Time to build a new rig ???

[xer0h0ur]

Yeah Vulkan is the API that took over most of Mantle's benefits other than what Microsoft decided to incorporate into DX12. AMD also shifted its focus towards assisting Vulkan's development. I don't know if they basically are killing off Mantle or refocusing Mantle in another direction.

As you know though Microsoft has a stranglehold on the gaming industry as DX is by far the most widely used PC API.

 

[Crystallas]

I kind of disagree. DX is losing ground to OpenGL, because it gives developers flexibility to release cross platform games. As well as a cleaner path for releasing games down the line on mobile devices, as hardware catches up. Even DX12 isn't going to be enough. I think all, except maybe two, major game engines are either opengl dominant or opengl compatible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines Which is a huge difference from just 5 years ago. Steam playing a big part in pushing cross platform and linux gaming.

 

[xer0h0ur]

Wake me up when SteamOS, steam boxes and Linux gaming comes even remotely close. Progress on that front is even slower than Microsoft's improvement of DX.

 

[Crystallas]

Okay, but my point is, it's losing ground. Just like IE used to be the most used browser, then poof. And the catalog of games that are being backported from old DX standards to OGL isn increasing. Cross platform, so, not just linux, not just SteamBoxes(which are linux), not just Android(which is linux) and not just MacOS/iOS(which are BSD based and a hop/skip/jump from Linux).

In a few years, you'll have backported catalogs and future releases at an even higher rate. So basically, it used to be one in every two hundred games had a linux release. Now because of smartphones and Steam games, one in every five games has some form of linux release. That's an undeniable trend, and a huge shift which backs my point. DirectX, even with a strong release, is going to die to OpenGL and other crossplatform APIs.

 

[xer0h0ur]

I would love to see it happen one day. I am sick of Microsoft dominating PC gaming. DX has been holding back the gaming industry for what feels like ages and they have had some downright atrocious iterations of it. I also already knew SteamOS is Linux based. Its currently in an open Beta so anyone can make a steam box but I don't have any idea how readily available if at all the Steam controllers are.

 

[Crystallas]

I'm not putting a lot of stock in the Steam machines and controllers. PC gaming for TVs.... just map an existing controller or use a kb/m at the couch. Although some people really like the prototype controllers. IDK. I guess I need to try them.

 

[Ares]

Idk wtf you two are babbling about, Apple probably makes a better video gaming thingy anyways, im sure everyone will be using that soon.

 

[Crystallas]

Idk wtf you two are babbling about, Apple probably makes a better video gaming thingy anyways, im sure everyone will be using that soon.

Well, if they release a unit with newer PWRficient PPC CPUs, I'll probably buy it to nab the chips for an Amigaclone.

 

[Wintermute]

If your aim is at using a modern AMD cpu then wait for the Zen next year otherwise just go with an X99 based cpu like a 5820K. For what its worth, DX12 in Windows 10 is going to level the playing field hardcore. Even for AMD's current multi-core offerings. This is because DX12 is designed to load balance across all CPU cores and its particularly going to be optimized for 6 core processors. The other major feature of DX12 is asynchronous shaders which will unleash the compute power in AMD's GPUs which was typically sitting around playing patty cake while gaming since nothing was utilizing it.

So are they going the APU route with Zen? Or a pure CPU? Did some reading on it the other night, sounds interesting and a great reason to help me resist buying a FX-8350.

 

[Crystallas]

So are they going the APU route with Zen? Or a pure CPU? Did some reading on it the other night, sounds interesting and a great reason to help me resist buying a FX-8350.

They are doing both. APU and CPU route. The issue is, as far as we can see, that it will be a 2016 release, and the 32-core Zens will be Opterons (which are the ones without GPU cores). Although, knowing AMD, they will release FX versions of the 32-Core CPUs. From what I know, they have submitted kernel patches for the new architecture for next(which will be 4.1) and have given prototype samples to microsoft to be readied for Windows 10 optimizations.

APUs are good in modern OSes though, and especially with Vulkan and DirectX 12. Because you can run both the integrated graphics and PCIe GPU for all functions and tasks that need it within multimedia and games. It's not like Crossfire or SLI, because the APU GPU cores are able to offload any form of calculations through OpenCL and a number of other standards, so it can act like another CPU(except without handing interrupts, or maybe it does, but in a much more limited capacity.)

 

[xer0h0ur]

So are they going the APU route with Zen? Or a pure CPU? Did some reading on it the other night, sounds interesting and a great reason to help me resist buying a FX-8350.

Both, There will be APU's there will be Server class products and there will be high performance consumer CPUs based off Zen. They are also working on K12 which will be their ARM based processor.