Difference between Stream Processors and CUDA Cores

[KBGaming]

Hey guys!

I was just wondering, what's the difference between Stream Processors (AMD GPU's) and CUDA Cores (nVidia GPU's)?

 

What's the advantage of one over the other?

[G.Freeman]

Marketing that's the difference.

[Nexus]

They are basically the same thing. If im not mistaken when the Universal Shader Architecture came out they both called them stream processors.

Although you cannot use the number of cores to judge performance between the two series of cards.

[G.Freeman]

They are basically the same thing. If im not mistaken when the Universal Shader Architecture came out they both called them stream processors.

Although you cannot use the number of cores to judge performance between the two series of cards.

They both are Stream prossesors but in nvidia's wisdom they tried to reinvent the wheel again and be different like Apple.

[tabuburn]

Both are shader cores. They are essentially the same thing. Their only difference is how each individual core performs. Kind of like the difference between Intel and AMD CPU cores.

[G.Freeman]

Both are shader cores. They are essentially the same thing. Their only difference is how each individual core performs. Kind of like the difference between Intel and AMD CPU cores.

They used to be called the same thing.

[G.Freeman]

They used to be called the same thing but they still are the same thing.

[tabuburn]

They used to be called the same thing.

Yep. NVIDIA basically just recoded how their cores function.

[KBGaming]

Thanks guys.

Confused me a bit.

[G.Freeman]

Yep. NVIDIA basically just recoded how their cores function.

No they renamed stream processor and called it Cuda LOL welcome to marketing.

[tabuburn]

No they renamed stream processor and called it Cuda LOL welcome to marketing.

If was just a simple name change, 1 stream processor should equal 1 CUDA core in performance.

[G.Freeman]

If was just a simple name change, 1 stream processor should equal 1 CUDA core in performance.

Well that what I said now silly LOL.

[tabuburn]

7970 has 2K stream processors while the 680 has 1.5K CUDA cores. If it really is 1 to 1, the 7970 should be 25% more performing than 680.

[G.Freeman]

7970 has 2K stream processors while the 680 has 1.5K CUDA cores. If it really is 1 to 1, the 7970 should be 25% more performing than 680.

Well there are allot of other factors aside from streaming processors like drivers and architectural differences I am sure.

[Darell3]

CUDA cores is more geared for adobe programs or things like that. Stream processors(AMD) is better on OpenCL side. They are both essentially the SAME!

[tabuburn]

That's what I was saying. When NVIDIA went to CUDA, they redesigned how the core functioned.

[G.Freeman]

That's what I was saying. When NVIDIA went to CUDA, they redesigned how the core functioned.

No they did not redesign anything.

[G.Freeman]

CUDA cores is more geared for adobe programs or things like that. Stream processors(AMD) is better on OpenCL side. They are both essentially the SAME!

They are the exact same thing and the only differnce is that nvidia "had" a developer relationship with adobe.

[IPCharger]

From what I know the reason why you can't judge a card performance based on CUDA cores vs stream processors is because AMD cards have stream processors which are small, simple, and run on a low frequency, and Nvidia cards have CUDA cores  which are bigger, more complex and run on a higher frequency. That's why an AMD GPU with 2000 stream processors isn't 100% faster than a Nvidia GPU with 1000 CUDA cores, plus they use different architectures. But the fact that AMD cards have more stream processors than Nvidia cards makes them better for Bitcoin mining.

[tabuburn]

No they did not redesign anything.

Then provide something that supports that rather than just saying it's a marketing ploy.

[Glenwing]

As has been said they are essentially the same thing; CUDA cores are modified at a programming level to make the cores available to developers, for computation purposes like the CPU.  Since the GPU is far more effective in highly parallel computation than a CPU, GPU acceleration in content creation applications is a powerful feature.  However it seems likely that AMD will also be implementing this or something similar to this in the future, given their new relationship with Adobe.

[G.Freeman]

Then provide something that supports that rather than just saying it's a marketing ploy.

Then prove me wrong that one day nvidia went from Strem Proccessors to Cuda. Of corse nvidia will try and work marketing majic and lies onm you to make you think they are better and more exsclusive.

[G.Freeman]

As has been said they are essentially the same thing; CUDA cores are modified at a programming level to make the cores available to developers, for computation purposes like the CPU. 

This is called developer relationships not modified stream processors. The onlything modded was the name.

[SkilledRebuilds]

God I'm old.. Before all this Unified jargon...

 

Graphics cards with Pipelines

Rendering Shader Pipelines, pixel shaders vertex shaders compute shaders

 

Were classed as Stream Processors, the arms race for clock speeds has never stopped, there used to be a similar race with stream processors before nvidia went and changed their name and some functions they were used for, re purposed so to speak...

While a few selective applications use both cuda and stream processing, their both very similar in the way they come across.. But its not 1:1 either... moreso the similarity is some programs can use one or the other,...difference between them is how their used and how efficiently.

[G.Freeman]

God I'm old.. Before all this Unified jargon...

 

Graphics cards with Pipelines

Rendering Shader Pipelines, pixel shaders vertex shaders compute shaders

 

Were classed as Stream Processors, the arms race for clock speeds has never stopped, there used to be a similar race with stream processors before nvidia went and changed their name and some functions they were used for, re purposed so to speak...

While a few selective applications use both cuda and stream processing, their both very similar in the way they come across.. But its not 1:1 either... moreso the similarity is some programs can use one or the other,...difference between them is how their used and how efficiently.

So developers relationships is the difference like "TWIMTBP" nvidia Cuda/Stream Processors or "Neversettle" AMD Stream Processors