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It's clear AMD has a big game plan. Not content with being the supplier of the core hardware found in both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it has also announced an intriguing alternative to the DirectX 11 API - named Mantle - to give exclusive performance benefits across its Graphics Core Next-based cards. Mantle seeks to outperform the DirectX 11 standard by offering low-level access to AMD graphics technology, with Battlefield 4 the first game to utilise it.However, this is only one side of a double-pronged assault. AMD's 7000-series graphics tech is being renewed. We've already looked at the R9 280X and now the focus shifts to the R9 270X - a mid-range card at the heart of a new generation of GPUs using this very architecture. Launching at around £160, according to AMD, the card aims to usurp Nvidia's GTX 660 for performance-per-pound in the same space. However, with AMD's attention so divided between multiple projects this year, can this be taken as the company's definitive response to Nvidia Kepler cards at this price?
Make no mistake, the 270X's numbers appear familiar for good reason. Beneath the stylised red and black plastic casing lurk the same GPU components as used in the HD 7870 - itself now a much cheaper card. It's the Pitcairn XT chipset all over again, but there have been at least some tweaks to justify the price hike. A boost in the core clock by 50MHz is instated, while gains are made to the effective memory clock by a total of 800MHz. That's your lot though, as everything from the memory bus size to the ROP count remain identical in number to the older card.
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