Allen
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FWIW: Recently, Newegg has had AMD RX 6900XT GPUs in stock. Nine (9) models were listed as in-stock today. The prices start at $2270 and move to $2940 for non-reference models. No reference models in stock (MSRP $1000).
Meanwhile, R7 5800X and R5 5600X CPUs have been available at MSRP (or less) for a while now. R5 5600X remains the "go to" gaming PC CPU in reviews.
Allen
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Joined: Oct 1999
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Ohio USA
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AMD launches Radeon RX 6900 XT Liquid Edition with 330W TBP and 18Gbps memory
The graphics card appears to be limited to system integrators for now and has already been announced by US, Japanese and UK-based retailers. That said, there is no official MSRP for this model or any information on DIY market availability.
Costs being what they are (well above MSRP), I may just wait until the RX 7000 series is released next year.
Allen
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AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution coming to 7 games at launch, 12 games coming soon
that’s including Far Cry 6 and Resident Evil Village.
The list of developers and publishers already working with AMD on FSR adoption is even more interesting. As many as 44 entities have already declared to support FSR.
AMD is set to launch FidelityFX Super Resolution on June 22nd.
AMD developed FidelityFX Super Resolution is an "open standard" available for all to use. Its AMDs answer to DLSS.
My understanding is: AMD FSR provides an FPS boost at higher resolutions, like DLSS. DLSS provides a bit sharper images. The advantage of AMD FSR is applicability to many GPUs people already own and easy installation in many games (by the Game Developers).
Supposedly, its easy to incorporate. Each game must have code for it. GPU drivers must support it. It works on most recent GPUs back to AMD RX400 series (includes Nvidia and Intel GPUs). So, lots of games should wind up with AMD FSR installed and more people will have GPUs that can "turn on" FSR in-game.
The attachments summarize the current situation. The GPU photo is probably photo-shopped just to visually describe what FSR does -- but was not done by FSR.
Reviews pick the 5800X as the preferred "all around use" desktop CPU. A very solid choice for Prime Members at $375,
The R5 5600X performs nearly the same in games for $300 MSRP -- haven't seen this one marked down below MSRP (though I might have missed it). Based on my tests, the R5 5600X will do the job quite well for most home users/gamers.
Allen
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Joined: Oct 1999
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Ohio USA
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AMD ends driver support for Radeon 200, 300 and Fury series [and also 7000 and 8000 series GPUs]
Some readers who rushed to download the latest 21.6.1 driver featuring FidelityFX Super Resolution were surprised to learn that their graphics cards are no longer supported.
What this means is that the last driver to support these graphics cards is the 21.5.2 driver.
AMD is also retiring its Radeon HD 7000 series (released in 2011) and HD 8000 series (released a year later for OEMs).
The attachment shows the complete list of AMD GPUs affected.
Interesting to me because I'm using a 7000 series in an HTPC that I just assembled (using mostly old and a couple new parts). I happily used the 7000 because it was still supported. Oh well, support had to end sometime.
Allen
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Joined: Oct 1999
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Ohio USA
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AMD launches FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling technology
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution launches today with 7 games
Officially FSR is working on Radeon RX 6000 desktop and mobile series as well as its successor based on RDNA1 architecture, the RX 5000 series. AMD did not forget about its RX Vega series as well as Polaris-based RX 500 and RX 400 series. All Zen-based APUs are supported (Ryzen 2000 and newer). Additionally, AMD confirms that FSR works on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 and 20 series. The list continues with GeForce GTX 16 and 10 series.
The linked article has details and pictures based on the AMD presentation.
Allen
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Ohio USA
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Bitcoin Price Falls Below $30,000 as China Shuts Down Mining Operations
Mining operations throughout the country were shut down over the weekend, and on Monday, the People’s Bank of China forbid banks within the country from handling most transactions involving cryptocurrencies.
Reports indicate that graphics cards prices have fallen as much as 45% in China as a result of the crackdown on cryptocurrency mining operations. Graphics card pricing has fallen in Europe, too, so there might finally be some .. light at the end of the tunnel for [gaming GPU] enthusiasts
Allen
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Ohio USA
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Gigabyte expects Radeon RX 6600 XT to feature 8GB of memory
The RX 6600 XT is supposedly based on Navi 23 XT GPU ... very high clock speeds (up to 2.9 GHz) and relatively low power consumption (~100W).
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su confirmed earlier this year that a reference single-fan graphics card from Radeon RX 6000 series (supposedly Navi 23-based) will launch in the first half of this year. This means that AMD only has a week left for this launch.
As previously noted, some newer games will require 8GB or more for full graphical performance at high resolutions (I personally found that MSFS 2020 needed over 8GB to play the way I wanted at 4K). So, the days of 8GB always being enough are over for high end gamers who want full performance at 4K resolutions. Maybe AMD FX Super Resolution will fix that in games that have FSR installed.
Allen
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AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution Can Be Implemented in a Day or Two, Devs Say; It Just Works
Takeshi Aramaki, Studio Head and General Manager at Luminous Studio Productions (working on the action RPG Forspoken, due next year on PC and PS5):
"With Forspoken, we are aiming to achieve the highest quality visuals ever seen in an open world game.
we are really feeling the benefits of the low latency of FSR, and the high performance that it brings. FSR implementation only took one day. The process was very simple and fit in our pipeline very well.
From an image quality standpoint, the difference between the highest quality settings and native resolution rendering is undetectable. FSR integration was very easy and there were no problems, even when using Dynamic Resolution."
[Six more developers had positive comments]
Granted, these are all game developers who've chosen to partner with AMD on FidelityFX Super Resolution rather than with NVIDIA on Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS).
Its a classic "Cost vs Benefit" thing: Nvidia DLSS has slightly better image quality. AMD FSR has good enough image quality, lower latency, easier/cheaper to implement in games, and works on more GPUs (more GPUs after Intel and Nvidia activate it in their drivers -- requires no special hardware).
Allen
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Ohio USA
More FSR uptake. Now moving to existing consoles.
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Microsoft Game Development Kit for XBOX now includes AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution
Today Jason Ronald, a director of program management at Xbox, announced that FSR will be part of the Xbox GDK which enables the technology on Windows, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, and Xbox One.
It is unclear when should we expect the first Xbox games to support FSR, but one would guess it is only a matter of weeks at this point.
Allen
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Ohio USA
Regarding future competition:
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Intel's [10nm] Sapphire Rapids Roadmap Slips: Enters Production in 2022
Intel announced via a blog post this morning that Sapphire Rapids will enter production in the first quarter of 2022, with the volume ramp beginning in the second quarter of 2022. The revised production timeline represents a three-month slip
these chips will compete primarily with AMD's EPYC Milan processors, but also with the 5nm Zen 4 EPYC Genoa chips that will arrive later in 2022
Sapphire Rapids represents Intel's first chips with its newest 10nm Enhanced SuperFin process
Allen
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Ohio USA
Regarding W11 compatibility: For what its worth -- my test results with my recent technology AMD CPUs:
All my recent AMD motherboards will run W11. 370 series, 470 series, 550 series, 570 series.
My AMD R5-1600 & R7-1800X CPU do NOT run it.
My R7-2700, R5-3600, R7-3800X, R7-5800X CPUs run W11. I imagine my former R5-5600X on a 550 motherboard would have run it -- but, I've given that system away.
Those results are consistent with recent articles and Microsoft guidance regarding "what works" and what "doesn't work".
Allen
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Some Modders can add AMD FSR to some games -- with no help from AMD. Their mods can be made downloadable and usable by other gamers.
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AMD FSR Successfully Implemented in GTA V Thanks to Clever Mod
Many game developers already pointed out the ease of integration, but no one - perhaps not even AMD - could imagine how quickly modders would be able to add it to existing games.
The first example comes from NarutoUA, who managed to replace Grand Theft Auto V's internal upscaler with FSR without even having access to the open source code, which AMD still has to share publicly.
Allen
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Ohio USA
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Biostar announces Intel and AMD motherboards supporting Windows 11
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Gigabyte confirms its Intel and AMD motherboards support Windows 11 thanks to TPM enabled BIOS
Lots of GIGABYTE Intel® and AMD motherboards can pass the TPM 2.0 verification of the Windows 11 by simply enabling the TPM-related function in the BIOS, on which Intel® X299, B250 chipset and above platform will be the Platform Trust Technology (PTT), and fTPM function on the AMD AM4 and TRX40 motherboards.
My tests on my motherboards and CPUs verify that my AM4 Gigabyte MBs can support fTPM (i.e. AM4 300, 400, 500 series MBs). They also have hardware ports to plug in TP{M 2.0 if desired -- but its not required. However Ryzen 2000 and above CPUs are required today (Microsoft hinted the Ryzen 1000 series might be supported in the future -- definitely not guaranteed).
The Attachment shows which Biostar MBs are supported.
I assume most recent AMD AM4 motherboards by nearly all manufacturers support W11 requirements now (or will) by the time W11 is generally released. Probably similar support will be on newer Intel MBs.
Allen
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Ohio USA
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Edge of Eternity Tech Q&A – Midgar CEO on AMD FSR vs NVIDIA DLSS, PS5 vs XSX and More
Edge of Eternity recently launched on PC,.. the game is one of only two (the other being Necromunda: Hired Gun) confirmed to support both NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR technologies
[We chatted] with Midgar Studio CEO Jérémy Zeler-Maury, who also happens to be the game's lead programmer.
compare the process of implementing AMD's FSR and NVIDIA's DLSS
Implementing DLSS was quite complex to integrate into Unity for a small studio like us... FSR, on the other hand, was very easy to implement,
Quality-wise, do you feel there is a noticeable difference between the two in your game?
Quality-wise, when there is a lot of pixel info available for upscaling to 4K, both technologies give amazing results, and I have a hard time seeing differences between them. I’d even say that I slightly prefer the FSR for 4K resolution since it doesn’t introduce any artifacts/minor blurriness that DLSS can sometimes introduce. For lower resolutions like upscaling to 1080p or 720p, I think DLSS gives a better result
We use FSR on every console version now to be able to improve the shading/assets density/resolution... I think FSR for consoles is really a must.
Generally, a very positive review for AMD FSR vs Nvidia DLSS by a lead programmer who put both in his game.
EDIT: Just read an article that indicated Nvidia is working on reducing "ghosting" (i.e. artifacts) in DLSS 2.2. I assume DLSS will evolve and FSR will evolve -- both will get better.
Last edited by Allen; 07/02/2108:49 PM. Reason: New Information
Intel and Apple First to Adopt TSMC's 3nm Technology: Report
Apple and Intel will be the first to adopt Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) N3 (3nm) fabrication process when the contract maker of chips deploys in late 2022, Nikkei Asia news agency reported on Friday. Intel is projected to use the technology to make CPUs for PCs and servers, whereas Apple is expected to use the node for its system-on-chips aimed at client devices.
Apple and Intel are currently 'testing their chip designs' produced using TSMC's N3 process, according to a Nikkei report that cites several people with knowledge of the matter.
AMD is on track to beat Intel to 5nm. It makes sense that Intel might try to "jump past" AMD to 3nm. This rumor/leak may be true. But, it also may be overly optimistic click bait. Intel has been running behind on keeping promises and making technology work for a couple years now. We'll see in 2022.
AMD plans to use the Renoir chips to plug big price gaps in its Ryzen 5000 lineup that dominates our Best CPU list and CPU Benchmark hierarchy, but they're limited to the OEM market until the full retail launch on August 5, 2021
the $359 eight-core 16-thread Ryzen 7 5700G [fills the gap] between the Ryzen 7 and 5 lineups, while the $259 six-core Ryzen 5 5600G reduces the steep price of entry to the Zen 3 lineup. Both chips also come with a bundled Wraith Stealth cooler, sweetening the deal.
They tested a Ryzen 7 5700G using it's built in GPU circuits. They got it by buying a pre-built OEM PC. The PC was not high end. Even so, It beat an Intel CPU with built in graphics. Typical results are attached.
Allen
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Ohio USA
Article with several graphs and product photos that might be interesting to both AMD and Nvidia aficionados.
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AMD & NVIDIA GPU Silicon Performance, Efficiency & Cost Progress From The Last 10 Years Visualized
10 years of GPU Silicon advancements from AMD and NVIDIA have been visualized in a series of charts made by Reddit user, Vito_ponfe_Andariel. The charts show all the progress that has been achieved by the two main GPU makers in the industry starting and each generation of GPU shows both, its strength and weaknesses.
In such an article, some charts may contain errors -- but the general overview is worthwhile.
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