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DirectX 12 Requires Different Optimization on Nvidia and AMD Cards, Lots of Details Shared

Caporegime
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At GDC 2016 in San Francisco, Nvidia and AMD hosted a joint panel on DirectX 12, that DualShockers attended. Developer Technology Engineers Gareth Thomas and Alex Dunn explained quite a lot of interesting details about working with Microsoft’s new API, also putting the accent on the fact that different optimization is required for a few features, prompting developers to include dedicated code for different brands of video cards.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/03/14/directx12-requires-different-optimization-on-nvidia-and-amd-cards-lots-of-details-shared/
 
I think that was always going to be the issue, the lower level api you have means more work for devs which is great for some devs and a massive headache for others.
 
As an AMD owner I don't like the sound of that, Cant see them having the resources to help out all the different developers to optimize games for their hardware.

So hopefully AMD regain market share with the next round of cards so the onus shifts onto the developer to not upset a large proportion of their audience.
 
As I posted in another thread I'm starting to wonder if DX12 isn't a massive misstep - its starting to resemble all the reasons most developers dropped Open GL for DX originally (except for the likes of Carmack) while ironically Vulkan looks like a bit better (though still not ideally balanced) hybrid of driver abstraction and low level access.
 
DX12 talk was sweet but games are just seeing wrappers, pretty much the same as Vulkan is, so until a game is made from the ground up with eitther and both NVidia and AMD work with the developer, I can't really see it as a benefit. In the current DX12 games and Vulkan games, DX11 does better for me over these new techs... A shame but it takes time and work.
 
Eh, Vulkan has a bunch more low level features than DX12 and goes lower ...

I'll admit my experience with both is very little - but from a cursory glance the distinction seemed to be that with Vulkan you could do a lot more without having to go low level unless you choose to (i.e. you could get a framework up and running without messing about too much with stuff like your memory layout, etc. then go back and delve in as you fancied/needed to) while DX12 you pretty much had no choice but to jump in deep from the start.
 
MS should step in and make Dev DX12 compliant rules too:

Considering the fact that different optimization is required for all the different Nv/AMD archs, MS should enforce Devs to make it work, if not the sponsored titles will get even messier than they are now.
 
Developers wanted low level access, they knew it would mean more work to get the desired results.
It would be interesting to know if Intel graphics are more like AMD or NVidia, or of course probably they would require yet another separate set of Root Signature Tables and their own set of optimisations.
 
Developers wanted low level access, they knew it would mean more work to get the desired results.
It would be interesting to know if Intel graphics are more like AMD or NVidia, or of course probably they would require yet another separate set of Root Signature Tables and their own set of optimisations.

You are eating the Mantle hype - some like those dealing with VR wanted much more access but most mainstream game devs I've talked to don't want to have to spend too much time under the hood unless they really need it.
 
I'm sure the talented devs will rise to the challenge and take full advantage of it. Others can continue on with DX11 which is still capable of very impressive results, at least on current hardware. Can't wait to see what is possible for engines built solely with DX12 in mind.
 
I'm sure the talented devs will rise to the challenge and take full advantage of it. Others can continue on with DX11 which is still capable of very impressive results, at least on current hardware. Can't wait to see what is possible for engines built solely with DX12 in mind.

The problem is game devs will want to keep costs to a minimum so if there is anything they don't have to spend money on, they won't spend it.
 
I'm sure the talented devs will rise to the challenge and take full advantage of it. Others can continue on with DX11 which is still capable of very impressive results, at least on current hardware. Can't wait to see what is possible for engines built solely with DX12 in mind.

This.

At every new DX version devs complain since it is something new they need to relearn - always you get the same moaning at every new console launch too on how terribad it is to programme,etc.

Then you get the devs who don't complain and get on with it,trying to see what they can get out of a new API or new hardware.

You only have to look at Croteam who ended up making the first Vulkan game.

OTH,it only shows you that while people were criticising DICE,they still managed to implement Mantle effectively,and I expect they will implement DX12 effectively too.
 
DX12 talk was sweet but games are just seeing wrappers, pretty much the same as Vulkan is, so until a game is made from the ground up with eitther and both NVidia and AMD work with the developer, I can't really see it as a benefit. In the current DX12 games and Vulkan games, DX11 does better for me over these new techs... A shame but it takes time and work.

I truly hope these wrapper games will allow us to choose 11 or 12 rather than forcing the latter on us - I'm skeptical...
 
I truly hope these wrapper games will allow us to choose 11 or 12 rather than forcing the latter on us - I'm skeptical...

I would expect that to be the case for some time, or at least as far as any platform other than Windows Store. Publishers want to see maximum profit and there is many many users who are still rocking non DX12 capable cards.
 
There is still a lot of people not on w10 or have not got a dx12 card it is only MS only really wants to go all out for dx12 because of W10
 
Agree there bru, reckon Intel are on track with their optimisations for their graphics too, it's a different gaming market than AMD/Nv.
 
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Even with DX11 in the majority of cases one lot of shader code runs better on one set of hardware than the another. DX12 is no different. The main difference now is that Nvidia cannot swap shader code in drivers so have to properly work with devs to change shader code directly, the same way that AMD have always done. Which is the more efficient way of doing it.

Which is why oxides method is the best, they essentially run one lot of shader code that is made to run well all around. etc.
 
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