AMD Readies Radeon RX 490 for December?

[btarunr]

A spectacular rumor doing rounds has AMD sign 2016 off with a new high-end graphics card launch. The company could launch the Radeon RX 490 by the end of the year, according to an Guru3D report. This SKU could either be based on the larger Vega 10 silicon, or be a dual-GPU on a stick graphics card based on a pair of Polaris 10 "Ellesmere" chips. The former seems more likely as multi-GPU support among recent AAA game launches is dwindling. Earlier this year, AMD inadvertently leaked the SKU name Radeon RX 490 on its website.

If the Radeon RX 490 is based on the Vega 10, then it could feature 4,096 stream processors based on the "Vega" architecture, 256 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and a 4096-bit HBM2 memory interface, holding 8 GB or 16 GB of memory, with a memory bandwidth of 512 GB/s. If instead it is a dual-GPU card based on Polaris 10, then you could be looking at 2x 2,304 stream processors, and 16 GB of GDDR5 memory across two 256-bit wide memory interfaces.



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[Darksword]

I hope it's a high end single GPU card to rival the 1080 at a lower price point.

 

[ixi]

Please, don't be dual gpu, please...

 

[the54thvoid]

We can only hope its Vega but you'd think a December release would have more hype by now. If it's a dual card, it's a cash grab fail. As OP says, sli and crossfire of late has been poorly supported and the stutter is back on a few crossfire games.

Fingers crossed for Vega.

 

[ShurikN]

Is it possible for this to be Vega but without HBM?

 

[Assimilator]

My guess is that this will be the product RX 480 should have been at launch, now that AMD and GloFo have managed to work out the kinks with 14nm.

 

[aldo5]

if it (the potential rx 490) would be something good - like vega, then we would have seen "leaked" benchmarks and speculations at least 8 weeks before launch so we all get hyped up really nice for launch... but this looks like another rebrand or 1ghz edition (like "we must launch something, but have nothing - lets rebrand or release some special version or something... or dual card")

 

[1rishPredator]

It would make more sense to release the dual-gpu Polaris 10 as the RX 490. And save the Vega 10 for the RX 580 or whatever they call the next gen. It's the next gen GCN architecture after Polaris, so it kind of makes sense.

I would be disappointed if that's the case, but my 290X should do for a bit longer. AMD really need something to deal with the incoming GTX 1080 Ti though. And a dual-gpu card based on the Polaris 10 core won't be good competition for it. If AMD release the Vega 10 and it's slower than a GTX 1080, then I can't see AMD catching up to Nvidia ever. They may just release mid to low range cards like the RX 480 considering how successful that core was.

 

[P4-630]

I hope it's a high end single GPU card to rival the 1080 at a lower price point.

This thing will most probably compete with the GTX1070 because the RX480 wasn't...

 

[Ungari]

The RX 490 was always supposed to come this year but was delayed.
According to the Architectural Roadmap, Vega was to be released at the end of 2016, so it makes sense that it would be Vega.
However, the commercial grade Polaris 10 chip with it's lower TDP makes a higher clocked chip release possible if GLOFLO has refined the process to get higher yields of top silicon.

 

[Prima.Vera]

<The turd is getting polished??>

Sorry I apologies for that, but it was the first thing that came to my mid when reading the title. Really sorry...

 

[MustSeeMelons]

My hope it would be a rival to the GTX 1070 as that's the performance jump I would like without braking the bank. How about 350€?

 

[Vayra86]

My bets are on a 1080 equivalent with GDDR5X at ~500-550 EUR

If its RX490 there is no way in hell this is a dual-GPU and there is no reason for expensive HBM2 when there is GDDR5X available.

 

[P4-630]

My bets are on a 1080 equivalent with GDDR5X at ~500-550 EUR

If its RX490 there is no way in hell this is a dual-GPU and there is no reason for expensive HBM2 when there is GDDR5X available.

AMD hasn't a card yet that competes with the GTX1070, so I think this RX490 will do that.

 

[Vayra86]

AMD hasn't a card yet that competes with the GTX1070, so I think this RX490 will do that.

If that is the case, I don't see how it would have 4096 stream processors. And if its a low clockspeed part, that seems like an awfully inefficient move. First they make Polaris clock high, then they let go of the design and choose to add more silicon? Not logical. And they won't make an HBM2 GPU to compete with the cost effective 1070, that's the same uphill battle as the Fury X had to fight against 980ti - and lost.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Presumably 50+ PowerPoint slides incoming!

 

[the54thvoid]

Let's just say if it matches the 1080 in DX11 titles, I could be all over this because in DX12, or compute heavy games it could trounce it. If benchmarks show it matching 1080 in DX12, that will be really disappointing.

 

[iO]

Two respun Polaris dies with GDDRX5 support on a silicon interposer to create a MCM package for near perfect multi-GPU scaling but acts like a single GPU

/delusional-fanboy-mode off

 

[Divide Overflow]

The RX 490 was always supposed to come this year but was delayed.

I don't quite get how you look at that graphic and get a promise of a 2016 release date. Vega is solidly lined up over 2017.

 

[Frick]

If that is the case, I don't see how it would have 4096 stream processors. And if its a low clockspeed part, that seems like an awfully inefficient move. First they make Polaris clock high, then they let go of the design and choose to add more silicon? Not logical. And they won't make an HBM2 GPU to compete with the cost effective 1070, that's the same uphill battle as the Fury X had to fight against 980ti - and lost.

If it's meant to compete with the GTX1080, when will they compete with the GTX 1070? If would be nice if they gave us 1080-like performance at a 1070 ptice obviously, but I cannot see that happening, unless AMD and GloFo or whoever makes their chips are pixies.

 

[Ungari]

I don't quite get how you look at that graphic and get a promise of a 2016 release date. Vega is solidly lined up over 2017.

If you look carefully it is on the cusp of the year end.
Besides it was announced months ago that the RX 490 was scheduled for end of 2016, then was delayed. Now it is back on schedule, likely because the process at GLOFLO was squared away.

 

[cdawall]

Here's to hoping they release something nice.

 

[prtskg]

I thought Vega 10 will carry the Fury name and Vega11 will have the 490 one. So will vega 11 come ahead of 10?

 

[RejZoR]

Would make sense. Fury name is pretty cool, would be a shame ditching it after just one series.

 

[Ungari]

I really hope it is Vega, and probably is but it still could be Polaris using the highest binned chips

Would make sense. Fury name is pretty cool, would be a shame ditching it after just one series.

I wouldn't be opposed to a different name as the Fury had bad PR.