AMD talks Libraries & Graphics at IDF
August 2015 – During IDF, AMD was showing some of the systems with their new Carrizo class mobile, low power processor. The systems on display included laptops and all-in-ones from Lenovo and HP, that featured the new process built on the Excavator series processors, high density libraries and new architecture. The key in this new architecture is the optimization of the power performance metrics of the device with a goal of 25x more energy efficiency by 2020 – a program they are calling 25×20.
The high density libraries were introduced and shown off at ISSCC 2015 back in February. The new libraries allow the processor to be smaller, lower power, and higher efficiency with improved throughput while remaining on the same 28nm process node of the prior Bulldozer series processors. This reduction of cell size, allows for the inclusion of new features into the new processor including an H.265 CODEC, PCIGen 3 and a full Memory Controller making the part a full standalone SOC. The chip has power down modes that go down to 4.5W.
To go along with these new processors and both the integrated and standalone GPU blocks/cores is support for the DX12 API. The new API finally support multicore CPUs not the limit of two (2) CPU cores as was the case through DX11. The CPUs and GPUs under DX12 now support explicit Frame Management which allows for the setting of Frame timing. The new API also has a custom memory manager that can be used to eliminate micro-shuttering of media content.
The new APUs have a Video Coding Engine (VCE) that directly support twitch capture, and has been used in the new generation of video game consoles. Coming from the console application space, is the ability to have the async shaders run in parallel for improved performance. A large number of these enhancements were part of the Kronos Vulken API release in the latest release of OpenGL that came out at SIGGRAPH the previous week.
