Radeon HD 4000 series - new inofficial info

[RAW-Raptor22]

Since when does a new mid range card beat last gens high end stuff? Does I don't see a 36xx thrashing a 2900xx anywhere do you?

A 3850 is well priced but is the same core as a 3870 after all. Not really a good comparison.

OCed 7600GT gave 6800Ultra some competition on lower resolutions.
6600GT creamed the 5900s.
GF Ti4200 killed the GF2MX

It happens a lot.

[g1raffe]

Looks good, wont be released for ages though.

[Monkeywoman]

The ATI Radeon HD 4000 series is slated for late Q2. Information about the high-end RV770 has been leaking onto the web, from here and there, but the exact specifications has remained in the shadows. German hardware site Hartware.net has gotten their hands on what seems to be pretty authentic information. As far as we can tell, it looks believable and matches the rumors going around. We're still far away from the launch and the figures are subject to change. We also have some information on our own to share with you.

If you're into extreme single-core GPUs you may want to stop reading now. ATI's future is value-oriented and if you're longing for that 1 billion transistor megachip, you can stop doing it right now. ATI isn't into that. We should have told you this sooner. ATI is focusing on bang for the buck and if you want more performance you should get a second card, or get the card with two cores.

Considering the flexibility and scaling that CrossFireX offers, we're not exactly saddened by AMD's decision to steer ATI toward focusing more on the price/performance ratio than on raw performance. It is harder to write drivers for a multi-GPU, but when you make sure that you have a good foundation, such as CrossFireX, it might be worth the risk.

The information published elsewhere suggests that ATI will use GDDR5 to a great extent, which surprise us a little. On the other hand, ATI may know something about GDDR5 that we don't (we would be surprised otherwise). RV770 has GDDR5 support, but whether ATI will actually use it remains to be seen. GDDR4 with most of the high-end cards is a highly likely scenario. The frequencies suggested here are actually lower than what good GDDR4 chips are capable of.


Sounds good if its true, but I don't see any major core architectural change from 3000 series, just a lot more stream processors.

source, http://www.nordichardware.com/news,7356.html

I WANT A 4870x2!!!

[disruptfam]

ooooh should i wait for these i was just about to get a 3870x2

[madcho]

i think this is a photoshoped one but it look's great ^^

[initialised]

LOL @ madcho

but seriously, why not do a four core card with a PCI 2.1 bridge in the middle if you can keep the TDP down to sensible levels (sub 300W) 45nm and below should enable this within a 30cm VGA card. Hell if you run out of PCB real estate you can stack the cores.

[Der_KHAN]

The card, when it works flawessly, is a beast. But in almost every game, the drivers suck a$$ with something.

what was the latest driver you used? just curious if it might have gotten better already with a newer catalyst...

[ChaosMinionX]

Trust me, you don't want it if it's another 3870X2. The drivers are utter crap, I've been testing it for a couple of days and all I can recommend if you want fps despite all the other things is to buy a NVIDIA card. Or you can mod a 3870 and have moster clocks for everyday use if you want ATI

But seriously, stay away from 3870X2.

Considering the drivers for the 3870 X2 arent even done... 8.3 might suprise you... I wouldnt count it out totally yet

This is on good authority of course that 8.3 will be something to remember It might not be as well, but lets see what quadfire brings to the table

[eric66]

so 8.3 is great driver like that shoot em driver ?

[STaRGaZeR]

Considering the drivers for the 3870 X2 arent even done... 8.3 might suprise you... I wouldnt count it out totally yet

This is on good authority of course that 8.3 will be something to remember It might not be as well, but lets see what quadfire brings to the table

I agree, 8.3 should be something big, bringing CFX support. But I think the basis of how Crossfire works with different games will remain the same (individual profiles, tweaks and such). And that's the problem. When they find the way to enable CF despite the game, configuration and OpenGL/DirectX9/DirectX10, then the X2 cards will literally ROCK. You know, when the game you're playing has a good CF profile, this card is a total beast.

Anyway I can't wait to test a pair of X2

[NapalmV5]

i think this is a photoshoped one but it look's great ^^

the 4 core placement.. pci-e bridge in the middle.. perfect design

whoever made it should be hired by the radeon makers

[Hornet331]

the 4 core placement.. pci-e bridge in the middle.. perfect design

whoever made it should be hired by the radeon makers

to give the powerpoint slide crew a kickstart? *scnr*

[LordEC911]

the 4 core placement.. pci-e bridge in the middle.. perfect design

whoever made it should be hired by the radeon makers

Photochopped.
Forgot if it was made by someone here or at Beyond3d but I definitely saw the original posted.

[Nedjo]

Trust me, you don't want it if it's another 3870X2. The drivers are utter crap, I've been testing it for a couple of days and all I can recommend if you want fps despite all the other things is to buy a NVIDIA card. Or you can mod a 3870 and have moster clocks for everyday use if you want ATI

But seriously, stay away from 3870X2.

don't know what's your problem with X2, but the card rocks! It wipes the floor with any nvidia card above 16x12 rez, in any game except highly tweaked TWIMTBP tech demo called "World in Conflict"!

[STaRGaZeR]

don't know what's your problem with X2, but the card rocks! It wipes the floor with any nvidia card above 16x12 rez, in any game except highly tweaked TWIMTBP tech demo called "World in Conflict"!

Show me a list of games. I'll tell you the problems you'll face if you purchase the X2 with all of them (if I've played them of course). I will say it again: in some parts of some games, the card totally rocks. The rest is a mixture of decent perfomance, image corruption, extremely low framerates and some other things.

On a side note: have you actually played with it, or you've only read ATI/NVIDIA biased reviews?

In almost all of the benchmarks included within games (usually the included ones in the reviews) the card performs VERY well. You know why? Because is the part that is going to be reviewed, and is the part in which people like you will base his opinion of the card. You get my point?

[BrowncoatGR]

I think this is going to be a modular design. GFX cards are already multicore.

[NapalmV5]

Photochopped.
Forgot if it was made by someone here or at Beyond3d but I definitely saw the original posted.

lol i just kidding..

[kromosto]

wait, draw only 10w of power when idle? that would be incredible if all their information is true
i'm anxious to see what amd has up their sleeves regardless of the specs being accurate or not

their idle may mean computer is turned off

[Helmore]

their idle may mean computer is turned off

I think it has to do with hybrid crossfire.....

[Kasparz]

OCed 7600GT gave 6800Ultra some competition on lower resolutions.
6600GT creamed the 5900s.
GF Ti4200 killed the GF2MX

It happens a lot.

wait, wait, wait...
7600GT can compete at low res, but at high res, 68Ultra beats hell out the poor 76GT.
6600GT was not that far better than 5950Ultra. Yes, the 5xxx series was worst series from nVidia by large margin, but still, gap was very small from 6600GT and 5950Ultra.
Ti series was not mainstream. GF2MX was low end, GF2Ti middle end. GF4MX420/GF4MX440 SE was low end due to 64bit bus. GF4MX440 was middle end. GF3 Ti was high end, and comparing GF3Ti 500 and GF4 MX440, those was almost on par, even i believe that GF3Ti 500 was faster.

[Der_KHAN]

GF3 Ti was high end, and comparing GF3Ti 500 and GF4 MX440, those was almost on par, even i believe that GF3Ti 500 was faster.

you bet your ass it was!

[schnulli]

Photochopped.
Forgot if it was made by someone here or at Beyond3d but I definitely saw the original posted.

just a reminder: http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=46800&page=3

[zlojack]

This sort of leak doesn't make much sense to me...

If these specs are for real, they're going to leave the 3870x2 dead in the water..

I mean, by the time they sort the drivers on the 3870x2 for CrossfireX support, then work out the bugs in that... the 4870x2 will be upon us.

So basically, who's going to spend $450+ on a card that's going to be buggy for the next two months, then have a card come out a month after that that totally kicks its butt?

I was going to pick up another 3870x2 im March, but if this is a happening 3 months later... well...

[Der_KHAN]

This sort of leak doesn't make much sense to me...

If these specs are for real, they're going to leave the 3870x2 dead in the water..

I mean, by the time they sort the drivers on the 3870x2 for CrossfireX support, then work out the bugs in that... the 4870x2 will be upon us.

So basically, who's going to spend $450+ on a card that's going to be buggy for the next two months, then have a card come out a month after that that totally kicks its butt?

I was going to pick up another 3870x2 im March, but if this is a happening 3 months later... well...

let me pu it in a nutshell: reason = nvidia

also the 4870 should be significantly more expensive than the 3870

[zlojack]

Well, if the MSRP is $499 for the $4870, it's not that much more than the 3870x2.

Even if it's $100-$150 more than the 3870x2, if it doubles the performance? It's worth paying for that...

I guess since they're on a roll they don't want to lose their momentum.