AMD Mantle API [updating]

Did you read the BF4 patch link with Dice's own tests?

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/news/view/bf4-mantle-live/last/

 

No I hadn't, thanks for those.
The first example quoted is, again, using a crap AMD processor, without showing at all what a decent Intel CPU does on DX11.
The second example looks more interesting, but I'll save judgement about that kind of number after independent reviewing. After all, why would AMD not use it on their PR??

 

I wrote "highest settings". The 40% case is not using highest settings.

1600p, Ultra Preset, 4xAA: 17.3% improvement

 

The 8350 performs very well in BF4 under DX. 8350+7970 is a very good example of an upper-midrange setup, which shows more the benefit of Mantle for the average gamer then the ultra-highend setups with a $1000+ I7-4960X CPU. If you can get 25% increase in a heavy multiplayer scenario (where it after all counts the most for BF4 gamers) by just changing API, thats great.

That benchmark is, in my opinion, the one who has most value for most people.

 

Thanks, that is why I included it. Wanted a good spread. But also don't have the resources or time to do super extensive testing and comparison. There will be plenty of hardware review sites that do their own extensive comparisons. Though you should ignore sites that test multiplayer on empty servers.

 

Sounds like what some of us was saying turned out to be true, Mantle's main benefit is for the CPU. which doesn't seem to be bad at all by the way.

IMO, Dice's numbers sounds less reliable, comparing single scenes as opposed to a whole several minutes run (even testing an empty MP map) .. but I could be wrong, anyways The Mantle patch is now online,ready and downloading on my PC. shouldn't be hard verifying those results now.

 

"Also, multi-GPU support is patchy at best with Mantle today as AMD told me that there were some “show stopper” bugs with CrossFire that were causing crashes in BF4. Stuttering is also being reported with CrossFire…man do we not need more of that."

So those 58% increase on Crossfire should also be taken with a grain of salt. Who knows if the fixing of those bugs will reduce that number?

Mantle is definitely not ready yet by AMD's own words. Once again AMD's Marketing failed by promising things and dates they could not achieve.

 

What's up with the DICE claim that only "GCN 1.1" GPUs will be supported initially, yet they post benches on 7970 themselves?

 

Interesting comment on BF4 Mantle post:

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphi...rings-Mantle-Support-Frame-Pacing-Phase-2-HSA

 

I'm looking forward to see more benchmarks.

Any clue when 7000 series and R270/280 will be supported?

 

There are no bots in BF4 whatsoever .. the screen taken from MP clearly shows an empty map.

I was looking for the methodology but I couldn't find it? where is it exactly?

 

Its here:
http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/news/view/2955063418790832031/7/

 

Well they say this:

Although, yes, that does not need to mean bots. Which would actually make it worse I guess...

All this looks too rushed and amateurish.. if they wanted to make splash with mantle, they needed to make sure everything presented was crystal clear and objective. Which the numbers presented aren't.

EDIT - They just removed the last screenshot (which by sheer coincidence (?) was the only one showing very different FPS than what the averages show) after someone commented it was from Single Player and not Multi Player. Really??? How professional...

 

I get a feeling some people here can't be pleased no matter what.

I on my side am exited to get free performance uplift no matter how big or small.
People saying the benefit is too small on top of the range Intel 6 core CPU paired with cheap Radeon R7 need to have a reality check. Maybe you can do better?

There is one aspect of Mantle I'm interested in. How big of a difference will it make to computer power efficiency. Imagine 2x290X in CF capped to 60FPS constant. Using DX11 requires quite a substancial CPU to feed GPUs which burns power. What effect will Mantle and it's more effiecient nature have on total system power? I'm going to find out later on today