AMD Radeon R9 390X “Fiji” gets 8 GB of video memory according to changed plans

The Fiji graphics processor that is expected to house the Radeon R9 390X is expected to be the first to take the step from GDDR5 to a significantly faster memory standard. However, according to previous information, the transition is said to mean a limitation, at least initially, in the form that the graphics card would be introduced with only 4 GB of video memory.

Now Fudzilla reports that previous information was correct, but that AMD changed the plans and instead releases the Radeon R9 390X with 8 GB of video memory. The reasons are said to be Nvidia’s announcement of the Geforce GTX Titan X with a full 12 GB GDDR5, but also that the graphics processor performs so well in 4K resolution that 4 GB can mean a real bottleneck.

The memory that is believed to be provided by SK Hynix is ​​called High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), where four memory circuits are stacked according to the concept through-silicon via (TSV). In the first generation, which began production earlier this year, it brings in a total of 1 GB of memory and a width of 1,024 bits per capsule, which with a clock frequency of 1,000 MHz gives a bandwidth of 128 GB / s.

The Fiji graphics processor, which apparently gets a 4,096-bit memory bus, is expected to be accompanied by four memory capsules, which would thus provide 4 GB of video memory. Assuming the new information is correct, it would mean that AMD redesigned the graphics card to house eight memory capsules with a narrower 512-bit bus width, or that the company waited for a new solution from SK Hynix with higher capacity.

In addition to a new memory technology, rumors point that Fiji will have 4,096 stream processors, or around 45 percent more than the Hawaii XT in the current flagship Radeon R9 290X. The graphics card must also be equipped with closed water cooling for the reference design, probably a direct consequence of the fact that it is said to consume 300 W.

The same report claims that the Radeon R9 390X will make its entrance early this summer, which is in line with previous information, suggesting a launch around Computex 2015 in early June.