AMD's Mantle API Is NOT Open Source, Compatible Only With AMD GPUs.

[TechFan@ic]

There has been a lot of speculation regarding AMD's new Mantle low-level API, specifically regarding if it's open or not, meaning can Nvidia & Intel add support to Mantle if they wish ? the official answer from AMD's Robert Hallock, Enthusiast Graphics Marketing Manager is a definitive NO.

 

Tech Fan@ic . ‏

@Thracks is MANTLE open source ?

Details

 

Robert Hallock ‏

@GnrlKhalid No. It is an API for the industry-standard GCN Architecture and its specific ISA, done at the request of game developers.
 

 

So not only is MANTLE AMD specific, it's also architecture specific, so it's only compatible with Graphics Core Next (GCN) based products, that's the 7000 series and up for discrete graphics, Kaveri & later for APUs.

 

Source : https://twitter.com/Thracks/status/383872285351739393

[Dravic]

 

There has been a lot of speculation regarding AMD's new MANTLE low-level API, specifically regarding if it's open or not, meaning can Nvidia & Intel add support of they wish or not, the official answer from AMD's Robert Hallock, Enthusiast Graphics Marketing Manager is a definitive NO.

 

Tech Fan@ic . ‏

@Thracks is MANTLE open source ?

Details

 

Robert Hallock ‏

@GnrlKhalid No. It is an API for the industry-standard GCN Architecture and its specific ISA, done at the request of game developers.

Source : https://twitter.com/Thracks/status/383872285351739393

 

 

That's cute.

[Humbug]

I was wondering earlier, maybe you can answer this question. Was there ever really any point for it to be open source? I know a lot of people talked about that. 

 

But this is not supposed to be opengl, it's an API specifically for AMD's GPUs. So would there even be any benefit from it being open and fragmented?

[Ryan Leech]

Well, I guess I'll stick with my GTX 465 for a little while longer.

[TechFan@ic]

I was wondering earlier, maybe you can answer this question. Was there ever really any point for it to be open source? I know a lot of people talked about that. 

 

But this is not supposed to be opengl, it's an API specifically for AMD's GPUs. So would there even be any benefit from it being open and fragmented?

Of course there would be great benefits, develop once, run on everything is the dream of game developers.

[helping]

amd y u do dis

 

):

[Brainless906]

So assumably even if it works as magicly as one would hope, only amd backed games are likely to support it.

[GPUXPert]

When folks recommended 7000 series AMD GPUs, over the Nvidia 600 or 700 series of GPUs to other people & mentioned "console optimizations" as one of the incentives, they were absolutely right about it, I remember @TechFan@ic always mentioned console optimizations for both AMD CPUs & GPUs making their way to the PC.

I've always felt that it's a valid point, but never realized that it would develop into something like MANTLE that just gives massive performance boosts to AMD users, both on the GPU & CPU side.

It's a major reason why we're seeing Nvidia compete more in terms of the feature set, because Nvidia knows competing on performance is going to be extraordinarily difficult from now on.

[IAcKI]

Let's face it. They're bound to not make things open source. nVidia cards could utilise there technology hten. MAybe if nVidia were more open AMD would have more of an incentive to make it open source! 

[Humbug]

Of course there would be great benefits, develop once, run on everything is the dream of game developers.

Yes but would it be of any use on a non-AMD GPU?

[Opsilon]

Well this was kinda expected since everyone today is making their own "closed" platforms, it was just a matter of time before AMD did the same, but i am excited if this is the way to push the industry forward.

I really want to see what AMD will do with it, since the new consoles are using AMD, and according to Logan and Wendel from Tek Syndicate, there will be something new coming that will help AMD regain the advantage in single threaded workload, by splitting the same work on to multiple cores, pair that with MANTLE, AMD could become a great platform, and having the CPU ( or APU ) from AMD and a gpu from AMD could make an epic duo that could really give intel and Nvidia a run for their money.

 

SIGH... Still waiting for the 8 core steamroller announcement...

[Matsy]

Another reason to not go nvidia....sigh

[TechFan@ic]

I personally believe that Nvidia will end up with its own low level API, especially if Mantle kicks off, we'll end up with only two APIs, one for each graphics vendor.
You already can't play games properly even on the lowest settings with Intel integrated graphics, so I think game devs wouldn't mind marginalizing that tiny market segment of people who use intel integrated graphics to play games.

[TechFan@ic]

Yes but would it be of any use on a non-AMD GPU?

As things stand right now, none.

[beebskadoo]

Well this is GARBAGE. There goes the next API for Steam OS...

[Assassin]

By the time this technology gets fully implemented my gtx 770 will start aging out then it will be perfect time to buy a AMD GPU

[TechFan@ic]

By the time this technology gets fully implemented my gtx 770 will start aging out then it will be perfect time to buy a AMD GPU

The first game to support Mantle will be BF4 in December of this year, a 770 will hardly start aging by then.

[CwGoh]

Well, this is a disappointment. Making this open like OpenGL would spread it far faster but since it's a hardware API I guess it has to do with the architecture of the GPUs.

[delet my acc pls]

The first game to support MANTLE will be BF4 in December of this year, a 770 will hardly start aging by then.

He means when mantle is a huge thing that 25-40% of AAA titles use it (if it becomes a big thing)

[threadysparrow]

the thing is that AMD wants their new GPU customers to have a reason to go to them. They are not going to allow Nvidia customers to have any access to this because that would be bad from a business standpoint. The majority of their big spender customers already have GCN cards. So that is why they are only investing the time and effort to make MANTLE compatible with GCN cards. It would be unwise for them to spend time and money to make MANTLE work for people who have 6xxx cards because when new cards come out, their older cards do not bring in the big money anymore. Therefore they would be losing money if they were to cater to the 6xxx card people. And remember, AMD might be a tech company, but they are still a COMPANY nonetheless.

 

I am surprised they are allowing 7xxx cards on this to be honest.

[Beskamir]

Great so now this will end up like Physx. Everyone will hate it and devs won't use it:(

[Blingy]

Maybe will Nvidia will counter it with an open source solution.

 

They are currently pretty active in the linux community and partnering up with companies like Valve and Red Hat. I could imagine that they are approaching Khronos for this.

[threadysparrow]

also APIs cannot be copyrighted which means something but I do not know what it means...

[Kajornkeat]

I am surprised they are allowing 7xxx cards on this to be honest.

Their 7xxx cards sold really well because of the crazy price cut. 7970 for $450 and 7990 for $800 (maybe less) and they still perform pretty good compare to green team.

 

 

Great so now this will end up like Physx. Everyone will hate it and devs won't use it:(

I think this is a bit different from Physx. Both next gen console use amd apu and most big title game will be released on both pc and console and this make developers' jobs a lot more easier.

[threadysparrow]

Their 7xxx cards sold really well because of the crazy price cut. 7970 for $450 and 7990 for $800 (maybe less) and they still perform pretty good compare to green team.

 

 

I think this is a bit different from Physx. Both next gen console use amd apu and most big title game will be released on both pc and console and this make developers' jobs a lot more easier.

 

true, but what I mean is that I am surprised that, from a business standpoint, they are not just going full speed with their new cards. But it might be best because not everyone is getting their new cards yet and they need to maximize their user base.