If there were any time for symbolism, the graphics guys at AMD definitely picked the right time and place. The initial batch of several tens of thousands of chips is now in the final stages of packaging and is about to be shipped to PC Partner and similar factories to manufacture the top-to-bottom line-up.
So, something special was definitely in order. AMD will hold briefings in EMEA and APAC regions prior to the North American event on September 10th, but the North American launch will be the date when a lot of details will go out in public. The company is preparing quite a spectacle, as it should be in order for a major product release - a lot is expected from DirectX 11 API, and in all of our talks with AMD staff about the Evergreen series, word "breakthrough" was mentioned a lot of times.
The location for the launch of ATI Evergreen series [which Far Eastern AIB vendors still label as RV870, RV840 and so on] is something truly special and the timing could not be better. USS Hornet aircraft carrier was built in 1942 and served all the way until 1970, when it was decommissioned. This carrier was the key piece for the Apollo space mission. 11 years ago, in 1998 the ship was turned into a museum and was opened to the general public.
ATI Evergreen will take launch during Patriots & Heroes Week [September 5-11th], so all the visitors of the event will be present at the ship during special festivities. AMD is getting ready to take off with multiple Evergreen ASICs, and the time has come for new generation of Radeons to come into the limelight.
Please note that the benchmark results will be known around two weeks after the product launch, in order to give enough time for paper magazines and partners to fill in the stocks world-wide. Just like the Radeon 4800 series, Evergreen hardware will be available world-wide at the same time [this time around, late September - around 24th].
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