AMD Radeon 68x0 cards revealed

[Sharktooth]

Here's the review: http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-review/1

as you can see 68x0 series is not comparable with 58x0 series in terms of 3D performance as they're intended for the mid-range market.
however, the UVD 3.0 (i think that is the most interesting part for the users of this forum) is quite interesting coz it includes hardware decoding support for all major MPEG formats (including mpeg 2, mpeg 4 ASP, AVC and MVC) and HD3D (3D display support for games and videos). The audio part is interesting as well coz those new cards can pass lossless audio thru HDMI.
however, click the link to read more.

[littleD]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3987/amds-radeon-6870-6850-renewing-competition-in-the-midrange-market/4
Some details there.
but from cat 10.10 release notes:
Video accleration for WMV HD® video content
�� This release of AMD Catalyst provides video acceleration support for WMV HD®
(Microsoft video codec) under Windows 7
�� Compatible with the ATI Radeon™ HD 5000 Series of products

[Sharktooth]

you might want to look for 10.10a "hotfix" drivers.
here: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU84AMDCatalyst1010aHotfix.aspx

however, UVD 3 is capable to decode the said formats and they're exposed in the DXVA checker screenshot. the release notes could be incomplete.

[Sharktooth]

third driver hotfix (10.10c): http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU86AMDCat1010cHotfix.aspx

[Gser]

lol anybody with 5000 series doesn't need it to decode video. Me, for example. My i7 takes care of it just fine.

[Sharktooth]

so what?

[Gser]

so what?
So the hardware video decoding is uninteresting at best. Older video cards can also pass lossless audio threw HDMI fyi.

[Ghitulescu]

Not everyone has a powerful PC.

[mariush]

I'd think someone who can afford a 150$ video card can afford at least a 200$ computer. Just yesterday I configured a system based on a 150$ Asus barebone system with a 40$ dual core Celeron processor, a 25$ memory module and a 30$ hard drive and integrated video, which could have been even cheaper if the processor and the memory would have been bought from eBay. In all, it could handle 1080p easily.

The "powerful pc" point is useless here, I think.

Hell, a few days ago I upgraded my sister's computer with a Barton processor and the video card was an old nVidia one without hardware decoding - 720p was playing with minor hiccups so if this obsolete processor can almost play 720p, I'd say even a P4 would play a 720p smoothly.

[Sharktooth]

Gser: it's uninteresting FOR YOU. there is a lot of ppl building cheap HTPC. Since UVD3 will be in ALL AMD 6000 series cards (including the uber cheap cards like the 6250) it is VERY interesting to know what those cards can decode.
btw, if you DONT CARE, just DO NOT REPLY. it's easy.

[Ghitulescu]

I'd think someone who can afford a 150$ video card can afford at least a 200$ computer. Just yesterday I configured a system based on a 150$ Asus barebone system with a 40$ dual core Celeron processor, a 25$ memory module and a 30$ hard drive and integrated video, which could have been even cheaper if the processor and the memory would have been bought from eBay. In all, it could handle 1080p easily.

The "powerful pc" point is useless here, I think.

Hell, a few days ago I upgraded my sister's computer with a Barton processor and the video card was an old nVidia one without hardware decoding - 720p was playing with minor hiccups so if this obsolete processor can almost play 720p, I'd say even a P4 would play a 720p smoothly.

The idea is:

buy/build a powerful system and rely on software decoding
build/buy a cheap/obsolete PC but with a HW accelerator
build/buy a powerful PC with a HW accelerator, but that's costly
buy for the same amount of money a mediaplayer or a standalone that has access to a media file bank (and it's able to play them)

Upgrading and configuring is a sport one does it (luckily for her/him) only during youth (say up to University). After that it's no longer a sport, and unless it's a hobby, it may become extremely annoying.

So, everyone should pick up a choice and live happy. I have mine already picked up. :)

[nevcairiel]

Only interesting addition is MVC decoding for 3D movies, finally catching up to NVIDIA now. The 5xxx series already had VC1 and H264, and it could already pass full HDMI audio.
So from the video decoding standpoint, nothing that should make anyone go "oooh". Its just catching up to NVIDIA on that front, and hopefully fixing some longstanding bugs in their awful DXVA implementation.

[littleD]

Gser: it's uninteresting FOR YOU. there is a lot of ppl building cheap HTPC. Since UVD3 will be in ALL AMD 6000 series cards (including the uber cheap cards like the 6250) it is VERY interesting to know what those cards can decode.
btw, if you DONT CARE, just DO NOT REPLY. it's easy.

Yup. Imagine old/slow PC that you can change only one component - graphic card to gain many features at once, better game exp, HD+ playback of various formats, maybe less power consumption (ATI/AMD), etc...
Next imagine slow laptop and uvd 3 card, which save your battery.
Next imagine HTCP based on uvd3, (or vp4 whatever) which is fanless and so small that can fit right behind your LCD.

UVDx/VPx have use cases where high clocked i7 has weak chances to exist.

[Sharktooth]

Catalyst 10.10d hotfix adds support for additional Stereo 3D-capable displays.
Download: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU86AMDCat1010dHotfix.aspx

[Sharktooth]

new hotfix 10.10e adds again more support for additional Stereo-3D capable devices and MLAA for radeon 5000 series:
download: http://support.amd.com/la/kbarticles/Pages/GPU87AMDCat1010eHotfix.aspx