How could eDRAM be included in a PC part: Chime in with your theories

[KimB]

On the MSAA memory footprint:
Because there will be pixels where different pixel subsamles are assigned different pixel values, you pretty much need to store a unique framebuffer value for each subsample, even if most of the time they'll all hold the same value.

 

[nicolasb]

having said that, who the hell expects 1920x1200 with 4xAA at 60fps from an IGP?

Well, sure, but how cool would it be if you could get AIB performance out of an integrated graphics part? All of a sudden even $300 Dell PCs would become viable gaming platforms. It could spark a major fight-back of PCs in the PCs-vs-consoles war.

Another possibility is a tie-in with AMD's Fusion and/or Torrenza project. I've always been a bit suspicious of Torrenza, at least as far as its potential graphical ability is concerned: it sounds very cool having a GPU communicating directly with the CPU via Hypertransport, but it's not actually a lot of use if the GPU doesn't have any local, high-speed memory. If eDram eliminates the need for on-board memory then Torrenza could produce some very powerful CPU/GPU/PPU systems at quite low cost.

 

[KimB]

Well, sure, but how cool would it be if you could get AIB performance out of an integrated graphics part? All of a sudden even $300 Dell PCs would become viable gaming platforms. It could spark a major fight-back of PCs in the PCs-vs-consoles war.

Technically, we do have this today, as low-end AIB's match up pretty well with decent IGP's. The problem is that there will always be AIB's with much higher performance, just due to logistical concerns.

 

[Blazkowicz]

Another possibility is a tie-in with AMD's Fusion and/or Torrenza project. I've always been a bit suspicious of Torrenza, at least as far as its potential graphical ability is concerned: it sounds very cool having a GPU communicating directly with the CPU via Hypertransport, but it's not actually a lot of use if the GPU doesn't have any local, high-speed memory. .

I tend to agree. Such GPU already exists, it's called geforce 6100 :smile: . (an improvement in IGP bandwith is pretty much the only interesting thing for me in socket AM2+)

 

[Megadrive1988]

You forgot about Neomagic in there somewhere

first I've heard of Neomagic. I wasn't aware of it.

*googles*