AMD Releases Radeon Software Linux Driver With Vulkan Ray-Tracing Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMD Releases Radeon Software Linux Driver With Vulkan Ray-Tracing Support

AMD Radeon graphics cards on Linux can finally enjoy Vulkan ray-tracing! AMD has published a new Radeon Software for Linux driver release that enables the Vulkan ray-tracing extensions for use with RDNA2 / Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Radeon-Software-21.10

[JoshuaAshton]

Yooo, it only took half a year since the spec + Windows driver was released for them to type git rebase.

[spykes]

Finally... but still no AMDVLK support yet.
I bet it's a legal review issue that's holding it.

[skeevy420]

I hope something is done about coin mining so I can buy a now mythical $250 midrange GPU; preferably 7000 series. I've given up on everything current.

OMG. Just realized something: My first AMDGPU GPU was a rehashed 7000 series.

ROFL. In 10 years AMD has gone from 7000 HD to RX 7000

[bridgman]

ROFL. In 10 years AMD has gone from 7000 HD to RX 7000

Yeah, it's easier to design new GPU architectures than to come up with new numbers

[Danny3]

I wished they added support for Ubuntu 21.04 which will be released in 2 days, but it seems that it's always too much to ask of AMD.
As for raytracing extensions, as long as they are not part of any open source driver, I couldn't care less.

[Melcar]

I hope something is done about coin mining so I can buy a now mythical $250 midrange GPU; preferably 7000 series. I've given up on everything current.

OMG. Just realized something: My first AMDGPU GPU was a rehashed 7000 series.

ROFL. In 10 years AMD has gone from 7000 HD to RX 7000

Haven't you heard? That's entry level gaming now. $400+ is the new midrange price bracket.

[msjyoshi]

With this driver, RT kinda works in Metro Exodus, but there are situations where it causes a kernel panic crash in my system. Most notably the very first rendered scene (descending in Moscow from the sky) and loading up another save, when they carry you after you're swarmed in the "tutorial" at the sewers.

I then loaded a save where you sneak through the guards at the trainyard and it seemed to work ok otherwise, 55-80fps at 1440p Ultra + RT High on a 6800.

[obri]

So AMD is so superior on Linux because of open source drivers?
But only if you do not want to use the RT you paid for...

I think Nvidia users had this on launch day, or am I wrong?

Anyways, I cant get a new card, so I am stuck with my 1070Ti

[Marco-GG]

So AMD is so superior on Linux because of open source drivers?
But only if you do not want to use the RT you paid for...

I think Nvidia users had this on launch day, or am I wrong?

Anyways, I cant get a new card, so I am stuck with my 1070Ti

The kernel driver is open source no matter the user space vulkan implementation you use. With AMD you're completely free of using RADV along side AMDVLK and AMDVLK-PRO (if I can call that way the proprietary vulkan driver) at the same time. So, yeah, it's far superior as Linux is based on the idea of being free to use in anyway you want your stuff.