AMD CEO talks of long-term turnaround

[mrmt]

Further the Pro cards might use two GPUs, which (due to much smaller texture space requirements) would be fine for pro graphics while keeping redundant data. While for compute tasks they could actually store different working sets in the local RAM.

Some compute tasks requires sizable amounts of RAM, and slow system RAM doesn't cut it.

 

[mrmt]

We must have different definitions of what competitive means then.

390X ~ 980 at $80-100 cheaper
390 ~ 970 at same price
380 beats 960 at same price

To me that seems competitive, whether or not these chips are refreshes is completely irrelevant to their performance in the current product stacks.

Yes, we have. AMD was still getting pounded with the 200 series on the market when selling the 290x for much less, and what's really important is that the custom 200 series had more or less the same performance of the 390x and costs less, and still AMD lost market share. So magically AMD jack up their prices while offering close to 0% increase in raw performance and they are to improve their competitiveness?

 

[showb1z]

Yes, we have. AMD was still getting pounded with the 200 series on the market when selling the 290x for much less, and what's really important is that the custom 200 series had more or less the same performance of the 390x and costs less, and still AMD lost market share. So magically AMD jack up their prices while offering close to 0% increase in raw performance and they are to improve their competitiveness?

They've always been competitive, their issue is marketing. The initial reference 290 reviews were brutal. 390 gave them another shot and obviously the performance is there.
Why they should be selling a card that performs on par with a 980 for half its price is beyond me.

 

[mrmt]

They've always been competitive, their issue is marketing. The initial reference 290 reviews were brutal. 390 gave them another shot and obviously the performance is there.
Why they should be selling a card that performs on par with a 980 for half its price is beyond me.

Marketing, and because their cards are power hogs.

 

[Man I Suck]

Actually anyone would want to buy AMD...
If AMD dies, Intel would get everything (including GPU side since no one would want to buy it) and in short term, nVIDIA would be kicked out the x86 competition and VIA would get a demand because the alliance with the Chinese (XhaoXin).
In resume Intel would win the absolute x86 competition before 2020. And since ARM is strong, Intel would defend their monopoly position on x86. Yeah, something like ElbRUS from Russia.

Jeez, wow. All of that is over my head.

How would nvidia get kicked out of the x86 competition? There wouldn't BE any real competition for gaming graphics cards, right?

Doesn't AMD own the x64 patent or copyright or something and Intel own the x86? How would Intel's use of x64 be affected if AMD went T.U.?

I don't even know what ElbRUS is.

 

[Dresdenboy]

Some compute tasks requires sizable amounts of RAM, and slow system RAM doesn't cut it.

Did you hear about cache blocking? Similar methods could be applied to any big slow memory + small fast memory (n levels) combination. When will HBM2 be ready with its 2x or 4x capacity? Does that match the GPUs FirePro validation phase end?

BTW the main bottleneck of Fiji's gaming performance might be it's throughput of 4 tris per clock (vs. 6 in the 980 Ti and Titan). Pixel fill rate should be enough even for 4K@60fps (would still allow > 100x overdraw).

Edit: Nice discussion there: http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=34022743

 

[mrmt]

Did you hear about cache blocking? Similar methods could be applied to any big slow memory + small fast memory (n levels) combination. When will HBM2 be ready with its 2x or 4x capacity? Does that match the GPUs FirePro validation phase end?

Yes, but that's not where the market is heading to. Both Intel and Nvidia are pushing for huge amounts of fast RAM available to their respective HPC chips. It's simply faster and more efficient, and on top of that people won't optimize for a company that is a nobody on the HPC market.

And I don't expect AMD to be still competing with Fiji by the time HBM2 becomes available. That would put them way behind Pascal and whatever Intel will be offering to this market. AMD needs to seriously overhaul GCN in order to take on Nvidia, otherwise they will be toast once Pascal arrives.

 

[ultimatebob]

i agree because i also think all the doom and gloom is ridiculous. i have always used amd cpu and always will. i am a long term amd fan who has owned these amd cpu:-

amd 386 dx 40mhz
amd 486 dx4 100mhz
amd k6 200mhz
amd k6 II 333mhz
amd k6 II 550mhz
amd duron 750mhz
amd duron 900mhz
amd athlon 1.3ghz tbird
amd athlon xp 1700 palomino
amd athlon xp 1700 tbred b
amd athlon xp 2500 barton
amd athlon xp 2500 barton mobile
amd sempron 2200
amd sempron 2800
amd sempron 3100
amd sempron 3400
amd athlon64 3400
amd athlon64 3000
amd athlon64 3500
amd athlon64 4000
amd athlon64 x2 4200
amd athlon64 opteron 180
amd athlon ii x2 240
amd athlon ii x2 270
amd athlon ii x4 645
amd athlon ii x3 455
amd fx 4300
amd fx 8350

the only none amd cpu has been:-

cyrix 166mhz
cyrix m2 233mhz
cyrix m2 333mhz

intel pentium 75mhz

Sounds like it's time to upgrade to a new Core i7 processor and see what you're missing out on!

 

[Fjodor2001]

Sounds like it's time to upgrade to a new Core i7 processor and see what you're missing out on!

Better to add an AMD Zen CPU to the list next year.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Better to add an AMD Zen CPU to the list next year.

People said the same thing with Phenom and FX. Look how that turned out.

 

[Sweepr]

People said the same thing with Phenom and FX. Look how that turned out.

I'm sure there will be plenty of excuses if it doesn't deliver 8-core Haswell-E performance at up to 95W like some 'fans' are suggesting. Anyway according to Bench-life it's not coming till October 2016 which is late 2016, that is, if everything goes according to plan.

 

[jpiniero]

I'm sure there will be plenty of excuses if it doesn't deliver 8-core Haswell-E performance at up to 95W like some 'fans' are suggesting. Anyway according to Bench-life it's not coming till October 2016 which is late 2016, that is, if everything goes according to plan.

Um, I don't think anyone is suggesting it'd be competitive with 8C Haswell-E and esp at 95 W.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Um, I don't think anyone is suggesting it'd be competitive with 8C Haswell-E and esp at 95 W.

Then you must have missed the Zen thread

 

[Sweepr]

Um, I don't think anyone is suggesting it'd be competitive with 8C Haswell-E and esp at 95 W.

Believe me, some people are (just check the proper thread). I would consider quite an acomplishment if it delivers FX9590 MT performance or slightly better at <95W but there's plenty of 'fans' expecting Haswell per-core performance @ lower TDP than Haswell-E/Bradwell-E at mainstream prices.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Then you must have missed the Zen thread

You mean the thread where you estimated that Zen should have Nahalem class performance?

Or was it one of the earlier threads, where you predicted that Zen should be a cat core replacement, and that AMD should exit both the high performance server and desktop segments and be a Via type company by now?

 

[ShintaiDK]

You mean the thread where you estimated that Zen should have Nahalem class performance?

Or was it one of the earlier threads, where you predicted that Zen should be a cat core replacement, and that AMD should exit both the high performance server and desktop segments and be a Via type company by now?

Dont throw rocks when you live in a glass house.

When did you say Skylake would launch again? Was it summer 2017?

But talking about Zen and you:

Simple: 8 core Zen will demolish anything in Intel's top end mainstream lineup in MT performance and come very close in ST performance. So in the top end desktop segment it'll be a winner.

For those planning to build a top gaming computer in 2016, is there any reason not to base it on an 8 core AMD Zen?

Zen needs to be nothing short than the biggest miracle at AMD ever to forfill your expectations. And we all know how such dreams turns out.

And I almost forgot that AMD will be selling you this top notch product for only 300$ in a sudden motion of generousity.

Assuming AMD releases an 8 core Zen at $300 or so, do you think Intel will follow suit and do the same?

Or will Intel give up the high performance mainstream segment to AMD, in order to try to protect their margins in the server segment?

 

[podspi]

If the performance is competitive, I'll be more than happy to be a competitive price.

If it isn't... well... maybe I'll pick one up on eBay like I plan to do for the FX eventually

 

[soccerballtux]

SemiCustom is gaining a new customer with Nintendo's new NX console which is still a year away from reveal. If it can do half of what the Nintendo Wii did that will be a huge deal - although if it performs like Nintendo Wii U that is nothing to be proud of.

There is still too much money to be made piggybacking off of Intel with their x86 license. If they can get a 40% IPC boost with Zen at .16nm that's going to put them right back into a lot of server (Opteron) deals as long as their price / performance is in check.

why would they be able to do a 40% IPC boost?

 

[CHADBOGA]

And I almost forgot that AMD will be selling you this top notch product for only 300$ in a sudden motion of generousity.

AMD is full of beautiful people.

 

[CHADBOGA]

why would they be able to do a 40% IPC boost?

The IPC of the FX is so low, I can't see why they won't be able to get a 40% IPC boost, but what clockspeeds will it be capable of running at?

I doubt it will clock as high as FX.

 

[mrmt]

why would they be able to do a 40% IPC boost?

More imporant, 40% boost in which conditions?

 

[DrMrLordX]

The "40%" number is from AMD material, suggestion that Zen should have a 40% IPC increase over Excavator (not Piledriver).

 

[IlllI]

this hbm stuff just introduced in amd graphics cards makes me wonder if we might one day see hbm married to a cpu.

 

[soccerballtux]

The IPC of the FX is so low, I can't see why they won't be able to get a 40% IPC boost, but what clockspeeds will it be capable of running at?

I doubt it will clock as high as FX.

I think if they could in the first place, they would have considered doing it in Vishera to begin with.

 

[soccerballtux]

The "40%" number is from AMD material, suggestion that Zen should have a 40% IPC increase over Excavator (not Piledriver).

that's...not really saying it's going to be fast