Catalyst 10.8 Brings SC2 AA; Hints at Future GPUs

[Trialsking]

[citation][nom]hokkdawg[/nom]I'm just waiting for a cheaper 5870 after the new series comes out. Picked up dual 4870s for $129 a pop after the 5870 was released[/citation]

I would like to pick up another 5870 when the price drops. But I need to upgrade my PSU too.

 

[tsnorquist]

Can't wait for next year. I'll be upgrading my aging Core 2 Duo (2.4Ghz) + 8800GT video card. Lets see the goods AMD/ATI!

 

[isamuelson]

I see they have supposedly fixed the hanging of ATI cards with Borderlands. I'll have to try this tonight to make sure.

 

[kelfen]

Cross country race here slow and steady wins the race since ATI 3xxx and now they outpacin NVIDIA

 

[dertechie]

[citation][nom]tsnorquist[/nom]Can't wait for next year. I'll be upgrading my aging Core 2 Duo (2.4Ghz) + 8800GT video card. Lets see the goods AMD/ATI![/citation]

Same plan. Older hardware, but same plan. Intel's socket shenanigans already burned me once, I don't plan on having that happen again. AM3+ for me when it comes out with Zambezi. I don't expect massive gains with the HD 6 series, as the core isn't changing much (the HD 7 series on the other hand. . .), but I've got no reason to pick up a 5770 right now, my Pentium D will bottleneck anything modern hard. Bulldozer + Southern Islands should be a pretty nice platform though.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

[citation][nom]mister g[/nom]Hopefully this means that new cards will come out and toss the 480 off its crown.[/citation]

what crown ?

 

[senshu]

[citation][nom]dertechie[/nom]Same plan. Older hardware, but same plan. Intel's socket shenanigans already burned me once, I don't plan on having that happen again. AM3+ for me when it comes out with Zambezi. I don't expect massive gains with the HD 6 series, as the core isn't changing much (the HD 7 series on the other hand. . .), but I've got no reason to pick up a 5770 right now, my Pentium D will bottleneck anything modern hard. Bulldozer + Southern Islands should be a pretty nice platform though.[/citation]

AMD is definitely great at making a socket last as long as possible, but just don't be too shocked if there's finally a socket change once you upgrade. AMD's milked pretty much everything they can out of the AM2/2+/3/3+ socket, it's been several years and it looks like you'll be coming in just as the AM3 party is winding down.

 

[jimmysmitty]

[citation][nom]cappster[/nom]Now maybe I can play the mafia 2 demo without it hanging my computer? And how many 5800 series crossfire configurations need improvement on the source engine?[/citation]

The current Source engine is nothing like the original one. It has multicore rendering, abilities to use much larger textures, more complex models and utilizes Shader Pixels where the first version of Source utilized Pixel Pipelines.

L4D2 can push even some modern systems. It is still like the original Source, where it can still be playable on lower end systems but the massive amount of AI from the hordes causes it to tax those systems.

Any performance boost is welcomed.

[citation][nom]crazybaldhead[/nom]http://vr-zone.com/articles/-rumou [...] /9688.html[/citation]

Kinda strange that they are releasing a mid end GPU line first then the high end. Normally ATI and nVidia release the flagship product, then they push the mid end and low end. Then they do a dual GPU config.

It would be nice to have some specs though. See if it has a SP increase or if its just a die shrink.

 

[Guest]

The naming conventions are not entirely southern islands. The references to Whistler, Blackcomb and Seymour are skiing mountains around Vancouver BC. The first two held Olympic alpine skiing events earlier this year. The one missing is Cypress (Mountain) but of course that was already in use with the current 5800 series.

 

[bv90andy]

they should really make an update manager for these drivers. They come out way too often.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]senshu[/nom]AMD is definitely great at making a socket last as long as possible,~ AMD's milked pretty much everything they can out of the AM2/2+/3/3+ socket, it's been several years and it looks like you'll be coming in just as the AM3 party is winding down.[/citation]

The new chips are Socket AM3 compatible. There are currently NO AM3+ boards on the market. Expect those with USB 3.0 & SATA 3.0 native with the new CPUs and chipsets.

AM3 has a good 2 years left, AM3+ will come out or AM4 to support DDR4 with the new CPUs.

To the guy with Pentium D: Ugh... when ya upgrade, even to something like todays $50 AMD CPUs are much faster than such chips.

Its all cheap nowadays. My 1990 computer was MRSP: $3000 (25mhz / 4MB of RAM / 50MB HD - no CD-ROM, no modem, no Network card) - it was top end for its day.

 

[the hedgehog]

Those names look like the workstation series. I somehow doubt they would be anything like the HD series.

 

[belardo]

Blah, Intel will not continue to make TOP-END older models, theres no money in it.

What always happens is that a NEW cheaper and faster version comes out.

ie: The faster $80 4670 vs $200 3870 or $300+ HD2600 or $500 ATI 1900XT.


But I am expecting Nvidia to play their usual re-naming games. Todays GF250 will most likely be renamed the GS420. The G310 (which is a G210) will be the G410... blah, who cares anymore.

 

[senshu]

[citation][nom]belardo[/nom]The new chips are Socket AM3 compatible. There are currently NO AM3+ boards on the market. Expect those with USB 3.0 & SATA 3.0 native with the new CPUs and chipsets.AM3 has a good 2 years left, AM3+ will come out or AM4 to support DDR4 with the new CPUs.[/citation]

I don't disagree at all, but relatively speaking you're late to the party if you're just switching now. I'm just trying to temper any expectations, as I'd hate to see someone switch now and then get pissed when AMD has to finally switch sockets. AMD will always garner enthusiast support for the way they make a socket last for years, while intel will change a socket in the middle of a processor line.

 

[isamuelson]

Success! Borderlands doesn't hang anymore. I played for over 30 minutes when it would before, it would hang within 5 minutes of playing.

Awesome!

 

[dEAne]

thank you tom, My 4870 screams when I play SC2. It's like it needs some help.

 

[aznshinobi]

Hope the 6000 series drops the 5850 price to 230ish then I can crossfire

 

[belardo]

Okay... I am updated.

But AMD had a choice: Performance vs compatibility? Choosing Performance was the right choice. We're still about 4~6 months away before Bulldozer hits the market and the timing of this info is NOT a shock. This thing kind of happens when the memory controller is built into the CPU.

For most users, its not a deal breaker. They have a choice between X2~X6 CPUs with todays tech. That can't be said about intel's lower end sockets 775 & 1156 - which both's days are numbered. We can expect AM3+ boards to hit the market well before the release of Bulldozer.

You're making a big deal of AMD going to AM3+ in which the SOCKET on the board is still compatible with AM3 and AM2+ CPUs and the mobo makers will quickly transition to AM3+ mobos.

Intel is about to get REALLY ugly.
1- Socket 775 - 1156 - 1366 are completely incompatible. Hence, its a BAD idea to buy any NEW core2 /LGA775 platform today (My main PC is a Core2Quad). If you went with 1156, forget 6core i7.

2 - 1156 is NOT compatible with SANDY BRIDGE! Socket 1155 replaces 1156. Oh, what FUN that is going to be. (This is like AMD's Socket 940 > 939, but this was not a surprise and it allowed users to use higher end CPUs until 939 was ready). Every single low-end CoreI-whatever (Damn, what a stupid Model Name) user is screwed for drop-in CPU upgrade.

3 - Socket 1366 is being replaced by Socket 2011!

NONE of these new SOCKETS are backwards compatible with older/slower CPUs. Socket AM3+ *IS* backwards compatible with older CPUs.

AMD wins with this. An AMD user can upgrade to a new board first, then later the CPU if he has budget issues.

 

[Travis Beane]

Come on ATi.
Just waiting for the 6770 (small, efficient, powerful) to buy again.
I hate my 5830. It uses more juice than a 5850, and only 10% more powerful than my old 5770, which died.

Why do you temp me so Toms?

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]aznshinobi[/nom]Hope the 6000 series drops the 5850 price to 230ish then I can crossfire[/citation]

It won't happen. Look at GPU history. Whenever NEW series / generation is released - the TOP end models are the first to go. They are replaced by newer and cheaper cards.

Go to NEWEGG.com

You can find a dozen 2002 era GeForce 5200 (crappy gaming cards when they were released - 50% the performance of GF4200 at the same $100 price, but they were DX9! blah! sick joke) Today, most 5200s are $75 PCI cards, as PCI is bottle necked and anything more powerful is not noticeable.

You won't find the 5600~5900s on the market. 5500 are re-badged 5200s.

GeForce 6200 = Popular low-end AGP card from 2004/5. Still on the market. But you won't find the 6800 or 6600 around. The $170 7600GT replaced the $400~500 6800GT & Ultra!

The ATI XT 1900XTX ($600) didn't drop to $100. It was destroyed by the $500+ GeForce 8800GTS/GTX and quickly disappeared. Less than 2 years later, the $80 ATI 4670 kills the 1900XTX (COD 4: 90fps vs 74fps - ouch) Even the 1950XTX is slower than the 4670.

I generally skip generations... My 9800Pro lasted until I got a geForce 7600GT. ATI only had expensive 1800~1900s and their lower-end cards were not market leaders. Skipped the HD2000 series for obvious reasons, almost got the 3850 - but the 4670 came out cheaper and faster. I'm skipping the ATI 5000 series... but will most likely buy a 6600 series card, whatever is about $100~130 and 2-3x faster than what I have now.

 

[foraas]

wow this is interesting. Id love to see the next generation of gpu

 

[husker]

[citation][nom]jimmysmitty[/nom]Kinda strange that they are releasing a mid end GPU line first then the high end. Normally ATI and nVidia release the flagship product, then they push the mid end and low end. Then they do a dual GPU config.It would be nice to have some specs though. See if it has a SP increase or if its just a die shrink.[/citation]
I think that it makes sense for ATI to go ahead and launch the mid level cards now, since they already have a lead in the graphics card market. This way they can put real pressure on nVidia, get their next gen card into production, and have time to work out fabrication bugs and driver issues. They also can continue to milk their current line of 5000 series for a while longer before making it obsolete.

 

[Misdissident]

They are probably releasing the mid-end part first to patch up the minuscule hole NVIDIA actually poked through ATi's overpowering grasp of the market. A money leak is a money leak, after all, and it's best for them if they fix the leak as soon as possible.

 

[ern88]

My plan is wait for Bulldozer and pick up another 5850 for crossfire. That should be alright for a bit.

 

[ubronan]

lol, better wait till some hardware info gets leaked before i can say anything usefull.
And even though it probably are the actual newer models, i don't see a reason for upgrade my 5870 card anytime soon.
All the games i play run at insane FPS and with the better drivers they run even faster.
But i agree on some other posters more stability should be more important.
Gaining 1 or 2 fps more won't do much if you allready have 35 fps ......
Hell you won't even see it at all