AMD FirePro V8800 2GB

We were already quite pleased when AMD introduced the FirePro V8700 last year and then their subsequent introduction of the FirePro V8750 that upped the memory performance a few months later. AMD then rejuvenated these workstation graphics cards last month when rolling out an enhanced driver. A simple Linux driver update caused the performance in some OpenGL benchmarks to improve by as much as 32 to 59% faster than the older software stack. With the introduction of the FirePro V8800, AMD has successfully pushed the limits of workstation graphics even further.

In some of the OpenGL workstation benchmarks we carried out under Linux there were a few areas where the performance only improved by ~3% with the V8800 compared to the V8750, but in a majority of the tests there were sizable gains from 14~18% and higher. The most significant gains we found were actually with the Unigine-based Heaven / Tropics benchmarks on Linux where the frame-rate in these demanding OpenGL tests jumped by more than 50%! This is very impressive.

Besides being a performance champion, the AMD FirePro V8800 is also a compelling workstation graphics card for boasting Eyefinity support with up to four DisplayPort monitors, CrossFireX compatible, OpenGL 4.0 support, and its thermal efficiency with minimal noise. Pricing on the FirePro V8800 workstation graphics card also is not that bad. The FirePro V8800 should be available at Internet retailers like NewEgg and Amazon for right around $1,500 USD. This is about normal for a high-end workstation graphics card and earlier FirePro graphics cards were launched by AMD at actually a higher price (as much as $1,800). The FirePro V8700 has fallen in price to become a sub-$900 graphics card (Amazon.com or NewEgg.com) while the FirePro V8750 is still finding sales at more than $1,400 USD (Amazon.com).

If you are looking for the very best in workstation graphics, look no further than the AMD FirePro V8800. It is AMD's fastest workstation graphics card and boasts an excellent assortment of features while being officially backed with Linux support. Our only complaint about the product is that the "out of the box" experience on Linux is currently a bit poor that can lead to a few troubles until the proprietary Catalyst driver is loaded up, but hopefully by H2'2010 when the next round of Linux distribution updates are out there, the V8800 will be mode-setting properly with KMS. Assuming you already have a workstation Linux installation setup and are simply swapping to the V8800 series, there should not be any problems as long as your AMD driver is updated. For those not in need of the very best performance, stay tuned, as AMD will be expanding their workstation product family in the coming months.