The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    The disastrous AMD Fusion OpenGL performance

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by Bullit, Oct 6, 2011.

  1. Bullit

    Bullit Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    122
    Messages:
    864
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Warning to everyone. Don't buy now (or ever if AMD doesn't fix this) a Fusion laptop if you need OpenGL. Maybe there are also other hidden pitfalls.


    Comparing two laptops:

    Asus K53TA-SX026V (AMD Fusion w/HD6650M) Notebook

    Review Asus K53TA-SX026V (Fusion) Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

    Card: HD 6650M + HD 6520G

    Performance in Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL test : 13.5 frames/sec


    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Packard-Bell-EasyNote-LS11-Notebook-Radeon-HD-6650M.50626.0.html

    Packard Bell EasyNote LS11 Notebook (Intel w/HD6650M) Notebook

    Card: HD 6650M

    Performance in Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL test : 32.9 frames/sec


    So when you buy a full AMD Fusion notebook you get almost 3 times less performance in OpenGL than if you buy a Intel with same graphic card.
    The reason: In OpenGL the AMD notebook resort to the lesser card 6520 and the good 6650M card is idle.


    Talk about shooting your own feet.
     
  2. Marecki_clf

    Marecki_clf Homo laptopicus

    Reputations:
    464
    Messages:
    1,507
    Likes Received:
    170
    Trophy Points:
    81
    This is IMHO a driver issue, rather than hadrware one.
     
  3. hockeymass

    hockeymass that one guy

    Reputations:
    1,450
    Messages:
    3,669
    Likes Received:
    85
    Trophy Points:
    116
    It's a problem with any notebook that uses an AMD GPU with dynamic switching. It's not restricted to Fusion.
     
  4. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

    Reputations:
    21,580
    Messages:
    35,370
    Likes Received:
    9,878
    Trophy Points:
    931
    It's not restricted to fusion, but HP managed to get the DV6t laptops working with OpenGL running on the dedicated GPU's.
     
  5. talin

    talin Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    4,694
    Messages:
    5,343
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Disastrous rofl. I would hardly call it that, and as another said, it's most likely a driver issue.
     
  6. Bullit

    Bullit Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    122
    Messages:
    864
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Almost 3 times less performance in own CPU than in competition is not just disastrous.

    If you trying to deflate the issue by saying "most likely a driver issue" you are not giving any favors to AMD. So is it also "likely" negligence against costumers that choose their CPU instead of Intel CPU ?
     
  7. hockeymass

    hockeymass that one guy

    Reputations:
    1,450
    Messages:
    3,669
    Likes Received:
    85
    Trophy Points:
    116
    It's completely unrelated to the CPU. It's ANY AMD GPU that uses dynamic switching without a hardware multiplexer.
     
  8. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

    Reputations:
    6,668
    Messages:
    8,224
    Likes Received:
    231
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Well, a driver issue makes it an issue nevertheless. Until AMD and OEMs start rolling out driver fixes, it is a valid point to keep this in mind. HP has done well in fixing the issues with its dv6 AMD Fusion models, and hopefully, this will be resolved across the board before long.
     
  9. hockeymass

    hockeymass that one guy

    Reputations:
    1,450
    Messages:
    3,669
    Likes Received:
    85
    Trophy Points:
    116
    It is, but it has nothing to do with Fusion, and thus the title and main thrust of the OP are misleading/wrong.
     
  10. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

    Reputations:
    21,580
    Messages:
    35,370
    Likes Received:
    9,878
    Trophy Points:
    931
    HP did not fix it for Fusion. They fixed it for Intel CPU with AMD graphics. The Fusion laptops still revert to the IGP for OpenGL
     
  11. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

    Reputations:
    791
    Messages:
    3,210
    Likes Received:
    231
    Trophy Points:
    131
    The IGP is 400 sp strong, it shouldn't get a mere ~1/3 of the 6650m performance, IMO.
     
  12. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

    Reputations:
    21,580
    Messages:
    35,370
    Likes Received:
    9,878
    Trophy Points:
    931
    But it's speed is much less (400MHz vs 600MHz) and also uses system RAM (667MHz) instead of dedicated RAM (900MHz). Plus I believe the 6520G in the A6 is only 320SP instead of 400.
     
  13. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

    Reputations:
    791
    Messages:
    3,210
    Likes Received:
    231
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Oh my :eek:

    I stand corrected.