First DirectX DirectCompute benchmark launched

Robert Hallock (Thrax) Following the release of the first DirectX 11 benchmarks, there is now a test to stress the DirectCompute capabilities of compatible GPUs.

November 5, 2009 3:31 PM ET in News

directx-11-logoFollowing the release of the first DirectX 11 benchmark, NGOHQ is now offering a test to stress the DirectCompute capabilities of compatible GPUs.

The DirectCompute Benchmark v0.15 is used to evaluate GPGPU prowess by calculating FFT-like data and memory transfers. DirectX11 must be installed on the system, but DirectX 10, 10.1 and 11 adapters from both NVIDIA and AMD are supported with the test.

DirectX 11’s DirectCompute API is a standardized way to perform GPGPU acceleration, and every DirectX 11 GPU must run it. Microsoft’s decision to provide a common interface is finally the beginning of the “write once, run anywhere” era needed for the preeminence of GPU compute.

DirectX 11 GPUs will need just one body of code to perform stream processing tasks like physics and video encoding, and it won’t matter what GPU that code runs on.

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2 Comments:

  1. Jeremy
    5 Nov '09, 6:06 pm

    I think OpenCL was "the beginning of the “write once, run anywhere” era needed for the preeminence of GPU compute."

    I hope DirectCompute does not become the defacto standard, for the sake of cross-platform applications.

  2. Thrax
    5 Nov '09, 6:14 pm

    OpenCL was the absolute beginning, no arguments there. But OpenCL's major problem is a relatively lackluster amount of support from the industry. Whereas OpenCL is entirely optional, DirectCompute is an inevitability for every future video card. The simple fact that every GPU is going to launch with DirectCompute support--without vendor intervention by way of OpenCL SDKs--is going to put it ahead.

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