AMD has updated its professional graphics line-up with two new GPUs, the FirePro V5900 and Firepro V7900; in the process claiming to offer double the performance of the competition. The V5900 offers 512 stream processors, 2GB of GDDR5 RAM with 64GB/s of bandwidth and has a 75W TDP. A single dual-link DVI output is accompanied by a pair of DisplayPort 1.2 ports. The V7900 ups the stream processor count to 1,280, has the same 2GB of RAM but ups the bandwidth to 160GB/s and carries a 150W TDP.
The V7900 also packs in an additional two DisplayPort outputs and adds support for AMD's HD3D Pro and its FirePro S400 synchronisation module. Both GPUs are Crossfire capable, and are Eyefinity-capable, enabling up to three displays to be driven simultaneously - ideal for the production and rendering environments these cards are designed to be installed in.
The test in question giving that 100 per cent performance improvement compared a AMD FirePro V7900 to an NVIDIA Quadro 4000, not the highest-end GPU in NVIDIA's inventory. Price-wise, though, the two graphics cards are comparable as the V7900 will go on sale for $999 (£614) - not far off the £550 asking price for a Quadro 4000. The next model up, the Quadro 5000, is almost three times the cost, by the way. The FirePro V5900, meanwhile, will be available for $600 (£368).
The extra cost over a similar specification Radeon comes in the form of certification for a number of professional software tools, including Autodesk 2010, Solidworks 2010 and 2011 3D, and Side Effects Software Houdini 11.
Both cards are available immediately.
