Wednesday, April 24th 2013

AMD Makes a Breakthrough in Improving Frame Latency

Apr 24th, 2013 00:59 Discuss (42 Comments)

AMD has been criticized by some tech publications over Radeon HD 7000 series posing higher frame-latency over NVIDIA GeForce chips, even in cases where AMD's chips offer higher frame-rates. "Frame latency" or "frame time" was purported as a metric of the same importance as frame-rates, in graphics card reviews. Various essentially identical methods were used to show that AMD Radeon GPUs yield higher frame latency (time taken for frames drawn by the GPU to make it to the display) than NVIDIA GeForce ones, even in cases where AMD's chips offer higher frame-rates. AMD has apparently made a significant breakthrough in improving frame latency.

In January, AMD made its first official response to early tests that showed Radeon GPUs to pose higher frame latency. In its defense, AMD stated that frame-latency issues are not a hardware design flaw, and can be ironed out by optimizing drivers to the redesigned memory controllers on GPUs based on its Graphics CoreNext architecture. Sources told us that AMD is ready with its first prototype drivers that fix frame latency issues. These drivers are pre-alpha, and are made available to select industry partners, with an adequate level of competence and expertise, since a week now. After AMD takes feedback from these partners, the company will begin rolling out the first beta drivers, followed by WHQL-signed ones.

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42 Comments on AMD Makes a Breakthrough in Improving Frame Latency

LAN_deRf_HA

So this driver was not made available for the 7990 reviewers? Wonder if they'll come to regret that.

adulaamin

I wouldn't say it's a "breakthrough" until I see good results... :)

brutlern

These drivers show promise. The prototype driver was tested at Toms Hardware and showed huge improvements (where applicable of course, some games didn't have any issues to begin with)

MxPhenom 216

ASIC Engineer

Nordic

I thought tpu had the prototype drivers too. What do I know.

Anyways, pcper did have the prototype drivers for sure this is a graph that shows there is improvement. The orange is the old and dark purple is the new 7990.

Mxphenom beat me to it...

MxPhenom 216

ASIC Engineer

james888I thought tpu had the prototype drivers too. What do I know.

Anyways, pcper did have the prototype drivers for sure this is a graph that shows there is improvement. The orange is the old and dark purple is the new 7990.
www.pcper.com/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2013-04-22/BF3_2560x1440_PLOT_0.png

I beat you :nutkick:

RejZoR

Who cares if they are alpha prototype, leak 'em!

Jorge

The fact that the frame rates are higher essentially negates the perceived issues with latency.

jigar2speed

adulaaminI wouldn't say it's a "breakthrough" until I see good results... :)

Trust me you will never agree ever. Nvidia is the "BHEST" for you. :D

#10

AsRock

TPU addict

adulaaminI wouldn't say it's a "breakthrough" until I see good results... :)

Must admit it's convenient timing.

#11

d1nky

I think these drivers are already knocking around on forums. some new 13.4 was centre of attention yesterday on tpu

www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2890303#post2890303

#12

arterius2

which is reason why I only buy Nvidia cards

#13

ste2425

arterius2which is reason why I only buy Nvidia cards

Don't like green, awful colour. Arn't these what people was getting hyped up about a couple of days ago?

edit:

d1nkyI think these drivers are already knocking around on forums. some new 13.4 was centre of attention yesterday on tpu

www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2890303#post2890303

oops already posted.

#14

NeoXF

arterius2which is reason why I only buy Nvidia cards

#15

blibba

JorgeThe fact that the frame rates are higher essentially negates the perceived issues with latency.

No. Frame rates are just a less accurate and meaningful way of measuring frame latancy, which is what you actually see. But I suspect you were trolling anyway :/

Why is TPU still making not so much as a nod to all this in its GPU reviews btw? If you read the 7990 review today you'd think it was a viable alternative to the 690.

#16

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop

blibbaNo. Frame rates are just a less accurate and meaningful way of measuring frame latancy, which is what you actually see. But I suspect you were trolling anyway :/

Why is TPU still making not so much as a nod to all this in its GPU reviews btw? If you read the 7990 review today you'd think it was a viable alternative to the 690.

Because the problem isn't universal. Or it's not concieved as universal. There are people here running 7970's in Crossfire that has nothing to complain about, even running Windows 8 (which gives cadaveca huge problems).

#17

blibba

FrickBecause the problem isn't universal. Or it's not concieved as universal. There are people here running 7970's in Crossfire that has nothing to complain about, even running Windows 8 (which gives cadaveca huge problems).

7970CF isn't universally broken, it's just subjectively and quantitatively much weaker than FPS testing alone suggests. I doubt many of the people running 7970CF who also have 680/670 SLI on another comparable system, and if they do and still can't tell the difference, I'd suggest that they're not really taxing either system.

www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7990-review-benchmark,3486-13.html

#18

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop

blibba7970CF isn't universally broken, it's just subjectively and quantitatively much weaker than FPS testing alone suggests. I doubt many of the people running 7970CF who also have 680/670 SLI on another comparable system, and if they do and still can't tell the difference, I'd suggest that they're not really taxing either system.

www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7990-review-benchmark,3486-13.html

If they are happy with the performance (and it doesn't make them nauseus or anything), why should they compare? At that point it's a bit like hunting down bad pixels on LCD monitors. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but I'm saying if they are happy with what they have, they are not having problems.

#19

blibba

FrickIf they are happy with the performance (and it doesn't make them nauseus or anything), why should they compare? At that point it's a bit like hunting down bad pixels on LCD monitors. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but I'm saying if they are happy with what they have, they are not having problems.

No I agree, I'm just saying that the fact that they're not having problems does not mean that other people should be advised to buy similar solutions, when they're highly cost inefficient.

Wizz's reviews are currently bad consumer advice due to their neglecting to even mention these issues as something AMD is working on.

#20

RCoon

RejZoRWho cares if they are alpha prototype, leak 'em!

They were leaked last night, and I've been using them since. All i can say is on a brief glance, frame latency issues have been patched very well, most games are exceedingly smooth on my crossfire system. But note, i said patched, not fixed ;)

#21

AsRock

TPU addict

arterius2which is reason why I only buy Nvidia cards

Yes because they never have any issue's right ? :rolleyes: <--(Sarcastic). Never mind the point your post is pointless.

What is funny the 1st nVidia video card i had the heat sink fell off it and no i am no joking.

ste2425Don't like green, awful colour. Arn't these what people was getting hyped up about a couple of days ago?

edit:

oops already posted.

I do when applied correctly, I hope so and really hope they solved the issue some more for those having the issue..

#22

Kreij

Senior Monkey Moderator

blibbaWhy is TPU still making not so much as a nod to all this in its GPU reviews btw? If you read the 7990 review today you'd think it was a viable alternative to the 690.

Read the last paragraph of the review.

#23

Solidstate89

JorgeThe fact that the frame rates are higher essentially negates the perceived issues with latency.

No. Not even close. Thanks for playing though.

#24

Prima.Vera

I hope this will cancel the skipping lag in some of the games with CrossfireX enabled.

#25

blibba

KreijRead the last paragraph of the review.

Okay, I thought I'd read the article cover to cover but apparently not.

Nonetheless, I think my point remains tbh.

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AMD Makes a Breakthrough in Improving Frame Latency

42 Comments on AMD Makes a Breakthrough in Improving Frame Latency

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