PC Hardware Thread

[SRINI87]

R9 290X Vapor X 8GB

 

Sapphire are showcasing their upcoming 8GB R9 290X VaporX at Cebit – a solution that will be released soon to tackle the high end Titan from Nvidia. With 8GB of memory and high clock speeds – perhaps they might have a few surprises in store for the guys in green. Our sources say it will actually outperform the Nvidia’s Titan in specific circumstances

 

 

 

[ALPHA17]

ASUS releases two RoG MATRIX cards, GALAXY unveils the GTX780Ti HoF v20

R9-290X

 

The ASUS ROG MATRIX R9 290X Platinum is the latest creation by ASUS featuring the Hawaii XT core with 2816 Stream processors, 176 TMUs, 64 Render back-ends and 4 GB GDDR5 memory operating along a 512-bit bus interface. The core and memory frequencies would certainly be overclocked out of factory considering the brute assembly featured on this model so we can expect core clock above the 1000 MHz reference clock.

From the PCB shots that were teased by ASUS, it looks like the ROG MATRIX R9 290X Platinum features 12 Phases for core and 2+4 Phases for memory with their latest DIGI+ II design featuring the high quality components, ICs, chokes and capacitors to deliver unprecedented performance to overclockers and enthusiasts. Juice is provided through dual 8-Pin connectors so we are looking at a TDP around 300W. The PCB is larger than the reference model due to the custom design and the addition of more phases on the board. The VRMs are cooled by a large black colored heatshrink which offers cooling support.

 

For cooling, ASUS has went with an all black design heatsink which is a large stack of aluminum fins cooled by two 92mm fans with CoolTech technology similar to the design featured on the DirectCU Mini graphics card. The heat sink features an internal heatpipe design, we can’t get an exact number but the one black colored heatpipe that comes out of the heatsink is large and measures around 8-9mm in diameter.

GTX780Ti

 

The ASUS ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum features NVIDIA’s flagship GK110 core with 2880 CUDA Cores, 240 TMUs and 48 ROPs coupled with a 3 GB GDDR5 VRAM that operates along a 384-bit bus interface. ASUS is being secretive about the clock speeds and additional details but we know that a card like this is backed with some huge and insane frequencies and even if it doesn’t, then it packs the power to let enthusiasts and overclockers ready their LN2 pots for some extreme cooling sessions.

 

The ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum features 12 Phases for core and 4 Phases for memory with their latest DIGI+ II design featuring the high quality components, ICs, Super Alloy Power design, chokes and capacitors to deliver unprecedented performance to overclockers and enthusiasts. Juice is provided through dual 8-Pin connectors so we are looking at a TDP around 300W. The PCB is larger than the reference model due to the custom design and the addition of more phases on the board. The VRMs are cooled by a large black colored heatshrink which offers cooling support.

 

Both cards seem to feature the same cooling system and shroud silhouette,

 

 

The HoF v20

 

 

The Galaxy GeForce GTX 780 Ti HOF V20 “Hall of Fame” edition blows away the previous GTX 780 Ti HOF card and instead of the GK110-300-A1 chip incorporates NVIDIA’s flagship GK110-425-B1 which is the fully unlocked Kepler core featuring 2880 Cuda cores and a 3 GB GDDR5 memory running across a 384-bit interface. The HOF edition won’t be kept clocked at reference clocks but would feature some impressive over the GHz frequencies and still leave abundance of room for overclocking enthusiasts. To achieve the world record, overclocker MadTse pushed the card beyond its limits by achieving a core clock of 1886 MHz and 2000 MHz memory clock (8 GHz effective) which is superb.

Power is pumped through Dual 8-PIN and a single 6-Pin connector which equates to a TDP above 300 Watts.

 

Of course, a GPU of such a design would require large amounts of cooling to keep the core and memory stable. Galaxy hasn’t revealed the final heatsink design for the card but we suspect it will be similar to the last HOF offering which featured heir flagship HOF series dual fan cooler which offers a much beefier heatsink design. The Galaxy GeForce GTX 780 Ti HOF makes use of a densely packed aluminum fin array that’s conveyed heat through four 6mm heatpipes running through the copper base. The dual fans measure 9cm and have a total of 9 blades which are enough to handle some mighty overclocks. The shroud itself looks beast for the monster card that is the GeForce GTX 780 Ti HOF.

For those who want extra power, Galaxy also ships a separate external power supply module which can be bought, offering an 8 Phase PWM with its own set of voltage adjustment and tuning points powered via three 8 Pin connectors.

Source: WCCFTech

[pbpoovannagamer]

 

"This is a strange story. AMD Vice President of Global Channel Sales Roy Taylor has said there will be no DirectX12 at any time in the future. In an interview with German magazine Heise.de, Taylor discussed the new trend for graphics card manufacturers to release top quality game bundles registered to the serial number of the card. One of the reasons for this, he said, is that the DirectX update cycle is no longer driving the market. 'There will be no DirectX 12. That's it.' (Google translation of German original.) Last January there was another hint that things weren't fine with DirectX when Microsoft sent an email to its MVPs saying, 'DirectX is no longer evolving as a technology.' That statement was quickly corrected, but without mentioning any prospect of DirectX 12. So, is this just another error or rumor? Can we dismiss something AMD is basing its future strategy on?"

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/04/12/1847250/amd-says-there-will-be-no-directx-12-ever

[SRINI87]

Microsoft DirectX 12 is DirectX 11 with Mantle Integrated – Performance Boost for Xbox One Questionable

Well well well, this is going to be a very interesting article. The delightfully controversial SemiAccurate.com has just revealed that DirectX12 is nothing more than DirectX11 with Mantle API shamelessly integrated. This raises a couple of important points to discuss, including but not limited to, its impact on the flailing Xbox One (Its performance boost on the PC platform is obvious).

Read more: http://wccftech.com/microsoft-directx-12-mantle-integrated-performance-boost-xbox-questionable/#ixzz2wPAKmW6Q

Interesting if true

[piper]

Microsoft DirectX 12 is DirectX 11 with Mantle Integrated

 

 

That is the most intriguing tech news title ever.

[ALPHA17]

Mantle API Vs. DirectX Thief Benchmarks

 

The first benchmark was conducted in the 720p (1280×720) resolution which, though unrealistic for today’s standards, helps emphasize the importance of Mantle in CPU bound situations. To those who don’t know, the higher the resolution the more GPU-Bound or GPU-Dependant the situation becomes. Similarly at lower resolutions games are almost entirely CPU Bound. The Nvidia Flagship GTX 780 Ti is a mind blowing 40 Frames behind the R9 290X. It is on par with the R7 270X with Mantle and R9 290X with DirectX. This benchmark is an absolute tribute to Mantle and shows just what a low level API can do.

 

With 1080p we are entering the realm of the average mid-high end gamers of the world. While some gamers have even moved on to 4K the vast majority of the mid to high end spectrum games at 1080p. With the situation becoming increasingly GPU Bound we see the GTX 780 Ti start to pull closer to the R9 290X with Mantle. Here the GTX 780 Ti has exactly Halved its distance to the R9 290X with Mantle.

 

We finally enter the realm of almost fully GPU Bound situations and here Mantle’s affect becomes almost non-existent. Here Mantle API yields a net bonus of 2.5 over Direct X which results it holding its lead over the GTX 780 Ti with a margin of 1.5 Frames. These benchmarks are nothing less than amazing. However even though it shows the power of Mantle, if Microsoft and OpenGL’s GDC/GTC slides are to be believed, Direct3D will soon get the same treatment. This will result in Mantle loosing a very very keen edge in the battle for supremacy. Though this means that times will become hard for Mantle, it does not necessarily mean that Mantle is dead (as AMD’s PR pointed out to us).

 

Source: ComputerBase.de via WCCFTech

[ALPHA17]

AMD teases the R9-295 x2

Source: Anandtech

[WhiteWolf]

 

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=382556

[Ph3N0M]

http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/ PC-Gaming-Is-Thriving-According-to-New-Nvidia-Infographic-392344-2.png?1382083792

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=382556

What is this post doing in the GPU discussion thread? Or why should it be in any thread for that matter?

Edited March 20, 2014 by Ph3N0M

[KyoyaHibari]

[CdrShawnzer]

What is this post doing in the GPU discussion thread? Or why should it be in any thread for that matter?

Because Zodak

 

 

BTW anyone notice there is no Kashmir in "India"

 

Edited March 20, 2014 by CdrShawnzer

[ALPHA17]

BTW anyone notice there is no Kashmir in "India"

 

Almost all international maps are like this. Because the disputed regions and Aksai Chin regions are not De jure Indian territories (they have been annexed).

What is this post doing in the GPU discussion thread? Or why should it be in any thread for that matter?

 

Because he randomly regurgitates months old information.

Edited March 20, 2014 by ALPHA17

[CdrShawnzer]

 

Almost all international maps are like this.

Oh yes

I forgot

Whatever the "world" says is right...

 

Do you f**king realize that Kashmir is COMPLETELY shaved off India(Not just PoK & Aksai-Chin,Even India governed Kasmir is not shown)

 

This is what most "International" Maps of India look like

[ALPHA17]

Oh yes

I forgot

Whatever the "world" says is right...

 

It is not what the world says, it is how the maps are. PERIOD.

 

If you have an issue, please go take it up with the Chinese Embassy and Pakistani High Commission.

Do you f**king realize that Kashmir is COMPLETELY shaved off India(Not just PoK & Aksai-Chin,Even India governed Kasmir is not shown)

 

This is what most "International" Maps of India look like

 

Do you realise you are behaving like an idiot and losing your cool on whatever topic you can stumble upon.

 

That map is not even an accurate representation of the US (because Alaska and Hawaii are missing) and I don't see Taiwan being shown as a part of China which it proudly calls its own.

 

In-fact go file a complaint against nVidia, which is a Taiwanese company ironically for misrepresentation and sue them over it in the Indian Supreme Court.

Edited March 20, 2014 by ALPHA17

[CdrShawnzer]

 

It is not what the world says, it is how the maps are. PERIOD.

 

If you have an issue, please go take it up with the Chinese Embassy and Pakistani High Commission.

 

Do you realise you are behaving like an idiot and losing your cool on whatever topic you can stumble upon.

 

That map is not even an accurate representation of the US (because Alaska and Hawaii are missing) and I don't see Taiwan being shown as a part of China which it proudly calls its own.

 

Oh it is.Check the Nvidia map again and get better glasses if possible

Alaska & Hawaii(Islands.sort of)? They havent shown Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshwadeep.

 

It looks like Nvidia is desperate to get some of F2P titles which it supports in China.Hence all the partiality and bending over in the map

Maybe some Commie would ban Hawken if Taiwan and Kashmir weren't shown as a "part" of Mother Sina

Or maybe they would roll over tanks on their GPU manufacturing plant

Or Maybe they would ban Tegra-equipped phones

Edited March 20, 2014 by CdrShawnzer

[piper]

@CdrShawnzer has been warned for bringing politics into the discussion.

[SRINI87]

GDC - NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Explain How OpenGL Can Unlock 7-15x Performance Gains

 

If you want to get a developer’s attention, all you need to do is start dropping whole numbers.

 

Offer something that’s not 1.2 times better — but two or three times better — you know you’ve got them.

 

That’s the good news we teamed up with AMD and Intel to deliver at this week’s Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.

 

GDCLogoAMD’s Graham Sellers, Intel’s Tim Foley, and our own Cass Everitt and John McDonald appeared on the same panel to explain the high-level concepts available in today’s OpenGL implementations that reduce driver overhead by up to 10x or more.

 

With OpenGL, an open, vendor-neutral standard, developers can get significantly better performance – up to 1.3 times. But with a little tuning, they can get 7 to 15 times more performance.

 

That’s a figure that will make any developer sit up and listen.

 

Better still: the techniques presented apply to all major vendors and are suitable for use across multiple platforms. And they brought demos, showing what these improvements mean on real world systems.

 

That’s because OpenGL can cut through the driver overhead that has been a frustrating reality for game developers since the beginning of the PC game industry.

 

On desktop systems, driver overhead can decrease frame rate. On mobile devices, however, driver overhead is even more insidious, robbing both battery life and frame rate.

 

- See more at: http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/03/20/opengl-gdc2014/#sthash.O4b2RW70.dpuf

 

 

Exciting times

[Ram Dante]

GDC - NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Explain How OpenGL Can Unlock 7-15x Performance Gains

 

If you want to get a developer’s attention, all you need to do is start dropping whole numbers.

 

Offer something that’s not 1.2 times better — but two or three times better — you know you’ve got them.

 

That’s the good news we teamed up with AMD and Intel to deliver at this week’s Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.

 

GDCLogoAMD’s Graham Sellers, Intel’s Tim Foley, and our own Cass Everitt and John McDonald appeared on the same panel to explain the high-level concepts available in today’s OpenGL implementations that reduce driver overhead by up to 10x or more.

 

With OpenGL, an open, vendor-neutral standard, developers can get significantly better performance – up to 1.3 times. But with a little tuning, they can get 7 to 15 times more performance.

 

That’s a figure that will make any developer sit up and listen.

 

Better still: the techniques presented apply to all major vendors and are suitable for use across multiple platforms. And they brought demos, showing what these improvements mean on real world systems.

 

That’s because OpenGL can cut through the driver overhead that has been a frustrating reality for game developers since the beginning of the PC game industry.

 

On desktop systems, driver overhead can decrease frame rate. On mobile devices, however, driver overhead is even more insidious, robbing both battery life and frame rate.

 

- See more at: http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/03/20/opengl-gdc2014/#sthash.O4b2RW70.dpuf

 

 

Exciting times

 

7-15X !?

 

Time to dust my old Geforce FX 5200 then!

Edited March 22, 2014 by Ram Dante

[ALPHA17]

7-15X !?

 

I would take that with salt and unless they have a roadmap for immediate development and implementation don't see how this claim changes anything.

 

Thank AMD for the buggy ineffectual MANTLE release to at-least yank these corporates out of their stupor.

 

On the same note,

Forza 5 1080p/60fps Tech Demo at DirectX 12 Reveal was Running on a GTX Titan Black

 

An interesting turn of events over at the DirectX12 GDC Reveal. They demoed Forza 5 at 1080p and 60fps Rock Solid and almost everyone thought it was running on the Xbox One. This post will clear up a major misconception: Forza 5 was actually running on a beast of a Rig powered by a GTX Titan Black GPU.

 

As you may know, Microsoft demoed Forza 5 running at a rock solid 60 frames per second at 1080p. The addition of DX12 to Xbox One seemed like a brilliant conclusion to the entire Resolutiongate sage because Microsoft had previously made claims that such a thing (every game running on 1080p/60fps) could only be possible if the cloud was used so this was a very pleasant surprise. However it turns out that Forza 5 Demo was actually running on a Super Powered GTX Titan Black powered rig. And the aim was to show the unbelievable porting power of the DX12 API.

Source: WCCFTech

[Ram Dante]

 

I would take that with salt and unless they have a roadmap for immediate development and implementation don't see how this claim changes anything.

 

Hahah I wouldn't believe anything until I can actually see that with my own eyes.