NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Explain How OpenGL Can Unlock 15x Performance Gains

AMD’s Graham Sellers, Intel’s Tim Foley, and Nvidia's Cass Everitt and John McDonald appeared on the same panel to explain the high-level concepts available in today’s OpenGL implementations that reduce driver overhead by up to 10x or more.

With OpenGL, an open, vendor-neutral standard, developers can get significantly better performance – up to 1.3 times. But with a little tuning, they can get 7 to 15 times more performance.

[ZeroX9876]

well, it seems that DX12 is pushing the others to do better. Bad thing? not at all!

Better Performance for every platform, everyone's happy :)

[ATi_Elite]

actually mantle pushed everyone to do better as they were the first one to jump on the "Performance Optimization" bandwagon.

Also a side note is that Mantle was pushed into existence because of CONSOLE Optimization.

PC devs started seeing mid tier Laptop part using consoles crank out good performance so why not apply that to the PC side where EVERYONE and their MAMA knows the PC needed optimized in MANY areas.

Overall Optimization is Good for everyone and pretty much started by Console Devs while PC devs had to focus on better Hardware use (multi-threading, proper core distribution, Ram, GPU tech blah blah blah) but with that now standard Optimization is the new thing to do to boost performance.

[liquidhalos]

Heres hoping the trend continues. If only they would make improvements that would allow my 6520G to play some basic games. Or even a driver for windows 8.1 :(

I need me a PC elite buddy to sort this out

[ZeroX9876]

True, Mantle made a great start! I got an Nvidia card, so I couldn't really try that option.

[HighResHero]

Can't wait to see what my gaming laptop can really do. There are no longer any excuses.

[Somebody]

It's pretty much what I've been waiting for all these years. I've always annoyed by the fact that the PC needed newer hardware to drive through new games while consoles are optimized to every last bit of performance. I mean theoretically my card is much powerful than the one on consoles so why do I need to get a new card for this new game?

Luckily the PC does get some optimization over the last several years that there isn't any real need to rush out and get newer PC hardware. It's a very pleasant surprise to see my laptop can play some of the latest games much smoother than a coupe of years back. Hopefully this new shift towards low tier optimization will become a new industry standard for the PC.

[sorceror171]

Actually, OpenGL already had features along the lines of Mantle and DirectX 12 when they were released. But yes, competition is good!

[Charybdis]

DirectX12 will release in 2015? Not sure if OpenGL 'high level concepts' as mentioned at gdc are already available, but with the open nature I can see open gl getting and already having features along the line of Directx 12 and mantle.

[SilentNegotiator]

Wasn't OpenGL shown to be more efficient than DX11 (by Valve)? Seems to me like the real push wasn't even caused by DX12.

[AD705]

Great job for directx12 for inciting competition. This is just what pc gaming needs.

[darksky]

DirectX 12 was announced at GDC and so have the optimisations to OpenGL so pretty unlikely the OpenGL quickly decided to optimize it due to MS. Give credit where its due...AMD Mantle.

[Sharky5]

i agree Zero, but the trolls will find a reason to make a mountain out of a molehill...they'll use this info as fuel for argument to put DX12 vs OpenGL..."my ball bounces higher than yours!!" :/

[ZeroX9876]

yeah, I know it's coming (console fanboy alerts). the thing is, I bought a PS4 at launch and my PC is far more capable than my PS4. I don't buy consoles for their graphics, I buy them for their games!

Sony has always created a nice console to combine with my PC. When I'm going to a friends house, sometimes I bring my desktop tower along, but my PS3/PS4 is way more convenient for smaller gaming sessions. I just love both!

[starchild]

Yep, I bought a PS4 to go along with my PC. It's a nice combo. I do know PC gamers that have other console preferences though.

[MasterCornholio]

Good news for the PS4 and PCs.

:)

[cyhm3112]

hahaha, PS4 use opengl which can unlock 15x but the dx12 xbone is using only can improve 20%, so it is like PS4 is going to be like.. take a calculation PS4 is 50% more powerful than xbone right now. So, PS4=1.5x15/1.2=6.25 times faster than xbone and being 100 dollars cheaper. lol

[Dewitt]

PS4 uses PSSL a custom API off the OpenGL platform. These changes do not effect the PS4 API.

[deadfrag]

Yes they will!!!

[deadfrag]

Yes they will!!!The PSSL Api library already haves Opengl features on it and can be update to have even more in case you wonder.Not only from OPengl but from other known developing librarys.The PSSL Api is the most custom Api ever made for a console and very easy to update.

[pandehz]

Lol if only it worked like that.

Anyhoo lemme just say this your assumption and the truth are very far apart.

[king_of_N4G]

cyhm - your comment makes me both shake my head and want to slap you through the monitor. What a ridiculous thing to say. Are all ps4 fanboys THIS dumb?

[GiantFriendlyCrab]

15x is bs maybe 2x

[plasticidolatry]

These OpenGL and DirectX low level API updates mainly benefit PC users. Consoles already have low level APIs.

[corroios]

Lets HYPE this like they did with DX12. Lets make 500 articles about this. LOL.

The PS4 will get 15 times more powerfull. Ok, this year maybe 3 or 4 and next year 10 to 15 times more powerfull. Game over, lol.

[tudors]

Well all I can say is that all these fanboy wars have got me interested in PC's again, I can't afford a Intel but to be honest I think AMD are fantastic! my next purchase will be a socket FM2 CPU with built in GPU which will allow me to crossfire it with my AMD HD 7790, another 8gb RAM and i'm sorted, having said that after spending hours trying to optimize BF4 I was getting poor framerates possibly due to the CPU or RAM, 8gb should be great so my guess is the CPU, but I decided to install 'AMD Gaming evolved' and let it do the optimizing for me and pretty much all the settings are Ultra at 1080p 60hz, I have played the PS4 version from start to finish and was told PS4 is running BF4 at approx medium settings, well I was told right, I did not think it could look any better but it does by quite a margin.

So now when these fanboy wars kick off I just upgrade my PC some more, will this stop me enjoying the Xbox one and PS4? of course not!

[FlyingFoxy]

Hopefully this means mid/high end GPU's won't get low fps dips in newer games anymore, 60/120fps solid should be no problem @ 1080p or 1440p if what they're saying is true.

[loganbdh]

Thanks Mantle for getting Nvidia, Intel and most importantly Micro$oft for getting them off there asses and doing something actually positive for gaming...as gamers we should all appreciate the effort of AMD.

[starchild]

I certainly do.

[Zombro]

I'm not going to pretend what any of this means but if it means prettier games then yeeeeahhhh