The AMD FirePro V4900 may come in a small package, but is still capable of driving up to six displays thanks to AMD Eyefinity and DisplayPort 1.2 technology
The AMD FirePro V4900 is the latest edition to AMD’s family of professional graphics cards.
The entry-level board joins the mid-range AMD FirePro V5900 and V7900, which were launched earlier this year.
Despite its entry-level positioning the card isn’t light on features – 1GB of 128-bit GDDR5 should provide plenty of memory for most CAD workflows while enhanced AMD Eyefinity and DisplayPort 1.2 technology enables six-screen multi-display set ups, currently a unique selling point for AMD in the professional marketplace.
As the card only has two DisplayPorts and one DVI output, in order to drive six displays these must be daisy-chained using DisplayPort 1.2 hubs or DisplayPort 1.2 displays. And, with an entry-level card, such as this, we wouldn’t expect many users to drive more than three.
Those wishing to drive six displays on a 3D accelerated powerwall are more likely to achieve the required frame rates with a higher-end card, such as the FirePro V7900, or the FirePro V9800, which doesn’t require DisplayPort 1.2 hubs or DisplayPort 1.2 displays.
We’ve yet to test out the FirePro V4900 as desktop CAD card, but on paper it looks like becoming a mainstay of entry-level workstations. It retails for £119 ($189) and will be available in select Dell and Fujitsu systems and HP workstations.
