R9 290X Does Not Utilize A Fully Unlocked Hawaii GPU.

[TechFan@ic]

It turns out AMD has been holding back, a Hawaii GPU actually has 3072 GCN cores, 256 more than the R9 290X.
AMD hasn't introduced a graphics card based on a fully unlocked Hawaii GPU yet, likely due to yield issues similar to Nvidia's early yield issues with GK110.

This discovery came in light of a reverse engineered Hawaii GPU, which revealed what the floor plan actually looks like.
This is likely why AMD did not release die shots for the Hawaii GPU when it launched the R9 290X and the R9 290 back in October.

AMD will likely release fully unlocked Hawaii GPUs as R9 300 series products after a die shrink from 28nm to 20nm, which brings the die size and heat output down to a manageable 314mm² from 438mm².

Source
 

[Morpheus]

wow that's pretty awesome

[Coombzy]

I wonder what the heat output of the reference card would be if it was fully unlocked 0_o 

[LogicDeifying]

This is the same thing nvidia did.

Isn't it?

[TechFan@ic]

I wonder what the heat output of the reference card would be if it was fully unlocked 0_o 

A 9% higher delta, 84.95c if an 290X of the same silicone quality runs at 80c in a room temperature of 25c.

Also remember that a fully unlocked Hawaii die would have less defects than an R9 290X GPU which would allow it to naturally run cooler.

[alicskysareblue]

A 9% higher delta, 84.95c if an 290X of the same silicone quality runs at 80c in a room temperature of 25c.

Also remember that a fully unlocked Hawaii die would have less defects than an R9 290X GPU which would allow it to naturally run cooler.

I am curious how would it run cooler ?

[Ineko]

A 9% higher delta, 84.95c if an 290X of the same silicone quality runs at 80c in a room temperature of 25c.

Also remember that a fully unlocked Hawaii die would have less defects than an R9 290X GPU which would allow it to naturally run cooler.

 

I still can't get over how hot that card is. It's 38C ambient here right now (the things I'd do for AC) that card would literally be melting, reference cooler or not. My 680 DCUII sits on about 70-80 in this heat playing BF4.

 

OT: I wonder if they'll release a 290xx, or something like that, to combat the 800 series that's just around the corner.

[TechFan@ic]

I am curious how would it run cooler ?

A fully unlocked Hawaii would be a higher binned chip compared to an R9 290X and would require less voltage to operate at the same frequency.

That's why the 780 Ti can achieve such high overclocks, it's a higher binned GK110 chip compared to the 780.

But a fully unlocked Hawaii would only have 9% more functional units than an R9 290X which would have a significantly smaller thermal footprint compared to the 780 Ti which has 25% more functional units than a 780.

 

I still can't get over how hot that card is. It's 38C ambient here right now (the things I'd do for AC) that card would literally be melting, reference cooler or not. My 680 DCUII sits on about 70-80 in this heat playing BF4.

 

OT: I wonder if they'll release a 290xx, or something like that, to combat the 800 series that's just around the corner.

Probably just shrink the chip and release it as an R9 380X.

[crystal6tak]

R9-290X2...Two fully unlocked hawaii gpu on one pcb...One can dream 

[AraSarkisyan]

R9-290X2...Two fully unlocked hawaii gpu on one pcb...One can dream 

The PCB would melt. 

[jscho]

R9-290X2...Two fully unlocked hawaii gpu on one pcb...One can dream 

 

Welp, I'll be set for winter!

[mvitkun]

The PCB would melt.

same thing people said about GF 110,and then they released the GTX 590.

[miyabwah]

Oh yes. AMD has more to offer than we think.

[TymmVonD]

I am curious how would it run cooler ?

The quality of the chip determines voltage needed. Less Vs=Less *Cs. On a similar scale to comparing like chips' ASIC quality. The difference between an FX8320 and 8350. Same chips, different quality.

[AraSarkisyan]

same thing people said about GF 110,and then they released the GTX 590.

its a joke. 

[MasterJV]

I bet that the minute it's release, Bitcoin Miners will buy them all.

[matin94]

this is exactly what nvidia did, didnt unlock the 780 gpu, and when they did , they called it the 780TI

problem is, amd cant release its full unlocked hawaii GPU on reference cooler, i wonder, if the 290 has more room to grow or not

[afa7336]

this is exactly what nvidia did, didnt unlock the 780 gpu, and when they did , they called it the 780TI

problem is, amd cant release its full unlocked hawaii GPU on reference cooler, i wonder, if the 290 has more room to grow or not

 

Yep and Nvidia got a lot of hate for it. I'm surprised I haven't seen any of it here yet.

 

But actually it was a smart move on AMDs part. The cooler is one reason, but the other is that it leaves them at least one card that can come out when Maxwell does. I don't think it will be able to compete with Maxwell but it'll buy AMD a small amount of time.

[Humbug]

I don't think AMD needs to release a fully unlocked card right now. The 290 and 290x in non-reference form are very fast and also run cool. Fully unlocked chip would have to be binned higher which means less supply and higher prices.

 

Unless they want to steal the absolute performance crown back from 780ti.

 

Still it's good to know that they still have more left in the tank.

[Alex780]

R9 290X Ti? lol

[martinrox1568]

I knew it!! Ever since it launched and only performed a bit faster than a 780, I knew this day would come!!

[MikkoP]

That's just sad... manufacturers hold technology back because they want to screw with people and get them just spend their money. This could've just made 290 the 280X and 290X the 290.

[carolkarine]

I like this development. When nvidia rebrands for the 800 series (cause no 20nm) this will let amd release a 200 series card to compete until they can shrink for their 300 series to compete with Maxwell.

[afa7336]

I like this development. When nvidia rebrands for the 800 series (cause no 20nm) this will let amd release a 200 series card to compete until they can shrink for their 300 series to compete with Maxwell.

 

You got a source for that? I did a quick google but couldn't find anything of note to say Maxwell was delayed or that 800 would be a rebrand. More curious then anything.

[Humbug]

That's just sad... manufacturers hold technology back because they want to screw with people and get them just spend their money. This could've just made 290 the 280X and 290X the 290.

 

this is exactly what nvidia did, didnt unlock the 780 gpu, and when they did , they called it the 780TI

problem is, amd cant release its full unlocked hawaii GPU on reference cooler, i wonder, if the 290 has more room to grow or not

 

With such high end silicon it's a constant balance between your profit margin vs limited yields and supply because you are pushing the manufacturing technology to it's limit.

A lot of people think that Nvidia didn't release the 780ti (fully unlocked GK110) at the start of the year by choice, people say they only wanted to do enough to beat the 7970Ghz. But that's only half the story; manufacturing the 780ti at the time would likely have been extremely difficult for Nvidia because the chips needed to be so highly binned. May have been a fiasco; mostly paper launch with ridiculous prices and no supply. Now that the process is more mature they find it easier, of course had Hawai not launched they would have delayed the 780ti further to 2014. Similarly AMD probably sees no reason to push fully unlocked Hawai out the door before they have to.