PowerColor Announces Readiness for Windows 8 UEFI Boot

[btarunr]

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphic cards, pioneers to offer UEFI ready graphics solutions to all gamers. As the industry-leading graphics brand, PowerColor dedicated itself to deliver innovative technology to all gamers. With newly announcement of Microsoft Windows 8, the whole new operating system amazes gamers with fantastic features such as fast boot technology.

To provide complete experience of the latest Windows 8 operating system, PowerColor develops new firmware with UEFI ready which enables fast boot implementation. By utilizing UEFI firmware, the latest Windows 8 systems can boot and resume activity faster than ever. Gamers can experience the speedy boot and resume times with PowerColor UEFI-capable graphics solutions, allows the unsurpassed user experience like never before.



All PowerColor UEFI-capable graphics solutions are listed here.

[mayankleoboy1]

I read the articlw thrice, and i still cant understand what it does.

[btarunr]

Originally Posted by mayankleoboy1

I read the articlw thrice, and i still cant understand what it does.

You need GPUs that support UEFI UGA GOP specification, to correctly use Windows 8 QuickBoot, in addition to motherboards featuring UEFI. These PowerColor cards do.

[mayankleoboy1]

Originally Posted by btarunr

You need GPUs that support UEFI UGA GOP specification, to correctly use Windows 8 QuickBoot, in addition to motherboards featuring UEFI. These PowerColor cards do.

Ok. I read an article testing the various modes of UEFI GOP. Their conclusion, IIRC, was it shaves about 2 seconds overall.

[btarunr]

Originally Posted by mayankleoboy1

Ok. I read an article testing the various modes of UEFI GOP. Their conclusion, IIRC, was it shaves about 2 seconds overall.

2 seconds is pretty good. Better than expected.

[mayankleoboy1]

Originally Posted by btarunr

2 seconds is pretty good. Better than expected.

IIRC, what it basically does is disable some tests/checks at startup. There were two 'modes' in the GOP. The basic and teh advanced. The basic shaved~2 seconds.
The advanced shaved ~2.1 seconds

I think the review was on en.expreview.com

[a111087]

does it also mean that these cards will now be compatible with MacPro? no?

[ManofGod]

No, it will actually eliminate upwards of 5 to 10 seconds off your boot time. (Essentially eliminating the bios wait time.) However, I own 2 Powercolor 6950's and they cannot (will not?) update them. (They claimed a hardware limitation. Perhaps the firmware area is not big enough.)

Essentially, we are talking having the computer booting up to a usable state in about 3 to 4 seconds I would say.

[Covert_Death]

my motherboard supports normal, fast, and super fast, boot options... super fast requiring this GPU but fast is plenty for me, its 12 seconds from the power button and i'm FULLY loaded, thats insane in my book and i'll take it, i don't need a GPU to shave 12 to 9-10

[ManofGod]

Originally Posted by Covert_Death

my motherboard supports normal, fast, and super fast, boot options... super fast requiring this GPU but fast is plenty for me, its 12 seconds from the power button and i'm FULLY loaded, thats insane in my book and i'll take it, i don't need a GPU to shave 12 to 9-10

It would probably go from 12 to about 3 to 4 seconds. I agree though, a new video card just for that would not be worth it.

[Covert_Death]

it's only going to cut the bios (UEFI) boot time to null and that's it, windows still has to load and that usually takes a good 8-10 seconds. for me "fast" is nearly there, by the time my monitor wakes up its already loading windows i don't even see the UEFI screen anymore (thank god)

[ManofGod]

Originally Posted by Covert_Death

it's only going to cut the bios (UEFI) boot time to null and that's it, windows still has to load and that usually takes a good 8-10 seconds. for me "fast" is nearly there, by the time my monitor wakes up its already loading windows i don't even see the UEFI screen anymore (thank god)

My Windows boots in about 3 to 5 seconds after the bios is done. Disconnecting my external drive and connecting it to my router for NAS duties eliminates about 8 seconds prior to that. My machine boots in about 11 seconds total right now. (No GOP support at the moment.)

Fast is good though.