Video game addicts...

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

Considering my video card is about the same size as that full box I doubt it. Notice how small that area is for the video card, they might be able to fit in something like a GTX650.

I can play Assassins Creed III with the smallest bit of lag in the most complex environments with everything maxed out, and this is the size of the GTX660 I'm using:



I think the goal for this will be cost since if I have a piston for use with steam then in 2-3 years I can upgrade the graphics card for ~100 bucks (if it's around the GTX650 level) and keep the system going.

The GFX is supposed to be a Radeon 7000 series but they don't tell you which one. They tend to be more efficient then the Nvidia's. They said it's a more efficient computer overall though. That happens when you use proprietary components. Running solid works with just 2GB ram is impressive. Seeing as they're teaming up with Steam, I suspect that the Xi7 would have to run with everything maxed to be a top tier seller as a gaming PC.

[UnderNewOwnership]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

Considering my video card is about the same size as that full box I doubt it. Notice how small that area is for the video card, they might be able to fit in something like a GTX650.

The machine in the clip is running an AMD Fusion - probably a low-power A10-4655M chip (owing to the total paucity of this model on the market, which would make sense if it was earmarked for tech demo builds) - on a custom-fabbed miniITX board. Said chip has an on-die integrated video card (reasonably good, though by no means high-end) so no need for a dedicated one (unless you want m0ar dakka via Hybrid Crossfire, though I don't think you'll be able to fit one, given the tiny headroom).

What I find odd, however, is that Valve are going the AMD Fusion route, since Sony (their would-be rivals in the console market) have recently been showcasing several demonstators of their own, running the same Fusion APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). Then again, Sony have the glut to bide their time, so they might be waiting for AMD's 28nm Kaveri APU, rather than going for the current Trinity.

Edit: Lemme guess, a good deal of the stuff I've written is Sanskrit to many AdvRiders.

[Jonnylotto]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

Edit: Lemme guess, a good deal of the stuff I've written is Sanskrit to many AdvRiders.

Don't worry, those guys are over in the clubhouse rolling dice and measuring range.

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

The machine in the clip is running an AMD Fusion - probably a low-power A10-4655M chip (owing to the total paucity of this model on the market, which would make sense if it was earmarked for tech demo builds) - on a custom-fabbed miniITX board. Said chip has an on-die integrated video card (reasonably good, though by no means high-end) so no need for a dedicated one (unless you want m0ar dakka via Hybrid Crossfire, though I don't think you'll be able to fit one, given the tiny headroom).

What I find odd, however, is that Valve are going the AMD Fusion route, since Sony (their would-be rivals in the console market) have recently been showcasing several demonstators of their own, running the same Fusion APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). Then again, Sony have the glut to bide their time, so they might be waiting for AMD's 28nm Kaveri APU, rather than going for the current Trinity.

Edit: Lemme guess, a good deal of the stuff I've written is Sanskrit to many AdvRiders.

That doesn't make sense though, they pull the "video card" and leave the mother board so it likely has a different CPU and then dedicated graphics card instead of the 2 in one solution APU. Unless they are doing a cross-fire setup.

[UnderNewOwnership]

Originally Posted by NikonsAndVStroms

Unless they are doing a cross-fire setup.

That could be it. They sell the base spec without a video card; if you want m0ar dakka, you buy the requisite discrete solution and install it, enabling the Dual Graphics mode (which increses framerate up to +40% in DirectX 11 and higher games).

Besides, the flagship Kaveri-based APU is rumoured to feature an on-die Radeon HD 7750. This would enable a system to play reasonably demanding titles without needing a Dual Graphics setup with a discrete card.

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

That could be it. They sell the base spec without a video card; if you want m0ar dakka, you buy the requisite discrete solution and install it, enabling the Dual Graphics mode (which increses framerate up to +40% in DirectX 11 and higher games).

Besides, the flagship Kaveri-based APU is rumoured to feature an on-die Radeon HD 7750. This would enable a system to play reasonably demanding titles without needing a Dual Graphics setup with a discrete card.

How is AMD doing in terms of CPU performance now a days? I know that isn't as big of a concern for gaming since the GPU side of an APU will be what matters but it seems that Intel has taken over the market.

[UnderNewOwnership]

Short answer: they kinda suck. The latest revision brings multithread performance very close to Intel's Sandy Bridge, but singlethread is still poor. It's even slightly worse than the old Phenom line.

Thankfully, that doesn't really matter in the areas AMD are currently expanding. Their integrated graphics solutions completely obliterate even the best effort Intel can muster (the HD4000) at lower prices (the current Trinity flagship, the A10-5800k, is slightly cheaper than its direct competitor, the HD4000-toting I3-3225). For a mid-end all-singing, all dancing mATX/mITX form factor, there's none better. True, AMD have more or less abandoned the high-end CPU market, but recent rumours have them behind pretty much every console maker's next-gen plans.

[Jonnylotto]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

Short answer: they kinda suck. The latest revision brings multithread performance very close to Intel's Sandy Bridge, but singlethread is still poor. It's even slightly worse than the old Phenom line.

Thankfully, that doesn't really matter in the areas AMD are currently expanding. Their integrated graphics solutions completely obliterate even the best effort Intel can muster (the HD4000) at lower prices (the current Trinity flagship, the A10-5800k, is slightly cheaper than its direct competitor, the HD4000-toting I3-3225). For a mid-end all-singing, all dancing mATX/mITX form factor, there's none better. True, AMD have more or less abandoned the high-end CPU market, but recent rumours have them behind pretty much every console maker's next-gen plans.

Then why is their stock still trading like used paper?

[YakSpout]

Originally Posted by Jonnylotto

Then why is their stock still trading like used paper?

Consumer market performance/penetration is nowhere the capital I's lead in Enterprise.

[UnderNewOwnership]

^^^ This. 8 out of 10 corporate laptops sport an Intel (usually an i3). Most corporate users don't really care about integrated graphics quality; as long as it can run spreadsheets, it's good enough.

AMD's recovery from the Bulldozer fiasco has been a slow and drawn-out affair; it is only recently that laptops (like HP's flagship Envy series) and HTPCs using Trinity cores have started entering the market. AMD's main marketing pitch is graphical performance close to a system with a dedicated mid-end graphics card, in a much more space-conscious enclosure.

[NikonsAndVStroms]

Originally Posted by YakSpout

Consumer market performance/penetration is nowhere the capital I's lead in Enterprise.

I don't think they're even an option in workstations anymore at least for Dell.

[RxZ]

As someone who probably could've graduated a few spots higher from college if not for Civilization 2 and SimCity (whatever version was popular circa 2003-6), I can not wait for the latest SimCity. Release date March 5.

[Squelch]

That new SimCity looks good! I doubt it will run on my 5-year old MacPro though. Might be time for a new computer...

[RocketJohn]

I would think that SimCity would be perfect for the tablet market

[RxZ]

They tried once, I even bought it for my smartphone. However, now it is not in my list of android apps to download to the nexus. I agree though, it could be fun on a tablet.

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