Imagination Technologies ha annunciato la sua nuova GPU, Power VR SGX
Chi in passato ha avuto un Dreamcast o un PC con scheda video Kyro I e II avrà ben presente cosa siano i Power VR per tutti altri si tratta di una GPU che si basa su tutta una serie di concetti alternativi x l'elaborazione del 3D che forniscono capacità elevatissime con clock e consumi bassissimi (al tempo dei Kyro II - Power VR3 - tali schede erano cloccate come delle Ge Force 2 ma rendevano come delle Ge Force 3 almeno fino a quando i giochi erano programmati con un po' di testa...).
In breve le caratteristiche della SGX (PowerVR4 ?)
# Universal Scalable Shader Engine? (USSE) ? uses a scalable multi-threaded processing engine that can efficiently carry out graphics, video, imaging and other mathematically-intensive tasks. These tasks are automatically broken down into processing packets which are then scheduled across a number of multi-threaded execution units in the USSE.
# Enables advanced geometry and pixel processing capabilities such as procedural geometry (e.g. HOS) and textures, advanced per pixel and vertex lighting effects (e.g., shadows, parallax bump mapping, etc.). The programmable architecture allows acceleration of other multimedia related tasks (e.g. image processing). This universal approach to processing uses a single programming model with one compiler, reducing hardware and software qualification time.
# Latency tolerant architecture ? geometry and rasterisation processes decoupled using tile-based rendering enabling on-chip processing of costly hidden-surface removal and deferred pixel shading No pixel shading of non-visible pixels, eliminating all unnecessary accesses to off-chip memory, with on-chip processing of multiple render targets.
# Image Quality ? Internal True Colour? operations to be performed on-chip using high precision maths at arbitrary pixel precisions up to IEEE 32bit floating point combined with comprehensive programmable image anti-aliasing for free.
# Video processing for free, with the real-time programmable architecture providing extensive accelerated functions support for multi-standard video decode and encode.
Family Members
PowerVR SGX core architecture is fully scaleable and the Wireless Graphics Accelerator family includes 3 variants: SGX510, SGX520, SGX530 with sizes ranging from less than 2mm2 to 8mm2 in a 90nm process.
Performance
Maximum effective pixel fillrate performance from 200Mpix/sec to 1200Mpix/sec @ 200MHz with even higher Z and stencil fill rate and polygon throughput from 2Mpoly/sec to 13.5Mpoly/sec @ 200MHz. Performance depends on core and configuration selected.
Power
PowerVR SGX cores are built on a foundation of unique patent-protected technologies that deliver class-leading performance while keeping power dissipation to a minimum. In addition, sophisticated clock gating power management techniques ensure the lowest active and standby power consumption.
API and OS Support
All industry standard graphics APIs and OSs supported, including:
* OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenGL ES 1.x, OpenGL 2.0, OpenVG
* Direct3D Mobile, DX9+
* JSR 184 and JSR 239
* Linux, Symbian, WinCE, Windows Mobile
Content Compatibility
PowerVR SGX510, SGX520 and SGX530 are compatible with content created for PowerVR MBX. Powerful features like the Vertex Shader and PVR-TC? texture compression are compatible with the MBX family. Continued support for all existing PowerVR extensions to OpenGL ES 1.1, allows comprehensive software support developed on the MBX platform to be carried forward to SGX.
E qui un po' di Demo
http://www.powervr.com/Products/Graphic ... asp?Page=5
Sicuramente questo chip verrà molto utilizzato in Giappone nella produzione di schede arcade (per chi non lo sapesse Virtua Fighter 4 Arcade gira su 2 Power VR2) e da noi ? Magari... in futuro... su Amiga o Peg...
