Saturday, March 7th 2015

AMD R9 390 Series To Launch Alongside Computex 2015

AMD is preparing to time the launch of its next-generation Radeon R9 300 series with that of Computex 2015, in early June. The company had earlier planned to launch some products that are essentially price-adjusted rebrands of existing ones, such as the R9 380 series (being rebrands of R9 290 series on a slightly improved silicon), and the R9 370 series (being based on the "Tonga" silicon); but has decided to launch the two along with its flagship R9 390 series, based on a brand new silicon, around the same time. AMD's answer to the GTX TITAN-X from NVIDIA, the R9 390X will feature around 4,096 stream processors based on the Graphics CoreNext 1.3 architecture, and will implement an HBM (high-bandwidth memory) interface, with bandwidths in excess of 600 GB/s.
Source: Kitguru
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98 Comments on AMD R9 390 Series To Launch Alongside Computex 2015

#76
EarthDog
NVIDIA didn't buy into the hype. The 980 is a 256bit card. You can see the performance gap between the 290x and 980 shrink a bit at 4k (from 13% @ 2560x1440 to 10% at 4K) which shows the 256bit limit, but its clear that what the 512bit 290x has is plenty for the less than 1% of the market that games on 4K res or higher...and losing a mere 3%, while still notable, isn't too shabby with that 'limited' bandwidth.

Its AMD that is thinking massive bandwidth is the answer to a problem that doesn't really exist on the gaming side of things. Eventually, more will be needed, surely, but at this time, and for the next couple of years, its all marketing to me and it has some people drooling... hook, line, and sinker. I really think they are capitalizing on the ignorance of the general consumer and some enthusiasts that just do not know better.
Posted on Reply
#77
Sony Xperia S
Would you please be so kind to stop with the bullshit?

What exactly is your problem in having HBM instead of the old GDDR5? Just for the sake of argument or what?

If you don't like it, then just go with slower solutions and that's it.
EarthDogYou have more than 1 4k monitor or 3 1440p ones to actually have a horse in the race? Awesome!
Yeah, I'm planning to buy that beauty from Acer us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/s7

The thing is that I also need a new CPU with the new GPU, and a motherboard.

But let's see how it will work out......

Many things in my wish list right now.
Posted on Reply
#78
jabbadap
Well max memory amount what you get with hbm is now 4GB(you need higher density hbm memories which don't exist yet), and if you have x times UHD/1440p monitors, you would need more vram. Bandwidth is not all you need. So 2x r9-290x with 8GB per card might be more future proof with that kind of resolutions, than single r9-390x or even pair will ever be. For single UHD monitor, I believe 4GB will suffice.
Posted on Reply
#79
Sony Xperia S
jabbadapWell max memory amount what you get with hbm is now 4GB(you need higher density hbm memories which don't exist yet), and if you have x times UHD/1440p monitors, you would need more vram. Bandwidth is not all you need. So 2x r9-290x with 8GB per card might be more future proof with that kind of resolutions, than single r9-390x or even pair will ever be. For single UHD monitor, I believe 4GB will suffice.
Ok, I see but they can always release 8 GB versions once it's available.

R9 290X with 8GB........ Do you have any benchmarks which show any sense or the GPU's bottlenecks are elsewhere?
Posted on Reply
#80
jabbadap
Sony Xperia SOk, I see but they can always release 8 GB versions once it's available.

R9 290X with 8GB........ Do you have any benchmarks which show any sense or the GPU's bottlenecks are elsewhere?
Well I might have spoken too soon, but I did find couple of reviews:
www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/zardon/sapphire-r9-290x-vapor-x-8gb-cf-review/
www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sapphire-vapor-x-r9-290x-8gb,3977.html

There are games which benefit higher vram(like ubisoft games and shadow of mordor), and then there is games where bottleneck is more side of gpu processing power.
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#81
EarthDog
Sony Xperia SWould you please be so kind to stop with the bullshit?

What exactly is your problem in having HBM instead of the old GDDR5? Just for the sake of argument or what?

If you don't like it, then just go with slower solutions and that's it.
No bullshit... What are you all up in arms about anyway?

I don't have a problem with HBM per say. What I take exception to are the people thinking that ram bandwidth is a concern with AMD and thinking its going to be a savior of some sort. The reality is anything over their current bandwidth is already plenty for a single 4K monitor and more isn't going to help much for that resolution on down. With well less than 1% of enthusiasts rocking 4K and even less rocking multiple 4k, its a curious move at this point in the game.
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#83
Sihastru
Sony Xperia SThe R9 390X with its score of 8374 in 3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme:

vr-zone.com/articles/leaked-amd-r9-380x-3d-mark-scores-put-it-ahead-of-nvidias-gtx-980/86452.html
That article can't even get the name of the imaginary card right: R9 380X... So don't get your hopes up. A lower 3D Mark score on the Titan X (actual card that actually exists, not something that has less sightings then Bigfoot) doesn't mean lower FPS in games. 3D Mark favors GCN.
Posted on Reply
#84
HumanSmoke
Sony Xperia SThe R9 390X with its score of 8374 in 3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme
Wow, how slow are you? Denounced as fake ages ago.
SihastruThat article can't even get the name of the imaginary card right: R9 380X..
I pointed thatout when Xzibit and Sonny trolled the other threadsover two months ago - strange how in two months the guy that has four unreleased cards hasn't posted a single validated benchmark, nor anything else. Sonny ain't care about facts.
Posted on Reply
#88
HumanSmoke
Sony Xperia SFiji Radeon 390X comes with 8GB frame buffer

www.fudzilla.com/news/graphics/37258-fiji-radeon-390x-comes-with-8gb
Thanks for the laugh. Fudo at it again!
In order to put 8GB on the card you need eight 8Gbit chips (1GB per chip) with 1024GB/s bandwidth
Except that HBM1 is limited to four memory stacks, and it would make all the earlier leaked benchmarks a complete waste of time.
The decision to go for an 8GB Fiji rather than the planned 4GB version was in part attributed by Nvidia’s Titan X 12GB card announcement.
So, up until very recently, the 390X was going to be 4GB, then the Titan X turns up which freaks out AMD and sends them scuttling back to rework the design?!?! It didn't occur to AMD that Titan X would have at least 6GB of vRAM when every Titan card has had at least this amount. Mmmmm...ok. Whatever.

BTW: Your favourite go-to benchmarkers are at it again (Chiphell). 1.98% framerate "win" for the 390X for 12.89% more power usage if you believe their benchmarking. If that is anywhere close to being real :rolleyes: then a vendor dual-8 pin design 980 Ti 6GB looks like the money shot. Plenty of headroom for power increase when you factor in the ~30W saved by going with 6GB rather than 12GB.

Fudo and Chiphell....what a double act. :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#89
Sony Xperia S
If the Titan X is sending AMD to work harder on its specifications for possible counterpart in the face of R9 390X, then this is definitely a very good sign and I will be happy to see them fighting anyways.

A battle which the titanIC will lose and sink deep into the oblivion.
Posted on Reply
#90
the54thvoid
Intoxicated Moderator
There is every possibility that the 390X will be faster than Titan. But if it releases with the probable 4Gb, Nvidia will have nothing to fear. The Titan name will be used to keep it around for amateur compute and memory intensive graphic work.
Its almost a bit suspicious that AMD have pushed the 390X to June, despite hinting a month or so back it was just getting a few tweaks.
If a Titan busting 390X released at the same time, Titan would lose sales. With a delay, Titan can slip out, get a couple of months sales then when the 390X comes out, it can get market share, then Nvidia releases 980ti a month or so after. Almost giving both camps time for peak sales in the first month or so.
I don't normally believe in conspiracies but why, if 390X is faster than Titan, would AMD not release/announce it at the same time. AMD are either not ready (so benches from Dec, same as GM200) are completely faked and card was nowhere near ready or they are in collision with Nv for maximum sale potential of each companies flagship release?
It's that or AMD's card simply isn't ready. There's no way they'd let Nv get so much glory, unless, they also announce (but don't launch) in March and release in June.
Posted on Reply
#91
HumanSmoke
the54thvoidI don't normally believe in conspiracies but why, if 390X is faster than Titan, would AMD not release/announce it at the same time. AMD are either not ready (so benches from Dec, same as GM200) are completely faked and card was nowhere near ready or they are in collision with Nv for maximum sale potential of each companies flagship release?
I would tend to favour the "not ready" option. Maybe because of a lack of commercial quantities of HBM, or yield issues (this will be AMD's largest ever piece of silicon) - maybe even yield variance. If the silicon lacks uniformity for voltage/clocks, then tuning for common frequency within the board limitations may be problematic. If AMD has the option to launch the cards ( I'd assume an air cooled 390-non X would also be involved), they would do so. The company are getting reamed in market share, being outsold 3-to-1(likely to slip to 4-to-1 for this quarter) and enduring low ASPs thanks to competition and needing to shed inventory. Launching the 390X would rekindle some interest amongst consumers for the lower tier cards. AMD desperately needs to arrest the slide because they are getting to the point where clawing back market share even a strong lineup launch will be a tough ask - the company have had trouble regaining share in the past when Nvidia had nothing to answer with (Evergreen comes to mind). With Maxwell in the marketplace the task would be staggering. A quick market share chart with significant SKU releases overlaid that I put together for another site ( figures from Mercury Research and JPR where Mercury's weren't available):
the54thvoidThere's no way they'd let Nv get so much glory, unless, they also announce (but don't launch) in March and release in June.
Quite probably that will be strategy. Orchestrated leaks that offer plausible deniability have been SOP for both AMD and Nvidia for years. The problem this time for AMD is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If AMD talk up their unreleased parts too much, people will balk at buying their current line-up if they think the new cards are imminent and AMD has to eat a sizeable write down of inventory. If the company don't provide some kind of spoiler, then consumers will assume that AMD's cards are too late and buy Nvidia. A reasonable course of action would be leak not only performance but a price that still makes the current lineup attractive.
the54thvoidThere is every possibility that the 390X will be faster than Titan. But if it releases with the probable 4Gb, Nvidia will have nothing to fear.
Titan X won't make or break the company for the generation. GM 204 has already laid a solid platform both in desktop and mobile. There's a strong possibility that the 390X is faster overall than Titan X, but if history has taught us anything, its that these two companies know each other pretty well and in the eight years since G80 arrived, the flagship products of both companies have been very close in actual performance. I'd think that pattern wouldn't change very much with the amount of scrutiny both sides reserve for each other.

My $0.02
Posted on Reply
#94
64K
Yeah, the rumors persist that the R9 390x will indeed have 8 GB HBM. This could be the reason for the delay to June until it's ready. Also it seems that the 390x will be a little faster than the Titan X and probably for less $$$. If Nvidia rolls out a gaming version of the GM200 then it could be a little faster than the 390x. Speculation at this point.
Posted on Reply
#95
the54thvoid
Intoxicated Moderator
Sony Xperia SAMD Radeon R9 390X Alleged Specifications and Performance Numbers Leaked – 60% Faster Than R9 290X

Read more: wccftech.com/amd-radeon-r9-390x-alleged-specifications-performance-numbers-leaked-60-faster-r9-290x/#ixzz3UZA2CNVk
If it's 250 Watt I don't know why they have the WCE version unless it's a standalone (like EVGA Hydrocopper but AMD's version). 250watts can be dealt with on a custom fan design.

It's looking good for gfx fans these next few months. Certainly going to hold off until the 390X is out to make my choices. Though if the TPU source of up to $1000 for the 8GB version is true, it looks like some AMD peeps will be a bit upset. Let's hope they don't copy the Titan model for pricing.....
Posted on Reply
#96
EarthDog
Yeah, no clue why they would strap on the added cost of an AIO for 250W... That makes no sense... unless its a $1K card.
Posted on Reply
#97
Sony Xperia S
the54thvoidIf it's 250 Watt I don't know why they have the WCE version unless it's a standalone (like EVGA Hydrocopper but AMD's version). 250watts can be dealt with on a custom fan design.

It's looking good for gfx fans these next few months. Certainly going to hold off until the 390X is out to make my choices. Though if the TPU source of up to $1000 for the 8GB version is true, it looks like some AMD peeps will be a bit upset. Let's hope they don't copy the Titan model for pricing.....
It doesn't make sense to put the 400$ price tag for R9 380X if its performance is already on par with the available-for-340$ R9 290X. Even if it's slightly improved version of Hawaii.

I also do not believe R9 390X will get 1000$ price tag, despite it being with presumably not cheap 8 GB of HBM.
Maybe the 4 GB variants still for around 550$?
Posted on Reply
#98
the54thvoid
Intoxicated Moderator
Sony Xperia SIt doesn't make sense to put the 400$ price tag for R9 380X if its performance is already on par with the available-for-340$ R9 290X. Even if it's slightly improved version of Hawaii.

I also do not believe R9 390X will get 1000$ price tag, despite it being with presumably not cheap 8 GB of HBM.
Maybe the 4 GB variants still for around 550$?
Your own link from wccftech says $699+
The website says that the Radeon R9 390X and Radeon R9 390 will be retailing at prices north of $700 USD
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