ATI Radeon E4690 Embedded GPU With HD & 3D Decoding
AMD have announced a new version of embedded graphics chipsets, with more than triple the 3D performance of their earlier offerings. The ATI Radeon E4690 bundles a second-generation AMD Unified Video Decoder for hardware acceleration of HD video with 512MB of graphics memory and support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0.
The 35mm chip is designed to be embedded on the motherboard, rather than projects requiring a standalone graphics card. This reduces bulk and power consumption, as well as being cheaper.
AMD expect the ATI Radeon E4690 to find a place in arcade, casino and digital signage applications, though we also reckon the chip could have a future in more consumer-focused devices. After all, support for picture-in-picture, multiple HD video streams and CrossFireX GPU-coupling would make for an interesting HD set-top box.
Press Release:
AMD Triples the Performance of ATI Embedded Graphics Chips− Single-chip solution offers high definition video playback and blazing fast 3D graphics for arcade, casino and digital signage embedded markets −
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — June 1, 2009 –AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced the ATI Radeon™ E4690 graphics processor unit (GPU) designed to enable a whole level of new reality for embedded graphics applications with more than triple1 the 3D graphics performance of prior AMD embedded products. Arcade system manufacturers will appreciate the long term support and lower cost of placing the GPU chip directly on the motherboard instead of a separate add-in graphics card. This product will enable digital signage manufacturers to decode and play multiple high-definition videos in hardware, offloading all the decoding from the CPU2. Casino system manufacturers will be amazed by triple the graphics performance to help attract players while increasing overall entertainment value with incredibly realistic 3D graphics, plus two-monitor support3.
The ATI Radeon E4690 GPU is packed with the latest graphics features, including support for Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0.
The second-generation AMD Unified Video Decoder (UVD 2.0) includes hardware acceleration of H.264 and VC-1 high-definition (HD) video as well as MPEG-2, enabling multiple HD video streams and freeing the CPU for other tasks.
The ATI Radeon E4690 is designed to simplify board design and speed time-to-market by incorporating 512 MB of 700 MHz GDDR3 graphics memory on chip.
The ATI Radeon E4690 comes with AMD's commitment of 5 years of planned supply availability4. Technical support is provided a dedicated team of application engineering experts.
"The ATI Radeon E4690 sets a new bar for embedded graphics performance," said Richard Jaenicke, director of embedded graphics at AMD. "Blazingly fast graphics and HD video capabilities enhance the appeal of applications − such as arcade, casino, digital signage and more. With the industry's only embedded graphics chip that offers DirectX 10.1 and UVD 2.0 support, the ATI Radeon E4690 enables competitive advantages for AMD's embedded customers."
"The ATI Radeon E4690 is the perfect solution for the digital signage market," said Dwight Looi, product manager at iBASE Technology, Inc. "The ATI Radeon E4690 combines phenomenal graphics performance, full hardware HD video decode acceleration and 512MB of very fast GDDR3 memory into a compact 35 mm package, which enables us to offer a high-end digital signage solution in a previously impossible, booked-sized system."
"With the on-chip memory and responsive technical support from AMD, we were able to bring our Condor 200 product, featuring ATI Radeon E4690, to market in just six weeks from the time we received the design documents," said Selwyn Henriques, president of Tech Source, Inc. "Based on the product specifications, TechSource expects the resulting product to significantly outperform existing products in the industry."