[Guru3D]AMD Radeon 7000 series coming in Q2?

[Arkadrel]

Unless Nvidia breaks from prior form, their first GPU WILL be the top end behemoth GPU, so if AMD doesn't expect that until feb/mar, then they probably have plenty of time to launch the mainstream product first, and go after nvidia at the top at a later date.

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We mostly talk about the 69xx series and the 570/580's, but the reality is, that the vast majority of people won't ever buy that expensive of a GPU. AMD probably would want to grab as much market share as possible with a outstanding performance from a midrange GPU.

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The spot the theoretical 7770 would fill, is also where AMD is the weakest right now. They are using a rebadged 5770 for that target. So launching the new GPU there makes sense.

I agree with what you said.

Im gonna call it, the 77xx is the first in the 7xxx series to be launched
It just makes most sense to start midways and work upwards for AMD.

Also that way their 6xxx series has abit longer to sell, at top-end.

 

[Nathelion]

AMD has a history of jumping to new processes before nVidia does. They also have a history of trying out the new process on a mid-range card in the existing lineup. This strategy has a history of working well. I have a hard time believing that they would risk what nVidia has endured in the recent past and launch a large, new chip on a new process. They'll move a medium-sized existing design to the new process, then launch a new generation once they get the bugs fixed. To do anything else would be foolish. Consider that this will be twice as large a process node jump as nVidia and AMD are used to for GPUs, so adopting the new node is even more likely than usual to break things.

 

[lifeblood]

This logic doesn't make sense.

How could AMD know in advance whether or not TSMC will have any unforeseen problems with the new 28nm process? I think the obvious answer is that you make a pipe-cleaner specifically because you do not know what the problems will be.

Actually, we know they have had problems with their 28nm process because it is actually their 32nm process renamed. According to a couple of other threads on this forum, TSMC had to rename it and take longer because of problems they were having.

 

[tijag]

Actually, we know they have had problems with their 28nm process because it is actually their 32nm process renamed. According to a couple of other threads on this forum, TSMC had to rename it and take longer because of problems they were having.

That doesn't change my conclusion that when AMD was in planning stages for whatever it was that taped out in Feb, the couldn't have known what [if any] problems the 28nm process would have.

This is why I conclude that what they are planing to bring to market with 28nm will be a smallish mid-range product that will deprecate the 6870 and 6770.

 

[RussianSensation]

This is why I conclude that what they are planing to bring to market with 28nm will be a smallish mid-range product that will deprecate the 6870 and 6770.

So you are saying there won't be a high-end 28nm part in 2011 from AMD? It wouldn't be the first time that a GPU maker launched their high-end card on a brand new process. On the contrary, this approach has been used predominantely before. Before HD4770, most new high-end GPUs actually launched on a new process. Even if HD7770 launches first, AMD will have their high-end parts by end of 2011. Also, NV will be out with Kepler on 28nm so there is no way AMD can just relax.

Not only that but AMD has publicly stated that they expect not one, but two 28nm tape-outs this quarter. I can certainly see them releasing a mid-range part first, but Q3/Q4 2011 should see the high-end 7000 series.

 

[Lonbjerg]

Because it's DICE's lead platform and the graphics in the trailers are stunning.

Did we look at the same trailers? :\

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Unless bf3 is a beast I really don't see a reason to release any new cards. We are so far ahead of current games coming out right now unless you use 3d or triple monitors and that's like 2% of current pc gamers.

 

[tijag]

So you are saying there won't be a high-end 28nm part in 2011 from AMD? It wouldn't be the first time that a GPU maker launched their high-end card on a brand new process. On the contrary, this approach has been used predominantely before. Before HD4770, most new high-end GPUs actually launched on a new process. Even if HD7770 launches first, AMD will have their high-end parts by end of 2011. Also, NV will be out with Kepler on 28nm so there is no way AMD can just relax.

Not only that but AMD has publicly stated that they expect not one, but two 28nm tape-outs this quarter. I can certainly see them releasing a mid-range part first, but Q3/Q4 2011 should see the high-end 7000 series.

I don't disagree with that at all. Its just that I'm guessing that the earlier tape out from back in Feb was a midrange part with less shaders than a 6950, with improvments to the design that didn't make it into the 40nm part, and probably a few other optimizations. it seems like there is probably enough time between the tapeout in feb, to a tapeout right now, where the early part would have given them some ground work / heads up what the challenges there might be with the new 28nm part.

The other tapeouts coming up... do we know if they are on GloFo or TSMC?

 

[ElFenix]

i had a radeon 7500 once

 

[pcm81]

i had a radeon 7500 once

+1

 

[WMD]

Unless bf3 is a beast I really don't see a reason to release any new cards. We are so far ahead of current games coming out right now unless you use 3d or triple monitors and that's like 2% of current pc gamers.

Not really.

Not even the 6990 or gtx580 can hit 60fps avg @ 1920x1080 in crysis 2 hardcore, a game criticized for being too light on systems. While 6970 drops down to a mere 32fps at the slowest part. Considering these are the very top cards, i can imagine more mainstream systems still have a hard time gaming at 1920x1080 max settings. More powerful hardware are definitely welcome.

 

[Skurge]

Not really.

Not even the 6990 or gtx580 can hit 60fps avg @ 1920x1080 in crysis 2 hardcore, a game criticized for being too light on systems. While 6970 drops down to a mere 32fps at the slowest part. Considering these are the very top cards, i can imagine more mainstream systems still have a hard time gaming at 1920x1080 max settings. More powerful hardware are definitely welcome.

I hope you know Crossfire isn't working properly in that game, as evidenced by the gap between the 6990 and 6970

 

[WMD]

I hope you know Crossfire isn't working properly in that game, as evidenced by the gap between the 6990 and 6970

I know. But it does not change the fact it struggled to run the game at 60fps. This is not the first time CF happened to scale poorly either. it happened in starcraft2, f12010 and many others. If you need to rely on the unreliable scaling of crossfire setup to provide adequate performance, then yes current gpus are still too weak for even crysis2

 

[Skurge]

I know. But it does not change the fact it struggled to run the game at 60fps. This is not the first time CF happened to scale poorly either. it happened in starcraft2, f12010 and many others. If you need to rely on the unreliable scaling of crossfire setup to provide adequate performance, then yes current gpus are still too weak for even crysis2

But you ignored the 590's playable settings?