computer science

Radeon HD 8000 series

Radeon HD 8000 series is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Radeon HD 8000 series rather than just read about it. In short: The Radeon HD 8000 series is a family of computer GPUs developed by AMD. AMD was initially rumored to release the family in the second quarter of 2013, with the cards manufactured on a 28 nm process and making use of the improved Graphics Core Next architecture.

Key takeaways

Radeon HD 8000 series belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Radeon HD 8000 series to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Radeon HD 8000 series from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Radeon HD 8000 series is a family of computer GPUs developed by AMD. AMD was initially rumored to release the family in the second quarter of 2013, with the cards manufactured on a 28 nm process and making use of the improved Graphics Core Next architecture. However the 8000 series turned out to be an OEM rebadge of the 7000 series (although Bonaire is a GCN 2.0 based chip, thus being of newer development).

Architecture The Radeon HD 7000 series was launched in 2011 and it marked AMD's shift from VLIW (TeraScale) to RISC/SIMD architecture (Graphics Core Next). The highend-mainstream cards were equipped with GCN-based chips while some of the mid-low end ones were just rebranded TeraScale-based cards. All of the GCN-based chips were made using the 28 nm process, becoming the first chips ever to be based on that technology. The GCN-based chips for desktop cards were codenamed as Southern Islands, while the mobile ones (again, only the GCN-based and not the rebranded ones) were codenamed as Solar System.

Multi-monitor support

The AMD Eyefinity-branded on-die display controllers were introduced in September 2009 alongside the Radeon HD 5000 series and have been present on all chips since then.

Video acceleration Both Unified Video Decoder (UVD) and Video Coding Engine (VCE) are present on all GCN-based chips (starting with the GCN 1.0 HD 7000 series). Both are fully supported by AMD Catalyst and by the free and open-source graphics device driver#ATI/AMD.

OpenCL (API) OpenCL accelerates many scientific Software Packages against CPU up to factor 10 or 100 and more. OpenCL 1.0 to 1.2 are supported for all Chips with TeraScale and GCN Architecture. OpenCL 2.0 is supported with GCN 2nd Gen. or 1.2 and higher) For OpenCL 2.1 and 2.2 only Driver Updates are necessary with OpenCL 2.0 conformant Cards.

Vulkan (API) API Vulkan 1.0 is supported for all with GCN Architecture. Vulkan 1.1 (GCN 2nd Gen. or 1.2 and higher) will be supported with actual drivers in 2018 (here only HD 8770). On newer drivers Vulkan 1.1 on Windows and Linux is supported on all GCN-architecture based GPUs. Vulkan 1.2 is available with Adrenalin 20.1 and Linux Mesa 20.0 for GCN 2nd Gen. or higher.

Chipset table

Desktop models Graphics Core Next (GCN) supports the Mantle API and Vulkan API OpenGL 4.5 support for TeraScale 2 with AMD Crimson Beta (driver version 15.30 or higher) OpenGL 4.5 and Vulkan 1.0 support for GCN 1.0 and higher with AMD Crimson 16.3 or higher. Vulkan 1.1 support for GCN 1.0 and higher with AMD Adrenalin 18.3.3 or higher.

Mobile Models

Integrated Models

Radeon Feature Matrix The following table shows features of AMD/ATI's GPUs (see also: List of AMD graphics processing units).

See also Radeon HD 2000 series Radeon HD 3000 series Radeon HD 4000 series Radeon HD 5000 series Radeon HD 6000 series Radeon HD 7000 series Radeon 200 series GeForce 700 series List of AMD graphics processing units Free and open-source device drivers: graphics#ATI/AMD

References

External links techPowerUp! GPU Database

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Radeon HD 8000 series

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Radeon HD 8000 series claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Radeon HD 8000 series before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Radeon HD 8000 series ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Radeon HD 8000 series

In research: Radeon HD 8000 series appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Radeon HD 8000 series in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Radeon HD 8000 series is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics AMD graphics cards, Computer-related introductions in 2013, GPGPU, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Radeon HD 8000 series outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Radeon HD 8000 series in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Radeon HD 8000 series means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Radeon HD 8000 series out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Radeon HD 8000 series in simple terms?

Why does Radeon HD 8000 series matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Radeon HD 8000 series?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Radeon HD 8000 series.