AMD Demonstrates Optimized Executions of Havok Middleware on AMD platforms

[btarunr]

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and Havok, the premier provider of interactive software for physics simulation and content development, are presenting new, optimized executions of Havok’s physics middleware on AMD platforms at the 2009 Game Developers Conference. The demonstrations include the first OpenCL supported execution of Havok Cloth.

Havok offers a complete modular suite of products that help visual and interactive content developers create more realistic games and cinematic special effects. As the latest software developer to take advantage of ATI Stream technology to leverage multi-core architectures and accelerate execution of highly parallel functions, like real-time cloth simulation, Havok will enable game developers to offer improved performance and interactivity across a broad range of OpenCL capable PCs. AMD has recently introduced optimized platform technologies, such as “Dragon” desktop platform technology, which balance performance between the CPU and GPU with ATI Stream technology to deliver outstanding value.

“Havok is committed to delivering highly optimized cross-platform solutions to our game customers and we are pleased to be working with AMD to ensure that gamers enjoy a great user experience when running Havok-powered games on AMD platforms,” said David Coghlan, vice president of development for Havok. “Unlocking the parallel processing capability of AMD’s hardware provides real advantages to our customers, and the greater the total computing resources available, the better the gaming experience developers can deliver.”

"Havok’s awesome toolset has allowed us to deliver astonishing physics interactions in our games, including detailed real-time destruction and complex ragdoll models, and we are excited about using ATI Stream technology to pursue more astounding in-game accomplishments,” said Andrey Iones, chief operating officer of Saber Interactive. “We are excited that AMD and Havok are working together and leveraging an open standard like OpenCL.”

Additional detail on ATI Stream technology can be found here.

Source: AMD

[VulkanBros]

Finally we maybe get some competition to PhysX/CUDA - question is: will this only be avalible for AMD CPU´s or will this also work with Intel CPU´s (Maybe I am wrong - but is´nt Havok owned by Intel?)

[TreadR]

Originally Posted by VulkanBros

Finally we maybe get some competition to PhysX/CUDA - question is: will this only be avalible for AMD CPU´s or will this also work with Intel CPU´s (Maybe I am wrong - but is´nt Havok owned by Intel?)

It works on the GPU... and Intel doesn't have dedicated GPU's right now.
It defaults to CPU only in compatibility mode when there is no ATI GPU to work with and of course, it supports both AMD and Intel CPU's.

[WarEagleAU]

Well lets get the ball rolling on getting this out to the general public eh? Id love to grab me a lower GPU (or use my new 3870 sent to me from RMA as a physx card) and try it out.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by WarEagleAU

Well lets get the ball rolling on getting this out to the general public eh? Id love to grab me a lower GPU (or use my new 3870 sent to me from RMA as a physx card) and try it out.

now now.
ATI card will work as a havok physics card. Nvidia works as PhysX.
dont get them confused or great teacher Mussels will be after you.

[Error 404]

Awesome, if this is supported by Half Life Ep3 (or w/ever they're calling it), then the next Garry's Mod should support it. That would be effing swicked, and I would buy an ATI card just for that reason.

[Studabaker]

I really wish we didn't have to choose between two physics engines. Hopefully there will be a good quality wrapper. Or even better, if developers get a way to support both types of physics engines from a single command set, that would be sweet.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Studabaker

I really wish we didn't have to choose between two physics engines. Hopefully there will be a good quality wrapper. Or even better, if developers get a way to support both types of physics engines from a single command set, that would be sweet.

In theory at least, they should be able to tie into DX11's GPGPU code.

Of course that means you need vista or 7, which is probably going to slow it a little (if they do it via Cuda/Stream, XP users get in on it too)

[Studabaker]

Originally Posted by Mussels

In theory at least, they should be able to tie into DX11's GPGPU code

Nice, that would be ideal!

And you might be a super-know-it-all mod but I'll still fight with u all day and night about Vista being slower than XP. I've done the back and forth a half dozen times now and I see nothing but Vista awesomeness each and every time. I like to do a little something called 'streamlining'. There's about 50 useless Services out there

[btarunr]

Originally Posted by Studabaker

Nice, that would be ideal!

And you might be a super-know-it-all mod but I'll still fight with u all day and night about Vista being slower than XP.

And I could have fought all day and night about XP being way slower than Windows 95, but I've got better things to do.

Back to topic.

[Hayder_Master]

“Havok is committed to delivering highly optimized cross-platform solutions to our game customers and we are pleased to be working with AMD to ensure that gamers enjoy a great user experience when running Havok-powered games on AMD platforms,”

WTF havok owned by intel