GPU Computing and Windows 7

[z3r010]

As we discussed in our earlier blog, at the core of Windows 7 for the first time is the inclusion of the graphics processing unit (GPU) for computing. The GPU is no longer just for graphics. In Windows 7, the CPU and the GPU create a co-processing environment. As a result, Windows 7 PCs with the right balance of CPU and GPU offer a faster, more visual Windows 7 experience.

NVIDIA’s President and CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang talked about GPU Computing in Windows 7 during a keynote presentation at Computex 2009.


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What makes this co-processing possible is one of the most significant additions Windows 7 brings: DirectCompute. DirectCompute enables applications in Windows 7 to take advantage of GPU Computing to accelerate applications. DirectCompute will be distributed as part of the DirectX 11 API and is fully supported by NVIDIA’s current lineup of DirectX 10 GPUs. Murray Vince, General Manager of the OEM Division at Microsoft was at Computex to discuss the new DirectCompute API in Windows 7.


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DirectCompute will enable great consumer visual and interactive experiences such as new high-quality video and photo entertainment, simplified ways to interact with your devices, faster, more responsive PCs, and even new realistic gaming effects. DirectCompute is accelerated by today’s 200 million+ DirectX 10 GPUs and future DirectX 11 GPUs.

Below is an example of the co-processing environment (CPU + GPU) in Windows 7 for applications that operate primarily on sequential (or serial) codes, such as email, office applications (like Word), and basic web browsing. In this case, the CPU does the majority of the application processing and the GPU is used to display the graphics on the screen.



The second example below demonstrates the co-processing environment (CPU + GPU) in Windows 7 for applications that take advantage of parallel processing, such as video playback, video editing, video conversion, and PC gaming. In this case, DirectCompute is used to leverage the processing power of the GPU to dramatically accelerate the application processing speed.





Windows 7 is also well positioned to be the new ultimate power gaming platform. Next generation PC Games are moving towards much more dynamic and immersive worlds that literally come to life: walls can be torn down, glass can be shattered, trees bend in the wind, and water flows with body and force. The ability to transform static environments into dynamic, physical worlds is powered by GPU computing. By performing the physics calculations on the GPU, game developers can offer real-time effects that have never been seen before. The following is an example of next generation game effects using DirectCompute to perform a real-time dynamic ocean simulation demo.

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The incredible looking wave crests are made possible by using DirectCompute to perform the Fast Fourier transform calculations on the GPU and bring this demo to life. This is a great example of new realism that GPU Computing will bring to next generation games for Windows 7.

DirectCompute will be distributed as part of the DirectX 11 API and is fully supported by NVIDIA’s current lineup of DirectX 10 GPUs.

Windows developers who are interested in learning more about developing with DirectCompute and NVIDIA GPUs can get more information here. Consumers already running a GeForce GPU with Windows 7 can download the new WHQL-certified drivers supporting DirectCompute directly from www.nvidia.com/drivers.

We look forward to showing more examples of the power of GPU Computing and DirectCompute.

Chris Daniel
Product Manager for Software at NVIDIA

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More...

 

[Tews]

Thanks for posting that John, I had never heard of that... I'd +rep ya but you already have a jazillion rep points ... but its the thought that counts!!

 

[Night Hawk]

That shows how 7 will actually start to prove itself as the better for gaming version over XP and Vista in the long run! Nice to hear of course!

 

[DarkDavil]

How can you "tell" if your computer can do that coolio (XD) stuff? It seems rpetty amazing for some hard-core performance

 

[Neurogenesis]

The funny thing about that article is that it makes it sound that DirectCompute is something that nvidia came up with, and only will work with nVidia cards...even though it appears to be something that MS came up with to compete with CUDA:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10255404-1.html

June 2, 2009 9:01 PM PDT
AMD demos first DirectX 11 graphics processor

by Rich Brown

(Credit: AMD)
We've tried not to get too hung up on the posturing by both AMD and Nvidia over whose graphics card driver software is most prepared for Windows 7. With no major upheaval to the Windows core driver design, as with the transition from XP to Vista, we expect both vendors will have little trouble making the switch on October 22nd. We're a bit more interested in a press release from AMD today, heralding a demo of its forthcoming DirectX 11 graphics hardware at the Computex trade show in Taiwan. That makes AMD the first vendor to show the next generation of 3D chips to the public.
Other than the fact that it says AMD has demonstrated graphics hardware performing a few DirectX 11-based operations, the press release provides very little concrete information about the next generation chip. It mentions an end of 2009 release, which lines up with a story on the Inquirer last week. The Inquirer piece also suggests the chip will debut as the ATI Radeon HD 5870, which sounds plausible to us.
Even if the chip details are sparse, AMD says it demonstrated its new hardware speeding nongaming applications in Windows 7 by way of the DirectCompute component of DirectX 11. DirectCompute, if you're unfamiliar, is essentially the Windows-based alternative to Nvidia's CUDA effort to offload certain nongaming application tasks, most typically video transcoding, from the CPU to the GPU. Nvidia is sure to support DirectCompute as well with its own DirectX 11 hardware.
We have no information on when Nvidia might come to market with its own next-generation GPUs, but for all of the effort Nvidia has put into marketing CUDA and GPU computing in general, it will be ironic if AMD brings its DirectX 11-capable chip out first, especially once Windows 7 introduces graphics-based computing to a wide consumer audience.

 

[Jason]

Very informative

Also, thanks for the heads up on the new driver.. I would have probably figured this out sometime next week >.<

 

[LFB]

That shows how 7 will actually start to prove itself as the better for gaming version over XP and Vista in the long run! Nice to hear of course!

Totally agreed... this is an incontestable truth about Windows Seven

 

[Night Hawk]

MS made a large leap with 7 following the let down people complained about with Vista. Vista still had it's plus factors for being a newer version with improved security and obviously the newer look even running more stable but..... MS had to do some rethinking about where Windows was going!

 

[Captain Zero]

Well this is just awesome but...

What about us ATI people..?

 

[darkassain]

Well this is just awesome but...

What about us ATI people..?

look at Neurogenesis post...
as for existing hardware im sure ati will reply soon...

 

[smarteyeball]

l
as for existing hardware im sure ati will reply soon...

'ATI' and 'soon' in the same sentence... hmm

 

[swarfega]

Those videos arent working for me on firefox. But I have silverlight installed for it since its working on the official website.

 

[z3r010]

Those videos arent working for me on firefox. But I have silverlight installed for it since its working on the official website.

It's an error in the rss feed.

 

[swarfega]

shame :/

 

[z3r010]

Just for you I've sorted them out

 

[swarfega]

aww your too kind

 

[Neurogenesis]

'ATI' and 'soon' in the same sentence... hmm

We will know soon enough, I fired off an email to one of thier technical directors asking for dates...

will advise.

 

[Night Hawk]

I still have to get the latest for Silverlight there since the 3rd won't here. The first two will both run at the same time with ease.

 

[johnwillyums]

Hi. I have Silverlight and the latest Nvidia driver 190.62 installed.
The first two vids play fine but I cant view the last one, which presumably has the advanced games demo on it.
I'm using Firefox 3.52.
Any ideas, J

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

'ATI' and 'soon' in the same sentence... hmm

This is why I'm going back to the way it's meant to be played with the new build.