DRA Option Setting for Haswell CPUs

[Fluke]

I just saw this setting (a check box to the right of the screen) in the options screen during the Pontus live stream play on Twitch. Does anyone know what this does? Has there been any discussion on it? Will it have a large performance impact for Haswell users?

[-Concrete-]

Let's hope so!

[c.ryo]

So can anyone explain what exactly it does? Maybe utilises all the cores? As I have Haswell processor as well. Very interesting.

[alQamar]

How do you assume it will only be for Haswell? What means DRA?

[Greve Af Göteborg]

I have no idea what it is, never seen it before and google does not seem to know what it is either.

[RDH376]

How do you assume it will only be for Haswell? What means DRA?

I saw it briefly in the stream as well and it said it would boost performance for Haswell CPU's.Not sure how it works though or what it stands for

[alQamar]

Perhaps using avx2 commands but doubt that they included them and why a switch there. No sense for me

[alQamar]

Ok got the answer

[c.ryo]

Ok got the answer

And the answer is...?

[Heinz Guderian]

The answer is with God and alQamar now

[Jedi]

Is it SMT? And why no AVX2 support?

Haswell also supports 2-way SMT/Hyper Threading.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6355/i...architecture/6
http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Total-...marks-1086131/


Notice how it says SMT changes min fps from 18 to 22.Is this what you are talking about? I dont own the game to see.

[alQamar]

And the answer is...?

sorry for that. Forum was unusable this time yesterday. As it recovered I was sleeping
here is a screenshot. Tooltip describes it is enabling a direct rendering on Haswell CPUs only but this feature degrades the CPU performance. A reviewer said the graphics will improve with this enabled. But no measures about the "costs" yet.


feel free to post benchmarks herehttp://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?612381-The-TWC-Total-War-Benchmark-thread-compare-your-real-TW-performance

[A Barbarian]

It's only when you use the integrated GPU of Haswell, not when u use a discreet graphics card! Essentially only for laptop users. It allows for quicker simultaneous access between CPU and GPU (but only for the iGPU of Haswell).

The tooltip is wrong and shouldn't talk about CPU. CA Idiots!!! (sorry, but they slowly annoy the crap out of me with their rushed ).

It's Direct Resource Access btw.

[joedreck]

It's only when you use the integrated GPU of Haswell, not when u use a discreet graphics card! Essentially only for laptop users. It allows for quicker simultaneous access between CPU and GPU (but only for the iGPU of Haswell).

The tooltip is wrong and shouldn't talk about CPU. CA Idiots!!! (sorry, but they slowly annoy the crap out of me with their rushed ).

It's Direct Resource Access btw.

I do not understand. I have a Intel® Core™ i7-4770. This is Haswell. My GPU is a Nvidia Geforce GTX.

Haswell is just the codename of the Inter processors or not?

[c.ryo]

Haswell is just the codename of the Inter processors or not?

Yes

[A Barbarian]

@joedreck
1/3rd of your 'CPU' die is actually occupied by an integrated GPU.


Intel probably 'bribed' CA to add special Haswell GPU support because Intel is trying to compete with AMD and Nvidia in that area. I hate that because it's a proprietary feature which can only be used by a very very small minority.

[joedreck]

@joedreck 1/3rd of your 'CPU' die is actually occupied by an integrated GPU. Intel probably 'bribed' CA to add special Haswell GPU support because Intel is trying to compete with AMD and Nvidia in that area. I hate that because it's a proprietary feature which can only be used by a very very small minority.

Ok, so I have this Haswell and CA support this. Why I can't activate the DRA?

[A Barbarian]

You can't activate it because you are using the Geforce GTX graphics card. The DRA feature enables a special fast data path between the Haswell CPU and GPU. It can't be used with a separate graphics card.

Again, the tooltip is misleading and it would be better if they would completely hide the stupid checkbox if it can't be used anyway.

[Profound]

http://software.intel.com/en-us/blog...source-accessI have a 4770K, so I will check it out later.... especially if someone reminds me of how to run on just the integrated graphics.

[A Barbarian]

@ProfoundYou can turn on the iGPU in the BIOS and then you have to install Intel drivers. BUT you have to use the integrated GPU for rendering the game, not your discreet graphics card. And the iGPU will be slower than any discreet graphics card except the lowest end cards. So it's not a good idea if you have a decent normal GPU.