videocardzAMD Radeon R9 490X and R9 490 launches in June/Pro Duo launches on April

[R0H1T]

Well said.

AMD is a CPU company with the worst CPU architecture for many generation.

If they had a competitive CPU, their APUs would be selling for a lot more for a long time. That's healthy margins & profits for example that they just don't have now.

Once Zen debuts, a Zen based APU with Polaris and HBM2 will make it that no other company can actually compete with that segment. As far as next-gen consoles, AMD again has it in the bag. With strong evidence it's going to be an AMD APU in Nintendo NX, Sony PS4K (or PS5), and very likely the next Xbox as well.

It is an ecosystem. Major consoles on their hardware. On the PC side, they have their API in DX12/Vulkan. It's far from doom and gloom, 2016 will be a great year for AMD.

But it all rests on Zen. So we can't be fully certain, AMD are their worse enemies afterall.

I wouldn't say it all rests on Zen, if they get close to Haswell (or IVB) level of per core performance, with much improved efficiency being on 14nm, they'll have lot of wiggle room to get into servers & notebook segment. Now seeing as how the PC sector is in this supposed free fall they'll have to aim for servers long term, if they want to exist 5yrs from now ~ http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2469686

My guesstimate is they have 14nm to perfect Zen, something like 2yrs till 2018 end, & then the make the upcoming APU's worthwhile for everyone including the Prosumers. I remember the (APU) MCM rumor where it was believed that something like that would work well in the HPC environment, that along with HSA (like NVlink & shared mem for Nvidia/IBM) I'd say will get them close to the requisite perf/W number to challenge Intel in this segment.

Computing, as we know it, is morphing into an amalgam of GPU & CPU, like we've never seen before & GPU's are going to be an even bigger part of the future computing landscape. With AR, VR et al the significance of an APU will only increase & AFAIK AMD still makes the best APU.

 

[AtenRa]

2016 will be a great year for AMD.

2016 may be the worst year yet, both for AMD and Intel.

AMD may get better results next year(2017), only if ZEN servers are competitive against Intel and ARM.

 

[tential]

My gut feeling is Zen will be an interesting product and will have no discernable difference from intel in gaming. It's all about price/core count.

 

[AtenRa]

My gut feeling is Zen will be an interesting product and will have no discernable difference from intel in gaming. It's all about price/core count.

Consumer x86 CPU market is shrinking
Consumer GPU market (both Desktop and Mobile) is shrinking
Consoles are only keeping them afloat.

Only servers are left, this is were Intel making its big profits. If ZEN will not be able to penetrate that market in 2017, AMD will be in big trouble later in 2019.

This is also why NV is going for servers and HPC full throttle now.

edit. I know its OT but AMD may have to change its model in the near future and become more like Apple, create and sell its own Laptops/Tablets using its own APUs. Because i dont see OEMs/ODMs using AMD instead of Intel any time soon.

 

[airfathaaaaa]

Consumer x86 CPU market is shrinking
Consumer GPU market (both Desktop and Mobile) is shrinking
Consoles are only keeping them afloat.

Only servers are left, this is were Intel making its big profits. If ZEN will not be able to penetrate that market in 2017, AMD will be in big trouble later in 2019.

This is also why NV is going for servers and HPC full throttle now.

whoever starts to use graphene on their products is the one that will actually gain a lot after this wall

 

[antihelten]

whoever starts to use graphene on their products is the one that will actually gain a lot after this wall

As far as Nvidia vs. AMD is concerned, I don't think there's any real reason to suspect that there will be any significant difference in the timeframe in which either one gets access to graphene based nodes.

 

[exar333]

Consumer x86 CPU market is shrinking
Consumer GPU market (both Desktop and Mobile) is shrinking
Consoles are only keeping them afloat.

Only servers are left, this is were Intel making its big profits. If ZEN will not be able to penetrate that market in 2017, AMD will be in big trouble later in 2019.

This is also why NV is going for servers and HPC full throttle now.

edit. I know its OT but AMD may have to change its model in the near future and become more like Apple, create and sell its own Laptops/Tablets using its own APUs. Because i dont see OEMs/ODMs using AMD instead of Intel any time soon.

Maybe for AMD? NV has done pretty well. http://www.anandtech.com/show/9765/nvidia-announces-record-revenue-for-q3-fy-2016

#'s are definitely down, but ASP is up and profits and margins are growing, albeit slowly. You will continue to see low-end GPUs cannibalized but high-end cannot be touched by integrated SKUs. This type of 'claim' is getting really old.

VR will give the industry a little bump and so will 16/14nm 'true' upgrades for us who are on Maxwell/Kepler/Hawaii/Tonga/Fiji.

Consoles are really just a cashflow solution for AMD. It is lowering their margins and profit potential, but may help them in the longer-term for design wins (shared with consoles). That has been parroted for a while though, and we have yet to see that translate into a lot of sales.

Don't get me wrong, I am actually bullish about AMD in the next few years, but lets call a spade a spade. They have some compeling products on the horizon (next-gen GPUs and Zen) and NV has some good GPUs as well. I think AMD has the potential to do well with this next generation of products, but they can really only go up from where they are at now.

The 'sky is falling' for GPUs is getting REALLY old and has been said for 15 years now. Lots of potential for data centers, 4K is driving better and bigger GPUs and VR/gaming will continue to demand better GPUs.

 

[airfathaaaaa]

As far as Nvidia vs. AMD is concerned, I don't think there's any real reason to suspect that there will be any significant difference in the timeframe in which either one gets access to graphene based nodes.

i was talking about the cpu's since they have reached already their limit

 

[AtenRa]

Maybe for AMD? NV has done pretty well. http://www.anandtech.com/show/9765/nvidia-announces-record-revenue-for-q3-fy-2016

#'s are definitely down, but ASP is up and profits and margins are growing, albeit slowly. You will continue to see low-end GPUs cannibalized but high-end cannot be touched by integrated SKUs. This type of 'claim' is getting really old.

VR will give the industry a little bump and so will 16/14nm 'true' upgrades for us who are on Maxwell/Kepler/Hawaii/Tonga/Fiji.

Consoles are really just a cashflow solution for AMD. It is lowering their margins and profit potential, but may help them in the longer-term for design wins (shared with consoles). That has been parroted for a while though, and we have yet to see that translate into a lot of sales.

Don't get me wrong, I am actually bullish about AMD in the next few years, but lets call a spade a spade. They have some compeling products on the horizon (next-gen GPUs and Zen) and NV has some good GPUs as well. I think AMD has the potential to do well with this next generation of products, but they can really only go up from where they are at now.

The 'sky is falling' for GPUs is getting REALLY old and has been said for 15 years now. Lots of potential for data centers, 4K is driving better and bigger GPUs and VR/gaming will continue to demand better GPUs.

The only market i see NV gaining substantially is Automotive, i dont see them gain any more in the Gaming market in 2016. Automotive has a lot of potential to become a multi Billion revenue the coming years (maybe beyond 2020). But for now we have to see how they will do in the gaming segment, because in 2016/17 they will have a lot of competition from AMD. Something they didnt have in 2015.

http://files.shareholder.com/downlo...217FA14/Rev_by_Mkt_Qtrly_Trend_Q416.FINAL.pdf

 

[Adored]

GPU unit sales are completely cratering and have been since 2011, but Nvidia got nearly all the high-end sales which is why they've done so well regardless of it.

The big issue for them is keeping it up. Just how much longer are people willing to pay 500 bucks over and over for the same 20-30% upgrade and not much else?

 

[DooKey]

GPU unit sales are completely cratering and have been since 2011, but Nvidia got nearly all the high-end sales which is why they've done so well regardless of it.

The big issue for them is keeping it up. Just how much longer are people willing to pay 500 bucks over and over for the same 20-30% upgrade and not much else?

People that pay that much for a vid card are doing it because they want the top dog card and will continue to do so. Do not confuse that market with the value shopper market.

 

[EXCellR8]

I pity anyone who wants the most powerful card right now, when there's practically no real world use for them. PC gaming is trash right now, and with all of the useless shovelware that gets cranked out I'm surprised cards are still selling well. There almost nothing on the horizon either, which bums me out.

I've been building more and more HTPC and other low power boxes. My powerful desktops are just collecting dust.

 

[james1701]

I may pickup a 490X to replace my sons 7970, but honestly my Nitro Fury is working great with everything I throw at it right now at 1600P. Without a Crysis 4 looming, and no plans for a 4K monitor, the ecosystem is really in a funk right now.

 

[digitaldurandal]

I pity anyone who wants the most powerful card right now, when there's practically no real world use for them. PC gaming is trash right now, and with all of the useless shovelware that gets cranked out I'm surprised cards are still selling well. There almost nothing on the horizon either, which bums me out.

I've been building more and more HTPC and other low power boxes. My powerful desktops are just collecting dust.

PC Gaming is great, alive and well. I need something more powerful than my 290 CF setup personally. I know there are many posts on here with similar needs, so I am unsure where you determined we don't need more powerful cards. With VR just now launching in a production state - I cannot understand how you can type this without having your head in the sand.

You are obviously not the demographic for these cards.

 

[Headfoot]

I pity anyone who wants the most powerful card right now, when there's practically no real world use for them. PC gaming is trash right now, and with all of the useless shovelware that gets cranked out I'm surprised cards are still selling well. There almost nothing on the horizon either, which bums me out.

I've been building more and more HTPC and other low power boxes. My powerful desktops are just collecting dust.

Maybe on 1080p. My 290 CF can't give me smooth 60 FPS in The Division, Fallout 4, and basically every other 2015 and later game I've played in 3x1080 eyefinity mode (5760x1080) at max settings. Except SW:BF which runs fantastically and looks great, but I got tired of after 30ish hours of gameplay.

I can easily use a faster single card as I'd like to get off dual cards.

 

[StereoPixel]

Laptopmedia.com: "An early sample of AMD Radeon Polaris 10 is in our office and here’s what to expect"
http://laptopmedia.com/highlights/a...10-is-in-our-office-and-heres-what-to-expect/

 

[IllogicalGlory]

Laptopmedia.com: "An early sample of AMD Radeon Polaris 10 is in our office and here’s what to expect"
http://laptopmedia.com/highlights/a...10-is-in-our-office-and-heres-what-to-expect/

Fairly certain that what that guy has is actually Polaris 11.

 

[dzoni2k2]

Fairly certain that what that guy has is actually Polaris 11.

I think it's just a click bait. Any legit site that has a sample is probably under NDA.

 

[IllogicalGlory]

I think it's just a click bait. Any legit site that has a sample is probably under NDA.

Definitely a possibility, but looking at other content around there, it looks like a real review site.

 

[Silverforce11]

Laptopmedia.com: "An early sample of AMD Radeon Polaris 10 is in our office and here’s what to expect"
http://laptopmedia.com/highlights/a...10-is-in-our-office-and-heres-what-to-expect/

I have to question why those guys get a review sample when they clearly don't even know the difference between Polaris 11 and 10.

 

[DooKey]

I have to question why those guys get a review sample when they clearly don't even know the difference between Polaris 11 and 10.

They won't say anything bad and follow the AMD review guidelines?

 

[flopper]

I have to question why those guys get a review sample when they clearly don't even know the difference between Polaris 11 and 10.

You mean like Hardocp?

 

[3DVagabond]

I have to question why those guys get a review sample when they clearly don't even know the difference between Polaris 11 and 10.

They said it's an early engineering sample. Won't be from AMD. Likely the notebook company or manufacturer slipped them one.

 

[Glo.]

http://vrworld.com/2016/04/13/amd-polaris-10-gpu-beat-competing-pascal/

 

[poofyhairguy]

Today, AMD is tuning clocks above 1.05 GHz, and the final configuration might be as high as 1.15 GHz for the stock clock.

Wow.