AMD Catalyst 14.1 Beta to Include Mantle and TrueAudio Runtimes

[btarunr]

At its CES press-meet, AMD detailed the upcoming versions of Catalyst Software Suite, which will be unified to include graphics and system drivers for both discrete AMD Radeon GPUs, and integrated AMD A-Series APUs; and AMD core-logic (chipsets). The biggest takeaway from the presentation, by AMD's Terry "CatalystMaker" Makedon, is that the company will release the first Mantle and TrueAudio runtime environments with the upcoming Catalyst 14.1 Beta, due for later this month. Mantle is AMD's ambitious attempt at a 3D graphics API to rival Direct3D and OpenGL, that's optimized for its Graphics CoreNext micro-architecture; while TrueAudio is a positional audio DSP that promises to make games and movies sound more realistic.

Mantle promises "great" performance improvements in Battlefield 4, the only AAA game that we know of, to make use of the API. Mantle support was expected to be added to the game as an update around this time, but DICE' plans fell off the track with publisher EA coming down hard on the studio for shipping a game that's riddled with bugs. DICE will most likely have to fix most of its bugs for the retail DirectX 11.1 game, before EA allows it to toy with updates that add support for new and experimental APIs, let alone expansion packs. In related news, Catalyst 14.1 Beta will introduce additions to its frame-pacing fix, that will soon support Ultra HD displays, and Eyefinity setups on non-XDMA (pre R9 290 series) GPUs.



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[natr0n]

Seems like exciting times ahead.

 

[Big_Vulture]

Seems like exciting times ahead.

Hopefully!

 

[NC37]

Boooo, Rave sucks, Glide rules!!

 

[Assimilator]

"Q1 2014" = 31 March 2014 AMD makes an announcement that the release has been delayed.

 

[pidgin]

not releasing at kaveri launch?

 

[BiggieShady]

In related news, Catalyst 14.1 Beta will introduce additions to its frame-pacing fix, that will soon support Ultra HD displays, and Eyefinity setups on non-XDMA (pre R9 290 series) GPUs.

Does this means that frame pacing will be finally fixed for all, or XDMA with UHD or eyefinity is still going to be waiting for a fix? I got lost in their incremental frame pacing fixes.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Frame pacing doesn't even works on 5xxx and 6xxx series anyways. Not to mention Mantle...

 

[z1tu]

whoopteedoo, more beta drivers

 

[The Von Matrices]

It's worrisome that AMD is marketing these features as ready when their supporting games are released, yet they will only be ready as a beta driver. It doesn't matter whether or not the beta drivers are unstable, the mere description "beta" prevents widespread adoption.

"Q1 2014" = 31 March 2014 AMD makes an announcement that the release has been delayed.

You make a good point. I don't know why the TPU article says "within a few weeks" when the slide clearly says Q1 2014, which could mean any date until April.

My interpretation of this slide is that AMD plans to stagger the release of all these features over multiple driver updates throughout Q1 2014. This slide doesn't mean that all these features will be in the 14.1 beta driver due in late January.

 

[NeoXF]

It's worrisome that AMD is marketing these features as ready when their supporting games are released, yet they will only be ready as a beta driver. It doesn't matter whether or not the beta drivers are unstable, the mere description "beta" prevents widespread adoption.



You make a good point. I don't know why the TPU article says "within a few weeks" when the slide clearly says Q1 2014, which could mean any date until April.

Really? Sounds to me that he's just trolling.
Also, why the hell doesn't my Radeon 9800XT support TrueAudio!? OMG AMD sucks! I payed big bucks for that card... off the flea market.

 

[Marty 1480]

Really? Sounds to me that he's just trolling.
Also, why the hell doesn't my Radeon 9800XT support TrueAudio!? OMG AMD sucks! I payed big bucks for that card... off the flea market.

Well, it still does what it did when you bought it. The reality of this industry is that, there is new hardware all the time and not all new features can be ported to old hardware.
Otherwise after making just one product they can shut down the plants and never produce anything new again, just roll out new features for that one product. Makes no sense in this world.

 

[HisDivineOrder]

not releasing at kaveri launch?

Are you really surprised? I mean, really? REALLY? If you follow AMD's habits, you shouldn't be. They are the Masters of the Delay. They delay their lunch until supper time and their supper until the 4th Meal Taco Bell likes to get people fat on. They delay the 4th meal until breakfast, which is delayed until brunch, and that is often delayed until mid-afternoon tea.

If they tell you a date, you have to do the following calculation:

If they show you the game/driver running in full and seem to have it 100% done and/or give you a specific date, then it will be delayed for no less than one month and more often two.

If they show you the game/driver running partially obscured or on undisclosed hardware or if they are somewhat vague about specific dates, then it will not be coming for at least two months, possibly up to six.

If they tell you something is coming with vague details and a date you are meant to infer from some obscure reference, then add six months to a year.

If they give you no date and no hint as to when it's really coming, it's probably not releasing in the next year nor likely ever. It's just a bit of clever marketing to try and dampen any enthusiasm for something a competitor is doing (ie., Freesync, anything opposing CUDA, anything opposing PhysX, anything opposing 3dvision, etc).

Also, if some guy says something on twitter or on a blog, then know that AMD considers those to be advertising and not at all factual, so they will tell you a lot of things that wind up not true, so dates there are to be especially read with caution. Many a diehard has lost his mind waiting for a promise on a blog or twitter to come true only to find they did not.

Thus, you know the AMD schedule. Never be surprised again.

 

[techtard]

It's almost like they work on Valve Time.

 

[kn00tcn]

Battlefield 4, the only AAA game that we know of, to make use of the API

that's not a very nice statement... is star citizen supposed to be some kind of small indie game? multiple companies, people with decades experience, cry engine 3 (i think?), millions in funding...

was thief part of mantle in the future or is it just truaudio?

 

[Naxirian]

that's not a very nice statement... is star citizen supposed to be some kind of small indie game? multiple companies, people with decades experience, cry engine 3 (i think?), millions in funding...

was thief part of mantle in the future or is it just truaudio?

Star Citizen is an unproven game. It's not from a AAA franchise like Battlefield is, and it remains to be seen whether it'll be a flop or not. Hopefully it will be fantastic, I've been following it closely, but it's by no means AAA and it's not actually out yet, whilst Battlefield 4 is.

Thief is using Mantle but again, it's not exactly AAA. They haven't released a Thief game in years, and they're not exactly the stuff of legend.

 

[Aquinus]

Frame pacing doesn't even works on 5xxx and 6xxx series anyways. Not to mention Mantle...

Frame pacing does work on my 6870s.

 

[Strider]

It should be released by the end of January. Mantle is making its debut in Battlefield 4, and according to EA/DICE, Mantle will be released by the end of January. So I guess we wait and see.

As far as BF4 being the only AAA title, that's not exactly true. Since Frostbite will have Mantle support, there are a lot of upcoming AAA titles that are slated to use Mantle, since they will all be running Frostbite.

Star Citizen may not be from a AAA franchise, but that does not mean the game will not be AAA quality. It's being developed on a proper time scale, pushing the envelope of technology, and with over $30 million in crowd funding, and still growing. If it is a flop, something I highly doubt, it will be one of the largest in history. I for one am supporting it, already bought my package, Freelancer.

Anyway, will be interesting to see how Mantle holds up, and if it's really going to be the game changer it's being marketed as. The potential is there, we will just have to wait and see.

 

[calical23]

Frame pacing doesn't even works on 5xxx and 6xxx series anyways. Not to mention Mantle...

time for you to upgrade man 5000 card dont support dx11 mantle only going to work on hd 7000 and newer cards and apu's

 

[calical23]

Frame pacing does work on my 6870s.

only works on 7970's amd newer cards mantle only going to work on hd 7000 and up and apu's

 

[kn00tcn]

Star Citizen is an unproven game. It's not from a AAA franchise like Battlefield is, and it remains to be seen whether it'll be a flop or not. Hopefully it will be fantastic, I've been following it closely, but it's by no means AAA and it's not actually out yet, whilst Battlefield 4 is.

Thief is using Mantle but again, it's not exactly AAA. They haven't released a Thief game in years, and they're not exactly the stuff of legend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidos_Montréal i'm not sure what you want AAA to mean, 100s & 100s of people with millions of advertising?

mirrors edge was a new franchise by DICE with plenty of people working on it, hence i call it AAA, just like the tomb raider reboot, just like the deus ex reboot, just like the theif reboot right?

all of these are multiplatform, retail, full price, certainly worthy of the AAA label, but of course not to be literally compared to the amount of people (& customers) on call of duty or grand theft auto

star citizen is a kind of bizarre case, but the team isnt a bunch of recent university graduates, nor is it small scope like bastion (gavin previously worked on red alert 3) or eldritch (bioshock writer doing a singleplayer indie game)

 

[leeb2013]

"Q1 2014" = 31 March 2014 AMD makes an announcement that the release has been delayed.

....again (Mantle was meant to come in BF4 in December).

 

[Prima.Vera]

time for you to upgrade man 5000 card dont support dx11 mantle only going to work on hd 7000 and newer cards and apu's

5xxx series does support D3D 11.1.

 

[vega22]

....again (Mantle was meant to come in BF4 in December).

dude that was totally another film.

 

[Aquinus]

only works on 7970's amd newer cards mantle only going to work on hd 7000 and up and apu's

Frame pacing is supported on 6000-series cards... Do you have some 6870s to prove that with? Oh wait, I do...


Troll elsewhere please.