AMD - Piledriver chitchat

[DanceswithUnix]

How would that work though? A separate dual-channel interface for each GPU and CPU? Because that sounds like it goes against the whole unified memory concept introduced with Kaveri.

Yes that would be against the unified memory space they have been working towards. Few ideas though:

1/ It would work well with the interposer seen on S/A ages ago for on package fast memory.

2/ If Steam machines take off, it could be worth making a new socket.

3/ If the memory controller are DDR4 capable, then they will need 4 channels to keep the same number of dimms as before. Perhaps this part is FM3 ready.

A combination of 1 and 3 could be interesting, if they can do an interposer with GDDR5 on package and DDR3 on the motherboard.

[scaryjim]

3/ If the memory controller are DDR4 capable, then they will need 4 channels to keep the same number of dimms as before. Perhaps this part is FM3 ready.

That *is* interesting. Are DDR3 and DDR4 similar enough electrically that you could do a hybrid controller? I seem to remember one of the server APUs on the roadmap is meant to support DDR3 and DDR4, so that suggests it's possible (and of course AMD use the same silicon for consumer and server products). TBH a small DDR3 or 4 cache on an interposer would still be impressive - it shouldn't be too hard (or expensive) to get a 128bit 1GB or 2GB frame buffer in an appropriate amount of space, and even 1GB would still allow the IGP to reserve 2GB of DDR3 on a 256bit bus - which would be a much more suitable memory configuration for the Kaveri IGP.

[DanceswithUnix]

That *is* interesting. Are DDR3 and DDR4 similar enough electrically that you could do a hybrid controller? I seem to remember one of the server APUs on the roadmap is meant to support DDR3 and DDR4, so that suggests it's possible (and of course AMD use the same silicon for consumer and server products). TBH a small DDR3 or 4 cache on an interposer would still be impressive - it shouldn't be too hard (or expensive) to get a 128bit 1GB or 2GB frame buffer in an appropriate amount of space, and even 1GB would still allow the IGP to reserve 2GB of DDR3 on a 256bit bus - which would be a much more suitable memory configuration for the Kaveri IGP.

I am thinking of graphics cards here, how many have there been where you can get the same card but with either GDDR5 or DDR3? DDR4 is supposed to be very close to GDDR5 in style. That makes me think a common interface is possible.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

LOL,I wished at times I kept my posting throughput on OcUK. The OcUK equivalant of me(well he started after me),has got Kaveri in his hands to test now. I feel so jealous of him. He got a Trinity sample from AMD,recently an R9 280X and all sorts of stuff from OcUK and various companies too. He always gets stuff to test!!

OTH,I just prefer the posters over here and the forum in general.

[Terbinator]

How does the moose have an equivalent?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

BTW,anyone remember the Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigab...vi-d-hdmi-matx

I have talked about it before,and it looked promising for the price despite the older chipset.

It seems someone has tested the latest version:

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...powwwst7609200

It seems to do quite well and he is going to test it with an FX8320.

How does the moose have an equivalent?

Equivalent not equal!!

Equivalent,as in posting builds and stuff. Since he became quite well known on that forum,I think he was targetted by the OcUK shop and companies for advertising(Bitfenix recently made him a forum rep too).

[kalniel]

Equivalent,as in posting builds and stuff. Since he became quite well known on that forum,I think he was targetted by the OcUK shop and companies for advertising(Bitfenix recently made him a forum rep too).

So he's no longer independent? That'd be a shame.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

So he's no longer independent? That'd be a shame.

Well the only reason companies would send parts would be for a bit of advertising,like even competitions. TBF,he has criticised some of the things he as received so its not all a one way street. He did do a test of like 20 thermal compounds a while back which was quite interesting.

[Firejack]

I'm really disappointed by the way information on the AMD Kaveri is being presented in the tech media and especially by AMD. They hype up everything with the APU and then show you some almost meaningless CPU or GPU test?!

Show us some results for APU tests! Thats what the platform is designed for. Thats what we want see and hear about. Its like a new DirectX11.2 GPU coming out and instead of talking about what extra features the GPU can do with DX11.2. They start talking about its performance in DX9. Crazy.

Unless the reviews focus on APU tests using software compatible with HSA, hUMA and Mantle its going to be a disaster for AMD in what should be their finest hour. Then AMD will be playing catch up for months after launch as the APU compatible testing software becomes available to truly benchmark these new APU's.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

This looks interesting:

http://tangopc.com/

AMD Nano PC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAgu7Civegc

[Biscuit]

This looks interesting:

http://tangopc.com/

AMD Nano PC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAgu7Civegc

Nano looks great but the Tango... naaaaaa

[scaryjim]

Nano looks great but the Tango... naaaaaa

Really? The tango is getting close to the pocket office I've always wanted (apart from I'd want a screen on the device itself, but I guess that's asking a bit much ) - A mobile device that you can slot into other docks for a desktop or laptop experience, but it's always the same PC. If AMD are partnering with OEMs and startups to make that happen, good on them

[scaryjim]

I am thinking of graphics cards here, how many have there been where you can get the same card but with either GDDR5 or DDR3? DDR4 is supposed to be very close to GDDR5 in style. That makes me think a common interface is possible.

Of course with graphics cards you're interfacing directly to the memory chips rather than to a DIMM, which I assume makes some difference in how easy it easy to use different types of memory, but you're right of course, if you can do hybrid DDR3/GDDR5 there's no reason you shouldn't be able to do hybrid DDR3/DDR4. I noticed Hexus.tv has at least one article on DDR4 memory from CES 2014, which presumably means DDR4 isn't too far away from mainstream consumer applications - fingers crossed

[Biscuit]

The article in question discussed the topic in question and mentioned specific target dates

http://hexus.net/tv/show/2014/01/CES...to_DDR4_memory

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Details of Kaveri review kit:

http://translate.google.com/translat...k%2F96757.aspx

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It looks there is noise that the new IGP driver should boost performance by 30% to 40% so it looks AMD was trolling us!!

Edit!!

It seems the latest leaked score for Firestrike matches the Iris Pro with embedded L4 cache.

Second Edit!!

It seems some on Anandtech forums now are saying Broadwell will be better,etc! They seem to feel threatened.