AMD Unleashes the FirePro V8800

Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices recently announced the launch of a new line of ATI FirePro graphics cards, specifically designed to meet the performance requirements of professional graphics users. Built on the company's latest graphics processing units, the new cards will now be able to provide professional users with support for the company's ATI Eyefinity technology, which enables them to increase their desktop workspace by connecting several monitors to a single card. The debut of the line of FirePro cards is marked by the launch of AMD's fastest, professional graphics card, the FirePro V8800.

“AMD is the undisputed consumer graphics leader and today we’re bringing many of the same cutting edge innovations from our ATI Radeon HD 5000 series to the professional graphics market for the first time. The ATI FirePro V8800 with ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology effectively dissolves visual limitations for professionals,” Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Products Group, said.

“Our ecosystem has never been stronger as we’re actively working with leading ISVs and OEMs on a global scale to offer unprecedented choice and advanced performance for handling today’s modern workloads. We’re confident the latest family of ATI FirePro professional graphics brings new value to the workstation graphics market.”

As far as the card's specifications are concerned, the new GPU has been coupled with 1,600 Stream processors, and 2GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit memory interface. The card is featured with four DisplayPort connectors, enabling users to connect up to four independent, 30-inch displays for an impressive 16.5 million-pixel resolution. The card will work with ATI's FirePro S400 Synchronization Module, basically allowing for up to four displays per graphics card to be synchronized at a time.

Additional features include the support for DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.2, Shader Model 5.0, ATI Eyefinity support, CrossFire Pro and a maxim power of less than 225W. The card will be available for an MSRP of US$1,499, according to the GPU maker.