AGP8x Specs out

[Czar]

Its actually called Beyond-AGP4x

Intel http://developer.intel.com/update/contents/dt07002.htm
What Vrzone has to say


<< Intel is working on an evolutionary initiative called Beyond-AGP4X. The future AGP 2.2 specification will define AGP 4x successor, a new AGP mode, codenamed Beyond AGP4x. The new mode will be backward compatible with AGP 4x and its main feature will be bandwidth increase. The bandwidth between AGP and system bus will be expected at 2GB/sec and between AGP and system memory at 3GB/sec. So, beyond AGP4x is like AGP 8x bus. The full AGP 2.2 specification will be published this autumn at IDF 2000 and target product in 2H '01 timeframe.
Beyond-AGP4X offers several performance and feature enhancements, as well as some simplifications of the AGP specification. Some of the enhancements are optional and targeted at the higher end of the workstation market. Significant changes include :

Twice the AGP4X bandwidth, achieved through the use of a new signaling scheme.
Relaxation of ordering rules in order to more efficiently process graphics system traffic to and from system memory.
Limiting the transaction size of data to the graphics subsystem in order to enable efficient use of the interface.
Simplification of the interface usage model, which includes removing the notion of high-priority transactions. The usage model simplification also includes using an alternate, lower performance mode of transaction request generation (called PIPE) by the graphics subsystem.
Providing a defined mechanism to enable high-performance cache coherent transactions on the interface.
Specifying an optional infrastructure that supports isochronous data streaming on the interface >>



The Official Site http://www.beyondagp4x.org/

Looks nice doesn it, on board memmory is starting to get useless.

 

[AndyHui]

Interesting....3.2GB is respectable bandwidth....as long as your RAM is fast enough to provide it in the 1st place, although it doesn't match the 5+GB that today's GeForce 2 GTS requires. By the time BeyondAGP4X comes out, we are going to need a lot more than what it provides anyway.

 

[HannibalX]

Whats the point? No one uses AGP texturing, and hasn't since AGP was invented. AGP is worthless, like JC said.

 

[Passions]

right on trinitron!

 

[AndyHui]

The i740 used AGP texturing exclusively.....for a while...

 

[BenSkywalker]

&quot;Whats the point? No one uses AGP texturing, and hasn't since AGP was invented. AGP is worthless, like JC said.&quot;

Vertex traffic and bandwith. Want high poly games to move at decent FPS? We need more bandwith then AGP4X for the upcoming boards. Figure that the GF1 can flood the AGP2X bus in many situations, and the GF2 is already ~60% faster then that. What will the Rampage, NV20, G800 and Radeon Maxx be able to do?

Without a faster bus between the CPU/memory and the gfx card, not too much more. I've heard it said(incorrectly, but that is besides the point) that when games start shipping that truly take advantage of hardware T&amp;L then the GF1 will be too slow. If anyone thinks that is true, then AGP4X is also too slow.

With a card capable of 15million vertices a second flooding AGP2X, how much bandwith will one that handles 75million vertices take? What about 300million along the lines of the X-Box? We need better then AGP4X and while AGP8X is a step in the right direction, it isn't going to cover what will be needed in the not too distant future.

 

[MadRat]

[sarcasm]Doesn't RAMBUS own that technology?[/sarcasm]

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

LoL @ Madrat

Cool tech, BTW. I was wondering when the next evolution in AGP would occur. Im just upset we won't see it until late next year :Q