GPU Wiki Architecture
GCN 2.0
GCN 2.0 (second-generation Graphics Core Next) arrived in 2013 with the R9 200 series. Hawaii (R9 290X / R9 290) was the flagship die, a large 28nm chip delivering competitive performance against NVIDIA's Kepler at high resolutions.
- Launch era
- 2013 to 2015
- Process nodes
- 28nm (TSMC)
- Predecessor
- GCN 1.0
- Successor
- GCN 3.0
- Source review
- Partial
Related GPUs
| GPU | Architecture | Launch Date | Shader Processors | Memory | Bus Width | TDP/TBP | Segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirePro W8100 | GCN 2.0 | 2014-06-23 | 2,560 | 8 GB GDDR5 | 512-bit | 220 W | Workstation |
| FirePro M6100 | GCN 2.0 | 2014-05-27 | 896 | 2 GB GDDR5 | 128-bit | — | Mobile |
| Radeon HD 8950M | GCN 2.0 | 2013-05-14 | 768 | 2 GB GDDR5 | 128-bit | 100 W | Mobile |
| FirePro W6150M | GCN 2.0 | 2015-11-12 | 768 | 4 GB GDDR5 | 128-bit | — | Mobile |
| FirePro W6170M | GCN 2.0 | 2014-08-25 | 896 | 2 GB GDDR5 | 128-bit | — | Mobile |
Architecture History
GCN 2.0 refined the original GCN design with improved compute throughput, doubled FP64 throughput on professional variants, and added TrueAudio DSP hardware on certain SKUs.
More architecture facts
- Architecture name
- GCN 2.0
- Important chips
- Hawaii (R9 290X / R9 290), Tonga (R9 285 / 380), Bonaire (R7 260X), Hainan
- Memory technologies
- GDDR5
- Architecture feature generation
- GCN 2.0 Stream Processors; DirectX 11.2; OpenCL 2.0 (Tonga); TrueAudio DSP on select SKUs
- Consumer series
- Radeon R9 290X, R9 290, R9 285, R7 260X, R7 260
- Workstation / professional series
- FirePro W9100 (Hawaii-based, 16 GB HBM — actually GCN 3?), FirePro W8100
- Data center series
- FirePro S9150 (Hawaii compute)
What this architecture changed
Hawaii die: largest GCN die to date at launch with 2816 Stream Processors and 512-bit GDDR5 memory bus.
Improved geometry throughput and tessellation performance over GCN 1.0.
Doubled FP64 compute rate on Hawaii versus GCN 1.0 at the same clock (relevant for workstation/HPC variants).
TrueAudio: dedicated audio DSP on Tonga/Bonaire for hardware-accelerated 3D audio effects.
OpenCL 2.0 support on Tonga (first GCN chip with OpenCL 2.0 compliance).
Why it mattered
GCN 2.0's Hawaii die was a direct, competitive response to NVIDIA's GK110 (GTX780 Ti), trading performance points across the benchmark stack at similar prices. The generation reinforced GCN's viability as a compute platform and kept AMD relevant at the high end of the discrete GPU market through the mid-2010s. Hawaii variants remained in AMD's professional lineup for several years after consumer retirement.