Gadget news: DirectX 11, Raspberry Pi

September 27, 2011 by Dave Haynes

Geek.com is relaying news that AMD has released a new graphics processor chip that’s optimized for the high-end video and motion graphics needs of commercial sectors like casino gaming and digital signage, using DirectX 11 graphics and features.

Skip this paragraph if you are not a propellerhead: The Radeon E6460 embedded GPU is a 40nm chip running at 600MHz with 512MB of supporting 800MHz GDDR5 memory. It offers 160 shader units, 192 Gflops of floating point performance, and scores 2,195 on 3DMark VantageP. Add to that the fact it is DirectX 11 compliant, and supports Shader Model 5.0 and OpenGL 4.1. It can also manage to output graphics across four displays, although the total resolution supported isn’t stated. All that with a power draw of just 20 watts.

In terms I can actually understand, Geek.com reports how this GPU “will easily playback HD Blu-ray content, is compatible with H.264, VC-1, and MPEG-2, as well as being capable of Dual HD decoding.”

AMD wants this to be a secure investment for any industry that decides to use it, and has therefore promised 5 years of chip supply to ensure uptake. And while not a consumer GPU, its use should have a noticeable impact on what we see when we’re out and about. More vibrant display ads, information boards that offer a crisper view of the data being presented, and it should help power many of the touchscreen input displays that seem to be popping up in public nowadays.

Direct X is a graphics-focused programming compaonent of Windows, with 11 the latest version. It has actually been around about three years.

Meanwhile, there is an extensive look and update on the progress being made on developing the Raspberry Pi, the $25 PC project that somewhat foreshadows the near-term development of very low-cost, HD-capable digital signage players. The report on Geek.com, including video and snappies of circuit boards, is here.

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