ATI Roadmap 2006

[W1nTry]

Pplz READ THIS ARTICLE, it has something BIG in it, that I will highlight:

ATI GPU 2006 Roadmap
Kristopher Kubicki - June 6, 2006 3:20 PM

More chipsets, more GPUs, more options

DailyTech today reported on ATI's announcement of just how it will offer physics processing in its lineup. Using the latest Xpress 3200 (RD600) chipset, ATI is enabling physics processing by using a 3rd add-in card. Using an X1000 family card, a user can enable dedicated physics processing card after they have installed a CrossFire setup.

Physics however, remains only one of ATI's major announcements at Computex. DailyTech's legal counsel has advised us to stop posting corporate roadmap slides with trademarked logos (some sort of copyright thing), but we can still disseminate information the old fashioned way.  ATI has several new GPUs lined up for the second half of 2006:

RV505CE lowest end, 64-bit, 350MHz core / 250MHz memory
RV505LE low end, 128-bit 450MHz core
RV505 Pro
RV515 Pro
We will have more details on the above GPUs as they come.  The majority of ATI's new GPUs are expected to launch this August and September.

The last trick up ATI's sleeve for 2006 is integrated Crossfire.  ATI RV560 and RV570 will use an on-chip Crossfire logic that will allow for any motherboard to use dual GPUs in Crossfire mode.  The composite engine used in the core still does not move all of the data across the PCIe lanes, and manufacturers insist to us that some sort of dongle or bridge will be needed between each card.[/b]
ATI's upcoming RV560 is a 128-bit pipeline, 450MHz core, 650MHz memory, 16x32 6 layer PCB. Roadmaps indicate that ATI will introduce both AGP and PCIe versions in August of this year. ATI's RV570 is identical (as far as we know) to RV560 except that it will have a 256-bit pipeline instead of 128-bit. Core frequency will remain the same as well as memory frequency.

At the most high end of ATI's mid-range is the RV570XT ASIC.  RV570XT will feature everything the same as RV570XL, but have significantly higher clock speeds.  The core clock speed should reach more than 600MHz and the memory clock speeds should obtain speeds near 1.1GHz.

By the end of the year, ATI will have at least samples for what the corporate roadmap calls "R580+."  Essentially R580+ is the R580 (Radeon X1900) ASIC with GDDR4 memory.  There is no word yet on clock speeds or release dates.

OEM partners did not have any details on R600.  The ATI roadmap so far carries the company through November. We reported earlier today that ATI's RS600 chipset gets a positive showing at Computex with several board releases from ATI partners.


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We can look forward to an opening up of the dual card market FINALLY... the implications of this is huge as I see it. Imagine they'll have to tear up old reviews and do them over to see if a X1900XTX Xfire runs better on an nforce560 (or whatever the AM2 chipset is called, cyah rem right now) and of course not to be left out, nvidia will prolly follow suite, and then we'll see if a 7900GTX SLI runs better on a Intel chipset and VIa chipset, an ATI chipset or otherwise... basically ANY mobo supporting 2x 16/8x PCIe.

[Czar]

Actually, isn't that already the case with the just released 7950GX2? I may be mistaken, but I thought I read that as long as the mobo's bios has the ability to recognise the card, it can do SLI with it...?

[TrinireturnofGamez]

   i want r600 and i want it now!! ati mcs...

 hopefully nvidia will bring out their g80 soon , else i'll be forced to get a dx9 card  and sell it or go integ and wait.... mcs...

[W1nTry]

Actually, isn't that already the case with the just released 7950GX2? I may be mistaken, but I thought I read that as long as the mobo's bios has the ability to recognise the card, it can do SLI with it...?

Yes and NO. Yes as in between the 2 cards in the 7950 YES but yuh have to look at those as 1 card and then it won't work for QUAD SLI when yuh get yuh second 7950. Yuh cyah plug in a 2x7900GTX in any old mobo,  It's strictly a Nforce/ULi thing. What this will allow is 2xX1900XT on a nforce mobo, or on a Intel mobo or on an Via, etc you get the picture?

[Czar]

Ahhh, i see what you mean now...this allows traditional CrossFire (i.e. the 2-card version) on any mobo (nForce mobos included)...

But still...the 7950 allows SLI on any mobo (ATI mobos included), even if it is a single slot solution...as long as the bios can recognise the card.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before this happened...consumers grow tired of being locked into a particular platform etc...

[W1nTry]

But Czar you have to appreciate that the 7950 is 2 cards in 1, or a singe interface card. So of course it'd work cause the machine sees it as 1 card. Its the same as the dual GPU cards, the 7950 was just an attemp to make the dual GPU solution more compact, daz all. All the talking between the 2 cards is exactly that, between the 2 cards. What is inherently implied however is that there must be some kind of integrated hardware on the cards to allow them to talk. By extension they could simply separate the 2 cards and then you have traditional SLI over hardware with no s/w required. So I see what you mean, but what you're saying is inherent. It's the implications of the hardware that exist to do what they are currently doing with the 7950 that makes it close to market I guess.

[Beomagi]

This pushes me even more to woodcrest over conroe - ooohhh choices!

[TrinireturnofGamez]

 does this mean no more need for ''crossfire edition'' cards too?

[Czar]

Hmmm...the other thing to consider about those early dual-GPU cards from Gigabyte etc is that they still need an SLI mobo to work their magic...however, the 7950GX2 doesn't...an SLI mobo is no longer a requirement.

[W1nTry]

does this mean no more need for ''crossfire edition'' cards too?

More than likely the hardware required to do this will have to be all OR 1 of the cards you're using. So the master slave approach would work with the 2nd card just using the PCIe for power perhaps (if it's LP enough). Otherwise if there is a 'bridge' chip on each card for them to communicate via the dongle vs the PCI+dongle then cost will increase slightly (perhaps or not). But I see it as a small price to pay for dual video card setups on any platform. That way we can look forward to a low cost Via dual 16X PCIe solution and run 2x8x00 cards in SLI or hell maybe even more.... 4 7600GTs? who knows...