Discussion: Polaris, AMD's 4th Gen GCN Architecture

[jimmysmitty]

They now show up on Newegg.... as out of stock... AND if you click on them it gives you an error page

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=AMD+RX+480&N=-1&isNodeId=1

So Sapphire and all them are selling reference cards, too? Sounds like Nvidia's partners.

They always did, AMD (Ati) stopped making their own reference cards many years ago.

I still have my X1800XT BBA 😀

Cheers!

Yes AMD spun its factory off to follow the Nvidia model, that business became Sapphire.

X1800XT, No wonder is says your "Ancient", lol!

That is just not true. ATI was always fabless and used third party companies do FAB their chips. They did have their own branded GPUs but they quit doing that in the early 2000s since most people buy after market anyways.

Sapphire Tech was its own company started in 2001. They have become the largest distributor of Radeon GPUs and have been, for a while, the company that does the reference design for PCBs and cooling, hence the Vapor based chamber in the reference design that was in use by Sapphire for years before hand in their Vapor-X design.

some new rumor round-up with a couple gameplay videos supposedly with the 480 installed.

http://videocardz.com/61371/amd-radeon-rx-480-rumors-part-5

I hate the build up. Wish people would just leave the stuff for reviews. Never helps to have all this build up and expect amazing feats then be let down by the end result.

 

[-Fran-]

The hype train is really going fast... It's going to take some serious effort to make it stop without de-railing, haha.

Cheers!

 

[Math Geek]

i'm just posting what i find 😀

what people chose to do with it is up to them. i am real close to seeing if i can grab a reference 480 8gb on launch day. i'm curious and think it will fit well in the kid's old dell xps. if i do grab one i'll post some benchmarks from it with the q6600 cpu and 4 gb ram. they want one and i may do it and move it to their new build come the holidays.

 

[9third]

Hype traaain! Toot Toot! xD

 

[17seconds]

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0b-lBEkfjg&feature=youtu.be"][/video]

 

[ern88]

Don't want to slow down the hype train but it's reported that RX 480 will only have 32 ROPs. Not very happy with that.

 

[littleleo]

Anyone want to attend AMD Webinar on June 29, 2016 9 A.M.[GMT-5] ?

http://experience.amd.com/amdwebinar?utm_source=silverpop&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=25800576&utm_term=orange_box_register&utm_content=global-component-meet-the-expert-June2016-reminder-1-inactive%20(1):&spMailingID=25800576&spUserID=NzMxNzQyODgxNDIS1&spJobID=823322764&spReportId=ODIzMzIyNzY0S0

 

[cdrkf]

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0b-lBEkfjg&feature=youtu.be"][/video]

Lol... makes the 480 looks pretty bad until I read this:

"This is not an apples to apples comparison.

The systems being used are different and GTA's graphical settings are only slightly different.

In the advance graphics options I had to drop the Extended distance scaling to medium because the GTX 970 doesn't have enough VRAM. Other than that, the settings are the same.

GTX 970 video was recorded with external recorder, and I cannot comment on the RX 480 video."

If I remember there was a similar thing with Mirros Edge Catalyst where it looked like the 970 was running way faster than a 390, only to find that the 970 was running on lower settings by default due to vram limit. When run on the same settings the 390 was actually ahead.

 

[cdrkf]

Don't want to slow down the hype train but it's reported that RX 480 will only have 32 ROPs. Not very happy with that.

I guess that might limit frame rate at higher resolutions but should be fine for 1080p and probably 1440p- I mean this is a mid range card (380X only has 32 rops as well). The advantage Polaris has is that it runs at much higher clocks, so that alone improves rop throughput compared to a Tonga or Tahiti gpu.

It probably means the 480 isn't going to be much use at 4k, but then it isn't really in that performance category anyways.

 

[jimmysmitty]

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0b-lBEkfjg&feature=youtu.be"][/video]

Lol... makes the 480 looks pretty bad until I read this:

"This is not an apples to apples comparison.

The systems being used are different and GTA's graphical settings are only slightly different.

In the advance graphics options I had to drop the Extended distance scaling to medium because the GTX 970 doesn't have enough VRAM. Other than that, the settings are the same.

GTX 970 video was recorded with external recorder, and I cannot comment on the RX 480 video."

If I remember there was a similar thing with Mirros Edge Catalyst where it looked like the 970 was running way faster than a 390, only to find that the 970 was running on lower settings by default due to vram limit. When run on the same settings the 390 was actually ahead.

The only thing in that video that worried me was all the frame hitching on the RX 480. I would like to see the frame times because I think AMD might have another launch with bad frame times.

 

[17seconds]

Drivers?

 

[jimmysmitty]

Probably. Even to this day AMD is still behind nvidia with frame times. Not sure if it is a driver issue or possibly an issue with the uArch (GCN) and how it works because while it has gotten better it still is worse, normally at launch it is the worst, than I think it should be for a uArch that has been around for quite a while.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Drivers?

Probably. Even to this day AMD is still behind nvidia with frame times. Not sure if it is a driver issue or possibly an issue with the uArch (GCN) and how it works because while it has gotten better it still is worse, normally at launch it is the worst, than I think it should be for a uArch that has been around for quite a while.

Something about turd and polishing springs to mind but I'm saying nothing on the matter.

 

[Kewlx25]

I wonder how long until custom card designs. I really hate the boxed in radial fans. Dust bunnies galore. Need some open heatpipes that can be easily blown out.

 

[Math Geek]

at least a few weeks, but that's just a guess based on how it normally goes. of course all custom cards won't drop at once, they'll trickle in over time.

 

[Sakkura]

Probably. Even to this day AMD is still behind nvidia with frame times. Not sure if it is a driver issue or possibly an issue with the uArch (GCN) and how it works because while it has gotten better it still is worse, normally at launch it is the worst, than I think it should be for a uArch that has been around for quite a while.

Doesn't really seem to be the case if you look at benchmarks. The recent GTX 1080 and 1070 reviews saw AMD and Nvidia trade blows on frame time variance for their comparable cards. AMD wins Ashes (duh), BF4, Hitman, and Witcher 3, Nvidia wins GTA V, Project Cars, and The Division; Rise of the Tomb Raider is more or less a draw.

 

[9third]

Even more leaked benchmarks:
http://wccftech.com/amd-rx-480-gaming-benchmarks-leaked/

To me, these look very impressive 😀

 

[Math Geek]

shows what the others have shown yet many are praying isn't true.

480 should be very close to a 980 which is pretty dang awesome for $229!!

oh wait i mean meh, just more stupid hype to disappoint us next week when "the real benchmarks show up".........😴

 

[TechyInAZ]

shows what the others have shown yet many are praying isn't true.

480 should be very close to a 980 which is pretty dang awesome for $229!!

oh wait i mean meh, just more stupid hype to disappoint us next week when "the real benchmarks show up".........😴

Honestly I wouldn't be supprised if what they're saying is true. If two RX 480s can equal a GTX 1080, it makes perfect sense.

Too bad I'm a Nvidia fanboy, or I'd be buying that RX 480. (The GTX 1060 is too juicy to pass on.)

 

[simon12]

If those benchmarks are right AMD will be offering around double the performance per $ that Nvidia does if that continues through the entire range they may even get a few orders from the Nvidia fanboys.

 

[Math Geek]

that's funny techy. i'm not really a fan boy but i have favored amd cards for the last few years. i find it funny i am doing the nvidia megathread when i am more excited by the amd offerings

 

[jimmysmitty]

Probably. Even to this day AMD is still behind nvidia with frame times. Not sure if it is a driver issue or possibly an issue with the uArch (GCN) and how it works because while it has gotten better it still is worse, normally at launch it is the worst, than I think it should be for a uArch that has been around for quite a while.

Doesn't really seem to be the case if you look at benchmarks. The recent GTX 1080 and 1070 reviews saw AMD and Nvidia trade blows on frame time variance for their comparable cards. AMD wins Ashes (duh), BF4, Hitman, and Witcher 3, Nvidia wins GTA V, Project Cars, and The Division; Rise of the Tomb Raider is more or less a draw.

Which site are you getting your benchmarks from? I checked the TH review and most of the results have the 1080 in line for the most part with the Fury X.

shows what the others have shown yet many are praying isn't true.

480 should be very close to a 980 which is pretty dang awesome for $229!!

oh wait i mean meh, just more stupid hype to disappoint us next week when "the real benchmarks show up".........😴

There is a good reason I never trust WCCFTech. If you look at their history they will post ANY rumor. That is why when new major tech releases are coming out they have a story or two a day, even if they contradict other stories and reports.

If those benchmarks are right AMD will be offering around double the performance per $ that Nvidia does if that continues through the entire range they may even get a few orders from the Nvidia fanboys.

And all the videos are now gone meaning one of two things:

1. That person broke the NDA and AMD had them taken down
or

2. they broke the NDA, the results are wrong and AMD had them taken down to stop hype.

 

[Math Geek]

powercolor is teasing a high end 480 model called the Devil!! and they are giving one away. enter here, only takes an email http://www.powercolor.com/event/A_New_Devil_is_Born/index.asp no specs at all but a free card is a free card 😀

 

[jimmysmitty]

The Devil is Powercolors brand name for their high end. The last one I remember was the Devil 13 which I think was a dual HD7970GHz board before the HD7990 or maybe the dual R9 290 pre R9 295 X2.

I would, if I planned to get an AMD card, rather wait for Sapphire and Asus after market cards, probably Asus since I like their designs better than Sapphire now.

 

[Math Geek]

for free brand loyalty takes a seat off to the side 😀 i do like the sapphire cards but asus is just classy nice almost all the time.