DirectX12 Will Allow Multi-GPU Between GeForce And Radeon

[Ragin Asian]

 

One of the big things that we will be seeing is DirectX 12's Explicit Asynchronous Multi-GPU capabilities. What this means is that the API combines all the different graphics resources in a system and puts them all into one "bucket." It is then left to the game developer to divide the workload up however they see fit, letting different hardware take care of different tasks.

Part of this new feature set that aids multi-GPU configurations is that the frame buffers (GPU memory) won't necessarily need to be mirrored anymore. In older APIs, in order to benefit from multiple GPUs, you'd have the two work together, each one rendering an alternate frame (AFR). This required both to have all of the texture and geometry data in their frame buffers, meaning that despite having two cards with 4 GB of memory, you'd still only have a 4 GB frame buffer.

DirectX 12 will remove the 4 + 4 = 4 idea and will work with a new frame rendering method called SFR, which stands for Split Frame Rendering. Developers will be able to manually, or automatically, divide the texture and geometry data between the GPUs, and all of the GPUs can then work together to work on each frame. Each GPU will then work on a specific portion of the screen, with the number of portions being equivalent to the number of GPUs installed.

 

We were also told that DirectX 12 will support all of this across multiple GPU architectures, simultaneously. What this means is that Nvidia GeForce GPUs will be able to work in tandem with AMD Radeon GPUs to render the same game – the same frame, even.

This is especially interesting as it allows you to leverage the technology benefits of both of these hardware platforms if you wish to do so. If you like Nvidia's GeForce Experience software and 3D Vision, but you want to use AMD's TrueAudio and FreeSync, chances are you'll be able to do that when DirectX 12 comes around. What will likely happen is that one card will operate as the master card, while the other will be used for additional power.

What we're seeing here is that DirectX 12 is capable of aggregating graphics resources, be that compute or memory, in the most efficient way possible. Don't forget, however, that this isn't only beneficial for systems with multiple discrete desktop GPUs. Laptops with dual-graphics solutions, or systems running an APU and a GPU will be able to benefit too. DirectX 12's aggregation will allow GPUs to work together that today would be completely mismatched, possibly making technologies like SLI and CrossFire obsolete in the future.

There is a catch, however. Lots of the optimization work for the spreading of workloads is left to the developers – the game studios. The same went for older APIs, though, and DirectX 12 is intended to be much friendlier. For advanced uses it may be a bit tricky, but according to the source, implementing the SFR should be a relatively simple and painless process for most developers.

 

Take this with a grain of salt since Tom's Hardware doesn't name a source.

 

While this would be cool I can't see Nvidia allowing this. If they don't though we may finally be able access all vendor exclusive technologies at the same time

 

Source:http://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-directx12-amd-nvidia,28606.html

[NeatSquidYT]

kk cool.

[KamiKatze]

Who will actually do this? And who decides if your PC is G-Sync or Freesync ready?

 

Nontheless a nice option to upgrade later to any GPU you want in SLIFire.

[wyattzx]

SLiFire!

 

If only...

[RatedBlam]

Then again Nvidia I think made it so that you cant even have an Nvidia GPU and an AMD GPU in the system at all.

So it broke the Nvidia for PhysX for AMD users.

[Tim Drake]

This would be extremely awesome and extremely stupid at the same time.

[dadasmithywinkle]

nVidia won't allow this and it seems like ram - it'd be best to use two the the same type but if it works it works.

[SuperPug]

nvm..

[C0LL0SS0S]

Highly doubt it, if possible it wouldn't make much sense tbh ^^

[SimpleG]

Linus is always 1st (and yes, I know those gpu's aren't slifire)

[Majestic]

nVidia won't allow this and it seems like ram - it'd be best to use two the the same type but if it works it works.

 

Why would AMD allow this? I love this needless segregation.

[Levent]

holy shit I can see the issues coming up already.

[dadasmithywinkle]

Why would AMD allow this? I love this needless segregation.

AMD seems to be more open to new things.

[snowComet]

I remember similar stuff was discussed on WAN show a while ago... about directx 12 treating multiple gpus as a single entity...

[AlexGoesHigh]

inb4 driver block by both

[Ertman]

Why would AMD allow this? I love this needless segregation.

Amd is far more likely to let you use a geforce card for physx then nvidia. Just one example.

[Octagoncow]

I don't see this actually happening. Even if DX12 allows it; I would imagine that both AMD and Nvidia would do something to stop it from working. On top of that I don't know if I see a benefit unless you're keeping your old cards and doing SLI with them. I just see too many problems to get excited.

[MoonSpot]

DirectX 12 will remove the 4 + 4 = 4 idea and will work with a new frame rendering method called SFR, which stands for Split Frame Rendering. Developers will be able to manually, or automatically, divide the texture and geometry data between the GPUs, and all of the GPUs can then work together to work on each frame. Each GPU will then work on a specific portion of the screen, with the number of portions being equivalent to the number of GPUs installed.

 

Sorry, how does that not mean that all the textures are still not being loaded into both/all cards?  Or are they saying that 1 card does textures and the other does everything else?  Still looks like 4 + 4 = 4, or 4 + 0 = 4.

[Majestic]

AMD seems to be more open to new things.

Amd is far more likely to let you use a geforce card for physx then nvidia. Just one example.

 

And look where that got them. It would just be taking on another stupid idea to gain some karma points but fail miserably.

But seriously, even AMD wouldn't be this stupid.

[Ertman]

And look where that got them. It would just be taking on another stupid idea to gain some karma points but fail miserably.

But seriously, even AMD wouldn't be this stupid.

That doesn't make sense.

[dragosudeki]

 

And look where that got them. It would just be taking on another stupid idea to gain some karma points but fail miserably.

But seriously, even AMD wouldn't be this stupid.

Hence the term 'more likely'. Another example is what is stopping Nvidia from using FreeSync and letting GSync allow AMD cards? I still can't imagine why Nvidia locks their own GSync when they could make more money from the mondule if it also allowed AMD cards.

 

Don't think there would be a big benefit in combining both cards though anyway. Each game either has a Nvidia feature or an AMD one, but not both.

[-CLASSIFIED-]

ima try this now , since the windows 10 tech preview had dx12 in it

 

 

wait theres nothing that used dx12 out rn damnit  

[MrRavens]

SLiFire!

If only...

Omg yes, I'd like summadat SLIfiya!

[Redpalmtree]

And look where that got them. It would just be taking on another stupid idea to gain some karma points but fail miserably.

But seriously, even AMD wouldn't be this stupid.

Wow you seem to have the ability to turn a valid argument and a positive remark into ridicule towards AMD.

 

Nvidia usually is the neighbour who puts up a big fence, crossing half of the other neighbour's yard. Through your weird fanbot language you are able to not only make Nvidia neutral in this matter, but shame AMD for being more open-oriented.

 

Yes, I meant to say fanbot

[Real_PhillBert]

Interesting. I'm not sure how much actual use it will have but it's interesting nonetheless.