4 ms·
They definitely qualify as GPU. I think the main reason people aren't using them is that tools are primitive. Also, historically they've been pretty anemic in h
by raphlinus 7y ago
They definitely qualify as GPU. I think the main reason people aren't using them is that tools are primitive. Also, historically they've been pretty anemic in horsepower, though are getting better. Still not competitive with high end discrete graphics cards, but absolutely getting there on the low end.
Intel GPU has three hidden strengths:
* CPU <-> GPU communication is cheaper, because they can actually share memory (a separate copy to staging buffers is not needed).
* Latency is potentially lower, although it's not clear to me yet that driver software can take advantage of the potential offered by the hardware. (More empirical measurement is needed)
* Subgroup operations on Intel appear to be wicked-fast, shuffle in particular.
Long story short, I think there is opportunity here that most people aren't exploiting.
- auggierose 7y agoIt seems to me that if you use Apple Metal, then you are definitely (and automatically) exploiting Intel GPUs. So lots of people are actually exploiting it!
- hellofunk 7y agoMetal targets whatever GPU is in the system, not necessarily Intel. In most cases there’s a discrete in there by AMD or Nvidia.
- auggierose 7y agoWell, that's my point. As a Metal programmer, you don't have to distinguish (except of being aware of shared memory in integrated gpu). The talk made it sound like it is a totally different world between mobile / desktop, not to mention Intel GPUs. From a certain point of view, and for many algorithms, it isn't. Especially when the algorithm can be viewed as a functional program, as championed in the talk. In particular, most of the time there is an integrated one in there, because there are many more mobiles out there than desktops.