AMD Also Works on Radeon R9 280 to Heat Up Sub-$300 Segment

[btarunr]

In addition to the Radeon R7 265, AMD is also planning to launch its 6th Radeon R9 series desktop discrete graphics card running up to Computex 2014, the Radeon R9 280. The R9 280, as some of you might have guessed by now, is based on the 28 nm "Tahiti" silicon, with a core-configuration identical to that of the Radeon HD 7950 from the previous generation, according to a WCCFTech report. The chip could hence feature 1,792 stream processors, 112 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and a 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, holding 3 GB of memory.

The Radeon R9 280 could be clocked above 800 MHz on the core, and 5.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective) on the memory, which works out to 224 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Given that the R9 280X is still on paper a $299 SKU, AMD may intend the R9 280 to be priced within the sub-$300 segment. Beneath the R9 280X, AMD's GPUs are unappealing to crypto-currency miners as the performance-Watt and price-performance equations turn unfavorable, and so the R9 280 has a fair chance of sticking to its intended price-point, away from being wrecked by shamelessly greedy retailers.



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[The Von Matrices]

Beneath the R9 280X, AMD's GPUs are unappealing to crypto-currency miners as the performance-Watt and price-performance equations turn unfavorable, and so the R9 280 has a fair chance of sticking to its intended price-point, away from being wrecked by shamelessly greedy retailers.

I disagree with you. The 7950 was the best price/performance card for hashing before it was discontinued. It had 90% of the 7970's performance for about 80% of the price. And since the core and memory clocks were tuned down by the same amount, it had the same performance/power as the 7970. It was very popular with people who set up racks of miners and didn't care about the best single card performance.

I wouldn't expect retailers to charge any less than $350 for this.

 

[xenocide]

Considering the way retailers are pricing AMD cards, the 770 seems like a steal in the lower $300's. I saw a number of them going for $320-340, which is pretty damn good. I still for the life of me cannot figure out the $100-250 markup on AMD cards these days.

 

[GLD]

Sadly I imagine this card will be $100 more then msrp with in a week of launch. No thanks to the fooking crypto mining fooks!

 

[JDG1980]

This is basically a re-branded 7950, so if the cryptocurrency bubble doesn't pop before its release, I would expect it to fetch about the same as 7950s currently do: $350 and up.

 

[Divide Overflow]

I don't know what's more disappointing, the heavy price markup from the crypto mining craze or the re branding of several year old GPU tech. It's hard to get excited about this either way.

 

[Melvis]

Considering the way retailers are pricing AMD cards, the 770 seems like a steal in the lower $300's. I saw a number of them going for $320-340, which is pretty damn good. I still for the life of me cannot figure out the $100-250 markup on AMD cards these days.

Not in Australia its the other way around, you gtta pay an extra $100-$200 for an Nvidia equivalent.

 

[Nihilus]

I'm sorry, but this seems like a pointless, wedged in product. the R9 270x already matches the old 7950 so where does this fit in? Tahiti has always been less efficient than pitcairan/whatever so what is the point other than 3gb ram?

 

[Kärlekstrollet]

I'm sorry, but this seems like a pointless, wedged in product. the R9 270x already matches the old 7950 so where does this fit in? Tahiti has always been less efficient than pitcairan/whatever so what is the point other than 3gb ram?

This is not pointless at all, in fact this is was AMD really needs. Another SKU to split up the crypto-craziness as AMD are running low on available cards in store.

Also a good oppurtunity business-wise to get away with spare chips laying around.

 

[adulaamin]

Not in Australia its the other way around, you gtta pay an extra $100-$200 for an Nvidia equivalent.

Same here too. For example, the MSI 780ti Gaming card is priced at PhP 36,500 (around USD 810) while the MSI R9 290X Gaming OC is priced at PhP 28,850 (around USD 640) incl taxes and all. I have friends who are into crypto mining and they prefer 7970s or 280Xs which are at regular prices also.

 

[NeoXF]

All AMD cards are priced what they where priced before the mining fiasco, where I live that is.

God, it's good to be the king for once.

How you like THEM apples? US and whatever other countries have jacked up prices because of it. Mwahahaha.

 

[FX-GMC]

All AMD cards are priced what they where priced before the mining fiasco, where I live that is.

God, it's good to be the king for once.

How you like THEM apples? US and whatever other countries have jacked up prices because of it. Mwahahaha.

Green (aka Nvidia).

That's how i like my apples.

 

[hckngrtfakt]

This is not pointless at all, in fact this is was AMD really needs. Another SKU to split up the crypto-craziness as AMD are running low on available cards in store.

Also a good oppurtunity business-wise to get away with spare chips laying around.

the crypto-craziness is about to die out due to ASIC sha/scrypt miners already hitting the market.
AMD may just tank on these if miners don't pick up any more chips to do their bidding.

 

[Casecutter]

This is not pointless at all, in fact this is was AMD really needs. Another SKU to split up the crypto-craziness as AMD are running low on available cards in store.

Also a good oppurtunity business-wise to get away with spare chips laying around.

Exactly while these R7 265 "Pitcairn" and 280 "Tahiti" haven't been filling the "gelding bins" as quickly as they had a year ago, it appears AMD has enough now to deliver something. And while yes probably not as much as they’d usually consider filling the channel, they have to "strike while the iron is hot" and symbolically thwart Nvidia as is the normal course. Will it be like a drop in the parched desert absolutely, while yes, they (retailers/AIB’s)will assign price based on the "Free" market trend, however more volume can’t hurt.

Now I don't know where btarunr is getting his information about be "unappealing to crypto-currency miners", but that isn't how it’s "panning" out here in the states. Everything from 270's on-up are being sucked up still... A 270X that was $190 just at the first of the year, is now a $270 part and another $7 to ship it! While they might offer not as good of mH/s|Watts|$ equation… it seems "stupid is, as stupid does" takes precedence.

 

[Kärlekstrollet]

Exactly while these R7 265 "Pitcairn" and 280 "Tahiti" haven't been filling the "gelding bins" as quickly as they had a year ago, it appears AMD has enough now to deliver something. And while yes probably not as much as they’d usually consider filling the channel, they have to "strike while the iron is hot" and symbolically thwart Nvidia as is the normal course. Will it be like a drop in the parched desert absolutely, while yes, they (retailers/AIB’s)will assign price based on the "Free" market trend, however more volume can’t hurt.

Now I don't know where btarunr is getting his information about be "unappealing to crypto-currency miners", but that isn't how it’s "panning" out here in the states. Everything from 270's on-up are being sucked up still... A 270X that was $190 just at the first of the year, is now a $270 part and another $7 to ship it! While they might offer not as good of mH/s|Watts|$ equation… it seems "stupid is, as stupid does" takes precedence.

Miners who don't have free electricity rather go for the Pitcairn and Curacao GPU's as they are way more energy efficient than 280 and 290. But almost every miner seems to get this luxury benefit of free electricity...

 

[The Von Matrices]

Miners who don't have free electricity rather go for the Pitcairn and Curacao GPU's as they are way more energy efficient than 280 and 290. But almost every miner seems to get this luxury benefit of free electricity...

Actually, the truth is quite the opposite. Tahiti is the most efficient GPU for scrypt because it is the GPU with the highest memory bandwidth relative to shaders. Scrypt is memory bandwidth sensitive, and Curacao/Pitcairn and Hawaii have lower relative memory bandwidth and poorer memory overclockability compared to Tahiti.

Curacao/Pitcairn are only used when one can't acquire a Tahti chip or can't afford it, or (like a month ago) when they are priced low enough compared to Tahiti to make sense. An exceptional Curacao/Pitcairn GPU can achieve 400kH/s while a very good Tahiti GPU can achieve 800kH/s. Curacao/Pitcairn GPUs are rarely half the price of Tahiti chips, so they almost never make sense for dedicated mining.

 

[Kärlekstrollet]

Actually, the truth is quite the opposite. Tahiti is the most efficient GPU for scrypt because it is the GPU with the highest memory bandwidth relative to shaders. Scrypt is memory bandwidth sensitive, and Curacao/Pitcairn and Hawaii have lower relative memory bandwidth and poorer memory overclockability compared to Tahiti.

Curacao/Pitcairn are only used when one can't acquire a Tahti chip or can't afford it, or (like a month ago) when they are priced low enough compared to Tahiti to make sense. An exceptional Curacao/Pitcairn GPU can achieve 400kH/s while a very good Tahiti GPU can achieve 800kH/s. Curacao/Pitcairn GPUs are rarely half the price of Tahiti chips, so they almost never make sense for dedicated mining.

I'm not that updated with Litecoins but what I said goes for bitcoin-mining wheras 270x is more energy efficient than 280X. Gave up this mining business when the difficulty spike hit the fan thanks to the ASIC miners.
Stupid me who freaked out after a value drop cashed out the bitcoins to pay the student debt. 6 months later the ratio tripled and today... I would've been set for life.

 

[Casecutter]

Miners who don't have free electricity...

That's not the issue now... It's no longer the grow houses tapping the pole and neighbors, but some mining teams can move-in and run for while then move to the next sucker. Pot growers had to set-up the house and it would be hard(er) to move. There was an empty house listed by leasing company, and the power is on to run sprinklers etc. Guys hunkered down for what they figured was for like five days. The leasing company only real knew it when the saw the electric bill and really sniff around they had been in the garage... and house. Leaving almost no trace except they left where thet got internet acesss from the neighbors.