Word is circulating that AMD plans to launch the R9 380X on November 15, according to a report from Hexus. After months of speculation, it’s almost fitting to see plans for the release of the card emerge seemingly out of nowhere.
Last month, images reportedly taken during the manufacturing of the card were leaked to the Internet, which signalled that work on a release date was imminent. While there’s still no official word from AMD, it seems that things are finally falling into place for anyone who’s been waiting for a 380X all year.
Those images added heft to speculation that the 380X would feature a Tonga GPU — the first time the component would be used on a Windows system. Previously, we’ve seen a Tonga-class GPU utilized in iMacs via the R9 M295X graphics card.
Today’s reports confirm that the R9 380X will indeed be using the Tonga GPU, although it’s now being referred to by the similarly exotic name of Antigua. However, it will not make use of AMD’s recent research into High-Bandwidth Memory, contrary to rumors that were prevalent earlier this year.
Once again, it’s worth remembering that AMD has not yet made a move to confirm or deny these reports, so there’s a chance that the rollercoaster ride leading to the release of the R9 380X might continue a little longer. However, there are strong indications that the card is set to launch on November 15 at a price of around $249 — an embargo on its exact specs will apparently be lifted on the same day.
