14 DAY TRIAL // ATI Technologies recently revealed several details regarding its upcoming code-named R600 graphics processing unit (GPU), saying that it will be revolutionary, as it does not only include novel features and unified shader architecture, but that it will also be the manufacturer's most powerful graphics chip to deliver perfect DirectX 9 applications, according to Xbit Labs.
"The R600 will be the fastest DirectX 9 chip that we had ever built", said Richard Huddy, the head of ATI Technologies' software developers relations department, at a press conference in London, UK.
When asked if the GPU's already renowned unified shader architecture will be compatible with the popular DirectX 9 games, which were created especially for vertex processors, Huddy answered that every user can purchase R600, as the graphics chip will certainly deliver the best performance for all existing applications.
Huddy added: "The Xbox 360 game console, which sports the ATI developed Xenos graphics core with unified shader architecture and 48 shader processors, loses 20% to 25% performance in pixel-shader limited games, when its graphics chip is configured as non-unified, 16 processors work strictly on vertex shaders, whereas 32 are assigned for pixel shaders."
It seems that ATI R600 will include no less than 64 unified shader processors, an unmatched number so far, 16 texture units - inline with today's GPUs, clock-speed beyond 650MHz, and support for high-speed GDDR4 memory controller.
ATI's GPU challenger - Nvidia G80 will have fewer shader processors and will feature a "hybrid" micro-architecture.
Unfortunately, ATI's revolutionary development might see the light of day hand in hand with Microsoft's upcoming operating system, Windows Vista, as Microsoft announced that it refuses to release DirectX 10 API for Windows XP before Windows Vista. This means that R600 will have to wait more than a little while.
If we turn back time, we will remember the moment when ATI launched, in 2002, another revolutionary GPU, the only one to support directly DirectX 9 applications, offering enhanced performance in DirectX 8-based games, primarily because it sported 8 pixel processors, two times more than its competitor GeForce 4 Titanium, and 256-bit memory bus, also about two times faster than that of the GeForce4 Ti.
Consequently, ATI might hit the jackpot again, but, in the mean time, the company can relax and wait for Microsoft's signal.