R600 PCB & Cooling Re-design in Progress

[DeathReborn]

R600 is long (a foot long in your PC anyone?) but who knows if it's just a smokescreen to give them more time to get the best performance out of it.

 

[Cooler]

This must be proof of a true 512 bit card as the PCB 8800 GTX Size was due because the 384 bit controller . All I know is people who bought small sleek cases for high end computers are now kicking themselves because of the size of next gen.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

foot long lol! 12 inch e-penis would go down good i bet

and hang on a sec, reading at the end

The R600 card we seen will conform to the new PCI-SIG graphics spec of delivering 225/300W power for high-end graphics cards. Therefore it will have a new 2x4 pin connector for additional power on top of the current 6-pin

so its going to have 3 power connectors? wow!

2x4 pin plus a 6pin, looking like a hugry beast is R600,

 

[Bateluer]

I assume the R600 is going to be on the 90nm process too?

I'll definitely wait for the 80nm refresh products.

 

[enz660hp]

naaahh, why would they make a 90nm product AFTER they released the 80nm x1950? Im pretty sure its 80nm + gddr4

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: enz660hp
naaahh, why would they make a 90nm product AFTER they released the 80nm x1950? Im pretty sure its 80nm + gddr4

That would make sense, having 'tested' 80nm in a few cards so far...we haven't heard about any yield problems at 80nm have we?

 

[Avalon]

I haven't heard of any 80nm yield problems as of yet. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not three power connectors, but just two. When they said 2x4 connector I think they meant the dimensions of the pin arrangement.

 

[DeathReborn]

Originally posted by: Avalon
I haven't heard of any 80nm yield problems as of yet. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not three power connectors, but just two. When they said 2x4 connector I think they meant the dimensions of the pin arrangement.

Yup, it's 2 rows of 4 but just 1 plug. It will mean buying adaptors for current PSU's or buying a new PSU that has them already.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: DeathReborn

Originally posted by: Avalon
I haven't heard of any 80nm yield problems as of yet. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not three power connectors, but just two. When they said 2x4 connector I think they meant the dimensions of the pin arrangement.

Yup, it's 2 rows of 4 but just 1 plug. It will mean buying adaptors for current PSU's or buying a new PSU that has them already.

I would assume these cards will come with an adapter

 

[ronnn]

If the power usage rumours are true, I hope that they utilize some of the lap top tech to keep idle usage down. This trend toward using more power is going to have a real impact on our power bills. Time for the computer industry to get green.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: DeathReborn
R600 is long (a foot long in your PC anyone?) but who knows if it's just a smokescreen to give them more time to get the best performance out of it.

Yep- I think the G80 caused ATI to soil their pantalons- running back to the drawing board to throw some more specs. at the R600.

 

[wanderer27]

I was hoping the R600 would be better on power and heat . . . and THREE power connectors - come on . . . .

And a foot long ? I guess we all need to start looking at getting full Tower or Server cases now . . . .

 

[Praxis1452]

not going to be three. Also IIRC the 2x4 pin is just 1 plug. Instead of the 3x2 that is pci-e. I thought though that the PCI-E specs got changed and 2x4 got cancelled because they showed no difference than 3x2. inquirer =blah./

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: DeathReborn

Originally posted by: Avalon
I haven't heard of any 80nm yield problems as of yet. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not three power connectors, but just two. When they said 2x4 connector I think they meant the dimensions of the pin arrangement.

Yup, it's 2 rows of 4 but just 1 plug. It will mean buying adaptors for current PSU's or buying a new PSU that has them already.

what is this new PCI-SIG spec then? sounds like a double decker molex plug. designed to give up to 300w though

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: DeathReborn
R600 is long (a foot long in your PC anyone?) but who knows if it's just a smokescreen to give them more time to get the best performance out of it.

Yep- I think the G80 caused ATI to soil their pantalons- running back to the drawing board to throw some more specs. at the R600.

"A re-design for R600 card and cooling is currently underway to make it shorter and better cooled. The original R600 card design is 12 inches long and ATi is probably trying to shorten it to at least 8800GTX length."

There is no mention of chip redesign however. I think it's too early to jump to conclusion whether or not R600 is an "underperformer." I think when cards like 8800 have been 4 years in the making and I am sure R600 no less than 3, it's very difficult to add 200 more million transistors and increase the gpu speed by 200mhz in 4 months and successfully tape the chip out. For the most part R600 should be 95% finalized in terms of its specs.

 

[Zenoth]

It'll be the price to pay for raw power.

However I'm not sure if I'll be ready to go with that price myself even though I prefer ATi ... it's kind of getting ridiculous.

Isn't the purpose of technology advances in the PC domain supposed to be focused on miniaturization ?

 

[ronnn]

Likely vrzone is guessing as usual. Shall be interesting. I tend to believe the rumour that r600 will not compete as well in xp as it will in vista (dx10). Should start to hear real info around christmas, I hope.

 

[GTaudiophile]

It's sad. I guess R600 is truly ATI's Voodoo5 6000.

 

[ronnn]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
It's sad. I guess R600 is truly ATI's Voodoo5 6000.

You are sad about something vrzone writes? Now that is sad.

 

[imported_Cript]

if you look closely at the 8800gtx cards you'll notice solder points next to plug at the end that will allow a 2x4 plug instead of the 2x3. in some of the earlier pics of the pny 8800gtx cards they actually have the 2x4.

towards the middle here:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...m-details.asp?EdpNo=2583224&CatId=2513

i wonder if its the same style as the 2x4 motherboard plug.

 

[lopri]

VR-zone's ATI information is worse than that of Inquirer's.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Im not sure about the whole 80nm process for R600.

Although the RV570 was "sucessful" on the 80nm to a point, notice how the RV560 was scraped all thogether. The X1650XT (RV560) uses the RV570 core. These 80nm ATi products was delayed for several weeks before coming to see the light of the world.

If they cant even get the mid range cards onto 80nm without suffering yield issues or what not that caused cancellation of the RV560, then i do have to wonder if the R600 will have these same problems.

The original size of the R600 could be due to PCB complexity increased due to using 512bit. Not to mention carrying 16 memory chips. (16x32 = 512). The power draw from the vram alone would be pretty high even with GDDR4.

 

[Cooler]

Last time I checked ATI was using 80nm /65nm(refresh) for r600 as the die size is huge and clocked at high speeds(600mhz+).

 

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by: Cooler
Last time I checked ATI was using 80nm /65nm(refresh) for r600 as the die size is huge and clocked at high speeds(600mhz+).

They are of course. But with current results using those processes for ATi hasnt been so favourable. e.g cancellation of the RV560 core.

 

[ronnn]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster

They are of course. But with current results using those processes for ATi hasnt been so favourable. e.g cancellation of the RV560 core.

Last I looked Ati has better prices, IQ and fps at every level except the 7950 took the single card title for fps. Of course the G80 has skewered this, but of the r600 may send nvidia rushing off to make an overpriced 2 gpu card. Just like last year. The g80 has only been out for a week or so (I know the viral marketing campaign makes it seem like a few months), ati may have the last laugh yet. :beer: