Return of the King: AMD HD 5970

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Zorachus

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New AMD Radeon HD 5970 card will be the most powerful solution on the market when it lands late this month;
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=16709

This is exciting to see this card finally get into consumers hands around Thanksgiving, and I think that was the time frame from the beginning anyways. Would like to know two things, the approx price ? And will there be a 4gb version, or not for months ?

My only concern is, will this beast of a dual GPU card actually be slower than a single 5870 in games like WoW, where it is said to not take advantage of SLI or Crossfire systems at all, and will actually be slower on those cards, compared to a faster single card ?
 
I read the article. They said an 8 pin + 6 pin connector. wth is an 8 pin connector?!?
 
8pins are found on newer PSUs rated 700+ watts or so I've got them on my 750HX.

That freakin' card is huge! I dunno, but I wish I could have even fit a 5870 in my rig. Although I'm happy with the 5850, I wanted a 5870, but it just wouldn't fit. I'd have to get a new case just to get that 5970 in.

I hope it won't turn into another 5850x2 fail. Great card, but wouldn't fit!
 
The real card is actually 12.1 inches + long.

The card that ABT took pics of is an engineering sample w/ prototype cooler.

fullscreencapture926200.jpg


and here's the card that AMD officially showed off at one of their conferences like a month or so ago...

2psiptf.jpg


http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=235302&highlight=5870x2
 
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Dear ATI/AMD:

Please, PLEASE name this card the 5870X2 - or the 5970X2 (if you've revised the core much in the way the 4970's received an update over the 4870s).

Don't pull an nVidia and go hogwild on the naming schemes. Nobody agrees with that tactic. Keep your nomenclature constant between generations, and keep the number of SKU's being offered reasonable.

kthxbye.
 
My 5870 only has about 1" of room to fit into my Thermaltake Element G...a pretty new mid-tower case. I have to think that unless you have a special case or do some mod work, you'll need a full tower to fit one of these.
 
5970 is better in my opinion then 5870 X2. You may still have some people thinking a 5850X2 is not as good as a 5870, since the 5870 has a higher number. I personally always thought AMD should have named their cards without the X2 on it.

ATI still has room to expand refreshes anyway. Be it with a 5890 only, or even a 5860 and 5880.

There never was a 4970 either. That was a 4890.
 
a lian li pc-6 series case will fit these cards if the user removes the hdd cage.
 
Is it taped out and being built, packaged and wrapped in the factories in preparation for the holiday shopping, or can they keep working and perfecting it since there's no competition for it?

I'm curious about this.
 
MrLonghair said:
Is it taped out and being built, packaged and wrapped in the factories in preparation for the holiday shopping, or can they keep working and perfecting it since there's no competition for it?

I'm curious about this.
Click to expand...

If they're going for an end of November launch, the hardware would have had to been complete and tested 2-3 months ago. So no, they won't be making any substantial hardware updates before launch. However, the driver team is still without a doubt very busy.

They're being rolled out in mass now at the manufactuers, then will start shipping to vendors week of the 16th or the following.
 
Arcygenical said:
Dear ATI/AMD:

Please, PLEASE name this card the 5870X2 - or the 5970X2 (if you've revised the core much in the way the 4970's received an update over the 4870s).

Don't pull an nVidia and go hogwild on the naming schemes. Nobody agrees with that tactic. Keep your nomenclature constant between generations, and keep the number of SKU's being offered reasonable.

kthxbye.
Click to expand...

I find 5970 the far better name and applaud AMD for the change.
 
Speculation on pricing?

My guess is that the 5970 @ $699 and the 5950 @ $499.
 
vjcsmoke said:
Speculation on pricing?

My guess is that the 5970 @ $699 and the 5950 @ $499.
Click to expand...

Sounds entirely right. I might expect the 5970 prices to be slightly lower, simply because 700$ seems a little out of reach. I'd predict 649.99 for the 597 and 449.99 for the 5950 to give people incentive over crossfire.
 
AMD is actually using the naming scheme that it was originally suppose to use.. the x2 was a revision of it.. the 3870x2 should of been the 3970 instead of using the x2.. same with the 4870x2 should of been the 4970.. but they stuck with the X2 part since there really wasnt any revisions to the gpu in the x2 version.. they were actually slower.. where as the gpu's on the "real" reference designed 5970 is suppose to be clocked higher then the 5870 thus why use the x2 part of the name.. i agree with AMD's naming.. they are not miss leading customers like nvidia has been.. nvidia has been doing direct renaming.. no new cards just changing the name of an existing card thats already on the market..

vjcsmoke said:
Speculation on pricing?

My guess is that the 5970 @ $699 and the 5950 @ $499.
Click to expand...


with how competitive AMD is being.. we may even see prices in the range of $625-650 for the 5970 and id agree with the $499 for the 5950.. i think it will really come down to how much of a supply they have..
 
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I want one of these in my machine...

30enghd5970c1.jpg


It's video card sexy time! :D

30enghd5970a1.jpg


Is that a Radeon in your pocket... or are you just happy to see me!?
 
Arcygenical said:
Dear ATI/AMD:

Please, PLEASE name this card the 5870X2 - or the 5970X2 (if you've revised the core much in the way the 4970's received an update over the 4870s).

Don't pull an nVidia and go hogwild on the naming schemes. Nobody agrees with that tactic. Keep your nomenclature constant between generations, and keep the number of SKU's being offered reasonable.

kthxbye.
Click to expand...

it would be awesome if they just called it "the big bad mother fucker".. what do you think? too edgy?
 
lol now that would be funny.. or just use BFG "big fucking gun".. it would piss off BFG but damn it would be funny..
 
ATI Radeon 5970: John Holmes Edition

Wait no.. I don't want to see that graphic on that..
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
AMD is actually using the naming scheme that it was originally suppose to use.. the x2 was a revision of it.. the 3870x2 should of been the 3970 instead of using the x2.. same with the 4870x2 should of been the 4970.. but they stuck with the X2 part since there really wasnt any revisions to the gpu in the x2 version.. they were actually slower.. where as the gpu's on the "real" reference designed 5970 is suppose to be clocked higher then the 5870 thus why use the x2 part of the name.. i agree with AMD's naming.. they are not miss leading customers like nvidia has been.. nvidia has been doing direct renaming.. no new cards just changing the name of an existing card thats already on the market..




with how competitive AMD is being.. we may even see prices in the range of $625-650 for the 5970 and id agree with the $499 for the 5950.. i think it will really come down to how much of a supply they have..
Click to expand...

I have a very strong feeling the 5970 won't be clocked higher, I think a lot of people are far too optimistic. Everyone at one point thought the 5870 would be 299, and some were saying it would have 512-bit ddr5.
 
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FranklyShankly said:
I have a very strong feeling the 5970 won't be clocked higher, I think a lot of people are far too optimistic. Everyone at one point thought the 5870 would be 299, and some were saying it would have 512-bit ddr5.
Click to expand...


we all knew from the beginning it wouldnt have 512bit DDR5.. those seculations were back when the 4870 had just been released.. for AMD to use 512bit ddr5 we would be screwed on pricing and thats not what AMD has been doing.. they have been trying to stay low budget.. anyone who thought the 5870 would have 512bit ddr5 is on crack..

299 for the 5870 would of been insanely optimistic.. but would of been possible if the GT300 had been released at the same time.. which it still hasnt been..

the original numbers for the 5970 was suppose to be 950mhz on the GPU's.. im sure they ended up scratching that idea just due to the power requirements but i still have a good feeling that they will be anywhere from 25-50mhz faster then the 5870.. they would have to do that since that was the down fall in sales for the 4870x2 and 3870x2.. nice cards but got murdered when compared to 2 3870's or 2 4870's in crossfire..

wait until you see the prices on the GT300 with is supposed 512bit DDR5.. and you will see why AMD never bothered to use it..
 
^^^

Most 5870s can do 950 core easy. I suspect the downclock has a lot more to do with the yield issues that TSMC was having thus a lot less dies that ATI could bin for 950Mhz stock clock.

Maybe we will see a 5890 edition once the yields improve.
 
I like the move to drop "X2" from the card name. I believe it's time to stop thinking of dual GPU cards as two cards. However I think it's also time to stop having issues with the cards functioning as a single card. This is in reference to drivers and game support for dual GPU cards being available day one.
 
Arcygenical said:
Dear ATI/AMD:

Please, PLEASE name this card the 5870X2 - or the 5970X2 (if you've revised the core much in the way the 4970's received an update over the 4870s).

Don't pull an nVidia and go hogwild on the naming schemes. Nobody agrees with that tactic. Keep your nomenclature constant between generations, and keep the number of SKU's being offered reasonable.

kthxbye.
Click to expand...

+1.
 
They're showing it in a Antec 1200. I'm set if I decide to get one. :p
 
guess this thing wont be good to crossfire with 5870 due to lower clock speed on 5970...
 
Arcygenical said:
Dear ATI/AMD:

Please, PLEASE name this card the 5870X2 - or the 5970X2 (if you've revised the core much in the way the 4970's received an update over the 4870s).

Don't pull an nVidia and go hogwild on the naming schemes. Nobody agrees with that tactic. Keep your nomenclature constant between generations, and keep the number of SKU's being offered reasonable.

kthxbye.
Click to expand...

Graphic card naming schemes have NEVER made sense. They use some of the most retarded schemes imaginable. Nvidia is probably the worst offender of this.
 
Jon55 said:
Graphic card naming schemes have NEVER made sense. They use some of the most retarded schemes imaginable. Nvidia is probably the worst offender of this.
Click to expand...

just counting only the 8800gts, 9600gso, and all those g92 core cards.
 
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