Radeon™ Pro WX 9100 and Radeon™ Pro SSG: Defying Convention to Forge the Future of Professional Content Creation

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— “Vega” GPU architecture delivers 2.3X the performance to accelerate professional applications1, 2.6X geometry throughput for complex models2, no local memory limits for mammoth data sets, and breaks the terabyte graphics memory barrier enabling 8K workflows —

LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SIGGRAPH 2017 -- At the second annual Capsaicin SIGGRAPH event, AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) unveiled new professional graphics cards designed to dramatically accelerate the pace of professional content creation today, while enabling creators to take bold new steps into the more demanding workflows of tomorrow. Based on AMD’s next-generation “Vega” GPU architecture, the Radeon™ Pro WX 9100 and Radeon™ Pro SSG professional graphics cards defy convention, introducing advanced technology never before seen in the professional space that reduces or eliminates traditional content creation barriers, empowering artists, designers and engineers to better realize their visions.

“Today we’re seeing the convergence of our professional markets. Real-time visualization, graphics virtualization, and machine intelligence are coming together to enable extraordinary new possibilities for professionals, and no one is better positioned to win than AMD. Radeon Pro was built on the promise of enabling the art of the impossible, giving professional content creators a means to realize even their wildest ambitions. But their visions and the technology needed to achieve them is a moving target, an unending challenge that demands more from creators and the technology they use every year. With the new Radeon Pro WX 9100 and Radeon Pro SSG, we’re breaking new ground and we can’t wait to see how you unleash this power,” said Ogi Brkic, general manager, professional graphics, Radeon Technologies Group, AMD.

Radeon Pro WX 9100: Accelerating Your Imagination

The Radeon Pro WX 9100 workstation graphics card is designed to excel in the most demanding media and entertainment, and design and manufacturing workloads. Delivering up to 12.3 TFLOPS of peak single precision compute performance, the Radeon Pro WX 9100 graphics card represents a new era of professional graphics capabilities fueled by powerful Next-Gen Compute Units3 with Rapid Packed Math and an Enhanced Geometry Pipeline which improves processing efficiencies. Compared to the AMD FirePro™ W9100 the Radeon Pro WX 9100 runs models more than twice as fast, delivering over 2.6X the peak throughput-per-clock.2

The Radeon Pro WX 9100 uses 16GB of High-Bandwidth Cache based on the newest, ultra-fast HBM2 Error Correcting Code (ECC) Memory, and harnesses the revolutionary High Bandwidth Cache Controller (HBCC), the world’s most advanced GPU memory architecture. At Capsaicin SIGGRAPH, AMD demonstrated how the new memory system powers extraordinary workflows not possible before, showcasing a complex scene in Radeon™ ProRender that easily exceeded on-card memory capacity but ran smoothly as the HBCC automatically extended local memory. The same scene would not load on competing offerings because of an out-of-memory error. When working with large data sets and complex models, as local GPU memory is exceeded, the Radeon WX 9100 continues delivering smooth performance and low CPU usage.

The Radeon Pro WX 9100 is a dramatic improvement over AMD’s previous generation graphics card, boasting 51% more memory bandwidth4, 2.6X performance/Watt5, 2.3X the compute performance6, and a wide range of API support including Vulkan® 1.0, OpenGL® 4.5, OpenCL™ 2.0, and DirectX® 12.1, and the latest display technologies including support for 8K at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, and DisplayPort 1.4 HDR-ready7 with support for up to six displays using AMD Eyefinity Technology. To demonstrate the computational superiority of the Radeon Pro WX 9100, AMD demonstrated real-time raytracing using Radeon ProRender paired with Unreal® Engine 4. As the scene was loaded in Unreal, the Radeon Pro WX 9100 computed the raytraced scene in parallel.

Radeon Pro SSG: The World’s First GPU to Break the Terabyte Graphics Memory Barrier

Today’s professional content creators face numerous obstacles in their workflows, and while the GPU and storage ingredients exist to address them in theory, in practice there has been no solution that brings them together. With the Radeon Pro SSG, AMD set out to solve those obstacles with a fundamental shift in the science of PC technology, with high-speed, high-capacity NVMe devices onboard the graphics card.

Featuring the same performance and features of the Radeon Pro WX 9100, the Radeon Pro SSG is the first graphics card to offer 2TB of graphics memory, enabling smooth, native 8K video editing in real-time. At Capsaicin SIGGRAPH, AMD demonstrated how the Radeon Pro SSG effortlessly scrubbed through raw 8K content in Adobe® Premiere® Pro providing near instantaneous access to any position in the video. The Radeon™ Pro SSG card empowers the editors to play back, manipulate, stitch and post-process raw 8K content as easily as today’s 4K workflows and represents a fundamental shift in hardware for those who deal with big data sets. Leading ISVs are adapting their software to make the most of this next-generation architecture.

The massive high-speed memory of the Radeon Pro SSG combined with the “Vega” GPU architecture’s immense computation capabilities also enables stunning next-generation workflows, unlocking huge data sets and real-time responsiveness. At Capsaicin SIGGRAPH AMD demonstrated a massive uncompressed lightfield data set of a kitchen, fully navigable in real-time.

Radeon Pro Reliability and Support

Both the Radeon Pro WX 9100 and Radeon Pro SSG are designed by AMD and engineered with a consistent bill of materials and the highest quality components offering stable, reliable performance. A three-year limited warranty8 and optional seven-year limited warranty9 is offered on the retail version of the Radeon Pro WX 9100, and a two-year limited warranty8 is offered on the Radeon Pro SSG.

To ensure the best possible experience with the Radeon™ Pro graphics cards, Radeon™ Pro Software Enterprise Drivers are specifically designed to combine the power of AMD's next-generation graphics with the highly-tailored needs of professional users. Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Drivers deliver predictable software release dates, with updates issued on the fourth Thursday of each calendar quarter, and feature prioritized support with AMD working with customers, ISVs, and OEMs to provide top-of-the-queue engineering work. The drivers are certified in numerous workstation applications covering the leading professional use cases.

AMD also offers a wide range of tools and open source software for professional content creators including Radeon ProRender and the Radeon™ ProRender Game Engine Importer. Radeon ProRender is a powerful physically-based rendering engine available as for many popular 3D content creation applications, including Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Maya®, Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORSK®, and Blender™, and an upcoming integration with Cinema 4D by Maxon. Radeon ProRender works across Windows®, macOS® and Linux®, and supports AMD GPUs, CPUs and APUs as well as those of other vendors. The Radeon ProRender Game Engine Importer, currently in beta, is designed to more easily port models from visualization programs like SOLIDWORKS® to real-time engines like Unreal® Engine. With a few clicks professionals can easily export a Radeon ProRender scene in one application, and open the same scene in the real-time engine enabling advanced visualization with the power of Radeon Pro GPUs and Radeon ProRender.

Pricing and Availability

The Radeon Pro WX 9100 and Radeon Pro SSG graphics cards’ planned availability is September 13. The expected MSRP of the Radeon Pro WX 9100 is $2,199 and the expected MSRP of the Radeon Pro SSG is $6,999. For more information visit pro.radeon.com/wx/9100 and pro.radeon.com/ssg.

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About AMD
For more than 45 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies ― the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms, and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

AMD, the AMD logo, Ryzen and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) including the features, functionality, availability, timing, pricing and expected benefits of Radeon™ Pro-based products, which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as "would," “designed,” "intends," "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "pro forma," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative of these words and phrases, other variations of these words and phrases or comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this document are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this document and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond AMD's control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following: Intel Corporation’s dominance of the microprocessor market and its aggressive business practices may limit AMD’s ability to compete effectively; AMD has a wafer supply agreement with GF with obligations to purchase all of its microprocessor and APU product requirements, and a certain portion of its GPU product requirements, from GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GF) with limited exceptions. If GF is not able to satisfy AMD’s manufacturing requirements, its business could be adversely impacted; AMD relies on third parties to manufacture its products, and if they are unable to do so on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and using competitive technologies, AMD’s business could be materially adversely affected; failure to achieve expected manufacturing yields for AMD’s products could negatively impact its financial results; the success of AMD’s business is dependent upon its ability to introduce products on a timely basis with features and performance levels that provide value to its customers while supporting and coinciding with significant industry transitions; if AMD cannot generate sufficient revenue and operating cash flow or obtain external financing, it may face a cash shortfall and be unable to make all of its planned investments in research and development or other strategic investments; the loss of a significant customer may have a material adverse effect on AMD; AMD’s receipt of revenue from its semi-custom SoC products is dependent upon its technology being designed into third-party products and the success of those products; global economic uncertainty may adversely impact AMD’s business and operating results; the markets in which AMD’s products are sold are highly competitive; AMD may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service its debt obligations or meet its working capital requirements; AMD has a large amount of indebtedness which could adversely affect its financial position and prevent it from implementing its strategy or fulfilling its contractual obligations; the agreements governing AMD’s notes and the Secured Revolving Line of Credit impose restrictions on AMD that may adversely affect its ability to operate its business; AMD's issuance to West Coast Hitech L.P. (WCH) of warrants to purchase 75 million shares of its common stock, if and when exercised, will dilute the ownership interests of its existing stockholders, and the conversion of the 2.125% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 may dilute the ownership interest of its existing stockholders, or may otherwise depress the price of its common stock; uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of AMD’s products could materially adversely affect it; the demand for AMD’s products depends in part on the market conditions in the industries into which they are sold. Fluctuations in demand for AMD’s products or a market decline in any of these industries could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations; AMD’s ability to design and introduce new products in a timely manner is dependent upon third-party intellectual property; AMD depends on third-party companies for the design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, software and other computer platform components to support its business; if AMD loses Microsoft Corporation’s support for its products or other software vendors do not design and develop software to run on AMD’s products, its ability to sell its products could be materially adversely affected; and AMD’s reliance on third-party distributors and AIB partners subjects it to certain risks.  Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to AMD's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2017.

1. The Radeon Pro WX 9100 peak single precision performance is ~12.3 TFLOPS.  The AMD FirePro W9100 peak single precision performance is ~5.24 TFLOPS.  The Radeon Pro WX 9100 has ~2.3x greater peak single precision performance (12.3/5.24=2.3)

2. Data based on AMD Engineering design of “Vega” GPU architecture. AMD FirePro W9100 has 4 geometry engines and a peak of 4 polygons per clock. Vega is designed to handle up to 11 polygons per clock with 4 geometry engines. This represents an increase of up to 2.6x.

3. Discrete AMD Radeon™ and FirePro™ GPUs based on the Graphics Core Next architecture consist of multiple discrete execution engines known as a Compute Unit (“CU”). Each CU contains 64 shaders (“Stream Processors”) working together.  GD-78

4. The Radeon Pro WX 9100 memory bandwidth is ~484 GB/s.  The AMD FirePro W9100 memory bandwidth is ~320 GB/s. The Radeon Pro WX 9100 has 51% greater memory bandwidth (484/320=1.51)

5. The Radeon Pro WX 9100 is rated at 250W total board power.  The AMD FirePro W9100 is rated at 275W total board power.  The Radeon Pro WX 9100 has a 2.6x advantage in perf/watt over the AMD FirePro W9100.  (12300/250=49.2 GFLOPS/W (WX 9100).  5240/275=19.05 GFLOPS/W (W9100).  49.2/19.05=2.58)

6. The Radeon Pro WX 9100 peak single precision performance is ~12.3 TFLOPS.  The AMD FirePro W9100 peak single precision performance is ~5.24 TFLOPS.  The Radeon Pro WX 9100 has ~2.3x greater peak single precision performance (12.3/5.24=2.3)

7. As of June 2017. Product is based on the DisplayPort 1.4 Specification published February 23, 2016, and has passed VESA’s compliance testing process (excluding HDR) in June 2017. GD-123

8. For more information visit http://www.amd.com/warranty

9. For more information visit http://www.amd.com/extendedwarranty

Contact Information
Chris Hook
AMD Communications
512-578-9727
chris.hook@amd.com

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Source: Advanced Micro Devices

Released July 30, 2017