GPU transcode for RAGE only works on Nvidia GPU's

[tviceman]

I'm not sure if this is a well known fact, as I just learned this moments ago. I don't have the direct source, so I'm just going to quote the information and provide a link to where the info was given.

Transcode basically converts from the disk format to an in-memory format usable by the GPU. GPU Transcode performs this costly operation on the GPU instead of the CPU, which massively increases the number of pages that can be transcoded at a time (while maintaining 60 or near 60 hz). This has the visual effect of reducing the time between an item coming on screen and that item having the full, correct texture data available.

Why is this NVIDIA only?
The underlying code is written in C for CUDA. When the engineer working on this started, OpenCL wasn't an option. Later, preliminary tests into porting the code to OpenCL showed poor performance compared to the C for CUDA implementation.

full post can be read here: http://www.shacknews.com/chatty?id=26824104#item_26824104 When the OP replies to where he got the information, I will update this post.

UPDATE: The OP says he works for Nvidia and the statement about transcoding is his own words. He said he did not specifically work on the code (he works in developer relations department). He has a long post history and is a trusted member of that community so I believe everything he says.

 

[GotNoRice]

Since this seems to have been developed with consoles in mind, and consoles can't do CUDA, I'm not particularly worried.

 

[Lonbjerg]

Not the first game to use CUDA...and it won't be the last *shrugs*

That is what happens when 1 player (NVIDIA) pushes GPGPU...while the other sits and wait for others to do something about GPGPU...

 

[badb0y]

Not the first game to use CUDA...and it won't be the last *shrugs*

That is what happens when 1 player (NVIDIA) pushes GPGPU...while the other sits and wait for others to do something about GPGPU...

Yea it's like the second.

 

[Lonbjerg]

Yea it's like the second.

No it's not, PhysX runs via CUDA on the GPU also.

 

[blackened23]

edit

 

[notty22]

Guess this is what some are experiencing. A lag of the textures appearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I91AG2BhcI

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

Guess this is what some are experiencing. A lag of the textures appearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I91AG2BhcI

WOW that is some terrible texture loading. I'm really hoping AMD can release some new drivers to fix it, otherwise O_O.

 

[blackened23]

WOW that is some terrible texture loading. I'm really hoping AMD can release some new drivers to fix it, otherwise O_O.

The texture pop problem has been fixed, see the other thread regarding this

 

[Attic]

GPU Transcode is available and I believe working on 280.26 official drivers. I'm getting almost no texture pop.

 

[n0x1ous]

i was getting mild texture pop in the opening sequences but after getting out on the ATV for the first time it is essentially gone. SLI is not working with newest 285.38 beta drivers. GPU usage is only around 50-60 % on my GTX260 running at 1080p with 2xAA and GPU transcode enabled. The transcode is apparently running on my 3rd GPU which hovers around 30% usage.

Textures dont look to good to me overall but draw distance and character models are highly detailed and the game is fun IMHO. But the problem is, is i dont even know if im getting the best visuals the game has to offer since the engine "decides" for me what level of quality i get. I really hope we can get some graphical options without having to hack about in the console too much.

 

[Lonbjerg]

i was getting mild texture pop in the opening sequences but after getting out on the ATV for the first time it is essentially gone. SLI is not working with newest 285.38 beta drivers. GPU usage is only around 50-60 % on my GTX260 running at 1080p with 2xAA and GPU transcode enabled. The transcode is apparently running on my 3rd GPU which hovers around 30% usage.

Textures dont look to good to me overall but draw distance and character models are highly detailed and the game is fun IMHO. But the problem is, is i dont even know if im getting the best visuals the game has to offer since the engine "decides" for me what level of quality i get. I really hope we can get some graphical options without having to hack about in the console too
much.

http://www.dsogaming.com/editorial/rage-pc-how-to-adjust-some-graphical-settings/