Tuesday, December 6th 2016

AMD Cripples Older GCN GPUs of Async-Compute Support?

AMD allegedly disabled asynchronous-compute technology support on older generations of Graphics CoreNext (GCN) architecture, since Radeon Software 16.9.2. With the newer drivers, "Ashes of the Singularity" no longer supports asynchronous-compute, a feature that improves performance in the game, on GPUs based on the first-generation GCN architecture, such as the Radeon R9 280X.

"Ashes of the Singularity" benchmarks run by Beyond3D forum members on GCN 1.0 hardware, comparing older drivers to version 16.9.2 shows that the game supports async-compute on the older drivers, and returns improved performance. AMD, on its part, is pointing users to a patch change-list from the developers of "Ashes..." which reads that the game supports DirectX 12 async-compute only on GCN 1.1 (eg: Radeon R9 290) and above.
Source: Reddit
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97 Comments on AMD Cripples Older GCN GPUs of Async-Compute Support?

#26
bug
HD64GThey just stopped support on 1st gen CGN GPUs from a driver version onwards to be able to extract the best of the newer CGN based GPUs. Not any problem there in their logic imho.
Do you know that for a fact? Are you 100% sure they couldn't keep the old codebase around and extract extra performance from the newer GPUs?

As in, you know:
if(GCN>=1.1) {
doNewMagic();
} else {
doWhatYouWereDoingAlready();
}

Edit: also, where's the post that claims support was dropped, it's not linked in the article...
Posted on Reply
#27
Tatty_Two
Gone Fishing
krukBetteridge's law of headlines: Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.

I'm lurking on TPU for years, but I'm really unhappy with the direction where it's going -> wccftech. Also, why there are only 6 of 25 recent gpu reviews those of AMD cards? It used to be different :(
To be fair, there could be a number of factors there, the amount of cards/models released or even something as simple as what review samples are sent out by the 2 sides and to who they are sent.
Posted on Reply
#28
R-T-B
NinkobEiNot sure, but the mods are full of bad opinions and openly support throwing away thousands of dollars on Star Citizen vapor-ware, and banning/locking those who disagree ;D
Seriously, that is not only baseless, but completely OT here.
Posted on Reply
#29
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
If memory serves, GCN 1.0 cards got virtually the same frames with and without async-compute enabled. Stardock likely disabled it because there's not much point in supporting it when it is a wash.

Edit: If memory serves, GCN 1.0 only had 2 ACEs where GCN 1.1 and newer have 8 ACEs. That likely hampered their ability to do async compute hugely.
Posted on Reply
#30
renz496
pop corn time :D

even if the issue lies solely on developer side and not AMD this is the after effect by pushing low level API. this is one of the thing that surely going to happen when looking at current game development trend.
Posted on Reply
#31
Tatty_Two
Gone Fishing
NinkobEiNot sure, but the mods are full of bad opinions and openly support throwing away thousands of dollars on Star Citizen vapor-ware, and banning/locking those who disagree ;D
I don't really have any opinions relating to many of these threads, the membership have plenty of those, my concerns are more around the conduct and execution of those opinions, the specific thread you refer to actually had won "report of the month" just by the sheer quantity, after 8 pages it had served it's purpose (there was acknowledgement that transparency needed to improve........ and had), and it had turned into a shitstorm that was about to happen and had become more about the motives of the Op than the developing game, so it was closed not because of mine or anyone else's opinion, more as a reaction to in some cases pure childishness.
Posted on Reply
#32
Steevo
As the owner of a 7970 that is aging very well, but looking at what $200 gets me in performance increase....30-50% more performance plus the extra vmem for $200 so oh well? Seriously I don't care, as I don't play AOTS as it looks like about as much fun as burning ants with a magnifying glass. I guess if it really is AMD doing it I can always use..... an older driver... for my older card. But it is shitty unless there is a technical reason to do so.
Posted on Reply
#33
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
krukAlso, why there are only 6 of 25 recent gpu reviews those of AMD cards? It used to be different
Well, how many models has AMD released compared to NVIDIA?
Posted on Reply
#34
TheinsanegamerN
Is TPU going to be employing WCCF writers soon? The title is total clickbait. It should read "AotS dev disables async on GCN1.0 cards running catalyst 16.9.2 or newer" because that is what is actually going on. Besides, GCN1 barely benefited from async in AotS, so not really a major loss here. Probably not enough performance to warrant the work needed to keep it running.

C'mon guys, TPU is better then WCCFtrash, lets not stoop down to clickbait trying to bash one company or another.
rtwjunkieWell, how many models has AMD released compared to NVIDIA?
This is very true. When AMD has no real competitor to the 1070, 1080, titanXP, and no card that can match the 1050ti for low power consumption, there isnt much to say. It's already been established that there are only 2-3 480s and 470s worth buying, and that info is easy to scratch up. Until AMD brings vega or a 490, there isnt much to say.
Posted on Reply
#35
Dave65
Divide OverflowI thought that TPU was better than this kind of click bait...
Very disappointing for sure!
Posted on Reply
#36
kruk
rtwjunkieWell, how many models has AMD released compared to NVIDIA?
AMD released 3 models and nVidia 6. Here are the numbers of reviews:

nVidia:
GTX 1050 - 1
GTX 1050 Ti - 3
GTX 1060 - 8
GTX 1070 - 4
GTX 1080 - 2
GTX TPX - 1

AMD:
RX 460 - 1
RX 470 - 1
RX 480 - 4 (one of them is crossfire)

You do the math ...
Posted on Reply
#37
Pruny
FordGT90ConceptIf memory serves, GCN 1.0 cards got virtually the same frames with and without async-compute enabled. Stardock likely disabled it because there's not much point in supporting it when it is a wash.

Edit: If memory serves, GCN 1.0 only had 2 ACEs where GCN 1.1 and newer have 8 ACEs. That likely hampered their ability to do async compute hugely.
Rise of tombraider had async requirement gcn 1.1 also.
Posted on Reply
#38
WithoutWeakness
phanbueyHow is this clickbait? I read through the reddit post - looks like a real issue.

Do you even know what that word means?
The title suggests that AMD disabled async compute through a driver update. The article then clarifies that one developer actually disabled it as part of a patch and it has nothing to do with AMD drivers. However the article also links to a forum post by AMD that specifies that specifically calls out Rise of the Tomb Raider patch notes and does not address the supposed issue with Ashes of the Singularity which is mentioned multiple times in the article. It's a garbage article and a complete clickbait title.
Posted on Reply
#39
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
krukAMD released 3 models and nVidia 6. Here are the numbers of reviews:

nVidia:
GTX 1050 - 1
GTX 1050 Ti - 3
GTX 1060 - 8
GTX 1070 - 4
GTX 1080 - 2
GTX TPX - 1

AMD:
RX 460 - 1
RX 470 - 1
RX 480 - 4 (one of them is crossfire)

You do the math ...
So you expect W1zzard to spend his own money buying every model released? Would YOU? Reviewers review what they get sent by companies.
Posted on Reply
#40
Xzibit
EarthDogConfused... titles asks a question... yet the body of the news says it wasn't AMD its the Ashes devs...........?
borandiThis. Thoroughly misleading title.
AlienIsGODWhat is going on with TPU lately...
Divide OverflowI thought that TPU was better than this kind of click bait...
Seams like Btarunr occasionally likes to pull a Tiger Woods



Last month we had this one.

AMD Radeon GPUs Limit HDR Color Depth to 8bpc Over HDMI 2.0
Posted on Reply
#41
ADHDGAMING
Calm down this was the Devs move not AMDs ... Read the article not just the headline .
Posted on Reply
#42
efikkan
Sempron Guywell considering anything lower than the 280x is GCN 1.0 which is said particular "devs" are excluding for async support, maybe it's time for an upgrade? The 280x is what 3 years old now?
"GCN 1.0" is still used in products such as R7 370 (2015) and low-end OEM cards released this year. If the claims of the article is true then this is a really bad move. The competitors support their products for >5 years…

Buyers should really be careful about buying "recycled" old GPUs.
Posted on Reply
#43
kruk
rtwjunkieSo you expect W1zzard to spend his own money buying every model released? Would YOU? Reviewers review what they get sent by companies.
You are totally missing the point and you do not need to be so hostile. I'm just saying that in the age of Kepler and Southern Islands this site was a gold mine for a GPU buyer, but now its only interesting if you are buying a nVidia GPU. I do not know what happens behind the curtains, but if ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI sent such a variety of GTX cards, why didn't they also sent the different RX models?
Posted on Reply
#44
Tatty_Two
Gone Fishing
krukYou are totally missing the point and you do not need to be so hostile. I'm just saying that in the age of Kepler and Southern Islands this site was a gold mine for a GPU buyer, but now its only interesting if you are buying a nVidia GPU. I do not know what happens behind the curtains, but if ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI sent such a variety of GTX cards, why didn't they also sent the different RX models?
I think all he is saying is that not all sites get all cards and it is as simple as that, whilst I don't review I am well aware that manufacturers do not send out each release/model to every well known site.......... for example, many of us are well aware that last year there were a couple of fairly big releases of cards that TPU did not get selected to review (along with some other sites), apart from heavy review schedules I am sure if we got cards we would review them where possible so whilst your research is most likely accurate it is not necessarily an indication of intent here.
Posted on Reply
#45
Monsuta
Just another misleading article that this particular moderator have problems with AMD, TPU's reputation is looking bad because of kind of crap.
Posted on Reply
#46
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
Tatty_OneI don't really have any opinions relating to many of these threads, the membership have plenty of those, my concerns are more around the conduct and execution of those opinions, the specific thread you refer to actually had won "report of the month" just by the sheer quantity, after 8 pages it had served it's purpose (there was acknowledgement that transparency needed to improve........ and had), and it had turned into a shitstorm that was about to happen and had become more about the motives of the Op than the developing game, so it was closed not because of mine or anyone else's opinion, more as a reaction to in some cases pure childishness.
How dare the mods do a reasonable moderating job!! :p

Now where's that Report button...

"the specific thread you refer to actually had won "report of the month" just by the sheer quantity"
I can imagine the facepalms by the mods going on. :D
Posted on Reply
#47
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
Tatty_OneI think all he is saying is that not all sites get all cards and it is as simple as that, whilst I don't review I am well aware that manufacturers do not send out each release/model to every well known site........
Exactly! :) Nothing hostile in what I said at all.
Posted on Reply
#48
Recon-UK
Whilst you guys moan about pointless stuff, i be maxing BF1 at 480P over here like a boss at 200FPS.
Posted on Reply
#49
ernorator
Do AND know that long driver support is only thing for which people still buy their gpus and not nvidia. That was one strong argiument to buy AMD card, You will not need to change GPU with every new series.
Posted on Reply
#50
renz496
ernoratorDo AND know that long driver support is only thing for which people still buy their gpus and not nvidia. That was one strong argiument to buy AMD card, You will not need to change GPU with every new series.
you know what nvidia did support their gpu longer than AMD. right now those fermi still get driver updates from main driver. AMD cards from the same generation already being push into legacy status by AMD.
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