Good article about AMD Driver Development

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biggles

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http://www.anandtech.com/show/6857/amd-stuttering-issues-driver-roadmap-fraps/7

There is a lot of technical stuff in there that I don't understand. I like the fact that AMD is starting to look at frame times in addition to average frame rate in their product development. Also the fact that AMD is being honest about the fact that Nvidia has been doing a better job addressing stuttering. This vindicates the view that many of us hold: that AMD drivers are simply not as good as Nvidia. As an AMD video card owner, here's hoping AMD improves their drivers as indicated in the article.
 
I think the frame timing issues were not accidental, but instead deliberate tuning to show higher framerates in simple benchmarks. I'm not *totally shocked* by this. Both nvidia and ATI/AMD have been doing "funny" optimizations for a long time.
 
pxc said:
I think the frame timing issues were not accidental, but instead deliberate tuning to show higher framerates in simple benchmarks.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. According to the article, AMD gained 13% more fps in Borderlands 2 by fixing stuttering. [H] testing shows that AMD drivers have improved performance since release. Over the same period of time, single GPU stuttering has been greatly reduced. Logically, following your premise, 7970s and 7950s should be slower now than they were at release. I don't think coding driver inefficiencies that create stutter would boost benchmark scores. It's like randomly running a V8 engine on four cylinders during a race to go faster.
 
pxc said:
I think the frame timing issues were not accidental, but instead deliberate tuning to show higher framerates in simple benchmarks. I'm not *totally shocked* by this. Both nvidia and ATI/AMD have been doing "funny" optimizations for a long time.
Click to expand...

Not really, because AMD is actively fixing the issue and average FPS is exactly the same, and in some cases improved.
 
pxc said:
I think the frame timing issues were not accidental, but instead deliberate tuning to show higher framerates in simple benchmarks. I'm not *totally shocked* by this. Both nvidia and ATI/AMD have been doing "funny" optimizations for a long time.
Click to expand...

To all the people who have been thinking this, it has been dis-proven. Fixing stuttering usually actually INCREASES performance, or worst case performance stays the same, but does not decrease.
 
There are a lot of companies out there -- even hardware-focused companies -- that kind of see software as nothing more than an annoying line item of expenditures in the annual budget. I see this a lot. Many people don't view software as "adding value" but rather just a cost of doing business that needs to be minimized. AMD has always struck me as one of those companies where that philosophy was entrenched. I could be wrong though and I think it's more systemic of the industry so I don't mean to call them out exclusively.
 
I am not surprised that fixing it increases performance.

I am surprised that they lazed it out since after all their designs have been less about brute force and more about a proper driver level schedule since a couple generations ago.

Well, better late than never.
 
Ozymandias said:
I don't think so. According to the article, AMD gained 13% more fps in Borderlands 2 by fixing stuttering.
Click to expand...
2 problems. Stuttering seemed to be caused by some kind of device mismanagement, and no doubt fixing that will increase performance. The truncated frames with very little of the image displayed is a second problem.
 
pxc said:
I think the frame timing issues were not accidental, but instead deliberate tuning to show higher framerates in simple benchmarks. I'm not *totally shocked* by this. Both nvidia and ATI/AMD have been doing "funny" optimizations for a long time.
Click to expand...
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence."
 
pxc said:
2 problems. Stuttering seemed to be caused by some kind of device mismanagement, and no doubt fixing that will increase performance. The truncated frames with very little of the image displayed is a second problem.
Click to expand...

I think truncated frames are a big issue only with Crossfire setups. We'll see if fps dips after AMD implements their frame pacing solution sometime in July.
 
GunzofNavarone said:
i am running THEIR drivers and my games are running beautifully maxed out...
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Same. I have had cards from both since 2000. Both have had small issues here and there but nothing game stopping ! Over all I have been satisfied with my purchases but then again I don't tend to nitpick on small issues and over hype them on the internet.
 
its just my anecdotal experience. dont get so hurt about it.

ive had previous radeons from the AGP-era with good exp., but I had a sour experience with X1950 and Windows 7. not only that, the card just died. oh yeah, and dont even want to get started about hdmi on 790gx audio issues. however, i still have my geforce2 mx440 that windows 7 support and zero nvidia cards have died on me.....

im sure nvidia has driver problems too, but overrall in my humble opinion, i think their drivers are more stable.

anyway, good on them for admitting issues and trying to resolve.
 
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