AMD : Battlefield 4 Patch, Mantle API and Catalyst 14.1 Update

[Warsam71]

Hello everyone,

As you may know, the Battlefield 4 patch has been launched today. This new patch is automatically installed on systems that already have Battlefield 4 installed. To take advantage of the Mantle API and experience the performance increase, you will need to meet the following prerequisites:

1. Have a GCN (Graphics Core Next) based GPU in your system
2. Install the latest Battlefield 4 patch from Origin (which is automatically installed)
3. Install the latest graphics driver, the AMD Catalyst 14.1 Beta (coming soon)

With the above in place, you’ll be ready and Mantle will be enabled.

The upcoming AMD Catalyst 14.1 Beta driver will support all desktop GCN products, though we are working with EA to further optimize performance on 280X, 270X, HD 7000 and HD 8000 series GPUs.

Furthermore, we’re giving the press time to exclusively test the beta driver while we implement the finishing touches on all the features you can expect from this driver.

Please keep in mind Catalyst 14.1 is a beta driver and your feedback is very important to us; once it’s released, you may report any issues or bugs by using our official reporting form: www.amd.com/betareport

I’m going to keep you up to date and will make sure to provide you links to the upcoming Catalyst 14.1 Beta driver as soon as it’s ready.

Thank you for your patience


Locked upon request by OP.

-Rvenger

 

[Rvenger]

I ask our members to be civil in this thread. This is not a bash thread of any kind and I will delete any posts that are found off topic or anything in nature that will derail the discussion.

I would like to keep this open for any questions you may have for Sam so let's keep it clean and constructive


Thanks!
Rvenger

 

[n0x1ous]

The upcoming AMD Catalyst 14.1 Beta driver will support all desktop GCN products, though we are working with EA to further optimize performance on 280X, 270X, HD 7000 and HD 8000 series GPUs.

So, Mantle will run on HD 7000 series as soon as 14.1 is available but its not totally optimized. Will it still be better than DX11 or should HD 7000 users not even use Mantle until a further driver?

 

[Shamrock]

Here is some performance tests.

With an i7 3970x and 2 r290Xs.

DX11.1 - 78
Mantle - 116

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/ja/news/view/2955063418790832415/

 

[UaVaj]

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/ja/news/view/2955063418790832415/

this preliminary performance test is so full of holes.
will wait for the independent review.

Test case 1: Low-end single-player
Test case 2: Standard 64-player multiplayer
Test case 3: High-end single-player with multiple GPUs

 

[UaVaj]

before someone's feeling is hurt with the above post.
allow for some explanation.


mantle api simply improve cpu rendering time.

so.
if you are gpu bottleneck. like most are. mantle is moot.
if you are cpu bottleneck. like few are. you will gain some performance if your gpu is still up to the task.

unless your cup of tea is playing BF4 single player. then your mileage will vary.

happy reading.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2092...-gaming-tech-launches-with-battlefield-4.html
http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/1...s-actually-for-boosting-low-end-cpus-not-gpus
http://www.techspot.com/news/55500-...le-new-driver-and-patches-available-soon.html

 

[Pariah]

So, Mantle will run on HD 7000 series as soon as 14.1 is available but its not totally optimized. Will it still be better than DX11 or should HD 7000 users not even use Mantle until a further driver?

Doesn't look like it. The OP looks to be intentionally vague on what combination of software features actually work with which video cards. An article posted by hardwarecanucks goes into a bit more detail:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...65244-catalyst-14-1-amd-unleashes-mantle.html

"One of the largest limitations right now is GPU support on AMD’s side. The 14.1 drivers won’t support Mantle on older GCN cards like the HD 7000 / HD 8000 series, the R9 280X and R9 270X. In addition, AMD has warned that multi GPU configurations may experience intermittent stuttering. This is a beta so don’t expect miracles."



So, yes, the 14.1 beta drivers do support HD7000 series cards as the OP stated, but that doesn't mean that Mantle is working properly with them.

 

[NTMBK]

before someone's feeling is hurt with the above post.
allow for some explanation.


mantle api simply improve cpu rendering time.

so.
if you are gpu bottleneck. like most are. mantle is moot.
if you are cpu bottleneck. like few are. you will gain some performance if your gpu is still up to the task.

unless your cup of tea is playing BF4 single player. then your mileage will vary.

happy reading.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2092...-gaming-tech-launches-with-battlefield-4.html
http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/1...s-actually-for-boosting-low-end-cpus-not-gpus
http://www.techspot.com/news/55500-...le-new-driver-and-patches-available-soon.html

CPU load is significantly higher in 64 player MP than in SP...

 

[Tmf]

CPU load is significantly higher in 64 player MP than in SP...

Agreed, my 2500k @ 4.7ghz gets pushed pretty damn hard in 64 player servers. Is it a bottleneck? We'll see when the driver hits...

Prediction for my personal system is a small max fps increase and a very reasonable increase in average fps.

 

[Paul98]

Looks like we will get more info on when driver will be available by mid afternoon EST

http://www.techpowerup.com/197425/amd-catalyst-mantle-driver-delayed.html

 

[krumme]

before someone's feeling is hurt with the above post.
allow for some explanation.


mantle api simply improve cpu rendering time.

so.
if you are gpu bottleneck. like most are. mantle is moot.
if you are cpu bottleneck. like few are. you will gain some performance if your gpu is still up to the task.

unless your cup of tea is playing BF4 single player. then your mileage will vary.

happy reading.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2092...-gaming-tech-launches-with-battlefield-4.html
http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/1...s-actually-for-boosting-low-end-cpus-not-gpus
http://www.techspot.com/news/55500-...le-new-driver-and-patches-available-soon.html

Wrong. Its a lack of knowledge.

There is a lot of misunderstanding of Mantle only beeing for cpu perf. Here is what Johan says there is of GPU optimizations:

Can optimize with pipeline state knowledge
Can optimize across all shader stages

Driver stages:
Gives driver a lot more knowledge and flexibility
App can avoid expensive/redundant transistions such as eg. surface decompression

Exposing existing GPU functionality eg.:
Quad and Rect-lists
HW specific MSAA & and dept data access
Programmable sample patterns

Asynch dma transfers
Asynch compute together with graphics
Multiple compute kernels colaborating
Compute as frontend for gfx pipeline

And by getting better cpu utilization also helps gpu by:
Less brute force rendering
Improve culling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_6C...e_gdata_player
GPU part Start at 18:00

 

[Pariah]

Wrong. Its a lack of knowledge.

There is a lot of misunderstanding of Mantle only beeing for cpu perf. Here is what Johan says there is of GPU optimizations:

No one is saying there are no GPU optimizations. However, based on AMD's OWN benchmarks, they could mean squat if your system is GPU limited.

By most people's standards, 2.7/1.4% improvement is moot.

 

[Warsam71]

There are numerous reviews by different sources covering the beta driver at the moment. Yes it will support the HD 7000 series GPU.

Also, 14.1 is a beta driver. When released, the Release Notes section which provide more information (is Features, Known Issues, etc) about the driver will be released at the same time.

 

[blackened23]

There are numerous reviews by different sources covering the beta driver at the moment. Yes it will support the HD 7000 series GPU.

No offense, but are you sure about that? The driver was delayed to the press according to guru3d, TPU, and HardOCP (Kyle posted this) and none were given beta access to the driver due to a bug. Guru3d, GPU, and HardOCP are still waiting, and presumably all press outlets are.

Kyle posted that he received this email this morning:

there was a nasty little issue we thought would be better to have fixed prior to giving you guys beta access.

Guru3d and TPU received a similar email according to the front page news of both websites. No beta driver for reviewing. AMD informed everyone that there will be an update at noon today, and that the driver was delayed to the press last night. I do not think anyone has beta testing access as you just stated. Furthermore, the driver is presumably delayed, although you guys stated an update will happen at noon today. So is the press really testing this right now? Because what you just stated flies in the face of what tons of press websites have stated - being that they were not given beta access for reviewing. Due to a last minute bug that popped up last night.

Just curious. If it is indeed being beta tested right now, which is what you stated, i'd assume that we'll get reviews today. Which of course, would be a good thing and I hope that is indeed happening. We all want numbers that are representative of real world situations on real world hardware with 290X cards, so if that happens, and is being tested now, that is a good thing. Like I said, just curious for clarification. That is all. Thanks!

 

[Warsam71]

No offense take at all. In fact, I appreciate your comment. I'm going to share it with my team right away and come back with a response.

 

[NTMBK]

No one is saying there are no GPU optimizations. However, based on AMD's OWN benchmarks, they could mean squat if your system is GPU limited.

...

By most people's standards, 2.7/1.4% improvement is moot.

That was in a ridiculously unbalanced situation- pairing a £100 GPU with a £750 CPU. The fact that there was any improvement at all should be remarkable! But when you take a balanced combination you see a much greater improvement- for instance the combination of FX 8350 and HD 7970 gave a 25% increase.

 

[krumme]

No one is saying there are no GPU optimizations.

Well yes there is a lot and have been for the last 3 months. It just take more time to implement the GPU optimizations. They will get here. Besides cpu frame to frame is more inconsistent than gpu frame to frame. Meaning with mantle you get more smooth framepacing that is not shown and apriciated in the normal avera fps. Look at console as an example.

The GPU listed optimizations repeated here is just examples.:

Can optimize with pipeline state knowledge
Can optimize across all shader stages

Driver stages:
Gives driver a lot more knowledge and flexibility
App can avoid expensive/redundant transistions such as eg. surface decompression

Exposing existing GPU functionality eg.:
Quad and Rect-lists
HW specific MSAA & and dept data access
Programmable sample patterns

Asynch dma transfers
Asynch compute together with graphics
Multiple compute kernels colaborating
Compute as frontend for gfx pipeline

And by getting better cpu utilization also helps gpu by:
Less brute force rendering
Improve culling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_6C...e_gdata_player
GPU part Start at 18:00

 

[OCGuy]

Are people possibly confusing the fact that the 14.1 driver is unofficial, with the statement that it is basically a beta run for Mantle, because it is still being improved?

I know the slides had 14.1 as a beta driver...

 

[blackened23]

edit: nvm

 

[stahlhart]

This sticky is only for discussing the Catalyst driver update. Do not derail it with general discussion about Mantle when you already have a longstanding thread for that purpose.
-- stahlhart

 

[Despoiler]

We know that AMD worked on a new driver build overnight. Guru3d is reporting that AMD promised the press 24 hours with the driver before it goes public. That pretty much says we are not getting the driver today.

 

[jackstar7]

I'm hoping it leaks from someone testing, Asder or whoever will hopefully get something out so people can do plenty of home testing, too.

 

[Warsam71]

No offense take at all. In fact, I appreciate your comment. I'm going to share it with my team right away and come back with a response.

Hello,

The press will receive the driver first to review. About the driver launch, being available for download through our Driver and Support page, it won't be released today; I will keep you updated.

 

[Pariah]

That was in a ridiculously unbalanced situation- pairing a £100 GPU with a £750 CPU. The fact that there was any improvement at all should be remarkable! But when you take a balanced combination you see a much greater improvement- for instance the combination of FX 8350 and HD 7970 gave a 25% increase.

That's how you test bottlenecks. Lopsiding the setup. If your video card is the bottleneck, you're not going to see a big increase in performance. I don't see how you can spin that any other way based on the results that have been posted so far.

This sticky is only for discussing the Catalyst driver update. Do not derail it with general discussion about Mantle when you already have a longstanding thread for that purpose.
-- stahlhart

The title of the thread has Mantle API in it. There are no release notes, and it certainly appears that the purpose of this beta driver is to release Mantle on the public. What is there to discuss about these drivers that isn't Mantle related?

 

[kane15]

Hello,

The press will receive the driver first to review. About the driver launch, being available for download through our Driver and Support page, it won't be released today; I will keep you updated.

that's pretty ridiculous the press gets the driver 24 hours before the public.... i can see if its a game where they need to get reviews done in time for the launch but this is for something we already paid for and have been waiting a long time for