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Computers, Gaming, News

Microsoft Unveils DirectSR: One SR To Rule Integrate Them All

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Gamers rejoice! Microsoft has taken a big step towards simplifying and improving the way PC games leverage upscaling technologies with the introduction of DirectSR. But what exactly is DirectSR, and how will it impact your gaming experience? Let’s delve into the details.

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Photo by FOX on Pexels

What is Super Resolution (SR)?

Before diving into DirectSR, it’s important to understand Super Resolution (SR). SR is a collection of image processing techniques used in games to render them at a lower resolution and then intelligently upscale them to a higher resolution for display. This allows for smoother performance, especially on less powerful hardware, without sacrificing too much visual quality.

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Photo by Thomas Foster on Unsplash

There are currently several popular SR technologies available, including AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), and Intel Xe Super Sampling (XESS). Each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all share the common goal of delivering high-quality visuals with improved performance.

The current landscape of PC gaming presents a challenge for developers. In order to support multiple SR technologies from different vendors, they often need to integrate separate APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) into their games. This can be a time-consuming and complex process, potentially hindering the adoption of SR features across a wider range of titles.

Microsoft’s DirectSR: A Unified Solution

DirectSR aims to bridge this gap by offering a single API that works with various SR technologies. Developed by Microsoft in collaboration with AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA, DirectSR essentially acts as a translator, allowing developers to integrate any supported SR technology with minimal effort. This simplifies the development process and reduces the burden on studios, potentially leading to more widespread adoption of SR features in PC games.

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Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

Benefits for Gamers

For gamers, DirectSR offers several potential benefits. Here are a few key advantages:

  • Improved Performance: By enabling developers to easily implement SR technologies, DirectSR has the potential to boost performance in games, allowing you to enjoy smoother gameplay at higher resolutions.
  • Wider Choice of SR Options: With DirectSR, developers can offer players a choice between different SR solutions within the game. This empowers you to select the technology that best suits your hardware and preferences.
  • Simplified User Experience: DirectSR aims to eliminate the need for developers to create separate user interfaces for each SR technology. This can lead to a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for gamers within the game’s settings.

Current Status and Availability

DirectSR is still in its early stages, currently available as a developer preview through the Microsoft DirectX Agility SDK. This means it’s not yet implemented in any commercially available games. However, the positive outlook suggests that future PC games could leverage DirectSR to provide a wider range of SR options and a smoother overall gaming experience.

The arrival of DirectSR marks a significant step towards simplifying and standardizing how PC games utilize Super Resolution technologies. While it’s still early days, DirectSR has the potential to benefit both developers and gamers by streamlining the development process and offering a broader range of performance-enhancing options. As DirectSR matures and is integrated into more games, PC gamers can look forward to a future of smoother frame rates and stunning visuals, all without sacrificing precious hardware resources.

Computers, News

Intel’s ARC A580 GPU Finally Goes Official

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Intel has been on a mission to break into the GPU market and offer more options to gamers. The latest step in this journey is the introduction of the Intel Arc A580. Positioned as a mid-range contender, this GPU is touted to have remarkable performance and promises excellent value for your money. Currently, only ASRock, GUNNIR, Photon and SPARKLE have announced their versions of the A580.

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Irrespective of the brand you choose, the heart of these cards remains the same: the Intel Arc A580 GPU. This GPU is not only about providing an additional choice for PC enthusiasts but also about introducing a new tier to the desktop graphics card lineup. The Intel Arc A580 belongs to the Intel Arc A5 family, fitting snugly between the high-performance A750 and A770 and the budget-friendly A380 GPUs.

But what sets the Intel Arc A580 apart is its hardware specs. It comes equipped with 8 GB of VRAM, which should be ample memory to run 1080p games. Memory bandwidth is equally impressive, boasting a total of 512GB/s.

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While the Intel Arc A580 falls between the A380 and A750 in terms of positioning, its hardware specs align more with the A750. What truly sets it apart is the number of Xe-cores, the computational powerhouses behind the graphics magic. The Arc A580 sports 24 Xe-cores, which positions it close to the top end of the A-Series GPUs.

Moreover, “OC” in most of the add-in board names indicates overclocking. All three cards are configured to run at 2000 MHz, approximately 18% faster than Intel’s 1700 MHz reference specification.

Gaming Performance

The Intel Arc A580 leverages the power of Game On driver updates to ensure top-notch performance in both new and legacy games. It’s equipped to handle even the latest games at 1080p High settings with ease. Intel touts that titles like “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” run natively on the A580 at over 60 FPS. But here’s the exciting part: there’s more performance potential to be unlocked in these cards.

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The Intel Arc GPUs come packed with powerful AI capabilities and take full advantage of Intel® Xe Super Sampling (XeSS). The Intel Arc A580 is no exception, offering impressive performance enhancements when XeSS is enabled. For instance, in the case of “Remnant II,” enabling XeSS boosts the A580’s performance from around 50 fps to a highly playable 73 FPS—a remarkable 46% improvement according to Intel. In well-optimized games like “Ghostwire Tokyo,” XeSS takes performance to a new level, delivering over 2x the speed with this technology.

Beyond Gaming

Intel Arc GPUs have always been about more than just gaming. Content creation is a breeze with these cards, offering AV1 video encoding hardware, AI acceleration through XMX engines, and a streaming studio within Arc Control software. This combination unlocks endless possibilities, from AI-generated art to supercharged video editing.

One of the most exciting features for video editors is the introduction of dual encoding, designed to save precious time. By utilizing both Multi-Format Codec Engines (MFXs) on the Intel Arc A580, video encoding is accelerated, reducing encoding time by an impressive 35%. This feature is already rolling out to various applications, ensuring a smoother and faster editing process.

Pricing and Availability

The Intel Arc A580 is now available globally. Prices for these GPUs start at $179 (MYR703.12).