8xxx speculation thread.

[spigzone]

With AMD's 7xxx graphics cards launching in the next few months and it's Graphics Core Next coming into (pre)view, time seems about right to start up an 8xxx thread.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4455/a...ts-for-compute

WIth the 7xxx series in 2011 getting AMD genned in on the 28nm node, seems logical the next step is a GCN cored 8xxx on 28nm for 2012?

[APU_Fusion]

Originally Posted by spigzone

With AMD's 7xxx graphics cards launching in the next few months and it's Graphics Core Next coming into (pre)view, time seems about right to start up an 8xxx thread.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4455/a...ts-for-compute

WIth the 7xxx series in 2011 getting AMD genned in on the 28nm node, seems logical the next step is a GCN cored 8xxx on 28nm for 2012?

Pretty early for 8xxx speculation. I think a big question is if AMD has an upgraded 7xxx series coming out with Kepler on the higher power TMSC process.

[nawoa]

7xxx = optimized die shrink of 6xxx, basically what 6xxx was intended to be. They're not going to implement a whole new architecture and a new manufacturing node in the same generation, it would be too much risk. 8xxx series will probably be the new architecture better suited to GPGPU, similar to Nvidia's Fermi chips but hopefully not so hot and loud.

[APU_Fusion]

Originally Posted by nawoa

7xxx = optimized die shrink of 6xxx, basically what 6xxx was intended to be. They're not going to implement a whole new architecture and a new manufacturing node in the same generation, it would be too much risk. 8xxx series will probably be the new architecture better suited to GPGPU, similar to Nvidia's Fermi chips but hopefully not so hot and loud.

You are incorrect. http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphic...PUs-and-Beyond

[spigzone]

Originally Posted by APU_Fusion

You are incorrect. http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphic...PUs-and-Beyond

From the referenced opening post Anandtech article ...

--- Because of this need to inform developers of the hardware well in advance, while we’ve had a chance to see the fundamentals of GCN products using it are still some time off. At no point has AMD specified when a GPU will appear using GCN will appear, so it’s very much a guessing game. What we know for a fact is that Trinity – the 2012 Bulldozer APU – will not use GCN, it will be based on Cayman’s VLIW4 architecture. Because Trinity will be VLIW4, it’s likely-to-certain that AMD will have midrange and low-end video cards using VLIW4 because of the importance they place on being able to Crossfire with the APU. Does this mean AMD will do another split launch, with high-end parts using one architecture while everything else is a generation behind? It’s possible, but we wouldn’t make at bets at this point in time. Certainly it looks like it will be 2013 before GCN has a chance to become a top-to-bottom architecture, so the question is what the top discrete GPU will be for AMD by the start of 2012. ---

I'll go with Anandtech on this one. Don't see AMD going with a completely new core on their 2011 28nm GPU's when they have so much experience putting their VLIW based architecture on silicon.

And Josh Walrath, as anyone who catches the PC Perspective podcast on TwiT knows, really REALLY likes his alcohol.

[APU_Fusion]

Originally Posted by spigzone

From the referenced opening post Anandtech article ...

--- Because of this need to inform developers of the hardware well in advance, while we’ve had a chance to see the fundamentals of GCN products using it are still some time off. At no point has AMD specified when a GPU will appear using GCN will appear, so it’s very much a guessing game. What we know for a fact is that Trinity – the 2012 Bulldozer APU – will not use GCN, it will be based on Cayman’s VLIW4 architecture. Because Trinity will be VLIW4, it’s likely-to-certain that AMD will have midrange and low-end video cards using VLIW4 because of the importance they place on being able to Crossfire with the APU. Does this mean AMD will do another split launch, with high-end parts using one architecture while everything else is a generation behind? It’s possible, but we wouldn’t make at bets at this point in time. Certainly it looks like it will be 2013 before GCN has a chance to become a top-to-bottom architecture, so the question is what the top discrete GPU will be for AMD by the start of 2012. ---

I'll go with Anandtech on this one.

Ok ... guess we agree to disagree ... Yes, AMD could do a split launch but there has been speculation that there is the capability to do a cross architecture crossfire. The only VLIW4 gpu AMD would need is a low end one for Trinity.

[pTmd]

Originally Posted by spigzone

Does this mean AMD will do another split launch, with high-end parts using one architecture while everything else is a generation behind?

Isn't the split launch of NI caused by the cancellation of TSMC 32nm Bulk Process instead of the product strategy of AMD themselves?
Northern Islands was supposed to be a VLIW-4 family on 32nm (top-to-bottom).

[sirroman]

Originally Posted by spigzone

From the referenced opening post Anandtech article ...

--- Because of this need to inform developers of the hardware well in advance, while we’ve had a chance to see the fundamentals of GCN products using it are still some time off. At no point has AMD specified when a GPU will appear using GCN will appear, so it’s very much a guessing game. What we know for a fact is that Trinity – the 2012 Bulldozer APU – will not use GCN, it will be based on Cayman’s VLIW4 architecture. Because Trinity will be VLIW4, it’s likely-to-certain that AMD will have midrange and low-end video cards using VLIW4 because of the importance they place on being able to Crossfire with the APU. Does this mean AMD will do another split launch, with high-end parts using one architecture while everything else is a generation behind? It’s possible, but we wouldn’t make at bets at this point in time. Certainly it looks like it will be 2013 before GCN has a chance to become a top-to-bottom architecture, so the question is what the top discrete GPU will be for AMD by the start of 2012. ---

I'll go with Anandtech on this one. Don't see AMD going with a completely new core on their 2011 28nm GPU's when they have so much experience putting their VLIW based architecture on silicon.

And Josh Walrath, as anyone who catches the PC Perspective podcast on TwiT knows, really REALLY likes his alcohol.

Eric Demers and Rick Bergman confirmed that GCN will launch this year (Q4 2011, but I believe it will be released in september or early october). There're multiple accounts of it circling, one can be found here: http://www.rage3d.com/interviews/amd.../index.php?p=4

[265586888]

This time it will be 28 nm top-to-bottom refresh. If there isn't issues like they have met with TSMC 40 nm (40G), then they probably won't need another RV740 chip...

Of course, NVIDIA says otherwise, claiming it's still as leaky as hell...

For Radeon HD 8xxx, don't expect massive scale-up as it would still be made on 28 nm (with estimated launch date: H2 2013), but it probably would include newer API support (if there are any ), and probably improved features.

[sirroman]

Originally Posted by 265586888

This time it will be 28 nm top-to-bottom refresh. If there isn't issues like they have met with TSMC 40 nm (40G), then they probably won't need another RV740 chip...

Of course, NVIDIA says otherwise, claiming it's still as leaky as hell...

For Radeon HD 8xxx, don't expect massive scale-up as it would still be made on 28 nm (with estimated launch date: H2 2013), but it probably would include newer API support (if there are any ), and probably improved features.

What 'bout the last info that Haswell will have a DX11.1 compatible GPU?

http://www.donanimhaber.com/islemci/...GPU-olacak.htm

HD8000 will be DX11.1 as well, if that leak is true.