AMD is working on a new software feature for its Radeon graphics cards, which it calls "Dynamic Frame Rate Control." Revealed informally to the web, by AMD director of PR Chris Hook, who goes by the handle "AMD_Chris" on various forums, Dynamic Frame Rate Control, or DFRC, is a frame-rate limiter, which gives you power savings when you reduce frame-rates. This probably works by reducing clock speeds to achieve the desired frame-rates. Sounds a lot like V-Sync? Well the way AMD describes it, DFRC is a frame-rate limiter with a slider. Whereas V-Sync makes the GPU spit out frame-rates to match the monitor's refresh-rate. When a game runs, say, 100 FPS, and you enable V-Sync to bring that down to 60 FPS, your GPU is still running at 3D-performance clocks, unless the 3D load is way too low, and the driver decides to change the power state altogether. DFRC probably achieves lower frame-rates by underclocking the GPU, and increasing the clocks, whenever the scene gets more demanding, and the output FPS drops below the target. Hook describes the energy savings with DFRC as "mind blowing." This peaks our curiosity. Source: http://www.3dcenter.org/news/amd-wi...rameratenlimitierung-im-catalyst-treiber-anbi
I don't think it will be that complicated. It will most likely just lock the framerate to 60 and reduce usage on the GPU, not clocks, which in turn reduces power consumption.
That was in RadeonPro, and now RadeonPro creator works in AMD, so I assume will work similar. I think is a very helpful feature and is not only to save energy. Dynamic frame rate in RPRO improved my experience in some games for me in the past with my old 7870, like Assassins Creed Black Flag or Borderlands 2. Vsync disabled gave me horrible tearing, while enabling vsync reduced framerate a lot on these games. So limiting to 79fps on my 80hz monitor with Vsync off did the trick for me. In other games like Watch Dogs there was tons of stuttering until the game got fixed, limiting the framerate smoothed the game a lot.
There's no mention of being able to set the FPS you want. Without that, the feature is pointless as we have RadeonPro. RadeonPro creator works on Raptr not CCC.
Should also note that RTSS (RivaTuner Statistics Server; comes with MSI Afterburner) also has a framerate limiter (up to 200). Can set it globally or on a per-app basis.
It sounds as though the AMD frame rate limiter also includes a different logic regarding the clocks etc of the cards. It should still work with overclocks etc. I suspect. Then again, it could just be a frame rate limiter, but remember this is at the driver level, not forced by third party software, so in any case it should still be a lot more effective.
yeah but knowing AMD it'll only be fore the 290X and not for any other cards. Look as the mess of VSR where Nvidia managed it on all cards.
VSR will be implemented for other cards over time, there's a reason, AMD update and make evolve their output scalers ( UVD ) at each revision, when Nvidia basically dont ( they still dont support 10bits color panels, not even on Quadro ). The R9-285 ( Tonga ) have a different scaler than the 1 1/2 years old Hawaii-290 and Hawaii have a different scaler / output of the HD7000 series ( who have 3 years now ). So they cant implement it exactly the same way. Hence why it will come in further drivers revision. Also, VSR work globally on the output ( at the moment the game is able to use higher resolution of 1080p or 2560x1600 in the setting panel ) DSR from Nvidia work on an apps based solution ( per game profiles ).. DSR have not been implemented directly too for 700 and 600 users, but 2 drivers later. ( this said, with VSR some correction for UI should be applied then by apps level profile ) As for the dynamic frame control, looking at the update today of initial article, could be well more interessant that it seems specially for games, API, where RP and MSI AB was not working.
VSR is hardly a mess. Unlike DSR, its a hardware scaler based function, so cards prior to Hawaii don't have the necessary hardware. They are implementing a software solution (like DSR) for older cards wich will be available in jan/feb (per Robert Hallock) DSR was not available for older cards either on intial release, just like VSR.