AMD is on the verge of introducing a quicker version of its $99 Radeon HD 5670 based on different silicon, according to a report by Inpai. The Chinese website claims the new version will be out this month with 50% more stream processors and a slightly lower core clock speed than its predecessor.
The current Radeon HD 5670 is AMD’s quickest product based on the Redwood graphics processor. Reportedly, however, the updated model will be based on the same Juniper chip that powers the Radeon HD 5770 and 5750—just with fewer stream processors. The motive behind the switch could be simple: perhaps yields of Juniper GPUs aren’t all that good, and AMD needs to sell off parts with too many faulty SPs to make the cut for the 5700 series.
Inpai’s article says the Juniper-based Radeon HD 5670 will have 640 stream processors and a 750MHz clock speed, compared to 400 SPs and a 775MHz core clock for the existing part. Both cards should have 512MB of GDDR5 RAM running through a 128-bit interface. The Radeon HD 5750, by contrast, has 720 SPs and a 700MHz speed.
There is one possible catch: Inpai claims the new 5670 will be "likely . . . only for the domestic market," so it might not show up in North America. That could make sense if AMD doesn’t quite have enough faulty Juniper GPUs to satisfy global demand.
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