47324345
submission
Vigile writes:
It looks like the rumors were true, AMD is going to be selling an FX-9590 processor this month that will hit frequencies as high as 5 GHz. Though originally thought to be an 8-module/16-core part, it turns out that the new CPU will have the same 4-module/8-core design that is found on the current lineup of FX-series processors including the FX-8350. But, with an increase of the maximum Turbo Core speed from 4.2 GHz to 5.0 GHz, the new parts will draw quite a bit more power. You can expect the the FX-9590 to need 220 watts or so to run at those speeds and a pretty hefty cooling solution as well. Performance should closely match the recently released Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell processor so AMD users that can handle the 2.5x increase in power consumption can finally claim performance parity.
47033865
submission
Vigile writes:
Earlier this morning Intel officially unveiled the quad-core variations of the new 4th Generation Core architecture, code named Haswell. Haswell is the first step in the ultimate goal of a "converged core: a single design that is flexible enough to be utilized in mobility devices like tablets while also scaling to the performance levels required for workstations and servers." The CPU core microarchitecture is very similar to Sandy Bridge but does add support for AVX2 ISA extensions and transactional memory. The biggest changes come in the processor graphics front where a new GT3 option doubles compute capabilities and the addition of embedded DRAM (128MB) will dramatically affect performance of mobile designs. PC Perspective has posted a performance review and analysis of the Core i7-4770K, the enthusiast-level unlocked processor that uses a new LGA1150 processor socket. Clock for clock, Haswell is about 10-15% faster than Sandy Bridge in CPU heavy tasks but that edge can creep higher than 30% in graphics and gaming workloads.
46973007
submission
Vigile writes:
Originally released in March 2012, the GK104 GPU is getting new life today as NVIDIA releases the GeForce GTX 770 graphics card. Priced $100 lower than the same GPU launched 14 months prior, the GTX 770 runs at higher clocks and has faster memory (7.0 Gbps) but is otherwise has the same specifications: 256-bit memory bus, 1536 CUDA cores, 2GB or 4GB of memory. The new card still struggles to keep up with the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition in performance testing but offers a better value than the GTX 680 by dropping the price substantially. NVIDIA has completely revamped their $400-$1000 lineup now with the GTX 770, GTX 780, GTX Titan and GTX 690 that offers high end gaming enthusiasts quite a few GPU options.
46775017
submission
Vigile writes:
When NVIDIA released the GTX Titan in February it was the first consumer graphics card to use the GK110 GPU from NVIDIA that included 2,688 CUDA cores / shaders and an impressive 6GB of GDDR5 frame buffer. However, it also had a $1000 price tag that was the limiting specification for most gamers. With today's release of the GeForce GTX 780 they are hoping to utilize more of the GK110 silicon they are getting from TSMC while offering a lower cost version with performance within spitting range. The GTX 780 uses the same chip but disables a handful more compute units to bring the shader count down to 2,304 — still an impressive bump over the 1,536 of the GTX 680. The 384-bit memory bus remains though the frame buffer is cut in half to 3GB. Overall, the performance of the new card sits squarely between the GTX Titan ($1000) and AMD's Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition ($439), just like its price. The question is are PC gamers willing to shell out $220+ dollars MORE than the HD 7970 for somewhere in the range of 15-25% more performance?
46764047
submission
Vigile writes:
Though we have seen the AMD Jaguar x86 architecture and GCN (Graphics Core Next) designs find their way into the new Playstation 4 and Xbox One, details about the APU design have been minimal. Today AMD announced a new lineup of mobility APU platforms, one of which was Kabini, based on the same Jaguar + GCN design found in both consoles. PC Perspective has a detailed analysis of the Jaguar core architecture that finds IPC improvements of 20% or more compared to Brazos, AMD's previous generation part. Though not built with the same kind of performance specs as the console APUs, a reference Kabini notebook was also tested and was found to have impressive performance for its power consumption range. The APU is able to find a place in the market, between the low-end Core i3 and Atom processors from Intel, and AMD might be able to finally gain back some market share.
46018945
submission
Vigile writes:
One of the drawbacks to high end graphics has been the lack of low cost and massively available displays with a resolution higher than 1920x1080. Yes, 25x16/25x14 panels are coming down in price but it might be the influx of 4K monitors that makes a splash. PC Perspective purchased a 4K TV for under $1500 recently and set to benchmarking high end graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA at 3840x2160. For under $500, the Radeon HD 7970 provided the best experience though the GTX Titan was the most powerful single GPU option. At the $1000 price point the GeForce GTX 690 appears to be the card to beat with AMD's continuing problems on CrossFire scaling. PC Perspective has also included YouTube and downloadable 4K video files (~100 mbps) as well as screenshots, in addition to a full suite of benchmarks.
45789013
submission
Vigile writes:
After nearly 14 months of waiting, AMD is releasing its dual-GPU version of the GCN architecture, the Radeon HD 7990. With a 6GB frame buffer, 4096 stream processors and 8.2 TFLOPS of raw compute capability this new $999 graphics card from AMD should really have the horsepower to outperform both the GeForce GTX 690 and the GTX Titan from NVIDIA, but there is a fairly major caveat: CrossFire has significant issues with frame metering. In PC Perspective's review of the HD 7990 you can clearly see that with the new capture-based testing methods nearly half the frames rendered by the card aren't adding to the animation on screen. This problem has been plaguing AMD for a while but they might finally be close to a fix: PC Perspective also published a preview of a new prototype driver due out in the summer that implements software frame pacing into the driver pipeline that properly meters frame display for a better gaming experience.
44603979
submission
Vigile writes:
A month ago for the release of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX Titan a new GPU performance technology was introduced called Frame Rating. While at the time only a single game and single instance was tested, PC Perspective has since circled back with a full set of results on both NVIDIA and AMD high-end graphics cards in single and dual-GPU configurations. By using an external hardware-based capture system that can record uncompressed data at 2560x1440 @ 60 Hz and then post-processing software that analyzes the data after capture, the new performance results paint a startling different picture of multi-GPU scenarios, especially from AMD's CrossFire. PC Perspective has also included slow-motion captured video of the games in question for side-by-side comparison and information on how Vertical Sync can affect the results for these new test methods.
44586195
submission
Vigile writes:
A new system for testing performance of graphics cards that has been in the works for over a calendar year is being fully unveiled today, called Frame Rating. This technology uses hardware-based capture to record the output from the graphics card and GPU directly and then uses post processing to measure performance and experiences as the user would see them, not through basic logs recorded on the gaming system itself. This much more accurate representation of performance has revealed some interesting highs and some unfortunate lows for graphics vendors already. AMD's CrossFire and Eyefinity technologies take the brunt of the damage: Frame Rating proves that in many games adding a second GPU to your system will result in essentially zero improvement in performance, frame rate or animation smoothness. PC Perspective has detailed the new testing methodology and posted the first sets of data across several PC titles.
43485751
submission
Vigile writes:
A big shift in the way graphics cards and gaming performance are tested has been occurring over the last few months with many review sites now using frame times rather than just average frame rates to compare products. Another unique testing methodology called Frame Rating has been started by PC Perspective that uses video capture equipment capable of recording uncompressed high resolution output direct from the graphics card, a colored bar overlay system and post-processing on that recorded video to evaluate performance as it is seen by the end user. The benefit is that there is literally no software interference between the data points and what the user sees making it is as close to an "experience metric" as any developed. Interestingly, multi-GPU solutions like SLI and CrossFire have VERY different results when viewed in this light, with AMD's offering clearly presenting a poorer, and more stuttery, animation.
43453653
submission
Vigile writes:
Details of the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN graphics card based on GK110 are already known including the 7.1 billion transistor GPU, 6GB of on-board frame buffer and full speed double precision compute power but gaming benchmarks and performance weren't revealed until today. PC Perspective has tested the TITAN up against the best graphics cards on the market and found that the new NVIDIA flagship is easily the best single-GPU solution on the market though it does fall behind the dual-GK104 based GTX 690 in most cases. Where TITAN really shines is in multi-display, 5760x1080 resolutions. Interestingly, testing of the CrossFire configurations of the Radeon HD 7970 were omitted from the article due to concerns about current FRAPS-based testing methods, and an interesting new capture solution for performance analysis is discussed.
40124005
submission
Vigile writes:
Nintendo has never been known to be very aggressive with its gaming console hardware and with today's release (in the US) of the Wii U we are seeing a continuation of that business model. PC Perspective spent several hours last night taking apart a brand new console to reveal a very simplistic board and platform design topped off with the single multi-chip module that holds the IBM PowerPC CPU and the AMD GPU. The system includes 2GB of GDDR3 memory from Samsung and Foxconn/Hon-Hai built wireless controllers for WiFi and streaming video the the gamepad. Even though this system is 5 years newer, many analysts estimate the processing power of Nintendo's Wii U to be just ahead of what you have in the Xbox 360 today.
39121701
submission
Vigile writes:
AMD is today releasing its latest flagship processors on the AM3+ platform. Vishera is the codename of the Piledriver enabled desktop chips that contain upwards of 4 Piledriver modules and 8MB of L3 cache. While AMD has struggled mightily as of late, perhaps the new FX-8350 will at least be a competent and competitive part against Intel's sub $230 lineup. AMD has increased IPC for these parts, as well as lowering power consumption. This combination has allowed AMD to release a 4GHz four module part with performance that should keep up very well in highly threaded applications.
38596861
submission
Vigile writes:
NVIDIA completes their lineup of Kepler architecture GPUs today with the release of the GeForce GTX 650 Ti but as PC Perspective's review points out, every dollar in the crowded sub-$200 space matters. The GTX 650 Ti falls between AMD's Radeon HD 7770 1GB ($119) and the HD 7850 1GB ($179) perfectly though performance leans towards the HD 7770 in most cases. NVIDIA as also removed staple features like SLI support and the new GPU Boost that was available on all previous GTX 600 cards that dynamically clocked the GPU based thermal headroom for each application, taking away some of the spark of the Kepler architecture. The saving grace for this release might be the Assassins Creed 3 bundle; getting a $50 game with a $150 graphics card is a great deal but once that promotion is over the GTX 650 Ti will need to drop in price slightly to stay relevant.
