AMD announces a lineup of graphics cards for 4K gaming

AMD has unveiled their next-gen graphics cards based on the R9 and R7 300 series graphics hardware containing new technologies like High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). These cards are aimed at facilitating better experiences in PC gaming such as higher-resolution gameplay, smoother VR experiences and support for newer graphics APIs such as DirectX 12 and Vulkan--AMD’s own OpenGL-derived graphics API.

The Radeon R9 Fury

The Radeon R9 Fury series graphics cards showcases the new High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) standard where the on-chip memory now sees up to a 60 percent increase in memory speed over current-day standards like GDDR5, along with a class-leading 4096-bit memory interface that makes for massive improvements in managing large amounts of graphics data. This new type of memory places special importance on power utilization, where is slated to deliver over 3 times the performance per watt compared to GDDR5 while requiring 94 percent less surface area on the graphics card itself, making it now possible to fit higher-power graphics into smaller form factor systems.

The space savings resulting from the inherently smaller design of this platform is aimed at serving lower-profile computing form factors, especially for the DIY and enthusiast space. An even smaller implementation of this standard--the 6-inch R9 Nano--is expected to follow in the third quarter of this year.

On the VR front, cards based on this chipset are will deliver smoother and higher-quality experiences for VR applications using AMD’s LiquidVR technology, especially meant to serve head-mounted displays.

Radeon R9 Fury based graphics cards are also designed to look more premium using construction materials such as nickel aluminium and soft-touch aluminium plates, liquid cooling and LED lights. The system also includes a GPU Tach activity meter that monitors GPU utilization--something that enthusiasts would appreciate.

Graphics cards based on the Radeon R9 Fury are slated to be available starting 24 June and should be priced at the $649 level.

Down the range, AMD also announced the Radeon R9 300 series graphics cards aimed at 4K gaming in the $199 to $429 price range, with an entry-level Radeon R7 300 series coming in between $109 and $149.

Find out about the key features of the Radeon R9 platform here: