ATI DX10 card info

[Alucard]

Newly created site Level 505 has leaked benchmarks and specifications of AMD’s upcoming ATI R600 graphics processor. The upcoming graphics processor is expected to launch in January 2007 with an expected revision arriving in March 2007. These early specifications and launch dates line up with what DailyTech has already published and are present on ATI internal roadmaps as of workweek 49.

Preliminary specifications from Level 505 of the ATI R600 are as follows:

* 64 4-Way SIMD Unified Shaders, 128 Shader Operations/Cycle
* 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
* 512 bit Memory Controller, full 32 bit per chip connection
* GDDR3 at 900 MHz clock speed (January)
* GDDR4 at 1.1 GHz clock speed (March, revised edition)
* Total bandwidth 115 GB/s on GDDR3
* Total bandwidth 140 GB/s on GDDR4
* Consumer memory support 1024 MB
* DX10 full compatibility with draft DX10.1 vendor-specific cap removal (unified programming)
* 32FP [sic] internal processing
* Hardware support for GPU clustering (any x^2 [sic] number, not limited to Dual or Quad-GPU)
* Hardware DVI-HDCP support (High Definition Copy Protocol)
* Hardware Quad-DVI output support (Limited to workstation editions)
* 230W TDP PCI-SIG compliant

This time around it appears AMD is going for a different approach by equipping the ATI R600 with less unified shaders than NVIDIA’s recently launched GeForce 8800 GTX. However, the unified shaders found on the ATI R600 can complete more shader operations per clock cycle.

Level505 claims AMD is expected to equip the ATI R600 with GDDR3 and GDDR4 memory with the GDDR3 endowed model launching in January. Memory clocks have been set at 900 MHz for GDDR3 models and 1.1 GHz for GDDR4 models. As recent as two weeks ago, ATI roadmaps had said this GDDR3 launch was canceled. These same roadmaps claim the production date for R600 is February 2007, which would be after a January 22nd launch.

Memory bandwidth of the ATI R600 is significantly higher than NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800-series. Total memory bandwidth varies from 115GB/s on GDDR3 equipped models to 140GB/s on GDDR4 equipped models.

Other notable hardware features include hardware support for quad DVI outputs, but utilizing all four outputs are limited to FireGL workstation edition cards.

There’s also integrated support for multi-GPU clustering technologies such as CrossFire too. The implementation on the ATI R600 allows any amount of ATI R600 GPUs to operate together in powers of two. Expect multi-GPU configurations with greater than two GPUs to only be available for the workstation markets though.

The published results are very promising with AMD’s ATI R600 beating out NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800 GTX in most benchmarks. The performance delta varies from 8% up to 42% depending on the game benchmark.

When DailyTech contacted the site owner to get verification of the benchmarks, the owner replied that the benchmark screenshots could not be published due to origin-specific markers that would trace the card back to its source -- the author mentioned the card is part of the Microsoft Vista driver certification program.

If Level505's comments seem a little too pro-ATI, don't be too surprised. When asked if the site was affiliated in any way to ATI or AMD, the owner replied to DailyTech with the statement that "two staff members of ours are directly affiliated with AMD's business [development] division."

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5524

lol

[spider-prime]

holy crap!

how I just have to wait for the requirments to run this card and how much and then if it isn't too much on both

[Anthrax]

Eh just like last cycle. ATI release a card after Nvidia launch their new series. Nvidia will fight back by pumping up the clock or adding more shaders with another card.

Usually high-end MSRP are $550-599, but if production are low online retailer ask up to $800.

[Alucard]

You never need to spend more then 260 or so on a video card. I mean right now one that costs $180 will rn almost every game at max detail just fine. btw, how did you find NWN2?

[Anthrax]

Love the game! Didn't like the engine and camera system.

[spider-prime]

People are saying those specs are fake.

[Alucard]

Dont think so. They've run tests already with it.

[spider-prime]

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36671

R600 test site smells fishy

Follow up total hoax, or cunning stunt


By Nebojsa Novakovic: Tuesday 02 January 2007, 23:00

THE REPORT about a site claiming an early R600 test (see story ) drew lotsa responses, I have to say.
Most interesting points that lead a few towards the hoax conclusion: no photos (after all, if you breach an NDA, you may as well do it all the way - some stickers won't stop you!), some odd benchmark data (like GF8800GTX looking too slow in Oblivion), and the fact that the site hosting this has that review as its only content.

This is what bothers me most: why would anyone go to an extent to set up a website (OK, Google ads...) with just this review on it?

If he wants lotsa hits for ad revenue, well, something like "Actress X caught in bed with Actor X, Actress Z and Prime Minister T - watch it here in HD" would create many more hits for that purpose.

To me, the clue is the "review" content and conclusion, which basically advertises ATI R600 all over the place and, at the end, indirectly advises everyone not to buy the Nvidia card coz they will be sorry / jealous / have a nervous breakdown after 22 January...

Who would have the best benefit of this particular conclusion, I ask myself? µ


I hope it's real tho, but you never know.

[Alucard]

The date is the cluey part for me. Why tell people to wait after Jan 22nd if this is made by an ATI whore when theres another 7 dx10 nvidia cards coming out in february? The older 8800 benchmark being used would make sense since the ATI is on beta drivers aswell and thats not the full power it would give. I guess we'll see next month, although ATI were always saying they would release their new dx10 cards in the first 2-3months of the new year.

[Sidearmm]

Yeah Definitely a must have when I get vista. I need to upgrade my 939 to dual core first tho.

[spider-prime]

I'm waiting for this card to come out before I upgrade my computer, I want to make sure I have all the right stuff for it to run properly.

[Sidearmm]

I'm so impressed with the new DirectX 10 API. Microsoft is actually being innovative with their whole monopoly over game development. I read an article from ATI talking about how the new API frees up the bottle necks that are in previous versions. All videocards nowadays use cpu cycles to set their clock speed and the cpu handles the streaming of data to the Videocard's GPU. Basically with the new API and a compatible card the cpu cycles is taken out of the equation and the computer streams data directly from ram and cache to the GPU of the video card. The result is a huge boost in number of objects during a scene.

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...view/page2.asp

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/articl...50aHVzaWFzdA==