Sapphire is readying a new non-reference design AMD Radeon HD 6950 2 GB graphics card that boasts of superior out of the box display connectivity to the reference design. Called the Sapphire HD 6950 FleX Edition, the card features the same exact display output connector configuration as the reference design (two each of DVI and mini-DisplayPort 1.2, along with HDMI 1.4a), but can run a 5-monitor Eyefinity setup, of which three can run over DVI without needing an active adapter. The package might include a number of dongles and cables to help set up such a display array. Even if not for gaming, Sapphire sees professional applications for such a setup.

The Radeon HD 6950 is based on the 40 nm Cayman GPU, it has 1408 VLIW4 stream processors, and connects to 2 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. Sapphire's card uses a non-reference design PCB and cooling assembly. The PCB draws power from two 6-pin power connectors; the cooler makes use of a large heatsink, ventilated by a central 80 mm fan. The card can pair with three more Radeon HD 6900 series graphics cards in CrossFireX. Expect Sapphire to release the card to market soon.

MSI is ready with a new Radeon HD 6950 2 GB graphics card that makes use of the company's new Twin Frozr III cooling assembly. The R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition from MSI makes use of a custom-design PCB with strong, overclocker-friendly VRM circuitry, out of the box overclock speeds of 850 MHz core and 1300 MHz (5200 MHz effective) GDDR5 memory speeds, against reference speeds of 800/1250 MHz. The Twin Frozr III cooler makes use of a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by a number of nickel-plated copper heat pipes, and is ventilated by two 80 mm fans that use "propeller-design" fan blades that deliver higher air-flow at lower noise outputs.

Based on the 40 nm Cayman silicon, Radeon HD 6950 packs 1408 VLIW4 stream processors, is DirectX 11 compliant, and makes use of a high-speed GDDR5 memory controller with 256-bit bus width. Display output connectors include two DVI, two mini-DisplayPort 1.2, and one HDMI 1.4a. AMD-exclusive technologies such as Eyefinity and HydraVision are supported. The card can pair with up to three more Radeon HD 6900 series GPUs for 4-way CrossFireX multi-GPU operation. MSI's new Radeon HD 6950 2 GB Twin Frozr III Power Edition graphics card is priced at around 300€.

SAPPHIRE Technology has just announced a new high performance model in its latest series of graphics cards - the HD 6870 TOXIC Edition with Vapor-X cooler. The SAPPHIRE HD 6870 TOXIC Edition has the same internal architecture as the standard model, with 1120 stream processors and 56 texture processing units, but clock speeds are increased to 970MHz for the core and 1150Mhz (4.6 Gb/sec effective) for the memory giving users a considerable boost in performance. The same SAPPHIRE exclusive cooler will also be offered on a model with the standard clocks of 900MHz core / 1050MHz memoy (4.2Gb/sec effective) - the SAPPHIRE HD 6870 Vapor-X Edition.

The SAPPHIRE exclusive Vapor-X cooler ensures that the card runs quietly and efficiently. Together with other special hardware features including on-board 10-phase power control and SAPPHIRE's highly efficient, cool running patented second generation Black Diamond chokes this ensures there is a good margin for performance tuning (overclocking) by enthusiast users. SAPPHIRE's overclocking tool for these models - TriXX - is available for users to download from the SAPPHIRE Select Club - free for SAPPHIRE enthusiasts to join online.

AMD today released the first hotfix update to the recently released Catalyst 10.12 driver suite. A hotfix is an interim update before the next driver release. The new hotfix introduces two important things: first, it adds official support for the newly-released AMD Radeon HD 6970 and AMD Radeon HD 6950 graphics cards; and second, it adds a new Eyefinity mode that lets you use all five display outputs on the HD 6000 series graphics cards (i.e. two DVI, two mini-DP, one HDMI) for a 5 x 1 Eyefinity configuration.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 10.12a Hotfix Update

HIS today unveils the HIS 5450 Silence 1GB (64bit) DDR3 PCIe x1 Eyefinity graphics card, offering the best features and functionality in their class with AMD Eyefinity technology. Powered by the Radeon 5400 GPU, HIS 5450.

The HIS 5450 Series is designed to give you stunning high definition entertainment from your PC, no matter Blu-ray/HD DVD discs or other HD sources. Gamers will enjoy the ultimate immersive gaming experience with innovative "wrap around" multi-display capabilities. In addition, the HIS 5450 Silence 1GB is built as high-profile capable single-slot design with two low profile brackets included, making it possible to fit them in both full-height and half-height PCI Slots.

Internationally renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI announces today the R6870 Twin Frozr II graphics card. It is equipped with the latest 40nm AMD Radeon HD6870 GPU, IGB GDDR5 high-speed graphics memory, and the award-winning Twin Frozr II thermal solution. As a result, the operating temperature and noise of the R6870 Twin Frozr II are reduced by 19°C and 12.8dB respectively (versus the reference design). Also, the overvoltage function from the MSI-exclusive Afterburner software further enhances the OC potential of the Barts GPU, and AMD's Eyefinity Technology provides optimal multi-display 2D/3D output for gaming, productivity and entertainment. Along with the super reliable Solid CAPs which prolong product life and enhance product stability and quality, the R6870 Twin Frozr II is the best choice ever for power users looking for graphics cards with ultimate performance and low operating temperature.

SAPPHIRE Technology, the largest manufacturer and supplier worldwide of graphics solutions based on AMD technology is announcing the first products in a second generation of video cards to support the advanced graphical features of Microsoft DirectX 11 and delivering spectacular video clarity, speed and visual effects, including over multiple monitors and 3D stereoscopic displays.

The SAPPHIRE HD 6800 series features the second generation of graphics technology from AMD designed to support all the features of Microsoft DirectX 11 and DirectCompute 11. The new GPU's are built in AMD's 40nm process to deliver high performance with low power consumption. Advanced hardware features include an enhanced Tesselation unit, dedicated HDR Texture compression, multi-threaded communication with system CPU cores, embedded support for many of the DirectCompute 11 instructions, 3D stereoscopic support and HDMI 1.4a.

Hightech Information System (HIS) Limited is proud to unleash the revolutionary new HIS RadeonTMHD 6850 & 6870 graphics cards. Loaded with HD3D stereoscopic technology and three main pillars- Eyefinity, EyeDefinition and EyeSpeed, the new HIS Radeon HD 6850 & 6870 bring an incredible experience of application performance and flawless high-resolution imagery for fully immersive gameplay.

Whether it's enthusiastic gamers hungry for the latest and coolest technology to win virtually at every game, or PC users who want a fast system for their multi-tasking, the new HIS RadeonTM HD 6850 & 6870 are without a doubt the best solution around. The HIS RadeonTM HD 6850 & 6870 not only offer incredible HD gaming performance on all the latest game and DirectX 11 support, but also makes multi-tasking easier with features like Eyefinity technology. So get ready as we bring our all-in-one technology - HD3D, Eyefinity, EyeDefinition and EyeSpeed- right into your home.

AMD today introduced the next generation of PC gaming, the AMD Radeon HD 6800 series, designed to be "perfect graphics cards" for gamers by delivering unprecedented game performance starting at $179 SEP. The new AMD Radeon HD 6800 series graphics cards provide more than 30 percent greater game performance than competing products, harnessing AMD's second-generation Microsoft DirectX 11-capable architecture, best-in-class energy efficiency, and an unmatched feature set, including AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology. The AMD Radeon HD 6800 series is available immediately from etailers worldwide.

"AMD is the market share leader by a landslide in DirectX 11 graphics," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. "Through our sweet spot strategy and our open, industry standards approach, we've worked to deliver the best possible experience for gamers. Today, our laser focus on gamers continues with the introduction of what we think is far and away the best graphics card series today, the AMD Radeon HD 6800 series. With exceptional game performance, an unrivaled feature set including breathtaking DirectX 11 gaming, AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology, AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing, and more, the AMD Radeon HD 6800 series will have all gamers wanting to get Radeon in their systems."

Here are the press-shots given to us by AMD, of the Radeon HD 6000 series graphics cards, in their reference design. The Radeon HD 6870 was pictured from one angle much earlier, but this new deck of pictures show you the card from other angles. There is also the first set of pictures of the Radeon HD 6850 with its premium blower-type cooler. Partners can opt for this design, or choose a more cost-effective cooler design which isn't much more than a fan-heatsink over the GPU, probably heatsinks over the memory/VRM, and an egg-shaped cooler shroud. Past history has shown that when presented with two reference design cooler options, most AIB partners have chosen the cheaper one, for obvious reasons.

The styling looks a little carried forward from the HD 5000 series (black and red), only this time, the streaks of red-lines are on the top and rear-end of the card, not its obverse side (which now has a flame sticker). The sticker design around the fan intake is suggestive of an "eye", keeping up with the theme for this series and a trio of new "Eye" features the Radeon HD 6000 series will carry, one of them being next-generation Eyefinity. The Radeon HD 6800 draws power from two 6-pin power inputs, while the HD 6850 makes do with just one. Another important feature-change evident from these pictures is that the 6800 lacks support for 3-way and 4-way CrossFireX, there's only one CFI finger.

The fine folks at IT168 revealed the first pictures of the Radeon HD 6870 PCB with its cooler completely off, and in its production livery (black). Also let out is the first [clear] picture of the GPU itself. The PCB was first pictured in its nascent qualification sample form, with a development GPU cooler on. The final version of the PCB sticks to its qualification sample for the most part, it has VRM components positioned forwards, trailed by the GPU and its memory. The card makes use of a 4+1+1 phase VRM. All eight memory chips are on the obverse side, each with its own 32-bit wide path, since there's a 256-bit memory interface.

The GPU package is of the same dimensions as the Cypress package, albeit a smaller die. We're getting to hear that Barts is pin-compatible with Cypress (meaning that a Barts GPU can be placed onto a Cypress PCB, given the appropriate BIOS, and it will work), however, no AIB is likely to reuse Cypress PCBs other than for Eyefinity6 designs, because while Barts can make do with a 6-layer PCB, close to every existing Cypress PCB is an 8-layer one, and that Cypress PCBs lack the second mini-DP connector. The die is placed diagonally on the package (à la Cypress and R600), it is rectangular, while the Cypress die is more or less square. ChipHell.com contributor musicinlove did a nice size measurement and comparison. Finally, the AMD "arrow" logo is etched onto the die, it's curtains down for ATI.

Here it is, the AMD Radeon HD 6870, all dressed up to go to work. There has been quite some speculation surrounding the naming scheme AMD is going to adopt with the HD 6000 series, but fresh information suggestively lays some of that to rest. Firstly, Radeon HD 6800 series is built around the "Barts" GPU, not "Cayman". Barts is a new performance GPU, though isn't the highest-end single GPU from AMD (which is reserved for Cayman). Barts "XT" is Radeon HD 6870, and Barts "Pro" is HD 6850. Pictured below is the HD 6870. At a purely subjective glance, the HD 6870 reference design card seems to be as long as the HD 5850 reference.

The new Radeon logo has been Photoshopped on to the fan, so the products in market will definitely do away with the older ATI logo. The rear panel resembles that of the Radeon HD 5800 series, except that the exhaust grille seems slightly wider, there are two DVI-I connectors, one standard HDMI, and two mini DisplayPort connectors for a change. The connector output sharing scheme isn't known right now, it could be 3 or 4 head Eyefinity, or all-out 5 head Eyefinity, a yet to be detailed "Eyespeed" feature is mentioned. We will definitely know more about this card in the weeks to come.

AMD released the FirePro V9800 professional graphics card. This is the company's top professional offering, based on the 40 nm Evergreen architecture. The GPU features 1600 stream processors, 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface connecting to 4 GB of memory, and display outputs that include six mini-DisplayPort connectors. The card supports the latest industry-standard 3D APIs including Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 4, and includes support for OpenCL GPU-compute API. The card is meant for mission-critical environments such as oil and gas exploration, 3D medical imaging, design and engineering, and 3D content production. Apart from supporting the ATI Eyefinity6 technology, it also packs support for stereoscopic 3D technologies. The card will be sold directly under the AMD brand by board partners, it is priced at US $3,500.

AMD rolled out a reference-design DisplayPort to DVI active adapter today, that lets the masses create Eyefinity setups on existing monitors easier. The adapter plugs into full-sized and mini DisplayPort connectors on ATI Radeon graphics cards, and gives out a single-link DVI signal. The conversion between DP to DVI is active, and conserves video quality, as well as other features such as content protection. This is because when Eyefinity-ready graphics cards with DisplayPorts from AMD came to be, some manufacturers sold cheap $10 DP-DVI dongles that pass DVI signals from the DP directly (passive conversion). Such dongles more often don't work, because Radeon GPUs don't give out DVI signals from DP. Active adapters (those which actively convert DP signals to DVI) were sold at the time in upwards of $100.

AMD has managed to bring the price of such active adapters down to $30. There however, is a limitation. The output is a single-link DVI, meaning that it will support digital resolutions only up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz (1080p is supported). It shouldn't matter for the target users, because the DisplayPort on ATI Radeon HD 5000 graphics cards conveys only one TMDS link, so even with a DVI dual-link capable adapter, it would only give out single-link output. At least a bulk of the users are covered, at a very affordable price point. AMD will market this adapter directly, and through its growing network of add-in board partners (in bundles with graphics cards, or directly). PowerColor beat AMD to today's announcement, and released PowerColor-branded AMD-reference DP-DVI adapter last week.

AMD kept up with its monthly driver update cycle, and released the ATI Catalyst 10.8 software suite. The software installs the latest WHQL-signed drivers for ATI Radeon GPUs, AMD Chipsets, and other ATI Multimedia products. The new version packs a set of game-specific performance improvements, and a few feature updates. To begin with, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Stormrise, each got GPU configuration specific, mostly single-digit performance increments.

New features include full-support for the OpenGL ES 2.0 API, greater control over video quality by means of a checkbox control from Catalyst Control Center. This is particularly of importance, as AMD seems to have taken notes from the press coverage, such as our Video Enhancement Quality Tests. There are image-quality improvements for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, that includes anti-aliasing support. An update also claims to greatly improve overall performance of Eyefinity setups that use 4-way/Quad CrossFireX (or CrossFire involving four GPUs).

DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.8 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

A detailed list of important updates follows.

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announces an adaptor to make utilizing Eyefinity technology even easier. The PowerColor Active DisplayPort to Single-Link DVI-D adaptor, enables the multi-display ability through 3 DVI monitors.

The PowerColor Active DisplayPort to Single-Link DVI-D adaptor supports resolutions up to 1920x1200 (WUXGA) and 1080p HDTV, fully compliant to both DPCP and HDCP to ensure the full compatibility and successful transmission of video content. Furthermore, the adaptor supports up to 32-bit color depths which delivers the flexibility to meet the needs of most display applications.

SAPPHIRE Technology introduces the SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX, the latest graphics card in the highly successful SAPPHIRE HD 5000 series. This is the first graphics solution to support three screens in ATI Eyefinity mode, out of the box, without the need for DisplayPort monitors or active adapters. The SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX can also support four monitors in ATI Eyefinity mode with a single card.

The SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX is a SAPPHIRE original design based on the latest 40nm graphics architecture from the ATI division of AMD. It supports the advanced graphical features of DirectX 11, and delivers spectacular video clarity, speed and visual effects.

Club 3D announced a special Radeon HD 5450 graphics card, which it claims, can support up to three displays working in an Eyefinity setup for productivity purposes. ATI Eyefinity technology lets you create a large display head using multiple physical displays, and is typically out of specs for the Radeon HD 5400 series GPUs. Based on the 40 nm Cedar die, the HD 5450 packs 80 stream processors, and supports DirectX 11. The Club 3D card packs 512 MB of DDR2 memory across a 64-bit wide memory interface.

To connect up to three displays, it provides one each of DVI, D-Sub, and DisplayPort connectors. The GPU is clocked at 650 MHz, with the memory at 800 MHz. The card is low-profile in design, and with its passive heatsink, occupies just one expansion slot. Low profile brackets are included in the box. Club 3D did not announce its price.

PowerColor's upcoming mid-range graphics card, the Vortex HD 5770, is said to feature a new feature that gives the user greater control of the fan's airflow, beyond fan-speed control. The cooler lets the user to fine-tune the direction and sweep of the fan air-flow, by allowing extension of the fan frame. With these adjustments, users can fine-tune the cooler's efficiency by directing airflow to specific parts of the aluminum heatsink underneath. Depending on how the fan is protruded or tilted, the card could occupy 2 to 3 expansion slots.

Apart from this cooling solution, the card reuses the PCB found on the PCS+ HD 5770, which is said to have factory-overclocked speeds, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. The Radeon HD 5770 is based on the 40 nm Juniper die. It is DirectX 11 compliant, and has 800 stream processors, a tessellation unit, and connects to 1 GB of memory over a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Display outputs on this card include two DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort, with ATI Eyefinity support. The PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 will be released in a few weeks' time. Incidentally, two PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 is up for grabs on the PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Giveaway, so you can try your luck there.

PowerColor's latest high end graphics card which surfaced in April, as a graphics card with the ability to run 12 displays in ATI Eyefinity arrays, seems to have finally taken shape, with the company calling it the PowerColor HD 5970 Eyefinity 12. This graphics card is based on the Radeon HD 5970 dual-GPU graphics card, but makes use of display outputs from both GPUs.

PowerColor had to extend the connectivity on a third slot with mini-Display Port connectors, as it ran out on space with two slots holding 6 connectors and the crucial air-exhaust vent. The second set of mini-DP connectors sit on a riser card, which is detachable, turning the card into a dual-slot Eyefinity6 card. To help handle 12 display heads, the card has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory spread across two 256-bit wide memory interfaces. It is capable of running large Eyefinity display heads which span across all the 12 physical displays. The Eyefinity12 card from PowerColor is expected to be launched during the Computex event, early next month.

While major AMD AIBs have given their creativity wings with the Radeon HD 5970, coming up with uber-high end graphics cards, PowerColor joined the party with its latest creation in the making: a graphics card with 12 display outputs! The design wires all six TMDs from each of the two GPUs into DisplayPort connectors, letting users make large Eyefinity display-heads. Each of the two GPUs is connected to 2 GB of GDDR5 memory making the total memory on board to 4 GB. The card is expected to be the thickest among others' HD 5970 designs, spanning over three expansion slots (two slot-spaces occupied by 12 mini-DP ports and one with the exhaust). PowerColor may choose Computex as the ideal launch-vehicle for this monstrosity. More details are awaited, but there's a Frankenstein picture of the card to go on.

Following the launch of the ATI FirePro V8800, the industry's most powerful professional graphics card ever created, AMD today introduced new additions to its next-generation ATI FirePro family -- ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800, ATI FirePro V4800, and ATI FirePro V3800 -- offering professionals in the digital content creation (DCC) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) industries advanced performance and features at every price point. AMD also announced the ATI FirePro 2460 Multi-View, a low profile, quad display graphics solution designed for financial institutions. These latest ATI FirePro solutions are expected to be available from HP, CDW, Newegg, Tiger Direct and other online retailers.

"AMD's new ATI FirePro workstation graphics cards are the world's first workstation class graphics cards to support up to four monitors on a single card -- enabling increased productivity for professional graphics users," said Janet Matsuda, senior director, Professional Graphics, AMD. "Our new ATI FirePro family delivers new value at every price point."

Extreme performance requirements have always been the primary consideration for gamers when choosing components, with multiple display applications being a major future trend. In response, globally renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI has officially released the R5870 Eyefinity 6 graphics card, which uses the same 40 nm Radeon HD 5870 GPU as the original R5870 series cards. It also has an ultra-high capacity 2GB GDDR5 high speed memory and 6 Mini DisplayPort video outputs that support 6 x 2560x1600 resolutions in total and give users an unprecedented field of vision.

With gamers playing close attention to multiple display outputs, MSI R5870 Eyefinity 6 graphics card with ATI Eyefinity technology, offers 6 built-in Mini DisplayPorts. This surpasses what was previously available in consumer graphics cards, where a single card was limited to triple outputs at the most. With six displays running simultaneously, the R5870 Eyefinity 6 provides a maximum 6 x 2560x1600 field of vision that gives users a remarkable upgrade in gaming enjoyment or working efficiency.

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announces the first graphics solution which can support up to 6 monitors: the HD5870 Eyefinity 6. The HD5870 Eyefinity 6 features multi-display Eyefinity technology, enables up to six monitors to be operated from one card through its six mini displayport onboard design. This unique feature allows gamers to expand real estate and delivers incredible HD gaming.

The HD5870 Eyefinity 6 has an unparalleled 1600 stream processors and equipped with 2GB onboard memory, clocks in at 850MHz core speed and 1200MHz of memory speed, easily boosting PC's with nearly 3 teraFLOPs of computing power. It delivers the intense gaming performance and unrivaled image quality with lifelike 3D visual effects.

Harnessing the world's most powerful graphics processor, AMD today introduced the ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition graphics card. Equipped with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 is the first graphics card capable of rendering in excess of 1 billion pixels per second in today's titles, unleashing PC game environments of unprecedented size and resolution. Enthusiast gamers now have access to a seamless, stunning perspective across six displays, enabling up to 12 times more resolution than 1080p HD.

"The ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition graphics card opens the door to a new era in personal computing," said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Division. "With the ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition, PC users get the ultimate panoramic computing experience in one powerful card. By bridging the innovation in ATI Eyefinity technology with broad ecosystem support, AMD is revolutionizing the PC visual experience."