Last week we already got a taste of DirectX 12 with the release of an 3DMark update, and that did taste well ! The API overhead is much reduced meaning the future of gaming can have much more complex scenery with more objects ... http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/amd-asynchronous-shaders-in-gcn-handy-with-directx-12,1.html
"All graphics cards based on GCN architecture can now handle multiple command instructions and data flows simultaneously which is managed by compute-engines called ACEs. Each queue can pass instructions without the need to wait on other tasks. That will keep your GPU 100% active as the work-flow is prioritized and thus always available. Per GPU eight ACE (Asynchronous Compute Engine) units are available which can manage eight waiting queues with direct access to the L2 cache and which is called 'global share data'. The really are multiple advantages to be found here, an overall more efficient rendering experience meaning a higher FPS, but due to the decreased latency this is way more optimal for Virtual Reality gaming." Yeah GCN all the way, compute all the way, double precision all the way. Will see in the future if the devs can handle ACE (Asynchronous Compute Engine).Can't wait.
Yep ! thats GCN :banana: And of course Devs can handle (must) because of PS4 and XboX 1 So the porting will be much easier + we PC gamers have better Gaming exp. overall So DX12 (with GCN 12_3) will benefit all MS platforms. Finger crossed :nerd:
This reads as if the Maxwells and the middle to top 300 AMD cards will treat this pretty much the same, or am I wrong?
this sounds like a GPU version of hyperthreading to me. Happy to see the efficiency improving - and not just for team red or green. so everyone who has a compatible card regardless of vendor will be able to enjoy these improvements. can't wait to see the real life results
No. Each shader processor will still only be able to execute 1 thread at a time whereas hyperthreading allows a single processor core to execute 2 threads. They're just finally implementing true, simultaneous multi-threading for GPU's.....and doing so through software. There are enough shader processors within a GPU where HyperThreading really isn't needed. My GTX970, for example, has 1664 shader processors (or CUDA cores as NVidia calls them). GPUs, under DX11 and OpenGL, are essentially "In-Order" processors where data is processed in the exact order it's received. With DX12 and "Vulkan", the GPU will function more like an "Out-of-Order" processor where instructions are prioritized and executed in order of importance.
It's an interesting way of doing things, let's hope it's actually utilised by developers on both PC and console, certainly puts the PS4 in a good position with it's 8 ACE'S.
I'm still not entirely sure I get it... doesn't that mean 64 AMD vs a single one with Maxwell 2 cards? That would indeed look like an avantage for AMD...
Doesn't Maxwell do this anyway but in hardware? it tries to prioritise traffic this can clearly be seen in the Maxwell version of the 970 since it puts frequent information on the fast memory partition and stored less used cache data on the reserved part. In essence nVidia should get a nice increase if it's done in software first then hardware can either change it on it's requirements or ignore it as being already efficient enough. AMD's solution doesn't do this so may benefit immensely. Time will tell tho.
Both are not related.. Here we are speaking about Asynchronous computing on the shader level.. ( not fix a bad design conception on memory access level how they can ) I enjoin you to read the article from Anandtech: (Just dont look at the table number of queue, it seems they are wrong ( 8xqueue / Aces will bring a total of 64queue not, 8 ) http://www.anandtech.com/show/9124/amd-dives-deep-on-asynchronous-shading Ofc, its an architecture advantages from AMD, as basically GCN have been designed for and around it since the 1.0 iteration ( HD 7970). When for Nvidia they have now Maxwell who support it, but will indeed not been as good as GCN for it.. But i think the time we see developpers who take advantage of it, certainly that 2016-2017 GPU's will be out ( so Pascal ). I can bet that on many front, Pascal will look really similar of GCN.
Going off the chart from the article you linked, it looks like Maxwell 2 has better support than GCN. Everything up to it though does lack in comparison. Would be nice to see developers taking advantage of this.
The table number are in discussion right now.. it seems it is 8x queue / Ace, bringing a total of 64queue.. not 8.. ( following OpenCL GCN table ). ( but it is a little bit like play on the word). ( dont forget that AMD have then a second level. ( the Aces are not in the SM, at contrario of Nvidia ). Again for Maxwell this is the "computing queue".. Asynchronous shading need to use 3 different things to work simultaneously: graphics, computing and DMA (Copy).. this is where the problem lie today with DX11, you cant do both at once. AMD GCN can do this, because it have allways got the 3 type supported simultaneously ( with some limitation on first iteration ).