Check it Out: AMD FirePro V5900 and AMD FirePro V7900 in Dell Precision Workstations

By Anthony J. Lockwood

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

AMD recently announced its new AMD FirePro V5900 and AMD FirePro V7900 professional graphics cards. The former is at the top end of the mid-range segment while the latter is a high-end offering. Both sound slick, and both will be available in Dell Precision engineering-class workstations and mobile computers. More on that in a moment. Let’s first take a quick look at the boards.

The (upper) mid-range AMD FirePro V5900, says AMD, is designed for moderately complex applications, models, and data sets—things like a SolidWorks part model, BOMs, and upfront FEA. It has 2GB of GDDR5 memory, 512 stream processors, 64GB/s bandwidth, and a maximum resolution of 2560x1600. The AMD FirePro V5900 offers a 30-bit display pipeline that enables a palette of more than 1.07 billion color values—i.e., very accurate color reproduction and visual fidelity. Its support of AMD Eyefinity technology lets you power three monitor outputs simultaneously.

AMD says that its high-end AMD FirePro V7900 can handle advanced visualizations, complex models, and large data sets. It builds off many of the same specs as the V5900, but ratchets performance up with 1280 stream processors, 160GB/s bandwidth, and other features. Its AMD Eyefinity multi-display capability can support four simultaneous or independent monitors, which means you can create an immersive graphics environment or run a massive desktop workspace.

Now, both these boards incorporate AutoDetect technology. What this means is that, as you open a new CAD/CAE/CAM application or move between open applications, optimized AMD FirePro graphics driver settings are automatically configured for maximum performance. Add this to that: these AMD FirePro graphics cards are tested and certified for major CAD applications as well as engineering applications like Altair Engineering’s HyperWorks, CEI’s EnSight, or EDEM from DEM Solutions, and even CAM systems such as Vero’s line.

Both boards also introduce AMD’s new GeometryBoost technology. AMD describes GeometryBoost as “a unique hardware capability that processes two primitives per clock cycle.” That means the boards are architected to provide fast geometry performance, which translates into smooth handling of complex geometries for you.

AMD and Dell have recently teamed up to optimize Dell Precision Workstations with AMD FirePro professional graphics boards for SolidWorks users. Hit today’s Check It Out link. It’ll take you to a page showing you Dell Precision T3500 and T5500 desktop workstations as well as the M6600 mobile computer. Scroll down and hit Learn More. You’ll find the AMD FirePro V5900 and AMD FirePro V7900 boards listed under mid-range and high-end graphics customization options.

Thanks, pal.—Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering