AMD Launches Firepro W8100 4K Graphics Cards
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- June 23, 2014
By James DeRuvo (doddleNEWS)
AMD announced the FirePro W8100 4K video graphics card today. With 8GB of DDR5 memory, it can provide nearly 4.2 terraflops or 38 times the performance of the previous FirePro model or any competing video card. Man, that’s blazing.
4K displays drive the need for more performance in media production pipelines. By adding the AMD FirePro W8100, we've expanded the AMD FirePro family to enable professionals — in cooperation with our hardware and software partners — with the right workstation performance they demand for next generation 4K workflows and supercomputing applications. - David Cummings, senior director and general manager, Professional Graphics at AMD
Specs of the AMD W8100 include 8GB of GDDR5 memory, which I believe is similar to the memory used by the Sony PlayStation 4. With the emerging standard of OpenCL, the W8100 is designed to handle ultra high definition 4K frame rates and video directly from the Firepro W8100′s GPU, freeing up the computer’s own RAM to do other things.
And when you combine up to four of the W8100′s, you can either use them as a single system resource for up to 16 terraflops of computing power, or you can break them out to do separate duties. And, of course, you can drive 4K computer screens for ultra clear resolution, which is great for moving forward in a 4K post production workflow.
"Ultra high-resolution workflows and new applications based on OpenCL are becoming more of the rule than the exception for our customers. The AMD FirePro W8100, designed for next generation 4K CAD and M&E workflows, will be a great option for customers that demand high-level performance to tackle their demanding workflows and focus on their work." - Andy Rhodes, executive director, Dell Precision workstations
And both Dell and HP have joined Apple in making the AMD FirePro graphics cards the central hub of their high performance computer workstations.
"HP workstation customers will be empowered by the AMD FirePro W8100 to be successful with both computer aided engineering projects as well as digital creative efforts," said Jeff Wood, vice president, Worldwide Product Management, Commercial Solutions Business Unit, HP. "AMD FirePro W8100 offers our workstation customers with the power and performance required for application success."
Key Features include:
- Application optimizations and certifications
- 2nd generation AMD GCN GPU architecture
- 2,560 stream processors (40 CUs)
- 4.2 TFLOPS peak single precision
- 2.1 TFLOPS peak double precision
- 8 GB GDDR5 Memory
- 512-bit memory interface
- 320 GB/s memory bandwidth
- Multi-GPU support (up to 4x)
- DirectGMA and SDI Support
- Framelock/Genlock
- AMD Eyefinity multidisplay technology
- Four discrete DisplayPort 1.2 Outputs
- Six display engines
- 4K display resolution (up to 4096?2160)
- AMD HD3D Pro Support4 (via stereoscopic 3-pin mini DIN)
- PCIe? 3.0 compliant, x16 bus interface
- OpenCL, DirectX? and OpenGL support
- 220 W maximum power consumption
- Discreet active cooling solution
- Full height/full length dual-slot form factor
- Planned minimum three-year lifecycle
- Limited three-year warranty
- Support for Microsoft Windows 8.1, Windows? 7 and Linux (32-/64-bit)
- FCC, CE, C-Tick, BSMI, KCC, UL, VCCI, RoHS and
- WEEE compliance
I’ve been testing the previous model, the W5100, and it’s really making a dramatic difference in both my computer performance for rendering, and for clearer resolution and bolder colors on my HD monitors. It’s almost an upgrade for the monitors without having to buy new ones. So in looking to get 4K monitors, I know I’ll be taking a hard look at the W8100 to drive them.
The AMD FirePro W8100 will be available starting starting next month. For more information, check out AMD.com, or swing by the AMD booth (#150) at the International Super Computing Expo in Leipzig, Germany this week.
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Press Release:
New AMD Professional Graphics Card Delivers GPU Compute Power For Future-Ready 4K Workstation Workflows and Personal Supercomputing
AMD FirePro W8100 delivers 38X more performance than closest competing product
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD FirePro W8100 professional graphics card, enabling new levels of workstation performance delivered by the company's second generation, industry-leading AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. With nearly 38 times the performance of the closest competing product based on double precision testing1, and powered by OpenCL, the AMD FirePro W8100 is designed for the next generation of 4K CAD (Computing Aided Design) and Media and Entertainment (M&E) workflows, engineering analysis and supercomputing applications. Bolstering the AMD Professional Graphics product family with yet another productive workstation solution, the AMD FirePro W8100 features a best-in-class 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, up to 4.2 TFLOPS of single precision compute performance, and unmatched double precision compute performance of up to 2.1 TFLOPS.
"Engineering Analysis is becoming increasingly relevant for high-end workstation workflows, and 4K displays drive the need for more performance in media production pipelines," said David Cummings, senior director and general manager, Professional Graphics at AMD. "By adding the AMD FirePro W8100, we've expanded the AMD FirePro family to enable professionals — in cooperation with our hardware and software partners — with the right workstation performance they demand for next generation 4K workflows and supercomputing applications."
"At Dell, we believe in providing our workstation customers with the most effective tools to accomplish their tasks — Dell Precision workstations with AMD FirePro professional graphics help give our customers those crucial tools," said Andy Rhodes, executive director, Dell Precision workstations. "Ultra high-resolution workflows and new applications based on OpenCL are becoming more of the rule than the exception for our customers. The AMD FirePro W8100, designed for next generation 4K CAD and M&E workflows, will be a great option for customers that demand high-level performance to tackle their demanding workflows and focus on their work."
"HP workstation customers will be empowered by the AMD FirePro W8100 to be successful with both computer aided engineering projects as well as digital creative efforts,” said Jeff Wood, vice president, Worldwide Product Management, Commercial Solutions Business Unit, HP. “AMD FirePro W8100 offers our workstation customers with the power and performance required for application success.”
“AMD FirePro W8100 mirrors the philosophy that we provide in our software – uncompromising quality matched with reliable tools,” said Steve Bannerman, vice-president marketing, ASSIMILATE. “We’re starting to see a real transition in our customer base to 4K workflows as SCRATCH artists make feature films, television shows and commercials by pushing the boundaries technology delivers. The AMD FirePro W8100 complements SCRATCH by providing exceptional quality to workflow process.”
“Through our internal testing we have determined that the new AMD FirePro W8100 graphics card will enable our customers to improve productivity based on industry leading professional graphics technology,” said Ray Browell, Lead Product Manager, ANSYS, Inc. “ANSYS customers that handle complex systems and simulations will certainly benefit from the performance, reliability and valued certification that the new AMD professional graphics card provides.”
“The introduction of the AMD FirePro W8100 complements our current SIMULIA release with accelerated compute performance and enhances our customer support for workstations and servers in multiple environments for High Performance Computing,” said Matt Dunbar, Software Architecture Director, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes. “With 8GB of dedicated fast memory plus over 2 TFLOPS of dual-precision floating-point performance, AMD FirePro W8100 combines with Abaqus to enable customers with the ability to process even larger simulation datasets and deliver faster, more accurate and detailed results.”
Adrian Thompson, VP of Marketing for SAPPHIRE Technology, the Exclusive Global Distribution Partner for AMD FirePro commented: “The AMD FirePro W8100 delivers the exciting performance levels the professional user is looking for across a broad range of compute and graphically intensive tasks, and is ideal not just for integration into new workstations, but also delivers a stunning upgrade for users looking to increase productivity in today’s demanding applications.”
The AMD FirePro W8100 is the ideal professional-grade solution for CAD as well as applications dedicated to video editing, color correction, compositing, design visualization and GPU-accelerated compute tasks. The AMD FirePro W8100 features 8GB of ultra-fast GDDR5 on-board memory, designed to empower workstation users to load much larger datasets or handle ultra-HD video frames on the GPU’s internal memory for processing, diminishing lag while improving the overall responsiveness of the workstation. Up to four AMD FirePro W8100 cards can be combined in a single system for scalable GPU compute performance of over 16 TFLOPS. The AMD FirePro W8100 allows users to be productive with up to four 4K display support and certified application performance with differentiated graphics features.
To address the increased requirements for real-time 4K productivity, the AMD FirePro Ultra Workstation was created with input from industry leaders to bring to market single- and multi-GPU configurations based on the new AMD FirePro™ W8100 that can match the demand of compute-intensive applications. Supporting Workstation System Integrators include: Armari, CARRI, Colfax,Exxact, Mouse Computer, PSSC Labs, Scan International, Tarox, Versatile Distribution Services, Workstation Specialists andWortmann.
The AMD FirePro™ W8100 is available starting in July from AMD’s global distribution partner SAPPHIRE Technology, AMD FirePro™ Ultra Workstation providers, and major workstation providers.
The AMD FirePro™ W8100 plus a sneak preview of the forthcoming AMD FirePro™ S9150 will be on display at the AMD exhibit booth at International Super Computing 2014 (#150).
