480 4GB successfully flashed to 8GB [TechPowerUp]

[Silverforce11]

I haven't been keeping up, I thought the 8GB card's memory was also clocked higher? I agree with most that the additional 4GB of memory isn't likely to have much of an affect in performance for a card targeted at 1080p (if clocked the same), but something most that are stating that are forgetting is a good number of newer games are limiting your settings if they don't detect "X" amount of ram. This could be a good reason to pay the additional money for the 8GB cards or go the 8GB unlocking route.

It's the same Samsung chips, rated at 8Gbps, with 8GB * 8 density.

There's been nobody with a 4GB card that looked at the reference board and ram chips and showed a different GDDR5.

 

[Madpacket]

I haven't been keeping up, I thought the 8GB card's memory was also clocked higher? I agree with most that the additional 4GB of memory isn't likely to have much of an affect in performance for a card targeted at 1080p (if clocked the same), but something most that are stating that are forgetting is a good number of newer games are limiting your settings if they don't detect "X" amount of ram. This could be a good reason to pay the additional money for the 8GB cards or go the 8GB unlocking route.

Only lazy console ports will look for cards with >4GB of RAM and turn off features you'll never notice anyways. Not a big deal. That being said the extra RAM could be handy for crossfire setups.

 

[YBS1]

Only lazy console ports will look for cards with >4GB of RAM and turn off features you'll never notice anyways. Not a big deal. That being said the extra RAM could be handy for crossfire setups.

It will be a big deal for those people who flip out when a game (Doom, Black Ops 3) disables maximum settings when it doesn't find 6/8GB of ram. lol

Yes, most of the time those settings are absolutely indistinguishable from each other without flipping back and forth between screenshots, but still....if wanting to set to max, I want max.

 

[Silverforce11]

MSI rep (not confirmed by me, but the forum goers responses):

https://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_message/47316221#47316221

Reference card RX 480 is 8GB.

The 4GB will be custom models later.

Bingo.

 

[IEC]

I've successfully flashed to 8GB on both cards. Ignore the wonky GPU-Z display, I am testing undervolting.

Undervolt working properly:

 

[Avalon]

I've successfully flashed to 8GB on both cards. Ignore the wonky GPU-Z display, I am testing undervolting.

Undervolt working properly:

Nice work

 

[boozzer]

can someone take a guess as to why amd gave it such high voltage as default?

 

[Silverforce11]

Normally I would be happy with this situation as a gamer, a better deal for all, but I could have gotten 2x RX 480 4->8GB for $640 AUD total. A single 1070 is $779 AUD here. -_-

 

[beginner99]

can someone take a guess as to why amd gave it such high voltage as default?

High process variation? Either throw away 30% more chips or increase voltage. Just a guess. The question more is why all the systems they supposedly have in place that calibrates it's chip at run time isn't working properly. And historically AMD used too high wattage also on their CPUs which only made the Bulldozer fiasco worse.

 

[mxnerd]

AMD must be banging its head.

 

[littleg]

You kidding? AMD must have known this would come out and there's no better marketing than an internet full of posts saying 'LOOK, FREE STUFF, GET IT QUICK'.

They're playing for marketshare as well as revenue at the moment and this will help drive sales of the 480, although it seems to be flying off the shelves by itself.

 

[SPBHM]

reminds me of the good old days, Radeon 9500 unlocks and so on
but in terms of ram, I remember one 8800GT 256MB from ECS that could be unlocked to 512MB with a bios, other than that I can't think of any other.

even without the mod I thought the 4GB model was the one to get, but with this...

 

[Accord99]

reminds me of the good old days, Radeon 9500 unlocks and so on
but in terms of ram, I remember one 8800GT 256MB from ECS that could be unlocked to 512MB with a bios, other than that I can't think of any other.

The most recent that I can think of is some batches of GTX 465 that would unlock from 356 shaders/1GB of memory to a GTX 470 specification.

 

[Bacon1]

The most recent that I can think of is some batches of GTX 465 that would unlock from 356 shaders/1GB of memory to a GTX 470 specification.

Many Fury's had extra cores you could unlock.

 

[Erenhardt]

Many r9 290 were unlocked to r9 290X

 

[SPBHM]

Many Fury's had extra cores you could unlock.

I think his answer was because the 465 could also unlock RAM (extra 256MB), and the most recent I could remember with ram unlocking was the 8800GT 256MB-512MB from ECS

if you go for just shaders and stuff the list gets a lot longer
6800s, x800s, 6900s and so on

 

[Bacon1]

I think his answer was because the 465 could also unlock RAM (extra 256MB), and the most recent I could remember with ram unlocking was the 8800GT 256MB-512MB from ECS

if you go for just shaders and stuff the list gets a lot longer
6800s, x800s, 6900s and so on

Ah yeah with RAM as well its a much smaller list.

 

[mohit9206]

I can only imagine how much more favourable reviews and sales RX480 would have gotten if they had only launched RX480 8gb for $199.There was no need for 4gb.RX470 would have taken care of that.The awesome value of RX480 8gb for $200 is just not the same as RX480 for $240.

 

[LTC8K6]

I can only imagine how much more favourable reviews and sales RX480 would have gotten if they had only launched RX480 8gb for $199.There was no need for 4gb.RX470 would have taken care of that.The awesome value of RX480 8gb for $200 is just not the same as RX480 for $240.

Yeah, they paid for the chips anyway...should have been 8gb of VRAM for $199.00 or better yet, actual 4gb cards for $169.00.

The fact that the extra ram is there at the $199 price point means prices could have been at a lower tier for actual 4gb cards.

4gb for $169
8gb for $199
Maybe 8gb with GDDR5X for $229 for the niche buyers

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I've successfully flashed to 8GB on both cards. Ignore the wonky GPU-Z display, I am testing undervolting.

Undervolt working properly:

Did you use the bios from techpowerup? You had sapphire cards right? I have a sapphire 4gb myself.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

Haha. Yeah you know this was a last minute decision by AMD. I wonder what the ratio was, probably something like 10:1 (8GB vs 4GB) released.

Yeah, if you can't manufacture 4GB versions it doesn't make sense to neuter too many cards. Just sell them as 8GB and make more money.

They had to sell some since they released the $200 4GB msrp.

 

[boozzer]

Yeah, they paid for the chips anyway...should have been 8gb of VRAM for $199.00 or better yet, actual 4gb cards for $169.00.

The fact that the extra ram is there at the $199 price point means prices could have been at a lower tier for actual 4gb cards.

4gb for $169
8gb for $199
Maybe 8gb with GDDR5X for $229 for the niche buyers

229$ card is a niche buy

 

[sze5003]

I'm still making up my mind weather I want a 4gb model or 8gb.

I bet the aib models wont have this easy flash feature. Did they say if they have switched out the memory so now 4gb is 4 and 8 is 8?

 

[therealnickdanger]

Yeah, they paid for the chips anyway...should have been 8gb of VRAM for $199.00 or better yet, actual 4gb cards for $169.00.

The fact that the extra ram is there at the $199 price point means prices could have been at a lower tier for actual 4gb cards.

4gb for $169
8gb for $199
Maybe 8gb with GDDR5X for $229 for the niche buyers

You forget the costs involved with marketing, that's worth at least 20%. LOL

For real though, for how long has this been a thing? I knew that you could unlock shaders, etc., but how many other GPUs have had unlockable VRAM?

 

[moonbogg]

It seems like it was on purpose. Its way too awesome to not be on purpose. Imagine buying a cheaper 4gb version, peeling back that sticker and realizing you really got the full blown 8gb version for a cheaper price?! That's awesome. That would make people go nuts trying to grab one. I am liking this card a lot more now. I love this kind of crap.