AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 Announced As A Small Form Factor $199 USD Workstation Card

[torsionbar28]

Great, another darn Polaris card.

What's the problem with that? Polaris is a relatively modern architecture with good performance and excellent Linux support. Had this been a GCN1/2 or even 3 card, I'd be disappointed, but GCN4 is perfect for something like this. The only place GCN4 runs out of steam, is at the high end, which this card is clearly not.

[AndyChow]

PCIe x8 (x4?) If that's the actual PCIe pins of the card (and not a mock-up), only 4GB ram, no ECC.

Basically, this is something for making a Bloomberg terminal, or if you need ISV-certification. Small form-factor and 50 W power draw are what it has going for it.

I have a hard time seeing this used for CAD, since I think you need way more than 4 GB of vram when dealing with modern CAD software, but perhaps I'm wrong.

[wizard69]

PCIe x8 (x4?) If that's the actual PCIe pins of the card (and not a mock-up), only 4GB ram, no ECC.

Basically, this is something for making a Bloomberg terminal, or if you need ISV-certification. Small form-factor and 50 W power draw are what it has going for it.

I have a hard time seeing this used for CAD, since I think you need way more than 4 GB of vram when dealing with modern CAD software, but perhaps I'm wrong.

It all depends upon how demanding your CAD work is. However it would be nice to build a CAD workstation, in a reasonably sized box. The gigantic desk side workstations of the past are not always needed these days. One can do credible CAD work on a laptop if it is decent and you are not in a hurry. At least in my case the goal is to run Open Source CAD software with reasonable performance. The machine I'd like to build is not likely to happen until the end of the year so maybe something better will exists by then.

By the way 4GB is a huge amount of RAM, think about the early days of AutoCAD and similar programs running on early Windows hardware. If you are doing 2D, PCB work or even solid modelling it is plenty of RAM even for non trivial jobs.

[tildearrow]

What's the problem with that? Polaris is a relatively modern architecture with good performance and excellent Linux support.

That's the problem. Vega has some degree of Linux support, but not as MUCH as Polaris.
The more Polaris cards come out, the less support Vega gets. And there are no high-end Polaris cards (no, the Pro Duo does not count).

[aht0]

10 bit color, 8K, and that it's a small form factor. This card is only "Pro" in name and you need a monitor setup that Linux doesn't support (yet) to fully utilize this GPU. IMHO, the SFF is the only real advantage this card actually has.

10bit and 8K are pretty important to professionals too Can't really SEE what you are crying about. It costs 199$ not 1999$. Twice the RX it's die is based on but it's to be expected you pay premium for certified workstation cards. For such companies, that cash difference is pretty much pocket change. YOU don't have to pay for it.

[skeevy420]

10bit and 8K are pretty important to professionals too Can't really SEE what you are crying about. It costs 199$ not 1999$. Twice the RX it's die is based on but it's to be expected you pay premium for certified workstation cards. For such companies, that cash difference is pretty much pocket change. YOU don't have to pay for it.

I'm not saying they're not important for professionals, but, with Linux, 10-bit it isn't something we can really utilize yet. It'll also have the same scaling issues that 4K has and the 4GBs makes it more useful for lightweight work like text editing, adjusting color levels in photos (especially combined with the 10-bit part), video monitoring, viewing the final product, etc at 8K.

This card obviously has its niche uses or AMD wouldn't have made it, but, IMHO, $199 is just too much for a workstation-grade, low profile RX 560. I just think it should cost around $150 since most 4GB RX 560s are $120 or less outside of some rip-off "gaming" models that cost the same as an RX 570...you gotta be a moron to buy one of those...paying $30 or $40 more for a low profile, workstation version seems fair, $70 or $80 more doesn't.

[aht0]

I'm not saying they're not important for professionals, but, with Linux, 10-bit it isn't something we can really utilize yet. It'll also have the same scaling issues that 4K has and the 4GBs makes it more useful for lightweight work like text editing, adjusting color levels in photos (especially combined with the 10-bit part), video monitoring, viewing the final product, etc at 8K.

This card obviously has its niche uses or AMD wouldn't have made it, but, IMHO, $199 is just too much for a workstation-grade, low profile RX 560. I just think it should cost around $150 since most 4GB RX 560s are $120 or less outside of some rip-off "gaming" models that cost the same as an RX 570...you gotta be a moron to buy one of those...paying $30 or $40 more for a low profile, workstation version seems fair, $70 or $80 more doesn't.

AMD did not produce this card "just for Linux". Look up the prices of professional cards - 80 bucks is really just a small change.

[skeevy420]

AMD did not produce this card "just for Linux". Look up the prices of professional cards - 80 bucks is really just a small change.

Yeah, but Phoronix is a Linux forum so I'm posting from a Linux perspective first and foremost.

I still think it costs too much for what it is. Let's just agree to disagree on that...because we're turning this into that Ubuntu thread...

[bridgman]

And there are no high-end Polaris cards (no, the Pro Duo does not count).

This part I agree with...

That's the problem. Vega has some degree of Linux support, but not as MUCH as Polaris.
The more Polaris cards come out, the less support Vega gets.

... but I don't understand this part at all.