The ATI Radeon 5XXX Thread

[Farinorco]

release this month? really?

That's what I expected... at least the last ATi cards launches, the NDA ending date was the same than official release date, if I remember correctly. I'm not sure about the new cards NDA ending date, because I've seen different dates here and there (16th, 22th...) but all of them seem to be in September.

So I think that the cards will be released this month

I like the shader count but the 256 bit memory really annoys me for some reason.

As long as they use some faster memory than last time (and if they're going to use only GDDR5 this time, at least that will be the case for the 850 model) they'll be fine, I think. I think that memory bandwidth was more than what they needed with HD4870, because it had 2x the memory bandwidth of HD4850 and if it was fully used it would have bottlenecked more the performance of the 4850.

Even if they use the cheaper 3600MHz memory that they used last time, it would be double the bandwidth for the 850 model (even with the same memory interface, and for a doubling of processing units), and they could use faster memory for HD5870 (indeed, I expect they do, to differentiate more both models).

So if using GDDR5, at least the 850 model is going to have double the bandwidth which seems appropiated if they are really doubling the processing units number, and probably the 870 model will need less increase than that.

[jaredpace]

i cant believe you quote that. That just makes you look bad.

[overclock]

5870 photographs :

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/...ssage/32550799

[Jamesrt2004]

5870 photographs :

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/...ssage/32550799

sorry but that look absolutley awesome!

[jfromeo]

If that's the pic of a single HD5870, I can't imagine the lenght of a hypothetical HD5870x2, maybe 12"?

[Sh1tyMcGee]

5870 photographs :

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/...ssage/32550799

That looks awesome, for once they went the nvidia route with the full covered card, good choice indeed.

[To(V)bo Co(V)bo]

I like the shader count but the 256 bit memory really annoys me for some reason.

That doesnt bother you, what does bother you is that GT300 has 512bit DDR5.

[zalbard]

If that's the pic of a single HD5870, I can't imagine the lenght of a hypothetical HD5870x2, maybe 12"?

Long enough to push your DVD drive out of the case.

[Origin_Unknown]

sorry but that look absolutley awesome!

yep + it looks like rocket boosters at the back

[Sh1tyMcGee]

That doesnt bother you, what does bother you is that GT300 has 512bit DDR5.

Yeah, the 256bit does annoy me a bit, really hoping for 512bit for high end cards from now on, i mean cmon, we are almost in 2010.

[Hell Hound]

I hope the 5850 is diff cause I want to go h20 on it,and only use single slot not dual.

[Mad1723]

Yeah, the 256bit does annoy me a bit, really hoping for 512bit for high end cards from now on, i mean cmon, we are almost in 2010.

That would add unnecessary complexity to the chip. it already has GDDR5 which doubles bandwidth compared to gddr3... so 256bits GDDR5=512bits GDDR3

[Chumbucket843]

That would add unnecessary complexity to the chip. it already has GDDR5 which doubles bandwidth compared to gddr3... so 256bits GDDR5=512bits GDDR3

no, that would add necessary complexity to the chip. look at the difference of a 4850 and a 4870 clock for clock.

[Sh1tyMcGee]

That would add unnecessary complexity to the chip. it already has GDDR5 which doubles bandwidth compared to gddr3... so 256bits GDDR5=512bits GDDR3

It might but i think it would be worth it, they are going to charge $399 for a chip with 256bit memory interface, doesnt look too good. To have 2GB of ram without more bandwidth might be a bottleneck.

[LordEC911]

no, that would add necessary complexity to the chip. look at the difference of a 4850 and a 4870 clock for clock.

*cough*4770 vs 4830/4850?*cough*

It might but i think it would be worth it, they are going to charge $399 for a chip with 256bit memory interface, doesnt look too good. To have 2GB of ram without more bandwidth might be a bottleneck.

How in the world do you guys plan to cram a 512bit bus on a ~316mm2 GPU?
I mean sure, ATi is good, they aren't that good. No one is that good, yet...

[Sh1tyMcGee]

*cough*4770 vs 4830/4850?*cough*



How in the world do you guys plan to cram a 512bit bus on a ~316mm2 GPU?
I mean sure, ATi is good, they aren't that good. No one is that good, yet...

considering they are pricing the 5870 at $399, i wouldnt mind a little bigger GPU die.

[largon]

It might but i think it would be worth it, they are going to charge $399 for a chip with 256bit memory interface, doesnt look too good.

Dunno about you but I pay for performance when buying video cards, i'm not paying for technical details.

To have 2GB of ram without more bandwidth might be a bottleneck.

Bandwidth has absolutely nothing to do with how much a video card "can use" VRAM.

[Calmatory]

considering they are pricing the 5870 at $399, i wouldnt mind a little bigger GPU die.

If the die was bigger, they wouldn't be charging $399.

Back 2-3 years ago top end cards were even pricier. Just recently they came down in price.

Edit: And yeah, just what Largon said.

[Manicdan]

i think for that price you would rather see more ram, not faster bus speeds. and does anyone even know what speed the GDDR5 will be thats used? and do we know if ATI tested this with even faster ram and decided the cost/benefit was not necessary?

if they made it bigger to get 512bit, and it had worse yields, cost would probably increase much quicker than performance, and no one would be happy

[marten_larsson]

I find it strange to see people complaining about memory performance when we haven't seen a memory bottlenecked card with GDDR5 yet. Maybe we'll see it with 5870 but I don't think so. And I don't understand the reasoning of complaining about die size /price ratio. It should only be performance/price that's to anyone's concern (and maybe performance/performance)...

[Chumbucket843]

*cough*4770 vs 4830/4850?*cough*

yes the 4770 has gddr5. i dont see your point. the card is clocked 10% higher but has 20% less shaders. its speed is from the gddr5 and its between a 4850 and a 4830 in most cases. thats why ATi got pissed at gainward for putting gddr5 on a 4850.

[LordEC911]

yes the 4770 has gddr5. i dont see your point. the card is clocked 10% higher but has 20% less shaders. its speed is from the gddr5 and its between a 4850 and a 4830 in most cases. thats why ATi got pissed at gainward for putting gddr5 on a 4850.

Umm... because a 4770 has less bandwidth than a 4830 and 4850...

[Origin_Unknown]

im not sure if ive seen this but is the 5870 1gb or 2gb?

[LordEC911]

im not sure if ive seen this but is the 5870 1gb or 2gb?

Both, not sure if 2GB will be at available at launch though.

[JamesBong420]

5870 photographs :

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/...ssage/32550799

is it me or is that vent/exhaust for the card a little small?