ATI version of Optimus?

ksec

Senior member
Mar 5, 2010
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Is there a version of Optimus for ATI GPU?

If not, Do Apple Macbook Pro offer Graphics Switching with ATI discrete graphics?
 

Arkadrel

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2010
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AMD version is called "PowerExpress" or "BusAliveChipOff" (aka Baco(n)). (homage to powerNow!)

Also "Lucid Virtu" supposedly have ones that work reguardless of which vender it is.

http://www.rage3d.com/articles/amd_powerxpress4_asif_rehman_interview/


You ll probably see Llano Fusion APUs in laptops with this tech (Baco), and Hybrid Crossfire, with a discrete GPU like a 6570? or so, go for cheap and have really good batterylife.

Also AMDs version works with BOTH AMD cpus + Intel cpu IGP's.
(nvidia Optimus doesnt work with AMD CPU's probably because nvidia doesnt want it too)

While allowing for Hybrid Crossfire as well at the same time.


Do Apple Macbook Pro offer Graphics Switching with ATI discrete graphics?
Even if not producers (ei apple) choose not to support it, you can "force" it on via drivers (i get from reading a artical). Apperntly any Radeon 6000m series + Sandy Bridge / AMD fusion processor, should be caple of it.
Apperntly its something new in the drivers, so you ll need cat11.4 or newer.

http://translate.google.com/transla...-4-0-alternativa-nvidia-optimus-11267&act=url
 
Last edited:

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
AMD version is called "PowerExpress" or "BusAliveChipOff" (aka Baco(n)). (homage to powerNow!)

Also "Lucid Virtu" supposedly have ones that work reguardless of which vender it is.

http://www.rage3d.com/articles/amd_powerxpress4_asif_rehman_interview/


You ll probably see Llano Fusion APUs in laptops with this tech (Baco), and Hybrid Crossfire, with a discrete GPU like a 6570? or so, go for cheap and have really good batterylife.

Also AMDs version works with BOTH AMD cpus + Intel cpu IGP's.
(nvidia Optimus doesnt work with AMD CPU's probably because nvidia doesnt want it too)

While allowing for Hybrid Crossfire as well at the same time.


Even if not producers (ei apple) choose not to support it, you can "force" it on via drivers (i get from reading a artical). Apperntly any Radeon 6000m series + Sandy Bridge / AMD fusion processor, should be caple of it.
Apperntly its something new in the drivers, so you ll need cat11.4 or newer.

http://translate.google.com/transla...-4-0-alternativa-nvidia-optimus-11267&act=url

Kudos to AMD and boo to NV on this one. Optimus really has been a great feature for NV, but it is silly that they only make it available for non-AMD CPUs. Llano should be very good at this; SB already does a great job at this as well, but is definitely much slower in graphics than a discrete solution.
 

ksec

Senior member
Mar 5, 2010
420
117
116
My question is, My new Thinkpad comes with a Drivers from AMD for Intel SandyBridge Graphics ( Hell Just Frozen Over ! )

And the way AMD made with switching graphics looks like a huge blacklist of what to use what instead of a white list of which apps should use the Radeon.

Any one have experience with it? Also i tried installing the latest Intel Drivers for SandyBridge and it didn't work..........