EVGA: 4 GTX 280 O/C & waterblock ATI Catalyst 8.6 Roadmap AMD Q3-Q4 2008 & Q1 2009

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EVGA: 4 GTX 280 O/C & waterblock   Posted on 18/06/2008 at 22:33 by Nicolas - source: EVGA

	Most manufacturers are currently having difficulty offering something else other than the reference GeForce GTX. Only ASUSTeK up until now has (dared) to launch an ENGTX280 TOP/HTDP/1G, an overclocked GTX 280 with GPU/shader clock/memory frequencies of 670/1460/1215 MHz versus the 602/1296/1107 MHz of its competitors. Now EVGA, which is apparently on excellent terms with Nvidia, has launched no less than five GTX 280s. Besides the standard version, there are 4 models which are more or less aggressively overclocked, including the GTX 280 HC with frequencies of 691/1458/1215 MHz and a rather well conceived copper waterblock. Note that there is now all that is needed for a 3-way SLI platform. This will enable significantly boosting performances now that the data corruption problem which could occur with the overclocked nForce 790i was remedied.

ATI Catalyst 8.6   Posted on 18/06/2008 at 21:27 by Nicolas

	ATI just put online its Catalyst 8.6 for 32 and 64-bit version of Windows XP & Vista. Adaptive antialiasing can now be activated on Radeon HD 2000 and 3000 in OpenGL and this API is now fully usable with CrossFireX systems of 3 or 4 GPUs. Otherwise, it is no longer necessary to restart the system once this Catalyst version is installed when involving a driver update. In terms of Radeon HD 2000 et 3000 performances, AMD’s graphic division announces the following gains: 10% to 15% in 3DMark Vantage; 35% with certain cards in Call of Duty 4; from 2% to 9% in Call of Juarez (in DirectX 10 mode); from 1 to 2 fps (or a max of 20%) in Lost Planet in DirectX 10 mode and from 2% to 20% in DirectX 9; from 3% to 5% with Prey (in OpenGL); a maximum of 9% in Shadermark 2.1; and in ViewPerf 10, a 55% maximum in ugnx, a 17% maximum in catia and a 10% maximum in tcvis. Finally, the Radeon HD 3400 and 3600 improve 4% to 10% in Company of Heroes in DirectX 10 mode. Various bugs were also fixed in Windows Vista with Bioshock, Crysis, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Guitar Hero III, Sins of a Solar Empire, Stalker and Unreal Tournament 3. Call of Duty 4 and Lost Planet are also on this list but this involves Windows Vista and its prédécesseur. All of the details are in the Release notes.

Roadmap AMD Q3-Q4 2008 & Q1 2009   Posted on 18/06/2008 at 16:16 by Nicolas

	According to Digitimes, AMD should launch the Phenom X3 8250e (1.9 GHz) and 8450e (2.1 GHz) this summer. The DVT (design validation test) phase is planned for July with mass production starting in early August and the first deliveries in the middle of the month. A Phenom X4 9350e is also awaited in the third quarter while another model will follow in the fourth. All of these CPUs have a TDP limited to 65W versus 95W for the majority of Phenoms. The three last months of 2008 should also see the arrival of the "standard" Phenom X4 9850 (2.5 GHz) and 9950 (2.6 GHz) and their DVT phases are planned for the third quarter. In terms of 45nm, 2 CPUs with frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 2.8 GHz are expected for the end of the fourth quarter (it was previously a question of November). Other 45nm quad cores, the "Propus", stripped of L3 cache and set at frequencies ranging from 2.3 GHz to 2.6 GHz should be launched in the first quarter of 2009.