NVIDIA Fermi: Architecture discussion

What integer multiply? That's just the range of integers you can represent with a floating-point number without losing precision. You can do that with any single-precision IEEE 754 compliant multiplier. It has 23 mantissa bits and 1 sign bit (and 2 guard bits).
Yeah, that's why I'm as excited by that as you are ;)

So extending this to 32-bit should be a relatively straightforward matter of adding a few more mantissa bits.
In theory it's even less additional mantissa bits because the dual-lane double precision requires a few extra bits per lane already (54 bits across the two lanes).

Jawed
 
We will see ... in the face of conflicting official statements and the fact that half peak rate double precision execution runs against my bias, I'll have to go with my bias.

It's been confirmed a couple of times now: Chip's half the SP-rate DP-wise, so that'd make it 256 DP-FMAs per clock, whereas GT200 had 30 and Cypress should have 320 FP-MAD per clock (according to the picture at TR).
 
edit:
Strange - a second ago, there was a posting from MfA, which i was answering...
Maybe Jen-Hsun shared some of his hallucinogenics via AC? ;)


Anyway: In your analysis of the die-shot please bear in mind, that the Fermi-Chip shown integrates Display-I/O and such.
 
That's not a source, however. Strange behaviour or system malfuncton?

Well, there is no source. That's the point. Until I see any information from AMD directly (not Tech Report) stating otherwise, there is no IEEE-compliancy.
nVidia mentions it straight-up in their official whitepaper on their own site. I expect any other IHV to do the same. If it's not in the official documentation, it doesn't exist.
So Dave Baumann needs to make sure that the documentation gets updated, if I'm wrong, rather than linking to Tech Report.
 
I asked for official AMD documentation regarding IEEE-compliancy, and my post got deleted rather than answered.

You probably have to be registered as a developer to access the new Stream documentation.

Each and Every review notes that the whole chip is built with IEEE754-2008 compliance for all floating operations.
 
Really? Now that's cool - it would have saved Dave Baumann some nanoseconds to just state "yes, it is" rather than pull up a link to TR and also would have avoided unnecessary discussion, wouldn't it?

no NVIO chip?

That's what has been said. Unfortunately, I am not able to provide sound evidence since it's not even mentioned in the whitepaper. So you either believe me, that that's what I've been told or you don't.
 
You probably have to be registered as a developer to access the new Stream documentation.

This isn't about Stream, it's about what the hardware is capable of. Why would I have to register to find out what the hardware is capable of? I'm simply not going to bother, and I'll just buy a competing product instead, where I know what I'm going to get.
Great marketing!

Each and Every review notes that the whole chip is built with IEEE754-2008 compliance for all floating operations.

Wouldn't be the first time that all reviews got the same information wrong.
 
You probably have to be registered as a developer to access the new Stream documentation.
Since CAL/IL is getting the axe the level of information won't be too interesting anyway ... something like IEEE floating point flags has to be taken on faith until they are exposed with an OpenCL extension :/
 
This isn't about Stream, it's about what the hardware is capable of. Why would I have to register to find out what the hardware is capable of? I'm simply not going to bother, and I'll just buy a competing product instead, where I know what I'm going to get.
Great marketing!

Are we suppose to actually believe you even thought about purchasing an ATi card?

Edit- Yes, I have read your posting history which is why I made the above comment...
 
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Since CAL/IL is getting the axe the level of information won't be too interesting anyway ... something like IEEE floating point flags has to be taken on faith until they are exposed with an OpenCL extension :/

The Function test is integrated in the latest Stream SDK if I'm correct.
They explicitly state not to be fully compatible since 2006, while the current slides mention to be fully compatible.

And I'm still skeptical about the NVIO chip. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of space for it in the die shot.
 
Are we suppose to actually believe you even thought about purchasing an ATi card?

Yes, I've actually stated that I was thinking about getting one, last week. Just look through my post history.
And if you look through my signature, it wouldn't be the first time I've owned an ATi card either.
 
If it's so pathetic as you say then it bears the question why you read that side and why you're posting it. It's enough if on each board one user posts how pathetic each of Charlie's newsblurb is and he's got the free attention and publicity he'd wish for.
Maybe pathetic is being used to refer to Nvidia's sad attempts to hoodwink enthusiasts?;)
 
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