AMD Wants Mantle On Linux, OS X, Mobile Devices

[Dukenukemx]

Yeah, I think one of the minimum requirements is unified address space/virtual memory support. So anything older than GCN won't work (as a technical limitation).

I really doubt Radeon HD5000 and HD6000 series cards couldn't work with Mantle. Tests have shown there's little difference in performance. Also consider this, how does AMD expect Nvidia or Intel to adopt Mantle when their older generation of cards, which have the most similar architecture to GCN, don't work?

It's all marketing.

[Nille]

I really doubt Radeon HD5000 and HD6000 series cards couldn't work with Mantle. Tests have shown there's little difference in performance. Also consider this, how does AMD expect Nvidia or Intel to adopt Mantle when their older generation of cards, which have the most similar architecture to GCN, don't work?

It's all marketing.

How do you substantiate it? Its reasonable that Memory Management its a requirement. To derive the Mantle Hardware requirements from the performance is ridiculous.

[Dukenukemx]

How do you substantiate it? Its reasonable that Memory Management its a requirement. To derive the Mantle Hardware requirements from the performance is ridiculous.

Without any access to documentation, I can't say what Mantle requires and why the 5000/6000 cards aren't supported. But AMD did mention that it would work on their competitors hardware, given it meets Mantle's requirements and of course they create their own Mantle driver. But their Northern Islands and EverGreen cards are as similar to GCN as it gets.

But if you really wanna know, ask the people behind the open source AMD drivers. They're about as unbiased of an opinion of AMD's DX11 based cards as it gets. I've heard them reuse code from the Northern Islands for Southern Islands. I doubt the hardware is so dissimilar that you couldn't get Mantle working on them.

[Nille]

Without any access to documentation, I can't say what Mantle requires and why the 5000/6000 cards aren't supported. But AMD did mention that it would work on their competitors hardware, given it meets Mantle's requirements and of course they create their own Mantle driver.

On the Tech Talks there is often talk about the memory managed and that the Developer has to track all Resources. This is a very clear sign that its necessary.

But their Northern Islands and EverGreen cards are as similar to GCN as it gets.

Thats totally different asics. Not even the ALUs are the same.