Just because you gave your GPU new clothes doesn't mean we won't notice it is the same inside
Subject: Graphics Cards | December 20, 2011 - 03:38 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gpu, amd, nvidia, turks, Caicos, graphics core next, GCN, cape verde, HD7770, kepler
Rebranding and rebadging is becoming a very bad habit for both major GPU manufacturers. It is fair to imply that NVIDIA was the first to start doing so on a regular basis but AMD has noticed that they have successfully managed it on several different chip families and has since joined in on crushing enthusiasts hopes in the holy name of the profit margin. On the other hand, with the financial difficulties that both companies are experiencing it is a viable strategy no matter how much enthusiasts dislike the practice.
Just two weeks ago we received information about the mobile chips from NVIDIA and AMD and the news was not good. From AMD we have rebranded Turks and Caicos chips with improved clock speeds but the same base technology already on the market. NVIDIA didn't even go that far and released the exact same chips as the previous generation, under new names.
We have heard rumours that AMD will also be applying that marketing strategy to at least some of the upcoming HD 7xxx series cards but thanks to a link from VR-Zone we know where the new chips will start. The HD7770 will feature Graphics Core Next and a 128-bit memory interface, replacing the ageing Juniper chips. As far as power there seems to be only a single PCIe 6 pin connector needed, which should keep the power draw to around 100W. If you are planning on picking a new AMD card when they arrive on the market ensure you do not look lower in the family as you will be picking up a rebranded card.
There was also a leak on the NVIDIA side today, with a single slide marked for internal use only appearing at a site called EXP Review. These types of slides and the benchmarks on them should always be taken with at least your daily allowance of sodium, if not more as the rules for what optimizations can be done to the benchmarks are very different for internal testing. They do show a nice performance difference, the GTX780 ranges from 190% to 230% of the performance of a GTX580. Astute readers will immediately start wondering what happened to the GTX6xx family, as according to this slide NVIDIA seems to be skipping an entire series with Kepler. Perhaps that is where rebranded Fermi chips could find a niche?
The coming year looks dangerous for GPU buyers, with older cards masquerading as newer models, thanks to AMD mixing VLIW4/5 cards with GCN cards and NVIDIA's suspicious naming scheme. While we have a bit of information about AMD's new cards, no indication of their performance has tipped up on the net. If NVIDIA's benchmarks are even close to reality a doubling of performance in a single generation would be a coup for them, as that type of increase in such a short time is almost unheard of. Then again, NVIDIA has been working on this architecture for a long while now. We will find out more over the coming months as both products come closer to their first appearance on the market, likely by the end of Q1.
Squeaky Wheel: NVIDIA Driver Fixes GTX 560 Ti 2Win and X79 Issue
Subject: Graphics Cards | December 20, 2011 - 10:39 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: evga, GTX 560 Ti, 2win, x79, nvidia
Sometimes we are surprised when big companies listen to the community when they have a legitimate complaint about a product. Late last night NVIDIA passed over a driver that finally fixes the issue we discussed last Friday with the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win dual-GPU graphics card and the new X79 chipset. The issue arose from the inability to actually enable SLI on the card thus leaving one of your GTX 560 Ti's on the board sitting there limp. And for gamers that pay $500+ for a graphics card, that is just unacceptable.
In a driver package that NVIDIA told me will be released tomorrow, 290.53, you can now enable SLI when this card is installed on an X79 motherboard.
We needed to verify the performance to make sure SLI was actually functioning as we expect so we ran a handful of tests, starting with 3DMark11 on the Extreme preset:
Compared to two separate GTX 560 Ti cards running in SLI, the 3DMark11 score was 2949 - performance was right on target.
For a bit more of a sanity check, just a couple of game tests too:
- Metro 2033 (1920x1080)
- EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2Win - 64.2 FPS
- NV GTX 560 Ti SLI - 65.1 FPS
- Batman: Arkham City (1920x1080)
- EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2Win - 87.4 FPS
- NV GTX 560 Ti SLI - 87.5 FPS
If you have an EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win card and already own or were planning to upgrade to Intel's new Sandy Bridge-E platform then you should be looking for this driver to drop on Wednesday the 21st. Just in time for the holiday's NVIDIA is answering our requests for a commitment to gamers.
Sometimes it just takes the squeaky wheel...
Give your project good CARMA, get a CUDA on ARM dev kit!
Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards, Processors | December 20, 2011 - 04:34 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: nvidia, CUDA, CARMA, capital letters, arm
Okay so the pun was a little obvious, but NVIDIA has just announced the specifications and name for the development kit used to develop for their ARM-based GPU computing platform. The development kit will provide a method to build and test applications on a platform similar to what will be found in the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre’s upcoming GPU supercomputer until you are ready to deploy the finished application with real data on the real machine. Such is the life of a development units.
Carma: What goes around, comes around... right Intel?
The development kit is quite modest in its specifications:
- Tegra3 ARM A9 CPU
- Quadro 1000M GPU (96 CUDA Cores)
- 2GB system RAM, 2GB GPU RAM
- 4x PCIe Gen1 CPU to GPU link
- 1000Base-T networking support
- SATA, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB.
KFA^2 Launches Overclocked, Multi-Display GTX 580 MDT X4 Graphics Card
Subject: Graphics Cards | December 17, 2011 - 02:01 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nvidia surround, nvidia, mdt x4, kfa2, GTX 580, europe
KFA^2 is a leading European graphics card manufacturer for Nvidia based cards. Their latest card is the KFA^2 GTX 580 EX OC MDT X4, and it represents the top tier of their multi-display lineup.
As the name implies, the new GTX 580 EX OC MDT X4 card is based on Nvidia’s GTX 580 GPU. From there, the card is overclocked and outfitted with the ability to drive up to four displays. Using their “virtual single monitor mode,” the card is able to present an Eyefinity like display (via Nvidia Surround tech) to the operating system (as one giant display), and then stretch the output across three monitors. The resolution of the three monitor display can be up to 5760x1080. Interestingly the refresh rate needs to be at 50Hz. The card package will include the necessary driver and application software to make the multi-display work. There are three mini HDMI ports and one mini Display Port on the back of the card, and the three mini HDMI ports are used for the three monitor surround panel while the Display port can be hooked up to a fourth monitor that is not part of the main display group.
The card has 1.5 GB of GDDR5 memory as well as the same 384-bit memory interface; however, from there the core and memory clocks both get a nice overclock at 840 MHz and 2004 MHz respectively. Further, the KFA^2 model ditches the reference cooling solution for a custom LED lit affair with a total of three fans to keep the card frosty at the overclocked clock speeds. Graham Brown, the European Marketing Manager for KFA^2 stated that “all these features combine, has produced a new level to consider when looking at the GTX 580 range.”
The new graphics card will be available throughout Europe soon and will come with a 2 year warranty. No word yet on pricing but expect it to be somewhere around $540 USD.
Podcast #182 - Intel Core i7-3930K, AMD 7000 Series rumors, a new low price SSD from OCZ and more!
Subject: Editorial | December 15, 2011 - 01:57 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: ssd, podcast, ocz, nvidia, macbook pro, Intel, hdd, gigabyte, dell, apple, amd
PC Perspective Podcast #182 - 12/15/2011
Join us this week as we talk about the Intel Core i7-3930K, AMD 7000 Series rumors, a new low price SSD from OCZ and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular
RSS reader - MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Allyn Malvantano
This Podcast is brought to you by
Program Schedule:
- 0:00:32 Introduction
- 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- 0:02:54 Dell Inspiron 14z Notebook Review: A Portable Workhorse
- 0:03:57 Gigabyte E350N-USB3 Fusion Mini ITX Motherboard Review
- 0:08:12 Video Perspective: Antec Eleven Hundred Case Review
- 0:12:20 Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E Processor
- 0:23:27 This Podcast is brought to you by
MSI Computer , and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!
- 0:24:15 Some Details About AMD’s 7000 Series Graphics Cards Leak To Internet
- 0:27:00 Bad for reviewers, great for gamers ... AMD will allow non-reference Tahiti graphics cards
- 0:32:10 How much of PCI-E 3.0 is just marketing speak right now
- 0:36:05 OCZ Technology Petrol SATA 6Gbps SSDs Reduce SSD Deployment Costs by Thirty Percent (Hynix flash)
- 0:42:30 Two Catalysts from AMD; 11.12 and a highly recommended preview version of 12.1
- 0:45:05 Intel Scales Back Sales Outlook Due To Hard Drive Shortage
- 0:50:10 Apple May Bring High Pixel Density Displays To MacBook Pro Notebooks
- 0:57:56 Voicemail - 3d gaming, special graphics card, what games, etc?
- 1:03:54 Voicemail - SSDs - SF drive and Gaming
- 1:07:12 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- Ryan: 4GB to 8GB of memory - do it!!
- Jeremy: How have I never thought of this? Also, the 3930K since it proved to be about 95%+ of the performance for about 60% of the cost ... if you can find it
- Josh: You Monster!
- Allyn: Cheap SSD's for the holidays, do it!
- 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- Closing
Podcast #181 - Hybrid Storage Roundup, the ASUS US36SD-XA1 notebook, News of the week and more!
Subject: Editorial | December 8, 2011 - 05:44 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: revodrive hybrid, podcast, nvidia, notebook, Intel, hybrid, asus, amd
PC Perspective Podcast #181 - 12/08/2011
Join us this week as we talk about our Hybrid Storage Roundup, the ASUS US36SD-XA1 notebook, News of the week and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular
RSS reader - MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Allyn Malvantano
This Podcast is brought to you by
Program Schedule:
- 0:00:40 Introduction
- 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- 0:02:05 Hybrid Storage Roundup: Seagate Momentus XT vs. OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid vs. Intel Z68
- 0:15:20 ASUS U36SD-XA1 Notebook Review: The Battery That Never Dies
- 0:21:00 Video Perspective: AMD A8-3850 vs Intel Core i3-2105 Gaming Comparison
- 0:24:20 This Podcast is brought to you by
MSI Computer , and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!
- 0:25:12 ASRock Z68 Extreme 7 Gen 3 LGA 1155 Motherboard Review
- 0:27:15 Asus GeForce Direct CU II Series Reviews
- 0:28:16 Intel, Micron double single-chip flash capacity
- 0:33:46 Mobile madness minus benchmarks; new mobile GPUs from AMD & NVIDIA
- 0:40:39 Ivy Bridge should be here by the spring
- 0:46:05 Chrome passes Firefox and is now the 2nd most used browser
- 0:49:50 It's a bit early for 11.12, but how about Catalyst 11.11c?
- 0:51:15 Memorieeessssss lots of memoriesssss
- 0:55:06 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- Josh: Treat yourself for Christmas with a new vid card and game
- Allyn: Ready Player One - (Audiobook)
- 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- Closing
The NVIDIA Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Tweak Guide Is Now Live
Subject: General Tech | December 8, 2011 - 11:45 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: tweaks, skyrim, nvidia, gaming, elder scrolls V
NVIDIA has put together a comprehensive tweak guide for getting the most from Skyrim. The tweaks themselves also apply to AMD GPUs so just because you aren't running an NVIDIA GPU right now doesn't mean you should skip checking out the information they've posted. Much of the information deals with the settings you find under the options menu, from choosing how you want autosaves to work to how far you should set your draw distance to.
They focus on the effects of the graphical settings for the majority of the article as it will be there that most of the tweaking will be done. Results of combining FXAA and MSAA are covered, both in terms of visual quality and performance impact at several different resolutions. As well, textures and shadow quality are examined in depth, including object detail. There are settings which seem to give you improved visual quality with little to no impact on your frame rate, options such as reflections, anisotropic filtering and actor fade can be turned up without crippling your system.
From there they get into the real tweaks, requiring you to edit .ini files (make a copy first) and become acquainted with the console. The steps to disable V-Sync to uncap your frame rates and ditch the annoying mouse stuttering, increase your field of view and fine tune the shadows of Skyrim are revealed. They also cover the console commands in the game, not just how to turn god mode on and off but also how to teleport, turn off grass and other effects for troubleshooting, setting up batch files that can be run during the game and even the 'triple q' quick quit to desktop.
Mobile madness minus benchmarks; new mobile GPUs from AMD & NVIDIA
Subject: General Tech | December 7, 2011 - 12:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: amd, mobile gpu, 7400M, 7500M, 7600M, nvidia, GT635M, GT630M, 610M, turks, Caicos, GF106, GF108, GF119
Before you start to get too excited when you read about the AMD Radeon 7000M announcement today; realize this is a rebranding of Turks and Caicos, not the arrival of Southern Islands. While AMD might disappoint, at least the performance of the chips has been increased; NVIDIA went for a straight rebadge. Even if you squint, the stats for the GT630M are the same as the GT540M and same with the 610M and 520MX. There looks to be a slight difference in memory bandwidth between the 635M and 555M but AnandTech is doubtful that it is truly the case.
While we still don't know the exact frequencies that the so called 7000M chips will have in the end, they will be higher than the parts that they replace and will come in two flavours. The less expensive part will be DDR3, with a DDR5 alternative for those who want a bit more performance. Read on for all the gritty details or just look at the tables below.
AMD
NVIDIA
"We just covered the AMD side of things, but yesterday NVIDIA quietly refreshed their entry-level and midrange mobile GPUs in a similar manner. We weren’t briefed on the updates, most likely because there’s not much to say. Like AMD there are three "new" 600M parts. Here’s the overview of what NVIDIA is offering, with the previous generation equivalents listed for reference."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- AMD Launches the HD 7000M; Mobile Market Déjà Vu? @ Hardware Canucks
- Windows 8 beta coming in February, too late for a final release in 2012? @ ExtremeTech
- Physical computing just got a lot easier @ Hack a Day
- Intel, Micron double single-chip flash capacity @ The Register
- US military pays SETI to check Kepler-22b for aliens @ The Register
- Military contractor warns of new Adobe Reader exploit @ The Register
- Sunwayman V20C T6 Tactical Flashlight @ 3DVelocity
- SteelSeries Desmo Digital Eyewear @ Benchmark Reviews
- Ars Technica's 2011 holiday gift guide extravaganza
Introduction and Design
Ultrabooks are now on store shelves, but that doesn’t mean the more traditional ultraportables are dead - not by a long shot. Thin may be cool, but the high price premium attached to ultrabooks means that they will, at least for now, be a niche product. Meanwhile, the workhorse 13.3” ultraportable will remain popular.
One of the most accomplished manufacturers of this type of laptop is ASUS, which has been building U-Series ultraportables for several years now. We’ve generally given them high marks here, but now there is a new model to check out, the updated U36. Unlike the stylish U33 Bamboo, this model is a tough, simple laptop that seems to take ques from Lenovo’s ThinkPads. Has this compromised the series? Let’s find out.
Continue reading our review of the ASUS U36SD-XA1 Ultraportable notebook!!
Algorithms, Voxels, and Octrees - Oh my indeed!
Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Graphics Cards | December 2, 2011 - 03:45 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: nvidia
Even back around 2005 when the rush was still getting higher and higher resolutions to fill the finally high-resolution TVs, I always assumed that the next trail blazed in the graphics war would be lighting. Lighting is a complicated process which we are all very accustomed to it being done perfectly due to our living in the real world. Technologies such as Unreal Lightmass, PureLight, and Autodesk Beast have created more realistic lighting profiles that account for multiple bounces but cannot change in games like Mirror’s Edge. Battlefield 3, thanks to Geomerics, is one of the first games to take this problem on in semi real time such that if you alter a light the indirect lighting changes with it. The advancement does not stop there according to a recent NVIDIA blog which details research into better real time lighting.
That hand has got to be illegal in all 50 states.
P.S. -- For a 3d Technology company, just 480p Youtube -- really?
While the blog is quite vague in how the technology actually is producing its results, those results appear to be quite spectacular in quality. Unfortunately, while the quality looks amazing for being rendered at 25-70 FPS, there is no mention of what system is required to achieve those 25-70 FPS. Back to the vagueness: the demonstration is apparently not being performed upon triangular meshes relying on voxels instead. According to their explanation, their second lighting bounce is approximated to a single cone rather than multiple rays. If I understand their cone method enough, this approximation is incapable by design of expanding to third bounces and beyond; it appears to be a simplification that falls out of restricting yourself to just two lighting bounces in a voxel environment.
Regardless of when and how it will influence our technology; does the demonstration excite you for technologies to come? Place your predictions in the comments.
PC Perspective Upcoming Events
|
