AMD Publishes Open-Source Linux HSA Kernel Driver

[chithanh]

Last I checked, AMD no longer lists Kabini as HSA compatible[1]. So I would avoid buying Kabini for HSA. The Kabini/Temash successors Beema/Mullins however seem to support HSA in some form.

[1] http://semiaccurate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7146

[Kivada]

Just wanted to check which APUs are Sea Islands serie. This article doesn't list it: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...icroprocessors
Sea Islands is listed only as a GPU serie: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Islands_(GPU_family)
Could anyone explain this to me? I'm wondering what is the cheapest APU to take advantage of HSA on Linux.

Cheapest APU? The E1-2100/HD8210, it's a dual 1Ghz Kabini chip with 128 shader GCN based GPU running at 300Mhz w/ single channel DDR3 1333 memory controller IIRC. Not a fast chip by any means these days, but it's enough for an HTPC playback box and with HSA, OpenCL and the rest of these GPGPU techs would get a nice boost.

[chithanh]

So I'm interested only in benchmarks using non-HSA enabled software. Or software using lower level components that benefit from HSA >today<.

As far as I understand, the software needs not use HSA explicitly. OpenCL is enough, and that is already in use by lots of applications.

About the "lower level components", the JPEG decoder library is precisely one such thing.

[Kivada]

For this Task the GPUs have a separate ASIC for this. Only things like deinterlacing oder other Filters are processed on the gpu but not the decoding and encoding.

Yes, but these asics are limited in their capability, focusing only on what codecs, resolutions and settings that where common at the time of the chip's development. With HSA opening up the GPU for these tasks your limitations are only what your software will allow you to do instead of what is baked into the chip.

[Kivada]

GDD5 mounted where on the hardware? On-die, the motherboard or maybe socketed like in the old FPU days? You sound like you saw or heard something about it. Now spill the beans!

And when's the official DDR4 launch? I heard it was 'real soon now', but it's been like that for a couple years now. Coincidentally, about as long as the DDR3 price inflation occured.

EDIT: Oh, and I think 'dynamic' instead of 'uncivilised' will will get you a few less scowls from the Muhrican's =D

There was talk that AMD was pushing for DDR4 and GDDR5 DIMMs for the Kaveri launch, but they couldn't get Intel to get on DDR4 with them which would have resulted in more expensive systems for AMD customers, which they didn't want either.

But Intel was demoing allot of X99 chipset systems from just about every big name mobo maker and all the memory manufacturers where showing off their DDR4 kit at Computex.

There was rumor that AMD and Hynix whjere working to get a JEDEC standard for GDDR5M DIMMs

I am a 'Murican, let em scowl, I lived in one of the better states till the tea baggers took it over...

Heres some Comutex vids with DDR4 kit. Though I really want to see some AMD APU mobos with the isolated onboard audio hardware and audio quality capacitors to get better sound out of the mobo for HTPC systems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtH7rIjoBnw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44m66sXWU84

[Bucic]

@Bucic
See http://www.extremetech.com/computing...geneous-chip/5 for some HSA benchmarks on A10-7850K.
Offloading JPEG decoding is one example that can benefit even users that do only web browsing, and yes, the reduced CPU load will lead to lower power consumption.

As a general rule I disregard less than 3 y.o. technologies that require application developers input. For obvious practical reasons. So I'm interested only in benchmarks using non-HSA enabled software. Or software using lower level components that benefit from HSA >today<.

Thanks for the link though.

[chithanh]

@Bucic
See http://www.extremetech.com/computing...geneous-chip/5 for some HSA benchmarks on A10-7850K.
Offloading JPEG decoding is one example that can benefit even users that do only web browsing, and yes, the reduced CPU load will lead to lower power consumption.

[Bucic]

RIght now you are limited to Kaveri.

Thanks.
I don't think I'll buy one just to get the benefits of HSA. It's not like I do anything more than browsing on my A4 APU. But the patches may bring lower power draw even in general use scenarios, am I right?

[agd5f]

Just wanted to check which APUs are Sea Islands serie. This article doesn't list it: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...icroprocessors
Sea Islands is listed only as a GPU serie: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Islands_(GPU_family)
Could anyone explain this to me? I'm wondering what is the cheapest APU to take advantage of HSA on Linux.

RIght now you are limited to Kaveri.

[Bucic]

Just wanted to check which APUs are Sea Islands serie. This article doesn't list it: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...icroprocessors
Sea Islands is listed only as a GPU serie: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Islands_(GPU_family)
Could anyone explain this to me? I'm wondering what is the cheapest APU to take advantage of HSA on Linux.