Chinese language tech website Expreview has unleashed the primary hands on with the Moore Threads MTT S80 GPU (opens in new tab). On paper, the brand new graphics chip appears to be like effectively specified. However in these early benchmarks, efficiency is patchy to say the least. If you happen to have been hoping for a cut-price GPU to save lots of us all from loopy graphics card costs, this is not it. And but it’s nonetheless intriguing.
The headline specs of the MTT S80 really look promising. Manufactured on 7nm tech, it packs 4,096 so-called MUSA cores, 128 tensor cores and 16GB of GDDR6 working over a 256-bit. All instructed, it is good for 14 TFLOPS of uncooked compute energy. Heck, that is even the world’s first GPU with a PCI Categorical 5.0 interface.
As for pricing, barely oddly Expreview lists it on the equal of round $400 together with a bundled Asus TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS D4 motherboard, the latter usually promoting for just a little over $150. Subtract the Asus motherboard and also you’re a sub-$300 graphics card, probably.
That compares effectively with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060 (opens in new tab), which clocks in at 3,584 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR6 over a 192-bit bus—and sells for over $350. After all, core counts cannot usefully be in contrast throughout distributors. Nevertheless, the RTX 3060 is barely good for 12.7 TFLOPS. So, the Chinese language chip affords superior theoretical shader energy. Intriguing.
What’s, er, extra, Moore Threads (opens in new tab) was based by former international VP and China GM of Nvidia, Zhang Jianzhong, together with a bunch of ex-Nvidia workers, plus others from Microsoft, Intel and AMD. The corporate additionally reportedly raised practically $300 million in funding funding final 12 months.
Likewise, the design of the MTT S80’s PCB appears to be like believable. So this new chip walks like a gaming GPU, it talks like a gaming GPU. Would possibly it really recreation like a gaming GPU, thereby providing an alternative choice to all these painfully dear AMD and Nvidia graphics playing cards?
Apparently not. Expreview hasn’t precisely gone to city with the comparative numbers. Within the historical 3DMark06 DX9 benchmark, the MTT S80 will get spanked by RTX 3060, the latter being over 150 % quicker at each 1080p and 4K. Within the barely extra present Unigine Valley 1.0 check, the outcomes aren’t a lot better. At 1080p the RTX 3060 is 100% quicker. That climbs to over 200 % quicker at 4K.
That stated, Expreview did discover that the GPU may run precise PC video games at cheap body charges. League of Legends hits 128fps at 4K and most element, for example. Sadly, no comparative RTX 3060 numbers have been offered. However you would possibly anticipate one thing within the area of 160fps from an RTX 3060.
Furthermore, the MTT S80 additionally regarded respectable in exams of slim artificial efficiency, akin to fill price. All of which makes it somewhat paying homage to Intel’s disappointing Arc graphics. (opens in new tab) The {hardware} appears to be like okay. However the software program and drivers are a little bit of a bummer.
Like Intel Arc, then, the Moore Threads MTT S80 is not the cut-price saviour we’re all ready for on this age, regardless of the promise of RTX-beating TFLOPS efficiency for under $300. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless excellent news that anyone is making an attempt to get in on AMD and Nvidia’s non-public graphics get together. Past simply Intel, that’s. Give these drivers a polish perhaps, simply perhaps. It is enjoyable to hope, not less than.
