Feature: AMD Radeon HD 6670 Gaming and Tech Bloggers Event

Just last Friday, the nice folks at AMD Philippines (Advanced Micro Devices) has invited technology and gaming bloggers and writers over at their bloggers event at SM Megamall to test out their latest graphics card – the AMD Radeon HD 6670. I was glad to have been invited to the event, and I’ve had a first hand look at the performance of 6670, and it’s looking quite impressive. Check out our coverage, and my impressions after the break!


Filipino gaming and technology bloggers and writers were treated to a nice buffet, and a round of gaming goodness by AMD last July 22, 2011 at the Kamayan Restaurant, SM Megamall as part of AMD’s introduction of the Radeon HD 6670 graphics card to the market. Leading the event is Mr. Sonny Sy, AMD Philippines National Sales Manager, and Mr. Ronel Pelovello, AMD Philippines Sales Development Manager who both presented the features and capabilities of HD 6670. Three desktop PC’s were setup for the guests to test out some of the latest games like Crysis 2 and Dirt 3, as well as older titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Devil May Cry 4.

Three gaming units were setup for bloggers to test out.

Focusing on delivering high level performance for the mainstream market, the AMD HD Radeon 6670 was designed with these three key features in mind:

• DirectX 11 Compatibility
• AMD Eyefinity Technology
• AMD App Acceleration

Mr. Sonny Sy talks about the AMD Radeon HD 6000 series

We see the year 2011 as the year of gaming, with lots of triple A games launching this year such as Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and Need For Speed: The Run. This is all good news for gamers, but if you’re planning to run these on your PC, is it up to speed? Good news, since the AMD Radeon HD 6670 is enhanced with DirectX 11 in mind. For starters, we took a look at some of the major quirks PC gamers face when playing current generation games with other graphics cards in AMD’s presentation. AMD presented a game rendering of Total War Shogun 2 using another graphics card, and their 6670. Issues like missing game assets (missing weapons, clouds, shadows, and textures), and improper shaping of objects emerged in the other card, while none of these were found in AMD’s system. Based on their tests, Battlefield Bad Company 2 was running 41.67 FPS (frames per second) with AMD’s system. This means smoother gameplay, and crisp visuals. If you think they just excel in the gaming department, their cards are also capable of enhancing cinematic experience, and capable of delivering smooth HD playback. If you’re a movie buff wanting a vivid and high definition movie experience at home, you may want to check this out too.

Another major feature highlighted in the presentation is the AMD Eyefinity Technology, which enables multi-display support. If you’re a big multitasker, you will love this feature. With AMD Radeon HD 6670, you will be able to work on 3 – 4 display panels at the same time. You can do work on one screen, do a 3D modeling in another, while playing games or surf the net on the other screens. If you’re a gamer on the other hand, you and your games can benefit from this feature by giving you an enhanced and more immersive game experience.

Lastly, AMD App Acceleration will help boost your everyday computer applications like Microsoft Office, and Adobe apps, to help you maximize your time, and your computing resources. Smoother rendering of images and visuals are just few of the benefits AMD App Acceleration is in store for you. Think of it as if the GPU / Graphics Card is also doing some of the work your CPU does, to give you a enhanced productivity and performance.

Bloggers and writers get a first hand look at AMD Radeon HD 6670 by playing games

After the presentation, I took the time to play some of the games that were setup for us. I first sampled Crysis 2, and its looking really fantastic with their AMD system. All the graphical goodness Crysis 2 is known for is present in their system, and it plays very smoothly as well. Even switching between programs was a breeze. I’ve even experienced playing it with Dirt 3 running in the background, and it still plays solidly, but the dip in the framerate was apparent though. Next up was Dirt 3. Again, lighting, textures, damage rendering and other effects are rendered solidly, while I play the game smoothly with no lag and screen tearing. As for the older games like Devil May Cry 4, it still looks great despite the game’s age. I talked with some of the guys at PC Trends, one of AMD’s retail partners and asked for how much a complete AMD system will cost. I’m not gonna tell the price we discussed here, but I was really surprised at how affordable it was. Anyway, if you’re planning an upgrade, you may want to check with them at www.pctrends.com.ph.

At the end of the event, an AMD Phenom II x6 processor and two AMD Radeon HD 6670 cards were given away to lucky bloggers and writers. Congratulations to Mr. Richard Ramos (The Reimaru Files) who was awarded the AMD Phenom II x6, and to Ms. Abbi Cabanding (Princess of Antiquity) and Ms. Angie Tan of GAME! Magazine who both took home the Radeon HD 6670 graphics cards. AMD also announced the AMD Dirt 3 giveaway promo, wherein purchasers of AMD Vision A8 and A6 Processor-in-a-box or branded mobile PC’s will get a free license coupon for Dirt 3. The promo will run until Dec. 31, 2011.

So if you’re planning for an upgrade, now is the perfect time to do so. With lots of great games coming up, AMD’s affordable mid-ranged graphics cards pack a lot of punch, keeping your system up to speed, and giving you the most out of your games. AMD also ensures driver support for the 6000 series cards for at least five years, promising regular and continuous improvements on the performance of the card, making it a perfect investment without spending too much. With this, you may want to consider AMD on your upgrade.

Thank you AMD Philippines for inviting us to the event. I had a blast and I've met a bunch of great people in the event. We are looking forward to more of your events and your upcoming products! Congratulations and cheers from your friends at The Electronic Playground!

Photos courtesy of Lee Erik Porcal of AMD Events.