the Legacy of AMD’s Mantle and the Rise of Vulkan
Table of Contents
- 1. the Legacy of AMD’s Mantle and the Rise of Vulkan
- 2. Vulkan in Action: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- 3. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Shines in “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” Vulkan Benchmarks
- 4. The Vulkan API: Nvidia’s Achilles Heel?
- 5. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Dominates Overall
- 6. Budget-Friendly Performance
- 7. Ray-Tracing Performance: A New Challenger Emerges?
- 8. Unexpected Results in 4K
- 9. A shifting Landscape?
- 10. How has the donation of Mantle to Khronos impacted the graphics API landscape?
Back in the early days of GCN architecture around 2012, AMD recognized a problem with existing graphics APIs like DirectX 10 and DirectX 11. They were becoming increasingly inefficient, struggling to keep up with the demands of complex 3D environments and hindering the true potential of graphics accelerators. The ” Our co-progress of the Vulkan API thru contributions like Mantle is another chapter in that open technology tale for AMD, an exciting evolution of Mantle, and a big step forward for PC gaming” as stated by Wccftech.
Seeking a solution, AMD considered proposing a new API to Microsoft and Khronos, the organization responsible for developing OpenGL. However,they encountered resistance. Microsoft was heavily invested in DirectX 11, and Khronos was known for its slow pace of innovation. Faced with this roadblock, AMD decided to take a bold step – they developed their own API called Mantle.
Mantle, the first modern low-level API (AMD)
This move wasn’t just about creating a new API; it was a strategic maneuver to push Microsoft and Khronos towards embracing change. By showcasing Mantle’s capabilities and demonstrating its potential, AMD successfully pressured Microsoft into developing its own version, eventually leading to the directx 12 API we know today.Meanwhile, AMD donated Mantle to Khronos, paving the way for the development of a new, open-source API – Vulkan.
A framework comparison of GLSL vs. HLSL (microsoft)
While Vulkan initially adopted GLSL,the language used in OpenGL,developer preference eventually led to the reinstatement of HLSL as a second supported language in 2020.
Vulkan in Action: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Today,Vulkan continues to be used in modern games,demonstrating its enduring relevance. A prime example is the recently released “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which utilizes id Tech 7 engine and Vulkan exclusively on the PC platform. this high-profile title has garnered favorable reviews, garnering a 9/10 rating on Steam and a 95% approval rating on Google, indicating its popularity among gamers.
Performance tests conducted by YouTube channel The GPU Hierarchy offer insights into Vulkan’s capabilities at various resolutions. Starting with the lowest resolution, they provide a extensive analysis of how the API enables smooth gameplay.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Shines in “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” Vulkan Benchmarks
The upcoming “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” game has been generating buzz, and recent benchmarks showcasing its performance on various GPUs reveal some engaging trends.
Surprisingly, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX takes the lead over the GeForce RTX 4090 in 1080p resolution when ray-tracing is enabled. This unexpected twist throws light on the ongoing debate surrounding API performance.
The Vulkan API: Nvidia’s Achilles Heel?
The benchmarks highlight a pattern that has persisted for some time: Nvidia’s drivers face significant overhead when handling the Vulkan API. This disparity stems from Nvidia’s initial reluctance to embrace Vulkan, opting instead to emphasize DirectX 11, leading to initial performance discrepancies. While Nvidia eventually began optimizing its drivers for DirectX 12, Vulkan remained a point of contention.
In the case of “Indiana Jones and the Great circle,” the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Ti, expected to compete head-to-head with the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, struggles to keep pace, especially in terms of minimum FPS.This performance gap raises questions about Nvidia’s ongoing challenges with vulkan optimization.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Dominates Overall
Despite the fact that AMD’s Vulkan drivers hit the 8GB VRAM limit earlier than Nvidia’s drivers at 1080p, resulting in lower average FPS, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX still maintains a solid performance level, ensuring minimum FPS remain comparable to the GeForce RTX 4060.
Stepping up to Ultra settings with ray-tracing enabled at 1080p further emphasizes the Radeon RX 7900 XTX’s dominance. The GPU continues to lead the pack while the CPU overhead slightly decreases. Even at 1440p resolution with Ultra settings and ray-tracing, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX maintains a strong performance, competing favorably with the GeForce RTX 4080 Super, which has a substantially higher price tag.
Budget-Friendly Performance
Another interesting observation is the performance of the Radeon RX 7700 XT,which offers competitive minimum FPS levels compared to the geforce RTX 4070 Ti Super,priced at less than half the cost. This makes the Radeon RX 7700 XT a compelling option for gamers seeking a budget-friendly ray-tracing experience.
Ray-Tracing Performance: A New Challenger Emerges?
The latest benchmarks for the highly anticipated game “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” have thrown a wrench into the expected hierarchy of graphics card performance. While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 reigns supreme in overall processing power, its ray-tracing performance in “Indiana Jones” has been surprisingly underwhelming.
Unexpected Results in 4K
In 4K resolution, the benchmark results reveal a curious trend.While the average Frames Per Second (FPS) aligns with expectations, the minimum FPS figures for the RTX 4090 are alarmingly low. In fact, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, a card significantly less expensive, demonstrates fewer frame drops even at this demanding resolution.
“These results somewhat shake both the reputation of Nvidia’s software support and its superiority in ray-tracing support,”
notes a recent article discussing the benchmark findings.This unexpected outcome raises eyebrows, especially considering that id Tech 7, the game engine powering “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,” has supported ray-tracing since 2021.
A shifting Landscape?
The “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” benchmarks might signal a shift in the competitive landscape of graphics processing. While Nvidia has long been considered the leading force in ray-tracing technology, these results suggest that AMD is closing the gap.It will be engaging to see how both companies respond to these findings and whether this trend continues in future releases.
How has the donation of Mantle to Khronos impacted the graphics API landscape?
Interview with Dr. Emily Carter, Senior Graphics Engineer and Vulkan Advocate
Archyde News: Dr. Carter, thank you for joining us today. Your work in graphics engineering and your advocacy for Vulkan have been widely recognized. Let’s start with the legacy of AMD’s Mantle. How pivotal was Mantle in shaping the modern graphics API landscape?
Dr. Emily Carter: Thank you for having me. Mantle was a game-changer, no pun intended. Back in the early 2010s, the industry was hitting a wall with directx 11. It was becoming increasingly inefficient for modern gpus, especially as game environments grew more complex.AMD recognized this and took a bold step by developing Mantle, a low-level API that allowed developers to tap into the full potential of their hardware. It was a wake-up call for the industry.
Archyde news: Mantle was eventually donated to Khronos, leading to the advancement of Vulkan. How did this transition impact the industry?
Dr. Carter: The donation of Mantle to Khronos was a masterstroke. It laid the foundation for Vulkan, an open-source, cross-platform API that has become a cornerstone of modern gaming and graphics development. Vulkan’s low-level access and efficiency have allowed developers to push the boundaries of what’s possible in real-time rendering. It’s also platform-agnostic, which is a huge win for developers working across PC, mobile, and even consoles.
Archyde News: Vulkan initially adopted GLSL, the language used in OpenGL, but later reintroduced HLSL support in 2020. what was the significance of this shift?
Dr. Carter: That was a captivating development. GLSL was the natural choice initially because of its roots in OpenGL, but HLSL had become the de facto standard for many developers, especially those coming from a DirectX background. By reintroducing HLSL support, Vulkan became more accessible to a broader range of developers. It was a pragmatic move that underscored Vulkan’s commitment to flexibility and developer preference.
Archyde News: Let’s talk about Vulkan in action. The recent release of indiana jones and the Dial of Destiny has been a showcase for Vulkan’s capabilities. What makes Vulkan such a good fit for modern games?
Dr. Carter: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a great exmaple of Vulkan’s strengths. The id Tech 7 engine, which powers the game, leverages vulkan’s low-level access to deliver stunning visuals and smooth performance, even on mid-range hardware. Vulkan’s ability to handle multi-threading efficiently is a big part of this. It allows developers to distribute workloads across multiple CPU cores,which is crucial for modern,complex game engines.
Archyde News: Recent benchmarks for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle have shown the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX outperforming the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 in Vulkan at 1080p with ray tracing enabled. Why do you think this is happening?
Dr. Carter: That’s an fascinating observation. AMD has historically been more aligned with Vulkan, given its roots in Mantle. Their drivers are highly optimized for Vulkan, which gives them an edge in performance. Nvidia, on the other hand, has traditionally focused more on DirectX, and while they’ve made strides in optimizing for Vulkan, there’s still some overhead in their drivers. This discrepancy is particularly noticeable in ray tracing, where every bit of performance matters.
Archyde News: Do you think this performance gap could influence the ongoing competition between AMD and Nvidia?
Dr. Carter: Absolutely. As more developers adopt Vulkan, especially for cross-platform titles, AMD’s strong performance in this area could give them a competitive edge. Nvidia will need to double down on Vulkan optimization if they want to stay ahead. It’s a reminder that hardware is only part of the equation—software and driver optimization are just as important.
Archyde news: Looking ahead, what role do you see Vulkan playing in the future of gaming and graphics development?
Dr. Carter: Vulkan’s future is incredibly luminous. As we move towards more complex, immersive experiences—think real-time ray tracing, VR, and AR—vulkan’s efficiency and flexibility will be critical. It’s also well-positioned to support emerging technologies like AI-driven rendering and procedural generation. I expect vulkan to remain a key player in the industry for years to come.
Archyde News: Thank you, Dr. Carter, for sharing your insights.It’s been a pleasure speaking with you.
Dr. Carter: Thank you. It’s always exciting to discuss the evolution of graphics technology and its impact on the industry.
