Please guys no thread derailing dont want this thread closed before polaris gets released.
Please guys no thread derailing dont want this thread closed before polaris gets released.
Current rig: i5 3570 @3.8GHz, Asus 7750, Dell 24'' 2560X1440, Corsair Vengence 16GB Ram DDR3 @1600MHz, Chieftec 550W PSU, 480GB OCZ SSD + 500GB Seagate + 1TB WD hd, Windows 10 64-bit
Yeah, I have no idea how far along they were when they changed plans. Look at what NVidia promised with the original Maxwell roadmap back in March 2013: http://images.anandtech.com/doci/7900/OldRoadmap.jpg
Note the logarithmic scale on that- they promised double the DP FLOPS/W over Kepler. The only way you can get that kind of improvement is with a die shrink, and instead what we got was a reduction in DP performance. That roadmap also promises unified virtual memory, which is not present in the final Maxwell. The part on that roadmap bears no resemblance to the Maxwell that got released.
Then a year later, in March 2014, we saw the completely reshuffled roadmap. This had a 28nm Maxwell which matched up with what we finally got. So the change happened some time between 2013 and 2014 (assuming any honesty from NVidia.) If they intended to release the 20/14nm Maxwell with doubled DP performance in 2014, they surely must have been pretty far into the design before it got canned?
Also, don't forget about the 20nm Maxwell which turned up in the Tegra X1. This is a different design (compute capability 5.3) which has features like FP16 SIMD which weren't present in the 28nm part. I can only presume that this also came out of the cancelled "original Maxwell", but I can't claim to know how they're related.
I agree. I think the various versions, mobile, <70W compact desktop, and performance desktop will be exactly the same GPU but using different core/memory clocks. Essentially one small, cheap 14nm GPU to cover everything with a 1080p screen. With the highest performance version (highest clocked) being ~= to a 960. And like the 960, available in both 2GB and 4GB versions.
All AMD need Polaris 10 to be is the best VFM 1080p card for ~$200 or less. Because that's what the vast majority of 1080p gamers actually buy. As witnessed by the popularity of the 950 and 960. And I am 100% certain they will aim to do that with the smallest/cheapest die possible. Because 14nm is expensive. And even more so on bigger dies with inherently lower yields.
To find the right answers you must ask the right questions.
There's a lot of good info here on Maxwell that ought to be in a different thread.
I think AMD will configure Polaris 10 (P10) across a range of TDPs.
This part should be able to kick ass in the <75W DT and mobile categories, and get upclocked and stacked with 4/6GB for more serious desktop 1080 work at 75W+
My guess is AMD will have a 3 month lead in time to market with Polaris 10 and should go for gaining market share and price the 4GB versions at USD 200. the 2GB versions can come in at USD 170. Then once Nvidia responds AMD can cut another USD 20- USD 30 and keep the card competitive and still attractive. I think the yields should be good for such a small chip (100 -110 sq mm). AMD has a wafer commitment to meet with GF and thus should push for maximizing sales (thus wafer volume) and gaining market share at the low end. AMD's goal should be to get to a 35% GPU market share asap. Thats when their GPU business becomes a self sustaining business (atleast breakeven to minor profits). My guess is AMD will have Polaris 10 out by late Q2 2016 and Polaris 11 (flagship GPU with HBM2) out by late Q3 2016. In both cases I expect they will have a minimum 3 month time to market lead.
I think AMD realizes by now how badly they have executed in the low power space in the last 2 years as Nvidia made a killing with GM107. AMD's market share was hurt the most because they had no answer to Nvidia's GM107 in thin and light notebooks and low power SFF gaming desktops. My expectation is GM107 must have taught AMD a lesson on how to design their GPU stack. First launch with a small low power GPU which can run off the PCI-E bus and does not require an external PIC-E 6 pin connector. Then release bigger GPUs as yields improve and wafer allocation also improves. With Raja Koduri claiming that Polaris 10 will deliver console quality gaming in a thin and light notebook I expect a PS4 class (1.8 TFLOPS) GPU at 25-30W. The desktop version will have higher clocks and come in at 50-60w. I think Polaris 10 is aimed at hitting OEM's back to school refresh cycle. I do not expect even overclocked desktop AIBs to require a 6 pin PCI-E power connector.
AMD really run a tight ship with almost no leaks, but is there any news on when is something mid-to-high end going to hit the streets?
Those arent exactly "leaks", GeorgiD
Just posting an update. Ethereum is now at $3.70/coin as of this morning. With the current network hashrate of 700GH, an R9 280x will net $100/month in coins. Clearly such a high payout won't be maintained. The current value supports 100,000 R9 280x if the hashrate quadruples, still netting $25/month in coins per GPU.
Anyhow, I know this is peanuts and possibly annoying, however it's possibly worth keeping a distant eye on if Ethereum continues to gain momentum.