Parhelia 256mb at 250mhz?

[Wombat]

Because clock speed has abso-****ing-lutely <B>nothing</B> to do with transistor count or process size.

&lt<!>sigh<!>&gt

It's been covered so many times already.

[mdhome]

Originally posted by Captain Marvel
thanx for the reply............ not trying to be critical but any thoughts on why the R300 can hit 300+ mhz on a 100+ transistor gpu??????????????

Hello Capn
According to the chaps at Beyond3d its because ATI have designed the chip layout such that it can run at higher speeds.

Regards Michael

[P5ycho]

Just the way intel has done with the Pentium4. It does less per clock cycle comparing to an Athlon.

[mdhome]

I'm not sure that's the reason. I think it is because the chip has probably been designed to help keep it cool, ie placing the hottest parts nearest the edges etc

Regards MD

[frankymail]

Maybe buffers, less-computerized conception and transistor arrangement.

Oh, btw Matrox, PLZ, in your next Parhelia (2?) revision, add some good occlusion-culling functionnalities, because I think that it is the cause of it’s –lower- 3D performance (that, and clock speed)

[Indiana]

However with the ATI really shining in quite every benchmark against even the GF4 Ti4600 - it's not even really slower in Comanche4 while every one knows that ATIs driver team just hates Comanche4.. - and the Parhelia loses sometime even against a Kyro, I wonder what would have happened if ATI made the chip doing the same amount of work per clock cycle as an Parhelia

[Wombat]

... because the chip has probably been designed to help keep it cool, ie placing the hottest parts nearest the edges etc

If that's true, I doubt it has anything to to with ATi or Matrox. I really doubt they do their own PaR.

[xortam]

PaR = Place and Route?

[Wombat]

Yes. I think it's unlikely that the video card companies do much past handing the RTL over to the ASIC plant.

[xortam]

RTL = Register Transfer Level
I don't know how far these guys take their design. Where was it that I saw that ATI had hand placed some of the chip components ... some review or perhaps a quote here?

[Ssin]

Originally posted by Captain Marvel
thanx for the reply............ not trying to be critical but any thoughts on why the R300 can hit 300+ mhz on a 100+ transistor gpu??????????????

Hmmm maybe ATI is coming up with a new MHZ definition... it is going to say somethin like that :
"Hey guys we are so cool and our stuff is so good that we think our measurement unit should be a little twisted over that of concurrent companies. So when our chip does 50Mhz it is as if it does 300 mhz."

as you probably have noticed.. I don't like ATI very much. no wait.. it's their hardware that is crappy.. nah, it's the software.. c'mon it's they way they twist their drivers to have better benches.. hmmm what about their customer support... hmm can't think of anything else.. anyone, help.

[[GDI]Raptor]

Well Ssin! We'll have to se when the REAL R300 cards start hiting the street. ATI has designed a perty impresive chip here, but the way they "welcomed" Reviewers to Benchmark their new chip, and ONLY show the increse th the GF4Ti4600 was a litle.... strange...

Parhelia for me.... FPS isn't everything!

[Ssin]

Yeah me too. I don't need FPS. I need quality that's why I'm in this forum after all... Just for information, where did you guys get all your P retails out there? It's not available from the dealers in Belgium yet... and needless to say I'm eager to have it here...

[Marshmallowman]

so the 256mb is the pro version...

does that mean it will use an AGP pro slot...giving it more power to play with and more room for a better heat/sinkfan. and maybe 300/300 clocks

Well here's hoping.

I can't see matrox adding a power connector tho, thats just to crude for matrox.

[Ssin]

Yup, they usually tend to be rather shy on extreme hardcore hardware. I mean they target 100% compatibility rather than 100% fancy on the card... I don't expect Matrox will be putting some kind of fancy fan with a big Parhelia logo on it...