PowerColor Shows Off New 4GB AMD Graphics Card With Two Stock Clocked 6970 GPUs

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 2, 2011 - 11:33 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: powercolor, HD 6970, computex, amd

Computex 2011 is in full swing, and PowerColor has joined the fray of product reveals with a new PowerColor 6970 X2 AMD graphics card that combines two stock-clocked 6970 GPUs onto a single PCB.

TweakTown was able to get a hands-on of the card at the company's Computex booth.  They report that the GPUs are clocked at 880MHz, and each GPU is allotted 2GB of GDDR5 memory each (for a total of 4GB across both GPUs), and is clocked at 1375MHz (5500MHz QDR).  The interesting aspect of the dual GPU card is that the two GPUs are connected by a Lucid Logix chip, which will be interesting to see how this setup would compare to an overclocked 6990 graphics card, which amounts to two CrosseFired 6950 GPUs.

The new card uses three 8-pin PCI-E connectors for up to 525 watts (including 75 watts provided by the motherboard) of power, which should provide ample power for stock and overclocked clocks.  The card will futher feature two DVI connectors (one Dual-Link, one Single-Link), two mini-DisplayPort connectors, and one HDMI port.

For those looking for maximum gaming performance, two of these 6970 x2 cards in a CrossFire configuration will become the new high-end AMD standard.  You can see more photos of the card along with a preview of it's smaller 6870 x2 sibling over at TweakTown.

Computex 2011 Coverage brought to you by MSI Computer and Antec

 Image copyright 2011 TweakTown.com.  Used under fair-usage guidelines for purposes of commentary and news reporting.

Foxconn NT-A3500, AMD's Fusion E-350 is kicking Atom where it hurts

Subject: Systems | June 1, 2011 - 05:30 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: nettop, e-350, amd

When it comes to tiny systems such as nettops, AMD's E-350 Fusion is doing what the Atom and ION combo can do, only faster, cooler and quieter.  While this is upsetting for NVIDIA and Intel, the consumer benefits almost as much as AMD does. techPowerUp just finished a review of a Foxconn product that demonstrates the abilities of the Fusion platform, the Netbox NT-A3500.  It is not for sale yet in North America but when it does hit the market you can expect around a $200 pricetag, plus RAM and a storage drive.  For that price you get the AMD E-350 and Radeon HD 6310 as well as Realtek ALC888S audio.  Wireless and wired LAN, four USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports, optical audio and analog audio, and DVI and HDMI outputs.  techPowerUp covers the rest of the features in their full review.

"Foxconn has made some waves with their compact but very capable ION based NT-330I Netbox back in 2010. Now, almost a year later the market has evolved and Foxconn is sending their newest version into the race. The NT-A3500 is based on the AMD Fusion platform, aiming to be faster, cooler and quieter."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• My new PC- part 2 @ t-break
• The 27-inch Apple iMac @ AnandTech
• HP 100B All-in-One PC Review @ TechReviewSource
• Aria.co.uk Gladiator i5 4.4GHz Z68 Bundle @ OC3D
• $599 AMD Gaming PC Built and Tested @ Tweaktown
• Jetway NC85-E350-LF Fusion Motherboard Review @ eTeknix

AMD pick up an OpenGL & CL tool makers as well as an R&D site

Subject: General Tech | June 1, 2011 - 11:19 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: amd, opengl, opencl, graphic remedy

There is big news from AMD this morning, in addition to the Trinity news we saw from Computex they have purchased the makers of gDEBugger and have opened a new R&D centre in Tel Aviv.  gDEBugger is a debugger for OpenGL and OpenCL for Windows, Mac and Linux and hopefully spells a resurgence for AMD's ailing professional level FirePro graphics cards.   The Cayman family's two professional cards, the AMD FirePro V7900 and V5900 have just come onto the market to compete against NVIDIA's far more famous Quadro lineup and lag behind in raw performance but not in performance per dollar.  Perhaps a strong feature set, including custom debugging tools will help AMD become a more attractive choice for graphics professionals.   Drop by NGOHQ for more information on the purchase and the R&D centre.

"AMD announced the opening of a new research and development (R&D) center in Israel, located in the Tel-Aviv area. A world class team of highly talented software engineers is working on the latest heterogeneous computing technologies for the next generation of parallel computing platforms. This announcement follows AMD’s recent acquisition of Graphic Remedy, a renowned Israeli startup company specializing in development tools for heterogeneous computing and 3D graphics.

"We are extremely excited to have this new team on board working on AMD’s latest technologies and future products.” said Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice president, software development, AMD."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Google's Schmidt Says He 'Screwed Up' On Social Networking @ Slashdot
• Dockem Universal Phone and Tablet Wall Mount Review @ Tech-Reviews
• Skype pushes gaming software down users throats @ The Register
• Intel to Support multiple OSes with Haswell, Integrate USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt with Ivy Bridge @ ExtremeTech
• Computex 2011 International Press Conference New Product @ TechwareLabs
• Computex Mini Post - Day 1 @ Ninjalane
• AMD shows a Trinity Fusion APU and its 9-series chipset @ The Inquirer
• Mystery AMD GPU spotted at Computex @ SemiAccurate

AMD Shows Off Trinity APU based on Bulldozer, APU for Tablets

Subject: Processors, Shows and Expos | June 1, 2011 - 09:28 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: trinity, llano, fusion, computex, bulldozer, APU, amd

While talking up the new 900-series of chipset and the branding for the upcoming AMD Llano APU launch, AMD did surprise us by showing off a bit more of the future than typical.  Rick Bergman, general manager of the AMD Product Group, pulled a Trinity-based APU out of his pocket to demonstrate the conviction of staying on a "one-APU-per-year" cycle in the years to come.

While it looks just like any other AMD processors from a distance, this Trinity APU is based on the Bulldozer x86 architecture (which will see the first release as a CPU only later this year) and combines some amount of SIMD-units (aka Radeon cores) for a CPU/GPU combo.  This will be the part that succeeds Llano, due out in a few short days.

This roadmap shows the cadence of once a year will be the norm for AMD going forward and that AMD plans to introduce an APU for the tablet market sometime in 2012.  It will be interesting to see how late to the game AMD is in this arena and if they can compete with what ARM is doing or even what Intel will be doing with Medfield. 

Computex 2011 Coverage brought to you by MSI Computer and Antec

MSI Officially Unveils AMD 9-Series Motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | May 31, 2011 - 11:49 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: msi, motherboard, bulldozer, amd, 990fx

Popular enthusiast motherboard maker MSI, today officially launched a new line of motherboards supporting AMD’s 9-Series chipsets. Specifically, the 990FXA-GD80 and the 990FXA-GD65 motherboards bring support for AMDs latest native eight-core AM3+ processors. The high-end motherboard, the 990FXA-GD80, comes equipped with MSI’s OC Genie II overclocking technology as well as “Military Class II components with MIL-STD-810G Certification.”

Further, the new 9-series lineup features support for both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, USB 3.0, native SATA III 6Gb/s, and THX TruStudio PRO surround sound.

Computex 2011 Coverage brought to you by MSI Computer and Antec

ASUS Launches New AMD 9 Series Motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | May 31, 2011 - 12:19 PM | John Davis
Tagged: motherboard, cpus, computex, asus, amd

Taipei, Taiwan (May 31th, 2011) — ASUS has announced a new lineup of AMD based motherboards that support the 990FX/990X/970 chipsets and AM3+ CPUs, the first company in the market to provide fully compatible AM3+ motherboards. The models available are the M5A99/97 Series, the TUF SABERTOOTH 990FX and the ROG Crosshair V Formula. The M5A99/97 Series feature ASUS exclusive Dual Intelligent Processors (DIP), comprised of the TurboV Processor Unit (TPU) and Energy Processor Unit (EPU), which has been stated to be the “best power management technology” by worldwide media. Premium models also feature UEFI BIOS and the second generation of DIP that contains DIGI+ VRM (Digital power design), a first for AMD based boards. The new motherboards will be the first on the AMD chipset based platform to support both multi-GPU technologies AMD CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA® SLI™.

Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM

The ASUS M5A99/97 Series motherboards offer unsurpassed compatibility with new AMD AM3+ socket CPUs, while also being backwards compatible with the previous generation AM3 CPU. The M5A99/97 core series is equipped with DIP2, which features DIGI+ VRM technology in addition to the TPU and EPU. DIGI+ VRM power delivery allows a user to precisely adjust and control power settings digitally for precise power control and flexible tuning of their system, perfectly serving the AM3+ CPU specification’s power demand. Digital control differs from analog controls by eliminating digital-to-analog conversion lag, which helps to improve overclocking capabilities. This means precise power flow adjustment and management as well as easy and flexible tuning, including extra DRAM power control for the AMD platform. It’s the most precise power delivery available, providing the best-in-class in power efficiency, performance and stability while also helping to maximize the overall overclocking potential. Also included on the M5A99/97 Series motherboards is the intuitive UEFI BIOS menu interface. UEFI BIOS allows a user to control and adjust their BIOS settings through the use of a mouse-enabled interface for more user-friendly navigation. The built-in EZ Mode option also provides a drag-and-drop boot priority option, for easier management of boot devices.

Specs:

Taipei, Taiwan (May 31th, 2011) — ASUS has announced a new lineup of AMD based motherboards that support the 990FX/990X/970 chipsets and AM3+ CPUs, the first company in the market to provide fully compatible AM3+ motherboards. The models available are the M5A99/97 Series, the TUF SABERTOOTH 990FX and the ROG Crosshair V Formula. The M5A99/97 Series feature ASUS exclusive Dual Intelligent Processors (DIP), comprised of the TurboV Processor Unit (TPU) and Energy Processor Unit (EPU), which has been stated to be the “best power management technology” by worldwide media. Premium models also feature UEFI BIOS and the second generation of DIP that contains DIGI+ VRM (Digital power design), a first for AMD based boards. The new motherboards will be the first on the AMD chipset based platform to support both multi-GPU technologies AMD CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA® SLI™.

Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM

The ASUS M5A99/97 Series motherboards offer unsurpassed compatibility with new AMD AM3+ socket CPUs, while also being backwards compatible with the previous generation AM3 CPU. The M5A99/97 core series is equipped with DIP2, which features DIGI+ VRM technology in addition to the TPU and EPU. DIGI+ VRM power delivery allows a user to precisely adjust and control power settings digitally for precise power control and flexible tuning of their system, perfectly serving the AM3+ CPU specification’s power demand. Digital control differs from analog controls by eliminating digital-to-analog conversion lag, which helps to improve overclocking capabilities. This means precise power flow adjustment and management as well as easy and flexible tuning, including extra DRAM power control for the AMD platform. It’s the most precise power delivery available, providing the best-in-class in power efficiency, performance and stability while also helping to maximize the overall overclocking potential. Also included on the M5A99/97 Series motherboards is the intuitive UEFI BIOS menu interface. UEFI BIOS allows a user to control and adjust their BIOS settings through the use of a mouse-enabled interface for more user-friendly navigation. The built-in EZ Mode option also provides a drag-and-drop boot priority option, for easier management of boot devices.

Specs:

The backwards compatible 990FX has arrived; before the AM3+ chips even

Subject: Motherboards | May 30, 2011 - 12:44 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: am3+, 990fx, amd

Hi Tech Legion has published their review of the ASUS Crosshair V Formula 990FX, the new AM3+ chipset from AMD.  While it is intended for the upcoming Bulldozer chips it is compatible with AM3 chips like the Phenom II X6 1090T they used to test.  It has three PCIe 2.0 x16 slots and two PCIe slots, one a x4 slot and one a 1x and even a legacy PCI slot.  The SB950 South Bridge supports six SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0,1,5,10 and AMD's Asmedia USB 3.0 controller offers six USB 3.0 ports.  Audio is handled by the upremeFX X-Fi 2 and there are a host of other features available which you can read about in the full review.

Also keep an eye out on our front page, as Josh is finishing up his review as well.

"The ASUS Crosshair V Formula is an AM3+ motherboard from the Republic of Gamers lineup. The Crosshair V Formula is designed for hardcore gamers and overclockers who want the best and latest AM3+ motherboard. The ASUS Crosshair V Formula ROG motherboard is equipped with the 990FX/SB950 chipset, featuring native SATA 6Gb/s support and full compatibility with upcoming Bulldozer based 32nm AMD processors. For additional high-speed connectivity, the ASUS Crosshair V Formula is also equipped with an Asmedia USB 3.0 controller, boasting superior performance over the NEC USB 3.0 controller prevalent among the latest motherboards in the market. As with all the recent ROG-series boards, the ASUS Crosshair V Formula is powered by the Extreme Engine DIGI+ design, providing highly efficient and superior power delivery on the AM3+ platform."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• ASUS RoG Crosshair V Formula (990FX) and MSI 990FXA-GD80 - AMD 990FX Launch Review @ HardwareHeaven
• ASUS Crosshair V Formula 990FX Motherboard Review @ OCC
• Biostar TA880GB+ Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• Asus Crosshair IV Formula @ hardCOREware
• BIOS Option Of The Week - SDRAM Bank-to-Bank Delay @ Tech ARP
• Intel Rapid Storage Technology 10.5.0.1027 with SRT Support @ NGOHQ
• Intel Smart Response Technology w/ ASUS P8Z68-V Pro Review @Hi Tech Legion
• GIGABYTE Z68X-UD7-B3 @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• The Virtu Question: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 @ PCSTATS
• Foxconn P67 Rattler @ OC3D
• GIGABYTE Z68X-UD3H-B3 @ TweakTown
• ASRock Z68 Extreme4 @ Overclockers.com
• Intel P67 Roundup: ASUS, GIGABYTE, Intel & MSI @ Techgage
• GIGABYTE P67A-UD7-B3 Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews