Blazing Fast NVMEs and Direct Storage API for PCs *spawn*

Tensor cores consist of tiny ALUs designed for handling small variables (maximum FP16), focused on ML inference. Why would these be good for decompression of large datasets? Is there any research pointing to successfully using tensor cores for data decompression?

Same goes for INT8 and INT4 processing. Quad-rate INT8 just means it performs four INT8 operations in parallel, not that a single INT8 operation runs 4x faster.
I'm yet to see how data decompression can become infinitely parallel like graphics rendering or NN learning or NN inference.

For example, the Switch got a significant boost in loading times when Nintendo allowed the CPU cores to go up to 1.9GHz in loading screens. That's a boost coming from higher single-threaded performance. If the TX1 GPU's 256 shader cores with 2xFP16 throughput were any good for data decompression then it would have been implemented, as the shader cores are AFAIK mostly unused during loading screens.

Dual issue FP32 just means more threads working in parallel, not higher single-threaded performance on FP32. The previous point still stands.

 

/Laughs at people who future proof their PC's.

 

Block based techniques or as

might have suggested (MKV is a container format... don't remember alot about those) like video compression the constant type frames and intermediate or dependent frames. In addition I'm pretty sure some domain specific ones are easily parallelizable.

Just wondering are these fixed function or fully programmable?

 

I am crying. Should have waited a little longer

 

You are ignoring parallelised queuing, priority control and latency. You're also ignoring GPU memory fragmentation problems.

 

Always best to wait out when theres a generational shift. I'm sure you won't have to replace everything though.

 

What? GPU can be linked directly to CPU and main memory, why the need for a new setup?

 

Yeah i don't get this either, surely there can be PCIE transfers between the NVMe device and the GPU directly.

 

There's probably more to it, hence the need of a new mainboard.

 

When it said supported pc's, could be talking about nvme drives, types, i.e. when it says some need less operations etc.
Even if new hardware is required to take full advantage of direct storage, I would expect current systems with applicable DX12U gpu's to see a big boost in supported games.
Games will still be limited to fast loading for a while yet, I don't expect gameplay changes for a while.

So, don't feel down about recent upgrades yet....

 

Fear in need of a new mobo.

 

It's the most work, but not the most expensive I'm going to wait atleast, before plunging in. If i have to upgrade then there will be a 3090 24GB 40TF in there, il sell the old stuff then. Wasn't planning this originally but ok.

 

So, this new storage API specifically exploits the NVMe performance features? Looks like SATA SSDs will not benefit from this.

 

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/directstorage-is-coming-to-pc/

Emphasis is mine.
It seems like direct storage is about addressing existing IO "hang ups" on PC and leveraging the special nature of NVMe drives. I see no reason to fret or assume it is directly worse.

What do you mean by GPU memory fragmentation problems?

 

I'm far from an expert, but it seems like NV has their own answer to the SSD tech in consoles. They have a stake in pc gaming and probably invested alot into this tech. Frankly, just going by both sony and NV PR showcasings, the NV SSD tech seems more flexible and even faster.

 

You know it could just be that no RDNA2 GPUs are on the market yet so they can't mention any capabilities of them. But I understand your need to push everything Nvidia and RTX.

 

P2P DMA is supported between any 2 PCIe devices on Zen/Zen+ platforms and presumably Zen 2 as well. I'm not sure about Intel.

However that's assuming the data is transferred via P2P DMA. I don't think that's been confirmed. While the diagrams do suggest completely cutting out the CPU and system memory, that may just be representative of the amount of overhead that is removed from that process.

The exact wording of the press release is open to interpretation. The sentence "DirectStorage will be supported on certain systems with NVMe drives" could simply mean you need an NVMe drive. Although I expect Windows 10 is also a requirement, probably a recent version of it. And possibly a DX12 capable GPU?

 

Do you know what disk fragmentation is? GPUs have the same problem with their memory. This is one of the reasons why Vulkan/DX12 programming is difficult, since developers are now fully exposed to the memory fragmentation problem.