R520 has 16pipelines

[Munky]

Even if it does only have 16 pipes, and even if it's slower than the 7800gtx, you're forgetting what happened last gen. Ati had the high-clocked 12-pipe x800pro initially to compete with a 6800gt/ultra, and they didnt do too well. And then later they released a 16-pipe x800xt, which beat all the 6800-series cards in almost everything.

Having less pipes is a loosing strategy in the long run, but this r520 might only be a temporary solution that will at least be somewhat competitive until they can get acceptable yields with more pipes.

 

[Gamingphreek]

This is differen't. We were able to saturate 12 pipes with 12 ROP's. However we haven't yet completely saturate or, should i say, we haven't output enough to require more than 16 pipes. While they can processor more, essentially Nvidia can only output 16.

The register idea works again. If you are crowded you get more registers. However there gets to a point where there are too many registers and some aren't doing anything.

I agree with your last quote, although i doubt they are doing that until they get better yields, what we get is probably what we get.

-Kevin

 

[Tetragrammaton]

First post. I am just starting to learn about the technical side of things as I plan out my new system.

So... What is the general consensus here? I've heard several things about the R520 and several different pipeline numbers. Where is the information coming from? And who knows the truth right now? What should I suspect?

It would certainly give me some peace of mind to think that ATI is not going to thouroughly trounce Nvidia with the R520. I really want to get my G70 system soon.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: Killrose
What if Ati has widened the mem bus or have done hyper-threading? Then 16pipes could possibly be more than enough. Either way, Ati is way late to the party and everyone is already plowed under drunk by 7800GTX's and Sli. Whatever they got, they better just lay it down.

A. You cannot employ hyperthreading on a GPU. Completely differen't architecture.

B. You will not see a 512bit architecture. The cost would be insane, not to mention the heat generated from another 4x 64bit controllers with their logic.

I agree with you on the last part though. Enough waiting, just play your card(s).

-Kevin

There was a video card back in like 1998 that was a 512bit card but it obviously didn't do very well.

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: Tetragrammaton
First post. I am just starting to learn about the technical side of things as I plan out my new system.

So... What is the general consensus here? I've heard several things about the R520 and several different pipeline numbers. Where is the information coming from? And who knows the truth right now? What should I suspect?

It would certainly give me some peace of mind to think that ATI is not going to thouroughly trounce Nvidia with the R520. I really want to get my G70 system soon.

I'd say go ahead and get the G70. Might as well be happy now than later. If the card does come out next month and winds up being a better solution to the G70 (the rumours make me suspect it won't), then you could always sell your G70 for very minimal loss and buy an R520.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: malG
LOL...16-pipes...no wonder they aren?t even paper launching. The news is too disappointing. I can see the throngs of ATI fanboys, turning away after receiving the Word from Mount R520, returning to their keyboards to punch the "place order now" buttons after making a 7800GTX selection

or they could simply NOT BUY IT. It's not like you HAVE TO upgrade from that X850PE to a slightly faster card... I've got my 9800pro and I'm perfectly happy with it, sure I could use a little more speed but it still plays my games at a high enough resolution. Once I can't play games on it anymore (which would be likely by the time AGP is phased out), I'm going to pickup one of the latest (last I guess) AGP cards which will be much much faster and will be cheap as hell.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

Originally posted by: Avalon

Originally posted by: Tetragrammaton
First post. I am just starting to learn about the technical side of things as I plan out my new system.

So... What is the general consensus here? I've heard several things about the R520 and several different pipeline numbers. Where is the information coming from? And who knows the truth right now? What should I suspect?

It would certainly give me some peace of mind to think that ATI is not going to thouroughly trounce Nvidia with the R520. I really want to get my G70 system soon.

I'd say go ahead and get the G70. Might as well be happy now than later. If the card does come out next month and winds up being a better solution to the G70 (the rumours make me suspect it won't), then you could always sell your G70 for very minimal loss and buy an R520.

Erm... Except that I've never actually dealt with my hardware hands-on, nor will I be building this system. I'd like to have the best system to last me a while and preferably not have to switch anything out. I'm looking now at a slightly modified Cyberpower Gamer Ultra XLC, and may be buying it tomorrow or later this week.

Is it worth mentioning that, if I bought the system soon, it would be two G70s on SLI? I'm balancing this against going for an R520 Crossfire system.

 

[VERTIGGO]

I'm thinking crossfire sounds great if only for the simple advantage that you can pair it with various (I'm not sure how many cards are compatible) other ATI cards, so you can do your investing one at a time, instead of being stuck with two identical cards. I can use my r480 for a while, and by the time it needs replaced just to keep up with [quake 4, Aland Wake, etc.] I can simply make the jump with a crossfire r520 or r580 and a new mobo, and drive my old card for (hopefully) amazing performance and resolution options. It just seems better to have more options especially in an area that needs constant upgrading to keep in step with games.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: VERTIGGO
I'm thinking crossfire sounds great if only for the simple advantage that you can pair it with various (I'm not sure how many cards are compatible) other ATI cards, so you can do your investing one at a time, instead of being stuck with two identical cards. I can use my r480 for a while, and by the time it needs replaced just to keep up with [quake 4, Aland Wake, etc.] I can simply make the jump with a crossfire r520 or r580 and a new mobo, and drive my old card for (hopefully) amazing performance and resolution options. It just seems better to have more options especially in an area that needs constant upgrading to keep in step with games.

I don't know if what I'm about to say it rephrasing what you said but.. Yea if you have an R480 and the card becomes severely out of date, you could crossfire it with a new high end R600? While that wouldn't SEEM like it would make sense, it would because your extending the R480's life by using it in crossfire and you'll see more performance than with say just one R600. Win Win if you ask me, the nvidia SLI after realizing this looks a lot less appealing and it's already know the nvidia solution is less effective than the ATI version.

 

[BlingBlingArsch]

maybe, but ive not seen a review of a crossfire solution with a 98pro and a high-end master card. With NV SLI there are alot of compatibility problems, due to different bios versions and different board manufacturers. So, i have my doubts, if it will be that easy for ATI to find a way to combine each and every card.

 

[BlingBlingArsch]

dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: goku2100

Originally posted by: VERTIGGO
I'm thinking crossfire sounds great if only for the simple advantage that you can pair it with various (I'm not sure how many cards are compatible) other ATI cards, so you can do your investing one at a time, instead of being stuck with two identical cards. I can use my r480 for a while, and by the time it needs replaced just to keep up with [quake 4, Aland Wake, etc.] I can simply make the jump with a crossfire r520 or r580 and a new mobo, and drive my old card for (hopefully) amazing performance and resolution options. It just seems better to have more options especially in an area that needs constant upgrading to keep in step with games.

I don't know if what I'm about to say it rephrasing what you said but.. Yea if you have an R480 and the card becomes severely out of date, you could crossfire it with a new high end R600? While that wouldn't SEEM like it would make sense, it would because your extending the R480's life by using it in crossfire and you'll see more performance than with say just one R600. Win Win if you ask me, the nvidia SLI after realizing this looks a lot less appealing and it's already know the nvidia solution is less effective than the ATI version.

No one has said you can Crossfire a R480 with anything other than an R480 mastercard. The fact that you cannot Crossfire a X850 with a X800 would seem evidence of this? (besides the other problems like how do you render every other frame, or half the frame with SM3?)

Crossfire is only more flexible in that it can match small groups of cards rather than the same model of cards. As it has to scale to the slower of the two cards, this is a questionable "advantage" at best.

Crossfire was "launched" in Australia recently- why are there no parts for sale in the U.S.? Why are there no reviews on the web other than Anand's where the AA wasn't working on anything but D3d games that allow you to set it in game?

When SLI was launched there were reviews all over the web at every major site. As usual, with ATI, all we have are questions.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

Your first link I can't get to bring up anything, your second is the same old fuzzy pick of a core that could be from last November?

How will nVidia fans stop this rampaging juggernaut of R520 information?!?!??!

LOL

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: goku

Originally posted by: VERTIGGO
I'm thinking crossfire sounds great if only for the simple advantage that you can pair it with various (I'm not sure how many cards are compatible) other ATI cards, so you can do your investing one at a time, instead of being stuck with two identical cards. I can use my r480 for a while, and by the time it needs replaced just to keep up with [quake 4, Aland Wake, etc.] I can simply make the jump with a crossfire r520 or r580 and a new mobo, and drive my old card for (hopefully) amazing performance and resolution options. It just seems better to have more options especially in an area that needs constant upgrading to keep in step with games.

I don't know if what I'm about to say it rephrasing what you said but.. Yea if you have an R480 and the card becomes severely out of date, you could crossfire it with a new high end R600? While that wouldn't SEEM like it would make sense, it would because your extending the R480's life by using it in crossfire and you'll see more performance than with say just one R600. Win Win if you ask me, the nvidia SLI after realizing this looks a lot less appealing and it's already know the nvidia solution is less effective than the ATI version.

If you can't crossfire an X850 with an X800, what makes you think it's possible to crossfire a R480 and R600?

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

I don't know. The second link left core photo looks awful blurry. Hmm. Do you think the photographer didn't have enough time to focus properly? The photo on the right is crystal clear. First things that comes to mind when I see a blurry photo are UFO's and Bigfoot.
The first link with the core next to a coin is no less blurry. In fact, it's the same photo just cut.

 

[The Linuxator]

Do I wish that these rumors are wrong, YES but no matter what, ATI will be getting the performance up and running one way or the other, ad no I don't care about how many pipelines they have, as long as they can offer me some decent performance for the price maybe less pipelines = much lower price , and then I am going to a crossfire setup with my X800XL I don't see my setup really needing anyhting else I don't see anything that can put a drag factor on those two cards in crossfire mode, and that's if you don't get some extra help fron the IGP.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: The Linuxator
Do I wish that these rumors are wrong, YES but no matter what, ATI will be getting the performance up and running one way or the other, ad no I don't care about how many pipelines they have, as long as they can offer me some decent performance for the price maybe less pipelines = much lower price , and then I am going to a crossfire setup with my X800XL I don't see my setup really needing anyhting else I don't see anything that can put a drag factor on those two cards in crossfire mode, and that's if you don't get some extra help fron the IGP.

And you plan on doing this all under Linux I suppose? Well, good luck with that. I don't even know if SLI works well under Linux. Linuxator.

 

[BlingBlingArsch]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

I don't know. The second link left core photo looks awful blurry. Hmm. Do you think the photographer didn't have enough time to focus properly? The photo on the right is crystal clear. First things that comes to mind when I see a blurry photo are UFO's and Bigfoot.
The first link with the core next to a coin is no less blurry. In fact, it's the same photo just cut.

yes, its so dark, it could be everything, maybe Elvis.

 

[BlingBlingArsch]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: The Linuxator
Do I wish that these rumors are wrong, YES but no matter what, ATI will be getting the performance up and running one way or the other, ad no I don't care about how many pipelines they have, as long as they can offer me some decent performance for the price maybe less pipelines = much lower price , and then I am going to a crossfire setup with my X800XL I don't see my setup really needing anyhting else I don't see anything that can put a drag factor on those two cards in crossfire mode, and that's if you don't get some extra help fron the IGP.

And you plan on doing this all under Linux I suppose? Well, good luck with that. I don't even know if SLI works well under Linux. Linuxator.

if hes a gamer he will use windows too i think.

 

[The Linuxator]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: The Linuxator
Do I wish that these rumors are wrong, YES but no matter what, ATI will be getting the performance up and running one way or the other, ad no I don't care about how many pipelines they have, as long as they can offer me some decent performance for the price maybe less pipelines = much lower price , and then I am going to a crossfire setup with my X800XL I don't see my setup really needing anyhting else I don't see anything that can put a drag factor on those two cards in crossfire mode, and that's if you don't get some extra help fron the IGP.

And you plan on doing this all under Linux I suppose? Well, good luck with that. I don't even know if SLI works well under Linux. Linuxator.

Your intelligence is incredible, I might be a Linux user but I am surely not blind, I use windows when it's the right choice to do so ( i.e Gaming) and everything else I leave to Linux ( programming, INTERNET BROWSING is a major one and media related tasks) .
When every game that I like is natively supported by Linux, and ATI starts taking their Linux driver releases more seriously then yes, I will never touch windows again, but for now my free windows copy ( and legally FYI, my roomate gave it to me when he switched to OS X ) is much easier for me to use than that Cedega idea, they are doing an excellent job, but I rather have something I know works 100 % for my games than start paying a monthly subscription for something that works but not always .
PS : but if you were a little patient before you started throwing smart comments at me you would have read my sig , and concluded that I use Winxp pro sigh.....

 

[reever]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

I don't know. The second link left core photo looks awful blurry.

Because it wasn't taken with a digital camera, I hear phones have cameras on them too, but don't hold me to that.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: reever

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
dunno if that is a repost or not.....http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=453330 does exist!! and no nv fanboy can stop it.

http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/11586/1/

I don't know. The second link left core photo looks awful blurry.

Because it wasn't taken with a digital camera, I hear phones have cameras on them too, but don't hold me to that.

Not really an acceptable excuse. Camera phones are digital. And I know a standard film camera can be focused.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
At any rate, I'm going to have to call BS on this one myself.
Have any of you seen the side by side photo of the R480 and the R520 cores?

They are just about identical in size, yet the R480 is 130nm, and the R520 is 90nm.

If they just shrunk a 16 pipe core to 90nm, it would be a lot smaller than that even with the extra SM3.0 transistors. My 2 cents.

Remember they are also making the pipeline FP32 which will add a lot of transistors. I think ATI has made mention of moving from Fp24 to FP32 will increase the transistor count on the pipe by 50%.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
The silver lining to all this is that John Carmack is now using an XB360 as his future dev platform because of the ATI graphics. In his words, it's where the industry is going. So, ATI has a true ace up their sleeves there. R600 should be pretty impressive.

Yes the Industry is moving to a unified shader model with the next iteration of DirectX.
That is all John is noting with his xBox360 dev platform.

The next iteration will power Vista and probably a few more OS's for years to come. And it wont be backwards compatible with XP.

 

[raildogg]

doesn't concern me. i will buy best price/performance card. no matter the maker

i'm kind of disappointed its not 24 pipes, but maybe the core clock speed will compensate