people working there in line and making SMART decisions with regards to marketing, pricing and specs that people actually want.

Brought the film 'Trading Places' to mind and him talking about what people actually want.

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:54

Strudders said:
I had to look at the current prices because I thought Nah, can't still be £400... yep it is, in fact my card is currently on £40 cheaper now than when I bought it in Feb.... That is insane and just proves the pricing for all cards in la la cuckoo land....

I am still not sure what to think of the Nano. I have so many questions about power draw and lack of HDMI 2 that my brain thing hurts....
How is it 100W less TDP than the fury X??? how

Because it throttles from 850Hz to 1000Hz I believe. So lower clock rates, it throttles, IS NOT QUIET as it has major coil whine and has no HDMI 2.0, because either AMD don't know anything about 4k TV's or they have little common sense or maybe both? Maybe they want to sell a lot of DP to HDMI 2.0 adapters for £100 to make the already expensive card a £650 card?

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:56

Scougar said:
They had better hurry up. They can make an entire line of cards, but unable to supply an adapter?

Brought the film 'Trading Places' to mind and him talking about what people actually want.

I love that movie! However it proves my point. The person with street smarts wS just as good if not better at the job than the well educated guy... Maybe they need to roam to streets of New York and find a hustler rather than hire another technician?

AMDJoe · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:57

Scougar said:
They had better hurry up. They can make an entire line of cards, but unable to supply an adapter?

It's not AMD making the adapter it's Club3D.

What was the bit mentioned above? Nano is for living room builds? It's for what ever build you want it to be for. I'd love to swap out my 290X tower for an SFF nano build...but alas...price is a bit too dear for dear old me.

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 17:58

AMDJoe said:
It's not AMD making the adapter it's Club3D.

What was the bit mentioned above? Nano is for living room builds? It's for what ever build you want it to be for. I'd love to swap out my 290X tower for an SFF nano build...but alas...price is a bit too dear for dear old me.

Come on its aimed at the living room. Otherwise what is the point of it? It's aimed at Mini ITX machines and HTPC's and at a push lan parties.

humbug · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:04

I think the card was designed along side or just after Hawaii, Spikerules ^^^^ its still using an older scaler thats why no HDMI 2.0, but its a none issue as there is an adapter for it.

Strudders said:
I had to look at the current prices because I thought Nah, can't still be £400... yep it is, in fact my card is currently on £40 cheaper now than when I bought it in Feb.... That is insane and just proves the pricing for all cards in la la cuckoo land....

I am still not sure what to think of the Nano. I have so many questions about power draw and lack of HDMI 2 that my brain thing hurts....
How is it 100W less TDP than the fury X??? how

EDIT: Just checked my order history and it's £21 cheaper now...... Wow

Its a combination of things, it runs about 10 to 15% lower clock rates than its big brother but that alone cannot account for 60 to 70% of the Fury-X power draw, the thing in with in a hares breath of the Fury-P at vastly reduced power.

Better binning and better PCB design will also play its part.

spikerules · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:10

humbug said:
I think the card was designed along side or just after Hawaii, Spikerules ^^^^ its still using an older scaler thats why no HDMI 2.0, but its a none issue as there is an adapter for it.

Its a combination of things, it runs about 10 to 15% lower clock rates that its big brother but that alone cannot account for 60 to 70% of the Fury-X power draw, the thing in with in a hares breath of the Fury-P at vastly reduced power.

Better binning and better PCB design will also play its part.

But there isn't one. Not yet anyways. If they wanted to use that as an excuse they should have made it available with the cards release.

StrongSad · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:11

spikerules said:
Because it throttles from 850Hz to 1000Hz I believe. So lower clock rates, it throttles, IS NOT QUIET as it has major coil whine and has no HDMI 2.0, because either AMD don't know anything about 4k TV's or they have little common sense or maybe both? Maybe they want to sell a lot of DP to HDMI 2.0 adapters for £100 to make the already expensive card a £650 card?

That all reads a bit harsh....

It does throttle but not 100W worth and there have been a few who have had it running at over 1000 Hz for bench marking with increased temps... Which again is... HOW!! LOL

Yep coil whine again Meh, 980 Ti had it when launched.... 980 blah blah blah... lets face it, they all did, just AMD seem to have had a few more..... but the HDMI issue for a SFF lounge type power house is still very odd.... Regardless of some sort of adapter that I doubt will be that cheap..... Mr AMDJoe

nashathedog · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:11

spikerules said:
That is my point. At that price there is zero point. At 300 I would consider it as it would be great for HTC builds, but with 1.4 HDMI and a stupidly expensive over the top price its hard to see what AMD were smoking when they came up with it... the only thing I can think of is Nintendo asking them for a smaller form factor card for their NX machine that will wipe the floor with PS4 and Xbone.

Maybe Nintendo should buy them all, Sadly you'd end up with a very expensive console but it would be capable of performance far beyond the current gen offerings from the competition, Pair it off with a real desktop apu and Nintendo would have a genuine console butt-kicker.

shankly1985 · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:12

spikerules said:
Come on its aimed at the living room. Otherwise what is the point of it? It's aimed at Mini ITX machines and HTPC's and at a push lan parties.

It's aimed at what ever the end user wants. Small don't always mean console.

They is a lot a desktop user can do with small Form factor rigs.

nashathedog · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:15

shankly1985 said:
It's aimed at what ever the end user wants. Small don't always mean console.

They is a lot a desktop user can do with small Form factor rigs.

Quite right, but then it comes down too how often will you have a build that can fit a Nano but not a Fury X?

Scougar · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:16

AMDJoe, thanks for the clarification on the hdmi 2 adapter :-)

I assumed it was coming from AMD, not a third party.

shankly1985 · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:18

nashathedog said:
Quite right, but then it comes down too how often will you have a build that can fit a Nano but not a Fury X?

Options is a good thing

.. I have couple friends who will not use anything water cooled so Nano will be there choice. But for me I'll choose furyx.

humbug · 14 Sep 2015 at 18:20

Strudders said:
That all reads a bit harsh....

It does throttle but not 100W worth and there have been a few who have had it running at over 1000 Hz for bench marking with increased temps... Which again is... HOW!! LOL

Yep coil whine again Meh, 980 Ti had it when launched.... 980 blah blah blah... lets face it, they all did, just AMD seem to have had a few more..... but the HDMI issue for a SFF lounge type power house is still very odd.... Regardless of some sort of adapter that I doubt will be that cheap..... Mr AMDJoe

I have the "GTX 970 Coil Whine" but the only reason i can hear it clearly is the same reason you can hear it on some of these Fiji cards, the rest of it is so dammed quiet...... < oh the pain!!!! why me????? :rolleyes:

its also not the first whiny card i have had, it happens, you get used to it to the point where you don't even hear it anymore.

Its all a big fuss over nuffi'n