AMD Confirms GCN Cards Don’t Feature Full DirectX 12 Support – Feature Level 11_1 on GCN 1.0, Featur

Gregster · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:28

There has a lot of talk going on around DirectX 12 and how new and current graphics cards would utilize the latest API to leverage performance in upcoming gaming titles. In an interview with Computerbase regarding DirectX 12, AMD’s Robert Hallock (Head of global technical marketing) revealed that their current GCN cards don’t feature full DirectX 12 support and are limited to Feature Level 12_0 while the rivaling Maxwell graphics cards have full Feature Level 12_1 support.

DirectX 12_GeForce GTX 980 Ti Support

AMD DirectX 12 Support Limited To Feature Level 12_0 – Fiji Might Be The Only Feature Level 12_1 Compliant Architecture
DirectX 12 will be the latest API from Microsoft that is built to leverage performance across several platforms. It is designed for PCs, Consoles, Tablets and even phones that are running the Microsoft Windows 10 OS. Since its announcement, graphics manufacturers such as Intel, AMD, NVIDIA and even Qualcomm have claimed that the hardware they built will fully support DirectX 12 capabilities. We have come a long way since the revelation and bits by bits, we get more information regarding the different feature levels and advantages of the API. The first thing we knew about DirectX 12 API was that it was built for low CPU overhead by reducing the CPU bottleneck faced by the graphics card and fully utilize the processor to its maximum potential. The other features included more control over hardware by the developers and a fully asynchronous computing method which is faster and efficient.

The reference DirectX 12 API (Feature Level 11_0) has performance targeted features while the other two level deliver graphical improvement and this is what really matters in improving the games visually. The feature level 12_0 comes with Tiled Resources, Typed UAV Access and Bindless Textures support. Feature Level 12_1 has the Raster Order Views, Conservative Raster and Volume Tiled Raster enabled on the API. We have talked about these features in previous articles detailing the performance improvement, explicit multi-adapter technology and graphical updates. But to enable these new technologies, the hardware built by companies need to be full compliant with it.
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AMD has recently confirmed that their current cards can support Feature Level 12_0 at best while the NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture has full support for DirectX 12, up to Feature Level 12_1. The cards that feature level 12_ 0 support include Radeon HD 7790, Radeon R7 260 (X), Radeon R9 285, Radeon R9 290 (X) and R9 295X2. The older cards such as the ones based on Tahiti, Pitcairn that include all the 7000 series cards (excluding HD 7790), Radeon R9 270 (X) and Radeon R9 280 (X) feature up to Feature Level 11_1 support. Robert Hallock believes that there’s no problem with not feature DirectX Feature Level 12_1 support since features are performance enhancing tools are already available in 11_1 and 12_0 and most games won’t rely on utilization of 12_1. This however could hurt AMD in the long run against Maxwell (GeForce 900 series) cards that are fully compliant with DirectX 12 feature level 12_1 and that was proved in their recent GeForce GTX 980 Ti launch. NVIDIA’s older cards, like AMD’s 7000 series, such as Kepler and Fermi come with Feature Level 11_1 support.
This could mean that AMD’s only fully DirectX 12 compliant card would be their only new Fiji GPU based card that launches this month. However, judging by Robert Hallock’s statement on how DirectX Feature Level 12_1 isn’t important for them, it could also mean that that they will also have limited support on Fiji but that is yet to be confirmed.

Read more: http://wccftech.com/amd-confirms-gc...-10-feature-level-120-gcn-1112/#ixzz3cAdMmnxV

Shots fired!!!

Klunt Bumskrint · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:32

Maybe AMD have an entire new range planned for next summer with DX12.1 in mind. I doubt DX12 will be used properly unitl then anyway

Kaapstad · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:35

NVidia Maxwell does not support the full implementation of DX12 either.

Best wait for DX12 and Win10 to see what is what in real use rather than debating theoretical points of order.

Gregster · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:37

I have been saying that AMD cards didn't support all the features of DX12 and I got FUD graphs posted telling me I was wrong. Drunkenmaster posted loads of FUD and then got told he was a hero for posting such FUD.

Don't want to say it but..... "I told you so"

@ Kaap - 9 series Maxwell fully supports all of the current features of DX12.

Dicehunter · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:38

And not so long ago I witnessed AMD fanboys literally shouting and threatening people with physical violence saying their AMD GPU's are full DX12 GPU's.

Seriously something wrong with a lot of people.

Geck0 · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:39

What? a 2+yr old architecture (Hawaii) doesn't fully support a yet to be released API?

ZOMG!!!

africanos23 · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:40

Dicehunter said:
And not so long ago I witnessed AMD fanboys literally shouting and threatening people with physical violence saying their AMD GPU's are full DX12 GPU's.

Seriously something wrong with a lot of people.

Internet warriors

Gregster · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:42

Dicehunter said:
And not so long ago I witnessed AMD fanboys literally shouting and threatening people with physical violence saying their AMD GPU's are full DX12 GPU's.

Seriously something wrong with a lot of people.

Yep, same and I just shake my head with sadness to see such behavior. At the end of the day, if my card didn't support the key parts of DX12, I would upgrade and no biggie.

Dicehunter · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:43

africanos23 said:
Internet warriors

It gets extremely tiresome to witness nevermind interact with.

I hope eventually a mandatory psyche evaluation is put into place before people are allowed access to the internet, Just too many aggressive sickos out there.

Gregster said:
Yep, same and I just shake my head with sadness to see such behavior. At the end of the day, if my card didn't support the key parts of DX12, I would upgrade and no biggie.

Woah Gregster, Common sense, Reasoning, Mature adult thinking and logic are not allowed here

Freddie1980 · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:44

Zzzzzz, so basically what you have discovered Greg with your obsessive research into DX12 is the new cards fully support it and old cards don't? I presume also you could have amended the the title slightly and changed GNC to Kepler and it would have just as relevant?

triss · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:45

Non Maxwell Nvidia full support is also lacking. End of the day a few features that arent supported wont matter if devs dont use them anyway. Time we see all the features of DX used by most games i'm sure both sides will have full support over there current GPU range

Gregster · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:47

Freddie1980 said:
Zzzzzz, so basically what you have discovered Greg with your obsessive research into DX12 is the new cards fully support it and old cards don't? I presume also you could have amended the the title slightly and changed GNC to Kepler and it would have just as relevant?

A bit harsh and because I enjoy tech and want to know what is what, I didn't realise that was obsessive research. Also, I had no intention of amending the title and copied and pasted as it was. Sorry if that offends you (clearly does) but I tell it like it is and no egg shells around me to stand on.

Geck0 · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:51

Gregster said:
A bit harsh and because I enjoy tech and want to know what is what, I didn't realise that was obsessive research. Also, I had no intention of amending the title and copied and pasted as it was. Sorry if that offends you (clearly does) but I tell it like it is and no egg shells around me to stand on.

Start threads, get comments. Apart from perhaps the word obsessive I think it's a valid comment, considering it's correct.

Dicehunter · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:51

Gregster said:
A bit harsh and because I enjoy tech and want to know what is what, I didn't realise that was obsessive research. Also, I had no intention of amending the title and copied and pasted as it was. Sorry if that offends you (clearly does) but I tell it like it is and no egg shells around me to stand on.

I have a feeling a few more people will start to get insulting about this as you've already witnessed.

Truly amazes me.

Gregster · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:55

Dicehunter said:
I have a feeling a few people will start to get insulting about this as you've already witnessed.

Truly amazes me.

Well, I have one day left at work and then 14 days off, so my spirits are high. Insults on the internet are a sign of weakness and any valid argument goes out the window when they start.

Geck0 said:
Start threads, get comments. Apart from perhaps the word obsessive I think it's a valid comment, considering it's correct.

Fair enough and you are entitled to voice your opinion

FinglisHobbit · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:56

It's not surprising that cards with 2yr old architecture aren't fully ready for something that isn't released, let alone widely used.

Nvidia is only better off here due to the date in which they released their stuff. Amds new architecture will be fully compatible I expect.

Threads like these make Amd look unfairly subpar.

Purgatory · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:57

DX12 is pointless at the moment anyways, by the time DX12 titles are available and really worth the time to play you would have purchased a new graphics card that would have the full features for them titles anyways. DX12 is not even out yet or available to customers to buy as in Windows 10, by the time Windows 10 is out and had a service pack at least and drivers are really using DX12 to its full then worry about what DX12 support the graphics cards have.This is all just gearing up to what will become the norm in 2-3 years, so think about it in 2-3 years i'm sure most of us on here would have updated our graphics cards.

Nvidia is doing it's typical marketing blaa blaa that does not make a real difference in the real world yet (Like 64bit phones with 3GB RAM LOL "32bit does 4GB Ram mapping/access")..

r7slayer · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:58

Fact is there is more dx12 features supported by gcn across the board compared to Nvidia cards. Your thread and thos thread makes out AMD dont support dx12 as mich as Nvidia when tthis isnt the case and drunken pointed this out thats why I said well said drunken. Dont see you posting threads about Nvidias dx12 support there is only maxwell 2 tht support more thn amdband the rest of Nvidia line up fall under par of AMD. Yet you post a thread title saying Nvidia has a ace up their sleeve against AMD. Yea maxwell two supports what two more features than gcn and thts just 980ti and titan x.

Squink · 5 Jun 2015 at 08:58

Gregster said:
I have been saying that AMD cards didn't support all the features of DX12 and I got FUD graphs posted telling me I was wrong. Drunkenmaster posted loads of FUD and then got told he was a hero for posting such FUD.

Don't want to say it but..... "I told you so"

Surely DM posted EXACTLY what you've just posted in your excessively long quote? In fact his words are so similar to those in the quote that you could be forgiven for thinking he'd read exactly the same thing and paraphrased it in his post.

And here you come starting an "I'm right, he's wrong" thread that's a blatant 100pc attempt to get a reaction. I.e. you're trolling. Again.

Kaapstad · 5 Jun 2015 at 09:03

Gregster said:
I have been saying that AMD cards didn't support all the features of DX12 and I got FUD graphs posted telling me I was wrong. Drunkenmaster posted loads of FUD and then got told he was a hero for posting such FUD.

Don't want to say it but..... "I told you so"

@ Kaap - 9 series Maxwell fully supports all of the current features of DX12.

There is a big difference between current features and the full implementation of DX12.

Maxwell will not support all the upcoming features of DX12.

Having said that the same can be said of AMD cards making all this arguing about which brand is better rather pointless as they both come up short.