What's AMD doing on sep. 12th?

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Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
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I am hoping for GPU's more than Bulldozer. I have no plans to get a bulldozer system, but really want a new GPU!!
 

grimpr

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2007
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OK I kinda sorta thought AMD develops GPUs also . Have it your way

Why developers must care for AMDs new graphics RAM architecture in the upcoming GCN 7900 lineup? An historic announcement in a developers free cocktails party, in AMDs worldview, must propably involve some strategic partnership or something.
 

Arkadrel

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2010
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Since its for developers doesnt it make sense that its about GCN (architecture) or its about Bulldozer (architecture)?

I think it makes more sense that its about GCN though,...


http://www.anandtech.com/show/4455/amds-graphics-core-next-preview-amd-architects-for-compute/6

base features:
1) support C++ (& other advanced languages)

"These underlying features mean that developers will not need to “step down” from higher languages to C to write code for the GPU, allowing them to more easily program for the GPU and CPU within the same application."

2) support an ISA that uses unified memory.

"as programs (or rather compilers) can reference memory anywhere, without the need to explicitly copy memory from one device to the other before working on it."


3)
incorporating an I/O Memory Mapping Unit (IOMMU).

the unified address space that will be used is the x86-64 address space.
All instructions sent to a GCN GPU will be relative to the x86-64 address space, at which point the GPU will be responsible for doing address translation to local memory addresses.

GCN will even be able to page fault half-way gracefully by properly stalling until the memory fetch completes. How this will work with the OS remains to be seen though, as the OS needs to be able to address the IOMMU. GCN may not be fully exploitable under Windows 7.



4) adding proper ECC support to supplement their existing EDC (Error Detection & Correction) functionality.

5) FP64 support. All GCN GPUs will support FP64 in some form.

6) Improved debug support.

"Finally, for programmers some additional hardware changes have been made to improve debug support by allowing debugging tools to tap the GPU at additional points. The new ISA for GCN will already make debugging easier, but this will further that goal.
"




^ All things that ll effect developers right?
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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As someone in another thread has noted, it's opposite Intel's IDF. So there won't be any product announcements, it's just the AMD counter-conference where they show off current products.
 

sm625

Diamond Member
May 6, 2011
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I thought GCN was nintendo gamecube. Where do these acronyms come from...
 

Arzachel

Senior member
Apr 7, 2011
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I thought GCN was nintendo gamecube. Where do these acronyms come from...

GCN = Graphics Core Next

And the Nintendo Gamecube was abbreviated as GCN, because NGC was already taken by Neo Geo Colour iirc.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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http://amd-member.com/newsletters/DevCentral/FusionZone2011.html


That is a "historic" announcement - not "hysteric"
:whiste:
No, I think hysteric is probably right.:p AMD doesn't announce major products over cocktails, so it's definitely not desktop BD or GCN. If the rumors about server BD shipping are true, then that's probably the full extent of their announcement. IIRC their last "announcement" in this fashion was the announcement that Llano was officially shipping (something we knew about well ahead of time), which was done over cocktails at the Sci-Fi museum in Seattle back in June.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
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alienbabeltech.com
No, I think hysteric is probably right.:p AMD doesn't announce major products over cocktails, so it's definitely not desktop BD or GCN. If the rumors about server BD shipping are true, then that's probably the full extent of their announcement. IIRC their last "announcement" in this fashion was the announcement that Llano was officially shipping (something we knew about well ahead of time), which was done over cocktails at the Sci-Fi museum in Seattle back in June.
i dunno about that; the last AMD tailgate party that i attended at CES - as long as you stayed sober - there was a LOT of information freely available
:sneaky:
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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i dunno about that; the last AMD tailgate party that i attended at CES - as long as you stayed sober - there was a LOT of information freely available
:sneaky:
Investigative journalism at its finest.:D
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
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gmaster456

Golden Member
Sep 7, 2011
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I kind of agree with one of the comments to that article, why are they using the "K" nomenclature, rather than "BE" (Black Edition), like their Phenoms.

Are they afraid that even the mention of "Black Edition", causes people to think of their underperforming (relative to Intel) Phenom II chips?

I don't think so. Their black edition GPU's sell just fine, although, they're not CPU's.