AMD Rolls Out new HD 7950 BIOS, Expects Existing Customers to Look the Other Way

[sswilson]

How different would the optics have been for this if they'd waited a day or so after the NDA for the 660ti dropped to announce both the new version (paper launch or not) and the fact that they were going to make the bios available for those who aren't faint of heart?

IMO, that would have been a perfect way of stealing Nvidia's thunder, and I'm sure most reviewers would have been happy to do a quick mini-review of the improvements for comparison to the 660 review.

[SKYMTL]

Originally Posted by bryanw1995

@skymtl: Ryan is definitely a straight shooter, though I remember that I was pretty pissed off when he caved in to NV and used the 460 ftw in the 6870/50 review. Your comments are spot on about both camps attempts to rain on the competitor's parade, it's extremely annoying to knowledgeable users and confusing to n00bs. However, I am at least a bit impressed that AMD has finally started to fight back a bit. Maybe firing 2/3 of their marketing department wasn't such a bad idea, after all...

Oh, I am totally on their side about this launch. The performance bump is certainly welcome and will add value to one of the best selling SKUs. My issue here is the way it's being handled on the marketing / branding / PR side of things.

Naturally, all of my comments could be for nothing should the board partners and / or retailers decide to actually label the products differently. But AMD's directive at this point is quite clear: there is no prerequisite to shift product descriptions. Maybe that will change....HOPEFULLY that will change.

[bryanw1995]

I hope it doesn't change. The base 7950 is great, but bumping the vcore up to 1.25 for auto-overclocking is ridiculous. I think that 7950 was already the card to get, anyway, and that's before overclocking is figured into the equation. I'll be impressed if gtx 660 ti can keep up after AA/AF are thrown into the mix at higher resolutions.

[NyteOwl]

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

My issue here is the way it's being handled on the marketing / branding / PR side of things.

I've long felt that if most marketing and PR people didn't find jobs in marketing and advertising they would be working out of gloomy little back alley offices working on ways to swindle little old ladies for every last nickle.

Oh, wait ...


Seriously this kind of tactic isn't knew it's been sued before by just about every player in the game (including nVidia).

[SKYMTL]

Originally Posted by bryanw1995

I hope it doesn't change. The base 7950 is great, but bumping the vcore up to 1.25 for auto-overclocking is ridiculous. I think that 7950 was already the card to get, anyway, and that's before overclocking is figured into the equation. I'll be impressed if gtx 660 ti can keep up after AA/AF are thrown into the mix at higher resolutions.

Again I agree. Hopefully, some forum goers take this whole episode on HWC not as bias but rather in the spirit in which it was meant: to draw attention to what we believe is an error on AMD's part by essentially shoving a highly appealing product under the rug.

And no, the original article did not convey that well.

[terrybear]

I have to say, to me sky is probly the most unbiased of those reviewers on this site.

That being said ... IF amd wanted to trump the 660 launch .... they'd do as sswilson sugests wait & then more so drop a ghz edition of 7950's at the same pricepoint. If what others have said, shouldnt be hard to put up 1 ghz clocked 7950's if they can go up to 1.1 ...

[great_big_abyss]

Originally Posted by terrybear

I have to say, to me sky is probly the most unbiased of those reviewers on this site.

That being said ... IF amd wanted to trump the 660 launch .... they'd do as sswilson sugests wait & then more so drop a ghz edition of 7950's at the same pricepoint. If what others have said, shouldnt be hard to put up 1 ghz clocked 7950's if they can go up to 1.1 ...

It would be awesome if they released an official updated bios for existing 7950s based on a potential GHZ edition, and actually supported it. That would be a great free upgrade.

[bryanw1995]

If AMD were smart then they would have sent Ryan Smith a highly OC'd 7950 and said "remember that 6870/50 launch review article? We want payback now".

[YukonTrooper]

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

Again I agree. Hopefully, some forum goers take this whole episode on HWC not as bias but rather in the spirit in which it was meant: to draw attention to what we believe is an error on AMD's part by essentially shoving a highly appealing product under the rug.

And no, the original article did not convey that well.

Most of us will see this episode for what it is and continue to appreciate your work and analysis. Your detractors, on the other hand, will twist it and use it to reaffirm their opinion that you're a scheming, biased, Nvidia troll.

[SKYMTL]

Originally Posted by bryanw1995

If AMD were smart then they would have sent Ryan Smith a highly OC'd 7950 and said "remember that 6870/50 launch review article? We want payback now".

Well, that was something we refused to do at the time. I don't think Ryan did it either.

As for the highly OC'd card....they did that but instead of sending a card, they sent a BIOS.