• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

Vendors Quietly Update Radeon R9 280X With Tahiti XTL Core – Sapphire R9-280X Dual-X Tested

Gregster

Gregster

Gregster

Caporegime
Joined
24 Sep 2008
Posts
38,284
Location
Essex innit!
It was revealed a few months ago that AMD was preparing an updated Tahiti XTL variant of their longest Tahiti chip. It looks like several vendors which include MSI, PowerColor and Sapphire have started to integrated the new core inside their custom Radeon R9 280X cards.Tahiti XTL R9 280X

Images are courtesy of VR-Zone!
Vendors Quietly Update Radeon R9 280X With Tahiti XTL Core
VR-Zone managed to obtain samples of the Radeon R9 280X with the Tahiti XTL core which features the same 2048 Stream processors, 128 TMUs, 32 ROPs and a 3 GB GDDR5 memory running across a 384-bit memory bus. The clocks are maintained at 870 MHz base and 1050 MHz boost while the memory is clocked at 6.0 GHz clock speed (effective). The Sapphire Radeon R9 280X Dual-X supports the Dual-X dual-slot cooler with two fans which push air towards the internal heatsink.
The site has mentioned that the Tahiti XTL core has better performance compared to the Tahiti XT core and features improved power efficiency. AMD was already planning to do a running-change with the Radeon R9 280X and offer the Tahiti XTL variant without anyone knowing that the chip has actually been released. No new naming or branding scheme would be introduced by manufacture’s or AMD to differentiate between the Tahiti XTL and Tahiti XT2 based Radeon R9 280X graphic cards which will end up causing slight bit of confusion among the consumer market.


Read more: http://wccftech.com/vendors-quietly...e-sapphire-r9280x-dualx-tested/#ixzz2pWT3z4Qt
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Good news for consumers then i guess. Tempted to trade my 290 in for one of those haha, although as said above does suck if you just bought one recently.
 
bemaniac said:
Is that about the same as a 'nice' or improved 7970?
Click to expand...

It is a 280X (originally a 7970) that has been changed to a 280X and a different chip in, which clocks better but you wouldn't know if you got one or not, as there will be no info given from vendors apparently.
 
The way I read it it's not going to perform that much better (why do that without renaming after all, they could sell it as a 280XTX etc), they've just managed to optimise the chip to make it perform equivalently/slightly better, and achieve the same clocks, but with a lower power draw, possibly cheaper to produce as well.

The chips MIGHT overclock/directly perform better, but fundamentally it's making the chips more power efficient (and probably cooler), so they suit the place they fit within the performance chart in terms of power consumption etc. It makes no sense for them to massively differentiate the same model of card, and it also wouldn't fit the pattern they have shown with the 7870 black editions which featured the cut down Tahiti cores.

Obviously could be wrong, and it could boost the performance substantially, but that wouldn't fit the pattern at least.
 
Last edited:
I was kidding! although i was tempted by a 280X before i bought my 290, gotta wait til i have the funs to buy my WC loop all in one hit, til then i have to live with the hot beast untamed. Some days i just feel why not just swap it for something else, then i come to my senses :)
 
If this core is just a slightly better OC'ing Tahiti due to low-level yield and other 28nm improvements at TSMC, then the differences won't be very noticeable. If, on the other hand, AMD respun the Hawaii uarch into a new chip, I'd expect them to announce it as being TrueAudio compatible, with the other small adjustments that Hawaii made to the GCN architecture.

Since we've not heard anything about a new 28nm chip variant based Hawaii, I'd guess the Tahiti cores are just yielding a bit better now after two years (assuming there's actually new silicon at all).
 
The specs don't look any different to me when comparing it to a HD 7970.

It reminds me of a Ford Escort with go faster stripes.
 
Bets this is a Hawaii Chip, GCN 2.0, True Audio and the die size will be around 250mm^2 <, down from 360mm^2.

Makes sense as they will be much cheaper for AMD to produce.
 
Last edited:
pgi947 said:
Well, I'd imagine thats a kick in the teeth for anyone who has recently purchased a 280x!
Click to expand...

Can't say I really care.
I'm happy with my 1070/6400 stock clocks.

a bit less heat would be nice though which sounds likely if these chips use less power
 
DigiHound said:
If this core is just a slightly better OC'ing Tahiti due to low-level yield and other 28nm improvements at TSMC, then the differences won't be very noticeable. If, on the other hand, AMD respun the Hawaii uarch into a new chip, I'd expect them to announce it as being TrueAudio compatible, with the other small adjustments that Hawaii made to the GCN architecture.

Since we've not heard anything about a new 28nm chip variant based Hawaii, I'd guess the Tahiti cores are just yielding a bit better now after two years (assuming there's actually new silicon at all).
Click to expand...

Yeah guessing like the new gk110 stepping its mostly the 28nm process maturity, probably largely due to the same refinements - on the 780 its good for about 100mhz extra on the out the box boost (as in what is achievable for a given power/thermal target) but only around 50mhz on max clocking potential so probably similiar story here.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom