AMD preps DirectX 10.1 'Radeon HD 3600' GPU pair
'RV635' probably not branded XT and Pro
AMD is expected to launch the successor to its ATI Radeon HD 2600 in January, and now the two new parts' speed details have emerged.
Graphics card maker sources cited by DigiTimes point two versions of the 'RV635' GPU one an XT model, the other a Pro. The former will be clocked at 800MHz, the latter at 600MHz. The chips support DirectX 10.1 - due to be released with Windows Vista Service Pack 1 early next year.
Both GPUs will connect to memory across a 128-bit bus, but while the Pro will appear on cards containing at least 512MB of GDDR 2 SDRam, XT-based cards will have 256MB of GDDR 3. As yet, memory clock speeds are not known.
The GPUs will be sampling shortly, the moles maintained.
However, it seems unlikely the two chips will come to market with Pro and XT monikers. As AMD demonstrated with the ATI Radeon HD 3800 series of GPUs, announced last week, it's effectively dropping such tags in favour of model numbers.
So while it might have launched the 3800 XT and 3800 Pro last week, in fact it announced the 3870 and the 3850 instead. Presumably, it will do the same with the ATI Radeon HD 3600, or whatever range the RV635 ships as.
The RV635 launch is expected to be accompanied by 'RV620', the successor to today's ATI Radeon HD 2400 family - HD 3400 series, anyone?
COMMENTS
Why Bother
Why bother with the 2400 refresh? Seriously. Kill the extra chip, and produce more 3600 series. It seems the way AMD is moving, it would be best to throw the gauntlet down on this lowest discrete market. Simply drop the lowest 3600 down to this price level, and soundly smack around the 8500-esque chips. It seems like awaste of resources to refresh that lowly beast when the most you're going to get for such a card is what 50-60 USD? With the 38xx series so cheap, why not slam the gauntlet down on all that lovely 8500/8400/ whatever stock that floats around in reseller land.
Just my .02 cents.
