14 DAY TRIAL // Even if you don't like to compete and you're happy with your place, it's a good thing to catch the No.1 spot from time to time. Especially if you're not a big player. As it turns out, this is the same logic that has driven the guys from Diamond Multimedia towards the decision of rolling out the first 1GB DDR4 Radeon HD 2900 XT video card. Evidently, the launch of such a 3D monster could not go unnoticed so Diamond Multimedia released a pretty comprehensive document which details all the major aspects that regard this very model.
"Diamond Multimedia's new flagship graphics card is the foundation of a whole new generation of ATI Radeon Graphics. A 700 million-transistor processing powerhouse with Dynamic Game Computing technology designed to unleash the full potential of DirectX? 10 for all the action, jaw dropping effects and spectacular performance that enthusiasts crave. With a 2nd generation unified shader architecture, ultra-wide 512-bit memory interface and integrated CrossFire scalability it delivers astonishing frame rates with unprecedented visual quality and growth potential. And with built-in HDMI and multi-channel 5.1 surround audio, the Diamond Radeon HD 2900 XT 1GB delivers the ultimate Immersive HD Gaming experience."
See? All you need to know is an all-in-one phrasing sequence. Now I'm not that astonished since I doubt all that horsepower will be enough to overthrow the 8800 Ultra but the arrival of the 1GB 2900 series will be a good thing for Ati/ AMD. Just as its 512MB GDDR3 brother, the new HD 2900 XT also comes with full support for 128-bit HDR and 24X CFAA as well as HDMI with 5.1 audio out. The chipset is identical to reference R600 model but will probably be clocked higher than 740MHz (which is the default value for the 512MB HD 2900 XT).
As for the GDDR4-chips, the company doesn't specify the actual clocks but states that they will deliver 146GB/s of data throughput. A quick calculus will give you about 2.28GHz of DDR speed (1.14GHz real clock). Diamond Multimedia's card will be out on June 14th. If you want it, 15 system integrators including VelocityMicro, Falcon North West and Vigor Gaming will have this card on stock in a few days.