[wingless]

What would it take for AMD to implement a HybridPower-like solution on the 780G/790GX? Is this something that could simply be enabled in a future driver release or are there some hardware changes that would have to take place to make this work? Nvidia has the edge in power usage with HybridPower, but AMD kill Nvidia in overclocking (SB750). All AMD is missing is the ability to shut off the discrete GPU and use the onboard for non-3D tasks.

[AnarchX]

AMD offer this feature since 690M, called PowerXpress. 780M also is said to support it.

But I think you need like at NV, special graphics-cards which are able to go sleeping.

At all it seems to be a very problematic feature, since Hybridpower has massive problems, like it does not work with GTX 200, also they are supported.

[ShaidarHaran]

In order for AMD to implement an equivalent feature to what the GTX 280 cards demonstrate (i.e. disabling of the 3d core during "2d-only" operations), it would require the use of a secondary display chip like NVIO. Such a chip is simply not necessary for the area-efficient designs AMD has implemented as of late. NVIO is a by-product of a chip (two chips, now) that have over-shot their area/thermal budgets.

[ChrisRay]

Originally Posted by AnarchX

AMD offer this feature since 690M, called PowerXpress. 780M also is said to support it.

But I think you need like at NV, special graphics-cards which are able to go sleeping.

At all it seems to be a very problematic feature, since Hybridpower has massive problems, like it does not work with GTX 200, also they are supported.

What? It works fine with my GTX 200 cards. I use an AMD system as my primary gamer with 3 way GTX 260s because I like Hybrid Power so much rather than my intel system with 2 GTX 280 cards. Most likely what may have happened is incompatible display drivers being installed with the 780A Motherboard GPU and the 260/280s.

[Blazkowicz]

G92 is hybridpower compatible and doesn't have a NVIO! the secondary display chip in that scheme is the IGP. I think the point is also to retain some 3D abilities such as running the desktop and maybe chess games etc. if profiles allow for that.

NVIO to me is nothing interesting, you can view G80+NVIO or GT200+NVIO as two chips that form the GPU. just like voodoo1/2 have the main chip, one or two TMU chips, and a display chip.

[Freak'n Big Panda]

Originally Posted by wingless

What would it take for AMD to implement a HybridPower-like solution on the 780G/790GX? Is this something that could simply be enabled in a future driver release or are there some hardware changes that would have to take place to make this work? Nvidia has the edge in power usage with HybridPower, but AMD kill Nvidia in overclocking (SB750). All AMD is missing is the ability to shut off the discrete GPU and use the onboard for non-3D tasks.

PowerXpress is only offered on mobile platforms unfortunately. I'm not sure how it would work on a desktop platform. But modification to the hardware (multiplexers between the display outputs probably) would be required for sure.

[ShaidarHaran]

Originally Posted by Blazkowicz

G92 is hybridpower compatible and doesn't have a NVIO! the secondary display chip in that scheme is the IGP. I think the point is also to retain some 3D abilities such as running the desktop and maybe chess games etc. if profiles allow for that.

NVIO to me is nothing interesting, you can view G80+NVIO or GT200+NVIO as two chips that form the GPU. just like voodoo1/2 have the main chip, one or two TMU chips, and a display chip.

Regardless of where the secondary display chip is located (on the graphics board or on the motherboard), it is a necessity to enable HybridPower. No one said NVIO was anything interesting, it's actually a side-effect of using up all the allocated transistor budget for the given process node (first G80, subsequently GT200).

[someguy11]

Originally Posted by wingless

What would it take for AMD to implement a HybridPower-like solution on the 780G/790GX? Is this something that could simply be enabled in a future driver release or are there some hardware changes that would have to take place to make this work? Nvidia has the edge in power usage with HybridPower, but AMD kill Nvidia in overclocking (SB750). All AMD is missing is the ability to shut off the discrete GPU and use the onboard for non-3D tasks.

I am not sure with all the discussions of second chips, etc whether the question has been answered or not.

I have the same question. Pardon my ignorance, but the short of it is:

If I get a 790GX board now, will a HybridPower soln be a simple BIOS upgrade later or will I have to buy a new 790GX board to take advantage of any similar discrete graphics card power down? (assuming AMD introduces such technology)