Next-generation ATI Radeon cards to pack GDDR5 memory

A full six months after Samsung took the wraps off of GDDR5 memory, along comes word from AMD that the next-generation ATI Radeon graphics cards will boast said technology. Apparently AMD will be tapping Qimonda for its supply of GDDR5 modules, which should boost gaming performance as well as benefit stream processing, "where GPUs are applied to address complex, massively parallel calculations." As Hot Hardware points out, the release comes just weeks away from the rumored debut of the Radeon 4000 series, so if our deductive reasoning is sound, we'd surmise that the looming Radeon 4800 will indeed feature GDDR5.

[Via Hot Hardware]

[Kiwi616 @ May 21st 2008 2:07PM]

Hopefully this will reduce the price of previous generations now. Memory has been getting to pricey at those speeds.

[Brian @ May 21st 2008 2:07PM]

Wow, nice...

[Chaj @ May 21st 2008 2:14PM]

Cool... This means for only a few hundred dollars more I can squeeze out 2 extra fps in Crysis....

[Blaine Oliver @ May 21st 2008 2:37PM]

These cards ati are bringing out will be better than the GX2, and will be cheaper, ATI(AMD) are playing the margin game, offering things are far cheaper prices and comparable performance mean that it will actually gain money, its not simple maths, but it still never the less is logical. Its the same as lowering an entry fee to a theme park to increase interest. ATI(AMD's) costs with their new boards are much lower than the costs of nvidias because they went to 55nm quickly, and things like a 256 bit bus bandwidth and 2 phase vrm units all save them money, AMD have got them on track, if no themselves.

[Blaine Oliver @ May 21st 2008 2:42PM]

* if NOT i mean, add the edit button please ;)

[r3loaded @ May 21st 2008 3:04PM]

"its not simple maths"

You mean price elasticity of demand? It's a bit of simple multiplication and division :P

[Blaine Oliver @ May 21st 2008 3:09PM]

It isnt simple maths, the price of your raw materials fluctuates, the supply and demand chances, were assuming the product will be a big hit, Nvidia might actually bring out a card that cuts AMD's margins, unlikely as they hold the 'performance crown' But AMD are taking the right approach, even if we are not sure how sucessful this will be.

[brokenkeyboard @ May 21st 2008 2:41PM]

my GDDR goes to 11.

[r3loaded @ May 21st 2008 3:05PM]

*awaits Spinal Tap Hero Band*

[Tarnation @ May 21st 2008 2:56PM]

This all well in good but it doesn't matter unless they start building faster dual core GPUs. SLI and Crossfire are only stop gap measures until true multicore GPUs become reality. We are up to 8 core CPUs now but the best they can do on a single graphics board is 2 cores.

[thatrotierkid @ May 21st 2008 3:30PM]

you realize that GPUs consist of thousands of very small cores right? Thats one of the reasons that GPUs are better at handling graphics than a CPU.

[conor @ May 21st 2008 3:14PM]

what about GDDR4?

[Curtis Joslin @ May 21st 2008 3:24PM]

ati currently uses gddr4....

[Kamokazi @ May 21st 2008 5:32PM]

...and still gets bested by nVidia using GDDR3. So while I'm a heavy PC gameing & hardware enthusiast, this news does not excite me. Bring all the fast memory you want, but if you can't build a GPU up to snuff then what's the point?

Buy maybe the 4800 will suprise me. My 8800GTX is getting close to 18 months old and that's too long in video card land.

[OneLove @ May 21st 2008 4:53PM]

Kwon lee, just slap a new number on it and raise the price!

[maff @ May 21st 2008 5:16PM]

this was reported on engadget when the HD 4k series was announced a coupla weeks ago, sheesh!

[Chris @ May 21st 2008 6:35PM]

Apples.

[Richard Lai @ May 21st 2008 9:10PM]

How come PCs are still using DDR2 (well, I know laptops are at least)? Are DDRs and GDDRs a lot more different nowadays?

[BobfromVegas @ May 21st 2008 9:49PM]

Graphics memory is different than RAM.

[Richard Lai @ May 21st 2008 10:29PM]

Well, here's what the good old Wikipedia / some random dude says:

"GDDR-2 memory used on graphics cards is not DDR2 per se, but rather an early midpoint between DDR and DDR2 technologies... ATI... designed the GDDR technology further into GDDR3, which is more true to the DDR2 specifications, though with several additions suited for graphics cards."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDDR2#Relation_to_GDDR_memory

[BobfromVegas @ May 21st 2008 9:49PM]

Thats great, I'm sure it will play doom :)

[Samboini @ May 21st 2008 4:39PM]

Putting a smiley face after your comment doesn't make it acceptable you tool.

As for the card, let's see what happens.

[MaX-MoD @ May 21st 2008 5:39PM]

If you mean the first Doom under DOS, not sure...

[BobfromVegas @ May 21st 2008 9:49PM]

I thought it was funny. Maybe it got old :(

[Kizorblade @ May 21st 2008 11:21PM]

Long time ago... Crysis is the new thing to ask.

Or maybe not.

[The Purveyor of Justice @ May 21st 2008 10:49PM]

Maybe this will be the start of a knew comeback for ATi, since Nvidia seems only able to re-release different variations of their 1 1/2 year old design as of late.

[cydonia @ May 21st 2008 11:46PM]

i think thats just because ati has nothing that can compete with nvidia's 9800 GTX/GX2 cards.

Its already been leaked that nvidia has their GT200 core (the successor to the G92/G80) ready to go, they are just holding back for ati's HD 4x00 cards

[mikeray @ May 22nd 2008 8:16PM]

Yes but will this work with my Power Mac G5?