330°

Major leaks of Radeon 7970's Performance; up to 60% performance boost from a GTX580

DSOGaming writes: "In case you were unaware of, the embargo of AMD’s latest GPUs will be lifted in December 22nd and a lot of leaks have been happening these past days. As always, take everything you are about to read with a grain of salt. Guru3D’s members have been posting these slides that come from various sources. From the slides that got leaked, we can see that Radeon 7970 is as good – and sometimes better – as Nvidia’s GTX590. In addition, Radeon 7970 appears to offer up to 60% better performance than a GTX580"

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dsogaming.com
NYC_Gamer4552d ago

wow,that's a nice boost.and how much will this card cost?amd just needs better driver support and it'll be much better competition this time around.

theonlylolking4552d ago

Yeah, AMD really needs to step their driver support up because how they handle the driver support right now is poor.

Ryudo4552d ago

People have been saying that for years and will continue to say that even after they release next to perfect drivers.

Mind pointing out currently where you believe there lacking in driver support?

papashango4552d ago

You get notices when new drivers are available. You can have steam do it for you along with steam notices of new drivers. Beta builds for new games are as common as NVIDIA nowadays.

What exactly is amd doing wrong here?

john24551d ago

AMD had lots of issues with OpenGL (which was pretty evident in RAGE). Fortunately though, with the release of the latest drivers (that among other things add support for OpenGL 4.2) those issues are resolved

ProjectVulcan4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

'Up to' according to their benchies. Average there is looking like 40 percent, again according to their benchies where we have no idea of settings or resolutions or drivers or the system tested on and whether it is fair.

I'll wait for confirmation on finished drivers from various independent sites. Both Nvidia and AMD love a bit of number fudging so i'll take these with a fistful of salt. My money is on more like 25-35 percent faster than GTX580 averaged, but thats just an educated guess from the rumoured specs. After all a few days ago 7970 was touted as 30 percent faster than 6970, which itself is 10 percent or so slower than GTX580 on average.

As for pricing then AMD are unlikely to price them as madly as some here think. They can't quite price them as they please, because Nvidia can still respond with price cuts that make dual setups more attractive. GTX590 is still probably gonna be faster than 7970, so AMD have to price it somewhat lower to sell.

Typically the top end single GPU card goes for between 350-400 pounds, then the second fastest 250-300. I suspect the GTX580 could still be close to the HD7950 so whatever Nvidia can price their GTX580 at AMD can't just put whatever they feel like or people will choose the Nvidia.

Such class of card is usually a fairly big enthusiast seller as they offer the most performance for a lot better bang per buck than the top part, aka 4850, 5850, 6950, 8800GT, GTX260, GTX460 i.e the models just below top. Last time with the HD5000 series the Radeons sold well also because they were DX11 and the GTX2xx was not. However that is not a factor this time so AMD must rely on pricing.

AMD aim for profitability but also to erode Nvidia's stranglehold on the market, so they will price them to sell within market expectations.

Johnny_Cojones4552d ago

Great post. Nice to see on the main page. I am excited to see how this performs, and even more excited for Nvidia's next release.

ProjectVulcan4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

Well i am generally suspicious and sceptical of these 'slides' that come out the red and green camps they are more often than not skewed in some subtle way in their favour. The only fair battleground for comparison is when the product is in lots of neutral reviewers hands and the consumer can see prices for themselves.

AMD might very well claim these figures and they might be accurate. ONLY IF you test with duff Nvidia drivers or they cherry picked the games and settings- like some massive unrealistic resolution that 1 percent of gamers have for their 3GB card v the standard 1.5gb GTX580 and naturally the gap is exaggerated than if it were at a normal res loadsa people use like 1080/1200p.

I am perfectly content to wait for the unbiased tests, to see how much faster it really is.

The day i eat up what these companies say as gospel is the day i authorise any of you to come round and slap me silly

john24552d ago

This is the high-end model so my guess is that it will be around $500-700 USD. We'll find out in a few days. Oh boy, so excited about it :D

BiggCMan4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

My GTX 580 cost me 530 dollars, I can't see this being such a similar price if it's that much better. I'd say above 800 if true.

@kramum: Well the 6990 and the GTX 590 are 750 dollars alone, how could this new card be less than that? Idk, we'll see soon enough. But god damn look at the memory on this thing (2x3072)!!!

kramun4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

Yeah, but Radeon cards tend to be cheaper than Nvidia.

EDIT:@BiggCMan, well I don't know what it's like in America, but I just had a quick look at overclockers uk and there's a £200 difference between the 6990 and the GTX 590, with the 6990 being the cheaper one.

dragonelite4552d ago

Dont know i believe amd prices it flagship cards in the 500 region

ATi_Elite4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

HD6990 = $700
HD6970 = $350

HD7990 = $800
HD7970 = $400

780 GTX = $600
580 GTX = $500

but the good part is that the GTX500 and HD6000 series will drop in price therefore allowing Gamers to buy second or third cards to get performance better than a single GTX700 or HD7000 series!

Just bring on the dam Ray-Tracing for video games! I'm sure PC's have enough power

john24552d ago

Doubt it that we'll be able to run Ray-Tracing games. However, I'm really looking forward to proper DX11 in which LOD will be calculated via tessellation. This would eliminate the pop-ups and the changes between low and high poly-count objects/characters

ProjectVulcan4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

Ray tracing is overrated. It is possible we may end up with more elements ray traced (like reflections in Cryengine3) but we are miles away from fully ray traced games with the complexity we currently have let alone will have in the next few years with traditional techniques.

Rasterisation is more efficient. You have to say conventional rasterisation and pixel shading will reach photorealism long before full ray tracing is possible in real time.

Johnny_Cojones4552d ago

I find this hard to believe. If it's true, that's incredibly impressive. I guess we'll find out by the weekend what this sucker can do. I'll pick one up if it's $500ish.

BiggCMan4552d ago

I can't see this happening. The 6990 and the GTX 590 are 750 dollars right now, and this new card is better than both of those. 500 is extremely unlikely unless prices drop significantly in the next few months. I say above 800.

death2smoochie4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

AMD/ATI has been known in the past to bring in high end GPU's for "low prices" ( at least in comparison to what high end GPU's normally launch for)
Prime Example was the 4xxx series of GPU's from AMD/ATI.

They launched well below the price of Nvidia cards and what a typical high end GPU would launch for.

I would not be surprised if AMD launched this for the same price as the 6990 and then dropped the price of the 6990 and the 6970 respectively...
Then have the 7xxx series dual high end GPU for the price of what the 6990 is right now.
They have done this type of pricing before.

Johnny_Cojones4552d ago (Edited 4552d ago )

@ BiggCMAN- I don't see much of a market for an $800 single GPU card. I'm talking about the 7970, not the 7990.

Hufandpuf4552d ago

$500-$700 price range? I don't have money to throw away like that.

frostypants4552d ago

Just wait 18 months and it'll be $180.

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150°

AMD Could Revolutionize Handheld Gaming In 2024

Shaz from GL writes: "AMD could spur the beginning of a new era in handheld gaming with their upcoming APUs"

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gameluster.com
rlow120d ago

To me the most important hardware is the battery. Doesn’t matter how powerful the chips are.

ABizzel120d ago

Eh…. It’s a combination of multiple things.

The battery is hugely important as it allows you to have ideally 4 - 5 hour gaming sessions.

The more powerful the processor the more games developers can share to the handheld, nd of course the better said games perform.

From there display, software, and ergonomics matter, as a good display/software will allow games to be more vivid, run at variable fps 30/40/60 ideally, and good ergonomics means it’s comfortable to play for said 4 - 5 hours. Everything else is gravy at that point.

rlow118d ago

I know we all want more power. But it’s sad that 4-5 hours is considered good now. It really shows how batteries have progressed at a much slower pace than hungry components.

redrum0619d ago

Of course it matters how powerful the chips are for it to be future proof. Don't you want to be able to play new games?

Neonridr19d ago

the Switch proves that you don't need the most cutting edge power out there to be successful.

RaiderNation19d ago

@Neonrdr that doesn't prove anything because only Nintendo could get away with that. Their games aren't the most complex/graphically ambitious and Nintendo fans don't care.

Vits19d ago

@Neonridr

If anything, the Switch proves the exact point "redrum06" was making. Yes, it might be successful, but it's definitely not future-proof. Just look at how many games and franchises completely skip the platform.

redrum0618d ago

I have a Switch, and recently got the Legion Go. I havent touched the Switch ever since, purely because of its inability to play even older games at a decent frame rate. For anyone wanting to play multiplatform games as well, people should skip the Switch.

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Marcus Fenix19d ago

There’s no way you’re getting that 40CU 16-core APU in a handheld. That’s too hot and power hungry for that. The highest end APU they’re suggesting is going to end up in gaming laptops that can cool a 100W chip.

Jingsing19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

I think these articles get things a little out of perspective, Steam Deck has sold around 3 million and Switch has sold 140 million. But if you are browsing certain parts internet you'd think the Steam Deck had sold over 100 million. If articles are going to continue to circulate like this and continue to put the Steam Deck in the same arena then I'm comfortable calling the device a flop.

Neonridr19d ago

Steam Deck, while considerably more popular due to it's lower barrier of entry, is still a niche device with the likes of the ROG Ally and others.

I own one and it's really nice to be able to play some games on the go or in bed, but it'll never fully compete with a system like the Switch.

Skuletor19d ago

Especially when they're not in the same price range, the Switch is considerably cheaper.

gold_drake19d ago

sure but theres still a limit to what u can put in there ha. power consumption would be the biggest hurdle. and cooling.

Demetrius18d ago

I wana try out a pc handheld but I would like to experience a steady framerate etc I don't wana have to keep going into my settings trying to make things smoother in gameplay, that's the only thing that's been keepin me from getting one I've heard others having to go into the settings time from time that'll be annoying

270°

AMD gaming revenue declined massively year-over-year, CFO says the demand is 'weak'

Poor Xbox sales have affected AMD’S bottom line

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tweaktown.com
RonsonPL34d ago

Oh wow. How surprising! Nvidia overpriced their RTX cards by +100% and AMD instead of offering real competition, decided to join Nvidia in their greedy approach, while not having the same mindshare as Nvidia (sadly) does. The 7900 launch was a marketing disaster. All the reviews were made while the card was not worth the money at all, they lowered the price a bit later on, but not only not enough but also too late and out of "free marketing" window coming along with the new card generation release. Then the geniuses at AMD axed the high-end SKUs with increased cache etc, cause "nobody will buy expensive cards to play games" while Nvidia laughed at them selling their 2000€ 4090s.
Intel had all the mindshare among PC enthusiasts with their CPUs. All it took was a competetive product and good price (Ryzen 7000 series and especially 7800x3d) and guess what? AMD regained the market share in DYI PCs in no time! The same could've have happened with Radeon 5000, Radeon 6000 and Radeon 7000.
But meh. Why bother. Let's cancell high-end RDNA 4 and use the TSMC wafers for AI and then let the clueless "analysts" make their articles about "gaming demand dwingling".

I'm sure low-end, very overpriced and barely faster if not slower RDNA4 will turn things around. It will have AI and RT! Two things nobody asked for, especially not gamers who'd like to use the PC for what's most exciting about PC gaming (VR, high framerate gaming, hi-res gaming).
8000 series will be slow, overpriced and marketed based on its much improved RT/AI... and it will flop badly.
And there will be no sane conclusions made at AMD about that. There will be just one, insane: Gaming is not worth catering to. Let's go into AI/RT instead, what could go wrong..."

Crows9034d ago

What would you say would be the correct pricing for new cards?

Very insightful post!

RonsonPL33d ago

That's a complicated question. Depends on what you mean. The pricing at the release date or the pricing planned ahead. They couldn't just suddenly end up in a situation where their existing stock of 6000 cards is suddenly unsellable, but if it was properly rolled out, the prices should be where they were while PC gaming industry was healthy. I recognize the arguments about inflation, higher power draw and PCB/BOM costs, more expensive wafers from TSMC etc. but still, PC gaming needs some sanity to exist and be healthy. Past few years were very unhealthy and dangerous to whole PC gaming. AMD should recognize this market is very good for them as they have advantage in software for gaming and other markets while attractive short term, may be just too difficult to compete at. AI is the modern day gold rush and Nvidia and Intel can easily out-spend AMD on R&D. Meanwhile gaming is tricky for newcomers and Nvidia doesn't seem to care that much about gaming anymore. So I would argue that it should be in AMDs interest to even sell some Radeon SKUs at zero profit, just to prevent the PC gaming from collapsing. Cards like 6400 and 6500 should never exist at their prices. This tier was traditionally "office only" and priced at 50$ in early 2000s. Then we have Radeons 7600 which is not really 6-tier card. Those were traditionally quite performant cards based on wider than 128-bit memory bus. Also 8GB is screaming "low end". So I'd say the 7600 should've been available at below 200$ (+taxes etc.) as soon as possible, at least for some cheaper SKUs.For faster cards, the situation is bad for AMD, because people spending like $400+ are usually fairly knowledgable and demanding. While personally I don't see any value in upscallers and RT for 400-700$ cards, the fact is that especially DLSS is a valuable feature for potential buyers. Therefore, even 7800 and 7900 cards should be significantly cheaper than they currently are. People knew what they were paying for when buying Radeon 9700, 9800, X800, 4870 etc. They were getting gaming experience truly unlike console or low-end PC gaming. By all means, let's have expensive AMD cards for even above $1000, but first, AMD needs to show value. Make the product attractive. PS5 consoles can be bought at 400$. If AMD offers just a slightly better upscalled image on the 400$ GPU, or their 900$ GPU cannot even push 3x as many fps compared to cheap consoles, the pricing acts like cancer on PC gaming. And poor old PC gaming can endure only so much.

MrCrimson33d ago

I appreciate your rant sir, but it has very little to do with gpus. It is the fact that the PS5 and Xbox are in end cycle before a refresh.

RonsonPL33d ago

Yes, but also no. AMD let their PC GPU marketshare to shrink by a lot (and accidentally helped the whole market shrink in general due to bad value of PC GPUs over the years) and while their console business may be important here, I'd still argue their profits from GPU division could've been much better if not for mismanagement.

bababooiy33d ago

This is something many have argued over the last few years when it comes to AMD. The days of them selling their cards at a slight discount while having a similar offering are over. Its not just a matter of poor drivers anymore, they are behind on everything.

RNTody33d ago (Edited 33d ago )

Great post. I went for a Nvidia RTX 3060Ti which was insane value for money when I look at the fidelity and frame rates I can push in most games including new releases. Can't justify spending 3 times what my card cost at the time to get marginal better returns or the big sell of "ray tracing", which is a nice to have feature but hardly essential given what it costs to maintain.

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34d ago Replies(1)
KwietStorm_BLM34d ago

Well that's gonna happen when you don't really try. I want to support AMD so badly and give Nvidia some actual competition but they don't very much seem interested in challenging, by their own accord. I been waiting for them to attack the GPU segment the same way they took over CPU, but they just seem so content with handing Nvidia the market year after year, and it's happening again this year with their cancelled high end card.

MrCrimson33d ago

I think you're going to see almost zero interest from AMD or Nvidia on the gaming GPU market. They are all in on AI.

RhinoGamer8834d ago

No Executive bonuses then...right?

enkiduxiv33d ago

What are smoking? Got to layoff your way to those bonuses. Fire 500 employees right before Christmas. That should get you there.

Tapani33d ago (Edited 33d ago )

Well, if you are 48% down in Q4 in your Gaming sector as they are, which in absolute money terms is north of 500M USD, then you are not likely to get at least your quarterly STI, but can be applicable for annual STI. The LTI may be something you are still eligible for, such as RSUs or other equity and benefits, especially if they are based on the company total result rather than your unit. All depends on your contract and AMD's reward system.

MrCrimson33d ago

Lisa Su took AMD from bankruptcy to one of the best semiconductor companies on the planet. AMD from 2 dollars a share to 147. She can take whatever she wants.

Tapani33d ago

You are not wrong about what she did for AMD and that is remarkable. However, MNCs' Rewards schemes do not work like "take whatever you want, because you performed well in the past".

darksky34d ago

AMD prcied their cards thinking that they will sell out just like in the mining craze. I suspect reality has hit home when they realized most gamers cannot afford to spend over $500 for a gpu.

Show all comments (33)
100°

Make your next GPU upgrade AMD as these latest-gen Radeon cards receive a special promotion

AMD has long been the best value option if you're looking for a new GPU. Now even their latest Radeon RX 7000 series is getting cheaper.

Father__Merrin44d ago

Best for the money is the Arc cards

just_looken44d ago

In the past yes but last gen amd has gotten cheaper and there new cards are on the horizon making 6k even cheaper.

The arc cards are no longer made by intel but asus/asrock has some the next line battlemage is coming out prices tbd.

Do to the longer software development its always best to go amd over intel if its not to much more money even though intel is a strong gpu i own 2/4 card versions.