Next-Generation ATI Radeon Graphics Board Allegedly Gets Pictured

From Xbit Labs: A Chinese web-site has published what it claims to be the first image of the next-generation Radeon graphics card. The new board, which the web-site calls "Cayman XT" and which is likely to be the most powerful single-chip solution by ATI, graphics business unit of Advanced Micro Devices, resembles current-generation graphics solutions.

The alleged ATI Cayman XT graphics card is equipped with two mini-DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI port as well as two dual-link DVI-I connectors. The configuration of output ports is different from ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 5970 graphics cards. Moreover, the cooling system no longer carries "ATI Radeon" logotype on top and does not have a red line in the middle of its surface. Still, the board features "ATI Radeon premium graphics" logo on its fan, not the recently launched "AMD Radeon graphics" label.

Based on the image published by Chiphell web-site (which probably believed that placing one of its logotype on an image was not enough to be remembered), the new Cayman XT graphics board required at least two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors. In addition, it can be observed that the card itself is pretty long.

Publication of the image means that graphics cards featuring the forthcoming graphics processing units (GPUs) from ATI/AMD already exist and China-based companies can already access them. Given the fact that it is rumoured that the next-generation ATI Radeon HD 6000-series graphics processors are set to be formally launched in the second half of October, it is time for add-in-card makers to start testing the boards made under supervision of AMD and work on their own designs.

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