14 DAY TRIAL // Prior to the official release of AMD's latest single-GPU flagship graphics card, there were rumors claiming that the Sunnyvale, California-based company was also planning to launch an X2-variant of the new RV790 GPU. However, according to some recent details, coming directly from the chip maker itself, AMD has no immediate plans to unveil a new graphics card based on a dual-chip design that will incorporate the new RV790 graphics processing unit. According to the company, there's still a significant market potential for the Radeon HD 4870 X2, one of the main reasons why the chip maker isn't considering an upcoming release for the Radeon HD 4890 X2.
In a recent news-article on xbitlabs, David Cummings, director of product marketing of discrete desktop graphics at AMD's graphics products group, said, “The single-GPU ATI Radeon HD 4890 makes sense because it fills an important price band within the market and a gap within our product line. With respect to an X2 variant, as you know, the ATI Radeon X2 products are specifically designed for the ultra-enthusiast. We continue to sell well into this small, but important part of the graphics market with the ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 as well as CrossFireX configurations of our single-GPU performance products and feel an additional product addressing the ultra high-end is not warranted at this time.”
According to AMD, the recently launched Radeon HD 4890 has been designed for a price segment that wasn't covered by any products in the company's current graphics lineup. However, the release of a new high-end enthusiast card, such as a possible 4890 X2, would not be justified, as the current 4870 X2 still has what it takes to deliver the performance required for that segment, in AMD's perspective.
The news doesn't necessarily eliminate a potential upcoming Radeon HD 4890 X2, but it clarifies the company's plans for the near future, providing users with some perspective on its product lineup. Basically, if you were waiting for an X2 variant of the RV790, you might want to change your plans, at least for the time being.