14 DAY TRIAL // AMD should launch the Radeon R9 290X graphics adapter in a day or so, which explains all the premature leaks we've been seeing. This one about the card being taken apart might be the best yet though.
Teardowns happen all the time, sure, and it doesn't really matter what type of hardware component or gadget it is. Interested parties will take them apart to see what makes them tick.
In this case, the folks at Expreview posted pictures of the Hawaii-based high-end graphics board.
You'll see the 28nm Hawaii silicon in all its glory, and the cooler has been confirmed to be nothing special.
And by nothing special, we mean to say that it follows the standard AMD design, although the black and red cooler shroud does look slightly more intricate than usual.
Doubly curious since this isn't even AMD's original board. Well, it is, but not the one AMD will sell itself. It's the HIS model.
The reason no changes can be gleamed, compared to the reference card, is because AMD has forbidden its partners from modifying the adapter for a while.
Sure, liquid coolers will debut immediately, and we may even see some with water blocks on, but the card itself won't be modified.
That said, the PCB (printed circuit board) of the powerful graphics card has, in addition to the GPU (7.08 billion transistors and all), a 5+1+1 phase VRM (voltage regulation module with CPL-made chokes) and sixteen GDDR5 memory chips.
All the chips are on the obverse side of the PCB (top side), so there isn't a need for a backplate.
Other things visible on the board are CPL-made chokes, IR-made DirectFETs, and a new IR-made VRM controller.
Last we heard, the Radeon R9 290X was priced at $729.99 / €799, but that was a week ago. AMD may truly ship the card for $699 / €699, although VAT and shipping costs may add a bit to the price.
