Good news for fans of AMD. The “red” has been a positive trend in the segment of discrete graphics. So, the experts at Jon Peddie Research estimated which the shares are leading manufacturer. Today in the market there are four companies: AMD, NVIDIA, Matrox and S3. The last two, however, have a tiny influence on the industry. So in the third quarter of this year, the market of discrete graphics shared as follows: 81,1% green and 18.8% on “red”. The numbers speak for themselves, but AMD with all the superiority of NVIDIA have a reason to celebrate: in the last quarter was played 0.8% of the market. However, in the third quarter of last year, the market was divided as follows: 71.5% of the “green” and 28.4% “red”. It turns out that in a year AMD have lost no less than 10% market share. However, in recent time, the positive dynamics allows to expect that the company will win back lost positions in 2016.
Iron shop No. 25. The main computer of the news and events of November 2015
Lower prices on video cards
All activities AMD aims to increase market share, and generating at least some profit. On 19 November the company presented the video card Radeon R9 380X. We’ll talk about it later. Plus the company on the eve of the traditional new year sales has reduced the recommended prices of almost all relevant discrete adapters.
The name of the accelerator
It was
Became
AMD Radeon R9 Fury X
$649
$589
AMD Radeon R9 Fury
$549
$499
AMD Radeon R9 NANO
$649
$569
AMD Radeon R9 390X
$429
$379
AMD Radeon R9 390
$329
$279
AMD Radeon R9 380X
—
$229/239
AMD Radeon R9 380
$199/225
$169/179
At this point new prices are relevant only for the United States. When will cheaper in Russia and will happen if it actually still unknown.
Active actions of the “red” and forced NVIDIA to lower the price on a number of current accelerators. Competition is so great! It remains to be seen whether such acts of “unprecedented generosity” local and do they apply to our country.
The name of the accelerator
It was
Became
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti
$649
$559
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
$499
$409
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
$329
$259
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
$199
$149
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950
$159
$129
AMD Radeon R9 380X
Video card Radeon R9 380X expected in the previous year. Just under a different name. Apparently, the warehouses of retailers were still tightly Packed with Radeon R9 280X, so the novelty was released only in November. Technical specifications — below.
AMD Radeon R9 380X
AMD Radeon R9 280X
AMD Radeon HD 7970
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
Processor name
Antigua XT
Tahiti XTL
Tahiti XT
GM206
The process
28 nm
28 nm
28 nm
28 nm
CPU frequency
970 MHz
1000 MHz
925 MHz
1126 (1178) MHz
The number of stream processors
2048
2048
2048
1024
The number of texture units
128
128
128
64
The number of ROP units
32
32
32
32
Memory
GDDR5, 4 GB
GDDR5, 3 GB
GDDR5, 3 GB
GDDR5, 2/4 GB
Bus
256 bit
384 bit
384 bit
128 bit
Memory frequency
1425 (5700) MHz
1500 (6000) MHz
1375 (5500) MHz
1753 (7010) MHz
Maximum power consumption graphics card
190 W
250 W
250 W
120 W
Video outputs
2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x Mini – DisplayPort
1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
The recommended price at the time of release
$230
$299
$350
$200 (for the version with 2GB of memory)
The actual cost
18 500 rubles.
16 500 RUB.
N/A
15 000 rubles — overclocked version with 2 GB of memory
17 500 — overclocked version with 4 GB memory
XFX Radeon R9 380X
The basis of a video card the graphics chip Antigua XT. According to its characteristics it is very similar to the Tahiti processor. Therefore, to expect a serious jump in performance. As a matter of fact, our review has placed all points over “i”. Card is really equal in performance Radeon R9 280X, but it comes with 4 GB of memory standard GDDR5. This volume very handy. Modern games are becoming more demanding and demanding. At that Radeon R9 380X is confidently ahead of the GeForce GTX 960 and slightly ahead of Radeon R9 380. In principle, the recommended 230 USD is a great solution for gaming in Full HD resolution. Here only I have real concerns that in Russia a novelty at this price will not buy. At least in the coming months.
The performance of AMD Radeon R9 380X in games
Radeon Software Crimson
The announcement of the Radeon R9 380X was not the most important event of this month. The fact that AMD decided to completely change software component for their graphics cards and APUS. Yes, the Catalyst Control Center (CCC), which lasted no less than 13 years, a thing of the past. On superseded software platform Software Radeon Crimson. In fact, this is the first serious offspring just formed units Radeon Technologies Group (RTG), which is responsible for the advancement of the computer graphics solutions AMD.
Radeon Software Crimson
The first thing you pay attention — Radeon Software Crimson began to work noticeably faster. Host interface written in QT. In the menu that displayed five main tabs: “Game”, “Video”, “Display”, and Eyefinity System. The application allows you to configure the profiles of image quality in installed on the computer games. Will not go away function Overdriver. The user can still overclock the GPU and memory directly in the driver, and to control the fan speed of the cooler.
Radeon Software Crimson
Introduced in driver version 15.7 function Frame Rate Control (FRTC) “moved” and in Radeon Software Crimson. The user can control the frame rate in games running DirectX 9/10/11. Option allows saving resources of the video card in the not too demanding games. As a result, the adapter runs cooler and less noisy. The “red” in the example game Rocket League has demonstrated that when limiting FPS to 90 fps test stand with a Radeon R9 Fury X (with a maximum power consumption of 275 watts) at Full HD resolution saved up to 114 watts of power card.
Frame Rate Target Control (FRTC)
AMD said that the new driver significantly increases the performance of Radeon in games. Namely, according to internal testing the company, compared with the 15.7 version of Fable Legends is observed in 20% increase in the number of frames in Call of Duty: Black Ops III — 8 percent. The claimed acceleration in games such as Dota 2 and Bioshock Infinite. Some sites already checked this statement from AMD. In some cases the performance gain is indeed present, but it is extremely small.
The increase in performance in games with Radeon Software Crimson
“Red” state that the applicable software feature Shader caching significantly accelerates the download speed of computer games. For example, the built-in benchmark Bioshock Infinite with the new driver starts 12% faster. Some maps in Star Wars: Battlefront downloaded to 34% faster.
The improvement of the technology frame synchronization FreeSync.
Caching shaders in Radeon Software Crimson
The Video tab allows you to adjust the brightness, sharpness and color saturation of videos. Appeared support for AMD Fluid Motion Video, and AMD Steady Video, and also features upscaling of Directional Scaling. With it Full HD videos with minimal losses stretched to 4K.
Directional Scaling
Now AMD plans to update the drivers for video card. A year will be out at least six versions of the software with the WHQL certificate. Plus Beta releases.
The plans to promote Software Radeon Crimson in 2016
The Failure Of The Steam Machine
Earlier this month Valve announced the start of sales of the Steam Machine hybrid gaming PC with SteamOS pre-installed version 2.0. As such, the reference model is not, however the majority partners Gabe Newell unveiled a miniature PC that looks similar to the games consoles of today. Bundled with the Steam Controller gamepad, but you can always buy separately and connect to the computer.
In November went on sale 11 modifications Steam Machine from different manufacturers. Has not managed and without small scandal. Such major U.S. collectors as Origin PC and Falcon Northwest, refused to participate in the campaign by Valve. Representatives first refused Steam Machine due to the fact that don’t see the point in another operating system. In their words, “a normal PC with a straight boot to Steam Big Picture and Steam controller already offers flawless gaming experience under Windows“. The collector Falcon Northwest disown brainchild of Gabe that SteamOS has limits to create very powerful models. In particular, do not support multiple video cards and drives.
Steam Machine from Alienware
Further — more. Colleagues of Ars Technica tested several popular games in Windows 10 and SteamOS. The system uses the CPU of Intel Pentium G3220 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 and 8 GB RAM. The results were, to put it mildly, disappointing for the Valve. In the vast majority of applications SteamOS worked noticeably slower. So, in Portal the difference between operating systems amounted to 36.5% in favor of Windows 10. While benchmarking games developed including Valve. Even they have not shown must optimize for SteamOS 2.0. Anyway, if you believe the results of benchmark Geekbench 3, the system 10 works with Windows faster: 4691 score against 4399 points.
A performance comparison of Windows 10 and SteamOS 2.0
Crysis was 8 years old!
November 13, computer game Crysis was 8 years old. In 2007, the development of the German company Crytek (publisher — Electronic Arts) was provided solely for PC, but later on, after optimization were released versions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In the end, Crysis became a benchmark of computer graphics. Yes, the real nekstgenom. Even today, 8 years later, Crysis is looking very fresh. Especially against the background of modern “conveyor craft”.
From a commercial point of view the game was not easy. The product was not sold in such large quantities, as expected in Electronic Arts. Among computer enthusiasts called Crysis not a game but a graphical benchmark. Indeed, in 2007 it was presented to the computer serious system requirements. As I remember, even build with a GeForce 8800 Ultra “choked”, giving non-playable FPS at high graphics quality settings. However, soon came second and third parts of the franchise. Including on the consoles. Crysis 3 announced 19 February 2013, is still able to put on the blades of even the most powerful modern gaming graphics cards. And yet since the advent of the first Crysis nothing radically new in terms of computer graphics did not appear.
Failures of computer games in November
Maybe nothing radically new in terms of computer graphics recently and has not appeared, but the system requirements of new computer games growing. Does it increase the graphics quality? November, or rather, releases AAA showed that the PC gaming industry is in deep crisis. Over the past month there were three very large product: Call of Duty Black Ops III, Fallout 4 and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. And all of these games from the PC gamers have a huge claim.
Fallout 4 as a whole makes no claim to iron major requirements. However, many users complain of constant drawdown FPS (read — freezing). Plus the game “spoils” gamers incredible amount of bugs. Personally for me it’s been a while in modern releases that the main character fell through the texture. Smacks of Polish shooters, concocted on the knee.
The reaction to the news of November
In Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the game developers that work closely with NVIDIA, suddenly not working SLI profile. With CrossFire in this game everything is fine. The paradox is that the next Assassin’s Creed has very high system requirements. Even graphics cards of GeForce GTX 980 Ti is not enough to play at the maximum graphics quality settings at WQHD resolution. This is the second misfire for the year NVIDIA. I recall that in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight, released in the first half of this year, still no support for SLI. And CrossFire too. The game was removed from sale on Steam. And only four months later is back on the shelves of this gaming service. Have not gone away and many brakes.
The performance of AMD Radeon R9 380X in Assassin’s Creed Unity and Syndicate
The performance of AMD Radeon R9 380X in Assassin’s Creed Unity and Syndicate
Many game journalists have noted that the Syndicate in terms of graphics, never more beautiful Unity, which was released exactly a year ago. As shown by testing, the video card in Syndicate of Unity and loaded more or less equally, because all used the same engine. Apparently, the year was not carried out any work on optimization. The conveyor operates, money is flowing river — all righty!
Already at the setting “Very high” in Full HD from the video card requires a minimum of 3 GB of memory. This is evidenced by the official system requirements. It is not surprising that in November, NVIDIA refused to release GeForce GTX 960 with 2 GB memory. Now the sale will go only versions with twice the amount of “brains”.
See what quality the textures in Call of Duty Black Ops III. The real “nekstgenom”!
Batman: Arkham Knight appeared very serious competitor, claiming the title of the worst PC release this year. After a few minutes together with Call of Duty Black Ops III, I have a strong feeling that the computer version was not involved at all. Slows down everything. Many users are unable to run it simply — the game freezes in the main menu. And if it doesn’t freeze, the gamer is faced with constant friezes. Colleagues from techpowerup.com determined that for a comfortable game in Black Ops III is not enough to have in my PC is 12 GB of RAM and a graphics card of GeForce GTX 980 Ti costing 650 USD. The whole pun is that the game is using last year’s engine, but the graphics quality is very low. As it turns out. Because of this “conveyor products”, the user needs to run to the store for a new powerful video card? No it is not. Games with such useless optimization should not go.
Schedule the end of 2015. Now I understand why for a comfortable game is not enough resources even GeForce GTX 980 Ti
P. S. Today the release of Just Cause 3. Including on PC. And what do you think? In Steam’e the rating has already fallen to 60%. This game is impossible to play because of constant freezes. Yes how many it is possible to release unfinished product?