In a VentureBeat interview with Raja Koduri, head of the Radeon Technologies Group at AMD, the company continues to advocate for virtual reality running at "16K resolution" at up to 240 Hz:
When Advanced Micro Devices created its own stand-alone graphics division, Radeon Technologies Group, and crafted a new brand, Polaris, for its upcoming graphics architecture, it was an admission of sorts. AMD championed the combination of processors and graphics into a single chip, dubbed the accelerated processing unit (APU). But the pendulum swung a little too far in that direction, away from stand-alone graphics. And now it's Raja Koduri's job to compensate for that.
I interviewed Koduri at the 2016 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas last week. He acknowledged that AMD intends to put graphics back in the center. And he said that 2016 will be a very big year for the company as it introduces its advanced FinFET manufacturing technology, which will result in much better performance per watt — or graphics that won't melt your computer. Koduri believes this technology will help AMD beat rivals such as Nvidia. AMD's new graphics chips will hit during the middle of 2016, Koduri said.
Beyond 2016, Koduri believes that graphics is going to get more and more amazing. Virtual reality is debuting, but we won't be completely satisfied with the imagery until we get 3D graphics that can support 16K screens, or at least 16 times more pixels on a screen that[sic] we have available on most TVs today. Koduri wants to pump those pixels at you at a rate of 240 hertz, or changing the pixels at a rate of 240 times per second. Only then will you really experience true immersion that you won't be able to tell apart from the real world. He calls it "mirror-like" graphics. That's pretty far out thinking.
AMD's "Polaris" GPUs will be released sometime during the summer of 2016. Along with AMD's "Zen" CPUs and APUs, Polaris GPUs will be built using a 14nm FinFET process, skipping the 20nm node.
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AMD has launched its 300 series GPUs. The new GPUs are considered "refreshes" of the "Hawaii" architecture, although there are some improvements. For example, the Radeon R7 360 has 2 GB of VRAM instead of the 1 GB of the Radeon R7 260, as well as a slightly higher memory clock. Radeon R9 390X and Radeon R9 390 boost clock speeds and double VRAM to 8 GB compared to the 4 GB of the 290X and 290, but will launch at a higher price than the older GPUs currently sell for. Is the VRAM boost worth it?
While one could write a small tome on the matter of memory capacity, especially in light of the fact that the Fury series only has 4GB of memory, ultimately the fact that the 390 series has 8GB now is due to a couple of factors. The first of which is the fact that 4GB Hawaii cards require 2Gb GDDR5 chips (2x16), a capacity that is slowly going away in favor of the 4Gb chips used on the Playstation 4 and many of the 2015 video cards. The other reason is that it allows AMD to exploit NVIDIA's traditional stinginess with VRAM; just as with the 290 series versus the GTX 780/770, this means AMD once again has a memory capacity advantage, which helps to shore up the value of their cards versus what NVIDIA offers at the same price.
Meanwhile with the above in mind, based on comments from AMD product managers, it sounds like the use of 4Gb chips also plays a part in the [20%] memory clockspeed increases we're seeing on the 390 series. Later generation chips don't just get bigger, but they get faster and operate at lower voltages as well, and from what we've seen it looks like AMD is taking advantage of all of these factors.
More interesting will be the Radeon R9 Fury X and Radeon R9 Fury, which use the new "Fiji" architecture. These will be AMD's first GPUs to ship with 4 GB of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). Fury X is a water-cooled card that will launch June 24th for $649. Fury is an air-cooled version with less stream processors and texture units (lower yields) than the Fury X. It will launch on July 14th at $549. AMD claims that the new Fiji GPUs have 1.5 times the performance per watt of the R9 290X, partially due to the decrease in power needed by stacks of HBM vs. GDDR5 memory.
Later this summer, AMD will launch a 6" Fiji card with HBM called "Nano". AMD will launch a "Dual" card sometime in the fall, presumably the equivalent of two Fury X GPUs.
The boss of AMD's Radeon Technologies Group is leaving the company:
Remember when we reported on the Radeon Technologies Group boss, Raja Koduri, taking a leave of absence with an intent to return to the fold in December? That isn't going to happen, according to a memo Raja has written to his team, because today is his last day in the job.
[...] Our sources tell us that Lisa Su, AMD CEO, will continue to oversee RTG for the foreseeable future. AMD appreciates that such an important role cannot be the sole domain of the CEO, and to this end is actively searching for a successor to Raja. We expect the appointment to be made within a few months.
The rumor mill suggests that Koduri will take a job at Intel, which would come at an interesting time now that Intel is including AMD graphics and High Bandwidth Memory in some of its products.
Update: Intel to Develop Discrete GPUs, Hires Raja Koduri as Chief Architect & Senior VP
Also at HotHardware and Fudzilla.
Previously: Interview With Raja Koduri, Head of the Radeon Technologies Group at AMD
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @08:24AM
Gamers love graphics! You could spend 18 hours gaming every single day, but if you don't love graphics, you're not a gamer. Graphics! For gamers!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @08:50AM
10/10 IGN rated haven't heard that one before
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @10:18AM
Yeah, those nethack characters will look awesome on a 16K display!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @11:58AM
Hey, each Ascii letter used in Nethack will be resolved in high fidelity 3D.
Plus, at that resolution they'll be able to hit us with all the subliminals they desire.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by ThePhilips on Monday January 18 2016, @09:36AM
Whatever. Who cares about AMD?
I'm playing games rarely these days, but still like to keep a decent GPU inside the rig.
For better Linux compatibility went to the dark side, the nVidia.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @09:51AM
Rig. Gotta build a rig. For the games. Gamers need a rig. Gotta have a rig.
Yeah that's right. Virtual reality can't ever be used for anything except gaming.
I remember back in the day when people had high hopes for the potential of VR. Virtual tours of famous landmarks and historical sites could be given to virtual tourists. Realtors could show properties to distant prospective buyers. Crap. All of it crap. Complete utter crap. Gaming is the only thing. For gamers!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by linkdude64 on Monday January 18 2016, @01:17PM
"Who cares about AMD?"
Consumers who disagree with Intel's extremely shady business practices? What a terrible question to ever ask, in any space, about any topic, that is intended to promote discussion.
(Score: 2) by ThePhilips on Monday January 18 2016, @02:01PM
Who cares about AMD?"
Consumers who disagree with Intel's extremely shady business practices? What a terrible question to ever ask, in any space, about any topic, that is intended to promote discussion.
The thing is, long time ago I was one of them. AMD in the past was (and largely still is) the best bang for the buck. Ditto ATI.
But after some time, I just got tired of the fights. I just want (and can afford) the best performance and best compatibility. I was buying AMD and ATI for more that 10 years - and it didn't help much. So what's the point?
Fighting the buggy drivers (ATI always allowed OEMs to customize the drivers/hardware - and make out of it a stinking pile of crap; needless to mention the totally absent support for Linux) or fighting the laggy frame rate in games (because they are optimized for Intel CPUs, and literally stuttered on AMDs) - eventually one just gets tired of it.
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday January 18 2016, @03:41PM
Is this the same Philips that decided that mart bulbs did not have to inter-operate?
Your account does not strike me as a Corporate account though.
(Score: 3, Funny) by ThePhilips on Monday January 18 2016, @04:34PM
I'm no corporate astroturfer. I'm an electric kettle which became self-aware.
(Score: 2) by sudo rm -rf on Monday January 18 2016, @04:44PM
The thing is, long time ago I was one of them.
Me too, and I am still, since forever.
But after some time, I just got tired of [...]Fighting the buggy drivers, [...]totally absent support for Linux
Agreed and agreed. I seriously consider buying an nVidia card next time I upgrade my windows box. And for my linux notebook, the next one will definetly not have AMD inside.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Monday January 18 2016, @05:19PM
Agreed and agreed. I seriously consider buying an nVidia card next time I upgrade my windows box.
the fact that you still have a windows box after everything MS has done really devalues your opinion.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Tork on Monday January 18 2016, @05:35PM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday January 18 2016, @06:58PM
My last video card purchase was an nVidia GeForce 6200 PCI card. The nouveau maintainers assured me that the card was reverse-engineered (enough to work). The free ATI drivers are kind of hit-and-miss (at least for older cards).
BTW, my "new" nvidia card was so out of date that it included a coupon for a newer card (that presumably was not reverse-engineered yet).
I am now using an slightly newer ATI card (Cedar) (acquired second-hand). The free driver does not support tessellation or dashed poly-lines at the moment (and I had not the time to fix that). The supported screen and image resolutions are higher though.
(Score: 2) by sudo rm -rf on Tuesday January 19 2016, @10:04AM
FYI I have three windows boxes. Not counting the 6 server installations I have to use during my day job.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday January 18 2016, @06:46PM
The problem is that every time I compare prices it feels like Intel / Nvidia are trying to rip me off. AMD is still hands down the best bang for your buck. The last computer I built was a Six-Core AMD CPU, 8GB RAM, 512MB VC, 1TB HDD, Blu-Ray Drive, etc that cost $600 a few years ago. I went to price out a new machine and there's not a whole lot of difference. More or less same CPU, same RAM, but updated graphics and a SSD would make it a little more expensive, but still around that $600 to $700 mark. The one thing that is really holding my system back is the lack of a SSD. I already upgraded to a 2GB VC and 16GB of Ram, but at the time all I did was future proof my machine. It didn't actually increase my performance. The lack of a SSD was the bottleneck.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Gravis on Monday January 18 2016, @05:33PM
I just want (and can afford) the best performance and best compatibility.
that's what consoles are for. you will get the best performance and best compatibility with consoles every time.
Fighting the buggy drivers (ATI always allowed OEMs to customize the drivers/hardware - and make out of it a stinking pile of crap; needless to mention the totally absent support for Linux)
i don't deny that, it's why i currently use an nvidia card with nouveau. when AMDGPU is opened up, i'll toss out my nvidia card.
the laggy frame rate in games (because they are optimized for Intel CPUs, and literally stuttered on AMDs)
actually, it's not because they are optimized for Intel, it's because they are deoptimized for everything non-Intel.
I was buying AMD and ATI for more that 10 years - and it didn't help much. So what's the point?
for one, Intel chips are backdoored. [libreboot.org] for two, you would be enabling further Intel underhandedness. If you don't want to fight, you should be using a console system.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday January 18 2016, @07:08PM
AMD is far from perfect themselves, but NVidia are still the worst in the business. Just ask the Nouveau developers.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by ThePhilips on Monday January 18 2016, @07:31PM
Why as a consumer should I care about who is the "best" or the "worst" in the business?
Why I should inflict on myself the pains - and worsen my life experience - only to make a political/religious statement? which wouldn't change anything to anybody, except bragging rights and fake feeling of self-righteousness on the internet forums?
The problem is that even if I would support AMD/ATI with my buying decisions, they would still pocket the profits and deliver the same shoddy hardware/software as before. I sucker "bought" it before, so it must be "good enough" to sell, after all. If I had seen at least some shimmer of hope, I might have. But we have played the shell game with the ATI/AMD's open documentations and open-source drivers for about a decade now - with the same level of progress for, like, forever. Names and buzzwords come and go, the uselessness of the open source driver stays. Heck, the current devels even nixed the perfectly working 2D driver for older ATI hardware from X11, leaving bunch of people hanging, while failing to deliver any usable alternative for years now.
AMD is far from perfect themselves, but NVidia are still the worst in the business. Just ask the Nouveau developers.
That statements reeks of either childish naivete or religious fundamentalism.
Me, I am a consumer. I do not give a damn about how two for-profit companies relate to each other. Just like they do not give a damn about me.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Tuesday January 19 2016, @01:05AM
That's just sad man.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 19 2016, @08:08AM
a) vote wisely with their wallets day by day
b) vote wisely with their bullets clip by clip in an armed revolution.
(Score: 2) by ThePhilips on Tuesday January 19 2016, @08:58AM
You refer to a different matter: action and decision when faced with a choice.
In consumer market, as long as the money are not huge constrain, one does not need to decide or think or choose: one just looks at the reviews and benchmark and test results.
But when it comes to politics, wars and revolutions, it is really a different - volatile - situation. Nothing is known for sure, since the competing parties intentionally muddy the waters. Especially today, the wars are won not on the battlefields anymore, they are won on the news channels.
(Score: 2) by ThePhilips on Tuesday January 19 2016, @08:48AM
Me, I am a consumer.
That's just sad man.
As I said:
Why I should inflict on myself the pains - and worsen my life experience - only to make a political/religious statement? which wouldn't change anything to anybody, except bragging rights and fake feeling of self-righteousness on the internet forums?
Who of us is sad? Who's living intentionally a miserable life?
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday January 19 2016, @04:38PM
Do you have a job? Do you work for a living? Do you live within your means?
If so you should not denigrate yourself as a mere 'consumer' - you are not a leech, you are first a PRODUCER and only CONSUME after you PRODUCE.
"'Why I should inflict on myself the pains - and worsen my life experience - only to make a political/religious statement? which wouldn't change anything to anybody, except bragging rights and fake feeling of self-righteousness on the internet forums?'
Who of us is sad? Who's living intentionally a miserable life?"
Obviously you are. The twisted way you justify yourself here makes that very clear. A healthy, happy person would not need to denigrate others as 'fake' and 'self-righteous' here. That's utter nonsense, of course - but your need to believe it seems very revealing.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by ThePhilips on Tuesday January 19 2016, @09:01PM
Wow.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 18 2016, @09:15PM
I swear you find the most interesting abuses of sic on this site. Maybe someone thinks than should be here, but that works just as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 19 2016, @03:16AM
Nope, I have to agree with the editor/submitter, that doesn't make sense there, but than does.