Well Mantle is out, kinda. DICE has enabled it on their patch and will continue to update their renderer with AMD updating their drivers and the Mantle API along the way.
Basically, you are expecting 10%-40% increase in performance depending on system configurations. Expect to see huge performance boost with high end 7000/R9 series card coupled with midrange CPUs/APUs. Once you reach the high range CPUs/APUs you get around 10% boost.
AMD's Master Plan:
1. Lock in their dominance console hardware market essentially ensuring their presence in the next gen console come 3-5 years.
2. Defeating NVIDIA's performance gains (brute force speed) by software optimisation rendering current NVIDIA's wins moot and turning the game devs to start exclusively build games on AMD's API (linked with point 1).
3. Fortify the low end and mid end CPU market share by draining consumers from the high end segments with longer longevity and better CPU performance. In other words steal gamers from Intel's highly prized high end CPU market to buy their cheaper mid range CPUs allowing them to spend more then on AMD high end graphic card market (Intel gets a double not only in losing i7 users but also their APUs). This also targets the laptop segment.
Well those are my impressions, AMD MAntle is out there to give you a boost in performance with the current gen of AMD products and not with promises of next gen ones. While at the same time crippling Intel's high CPU dominance and any dreams of challenging AMD on APU front and locking NVIDIA out of the graphic card market completely. And this is on the PC front we are not even talking about the console markets and possibly the ARM market (since they are testing the waters with their new ARM servers).
If this takes off just like the 64bit revolution they started all the way back with the Athlons CPUs you will see Intel making compatible GCN APUs sometime in the future.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
CES 2014: The Highs and Lows.
There were some Highs and Lows of CES 2014 expectations that were met and some that we disappointing.
Highs:
1. Mantle - AMD's Mantle API is amazing. AMD has taken Nvidia's innovation of replacing the CPU with the GPU for advance and specialised calculations to the consumer level. In other words, GPU acceleration not in the realm of Super Computer usage but in the realm of gaming something CUDA failed to ignite.
Another thought I was having is that now AMD is entering into the ARM market in the server end, maybe in the future we will be seeing APUs with 12-16 ARM 64bit core with 32-64 GCN cores on our desktops.
Check the video out at 23mins.
4. 4K Monitors - Dell providing cheap 4K monitors so if you need one for some good old 4K movie watching or just an awesome cheap monitor with fantastic colour reproduction and crystal sharp image.
Dell 4K Monitors
5. Utraslim Gaming Laptops - Nothing much to say but those skinny chicks are sexy beasts.
Gaming Laptops/Notebooks
Lows:
1. G-Sync - Nvidia is at it again making a Propriety product for should be a common feature. What do I mean? Well look at PhysX, Nvidia hype the hell out of it and it was only a Nvidia card feature. After a year no one really gave a shit because game developers were not going to go through the trouble to make a game that uses PhysX as a gameplay feature. Instead, it was regulated to the eye-candy category of features a game had something no one really cared or wanted except gloating Nvidia fanboys.
G-Sync is the same marketing swill. Nvidia is trying to capitalise early on what's going to be soon a common feature in monitors. Worst, they want you to pay 200 buck extra for it.
Asus G-Sync Monitor
2. Nvidia Game Streaming - Steam is doing it, Sony is doing it, Microsoft is doing it. I don't really give a crap if Nvidia is doing it.
Nvidia Streaming Games
3. Secret Gaming Laptops - Apparently, a few secret gaming laptops 'revealed'. As in they showed you the laptop but told you nothing of the specs. Since, all laptops practically have the same goddamn specs it is just the enclosures/housing and screen quality are different I see no reason to hide the specs.
4. Curved TVs - If it is good enough to watch it flat in the IMAX Cinemas it is good enough to watch it flat at home.
Highs:
1. Mantle - AMD's Mantle API is amazing. AMD has taken Nvidia's innovation of replacing the CPU with the GPU for advance and specialised calculations to the consumer level. In other words, GPU acceleration not in the realm of Super Computer usage but in the realm of gaming something CUDA failed to ignite.
Another thought I was having is that now AMD is entering into the ARM market in the server end, maybe in the future we will be seeing APUs with 12-16 ARM 64bit core with 32-64 GCN cores on our desktops.
Check the video out at 23mins.
Another demo without the lecture.
2. Freesync - You can have dynamic refresh rates for your monitor with the new Display Port 1.4 standard.
3. Trueaudio - Remember how awesome the Creative X-Fi cards were? But since EAX was so expensive for manufacturers to licence to make into their own soundcards game developers stopped adding those effects when everyone used the cheap onboard sound that only had DirectX. Expect the 3D Directional Audio and Environmental Effects back in Trueaudio games.
4. 4K Monitors - Dell providing cheap 4K monitors so if you need one for some good old 4K movie watching or just an awesome cheap monitor with fantastic colour reproduction and crystal sharp image.
Dell 4K Monitors
5. Utraslim Gaming Laptops - Nothing much to say but those skinny chicks are sexy beasts.
Gaming Laptops/Notebooks
Lows:
1. G-Sync - Nvidia is at it again making a Propriety product for should be a common feature. What do I mean? Well look at PhysX, Nvidia hype the hell out of it and it was only a Nvidia card feature. After a year no one really gave a shit because game developers were not going to go through the trouble to make a game that uses PhysX as a gameplay feature. Instead, it was regulated to the eye-candy category of features a game had something no one really cared or wanted except gloating Nvidia fanboys.
G-Sync is the same marketing swill. Nvidia is trying to capitalise early on what's going to be soon a common feature in monitors. Worst, they want you to pay 200 buck extra for it.
Asus G-Sync Monitor
2. Nvidia Game Streaming - Steam is doing it, Sony is doing it, Microsoft is doing it. I don't really give a crap if Nvidia is doing it.
Nvidia Streaming Games
3. Secret Gaming Laptops - Apparently, a few secret gaming laptops 'revealed'. As in they showed you the laptop but told you nothing of the specs. Since, all laptops practically have the same goddamn specs it is just the enclosures/housing and screen quality are different I see no reason to hide the specs.
4. Curved TVs - If it is good enough to watch it flat in the IMAX Cinemas it is good enough to watch it flat at home.
ig33ku's Quickie - USB Cable/Storage Unprotected.
I wonder why a USB cable can bypass the lock screen and allow a PC to gain access to the phone storage memory.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
CES 2014: My Thoughts.
Well CES 2014 is over much to the sigh of relief to all the tech journalists and although not real groundbreaking news was released some interesting trends and products did surface.
1. Drones/Robots: There were tons of them doing all sorts of things like jumping, 'running', dancing and most importantly flying around with cameras. The last part should interest video content makers on very low budget that want unbelievable aerial views.
DJI Phantom 2
2. Wearables and Fitness/Life Style Monitors: Apparently, we can't get enough of ourselves. It's either that or we don't seem to have the time or mental capacity to manage our time and lifestyles. I joke, but come 5-7 years you will have gadgets all around the house/office or on you consistently reminding you to do things or telling you how you are feeling today.
LG Gear
3. Curved TVs: Big names think they will be the bomb but in honesty the only question we are all asking is: when are we getting under 1K USD 4K OLED TVs running at 60p to 120p?
LG 105" Curved 5K TV
4. 3D Printers: They are under 1K USD now and they rock so hard. If you are a model maker, custom souvenir designer, modder or whatever these printers come in real handy and can earn you big bucks.
3D Printer Roundup
5. External Batteries: Surprisingly, it was not the usual suspects that was also showing off their wears but you got PC brands doing the same! I guess everyone needs a good battery handy.
Patriot Roundup
6. Cars: And finally the thing that really got people clamming about not to mention wish they had money for these prestige badges - cars! Tons of cars, all equally good and equally sexy. Main theme seems to be either smart in the brains or smart in the efficiency. Frankly, I take double helpings of both seeing how the fuel prices are rising here in Malaysia.
Cars
BMW i3
Ford
Toyota
P.S. The reason why I stop labeling the videos from CES 2014 was there were too damn many of them. Working on my review of the Poor Man's Smartphone: Lenovo A369i.
1. Drones/Robots: There were tons of them doing all sorts of things like jumping, 'running', dancing and most importantly flying around with cameras. The last part should interest video content makers on very low budget that want unbelievable aerial views.
DJI Phantom 2
2. Wearables and Fitness/Life Style Monitors: Apparently, we can't get enough of ourselves. It's either that or we don't seem to have the time or mental capacity to manage our time and lifestyles. I joke, but come 5-7 years you will have gadgets all around the house/office or on you consistently reminding you to do things or telling you how you are feeling today.
LG Gear
3. Curved TVs: Big names think they will be the bomb but in honesty the only question we are all asking is: when are we getting under 1K USD 4K OLED TVs running at 60p to 120p?
LG 105" Curved 5K TV
4. 3D Printers: They are under 1K USD now and they rock so hard. If you are a model maker, custom souvenir designer, modder or whatever these printers come in real handy and can earn you big bucks.
3D Printer Roundup
5. External Batteries: Surprisingly, it was not the usual suspects that was also showing off their wears but you got PC brands doing the same! I guess everyone needs a good battery handy.
Patriot Roundup
6. Cars: And finally the thing that really got people clamming about not to mention wish they had money for these prestige badges - cars! Tons of cars, all equally good and equally sexy. Main theme seems to be either smart in the brains or smart in the efficiency. Frankly, I take double helpings of both seeing how the fuel prices are rising here in Malaysia.
Cars
BMW i3
Ford
Toyota
P.S. The reason why I stop labeling the videos from CES 2014 was there were too damn many of them. Working on my review of the Poor Man's Smartphone: Lenovo A369i.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
AMD Mantle demo - Star Swarm 1080p demo | Engadget
Note at 0:47 mins they are using DirectX only. Then back to Mantle at 1:33.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
CES 2014: AMD vs Nvidia
Here is a question I ask myself: Did AMD steal Nvidia's thunder at CES 2014? Yes: Mantle and Freesync.
AMD CES 2014 Press Conference Webcast Replay
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