The first of these changes is that the chip has been given a tune-up to tighten the clock loops and enhance the power distribution. The second change is that the chip can now operate on two distinct power planes; one for the 3D core and one for the memory controller. This provides for greater control of the voltages and allows the chip to run closer to its optimal range. The dual power plane design also means that there is a higher potential top-end frequency and lower idle power consumption, since there is more voltage control over the different parts of the ASIC.
As a result, overclocking potential is off the charts. Reports have been flooding the net about this chip running at and in excess of 1GHz; a feat never before achieved with reference cooling solutions. Couple this with the fact that the memory can also be overclocked near 1.2GHz, and you have a very enthusiast-oriented card that should outperform even the most expensive competing products - and that’s not even the best part. According to our sources, you don’t need to go out and buy a factory-overclocked card to be able to reach 1GHz; mostly all cards based on the reference ATI design should be able to hit this milestone. Sweet.
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