Nvidia's Mobile Graphics Scandal: Revealing the Switcheroo

Nvidia's Mobile Graphics Scandal: Revealing the Switcheroo

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Nvidia's Mobile Graphics Chip Switcheroo
3. Far Cry 5 Performance and Optimization
4. The Use of Floating Point 16 Compute in Far Cry 5
5. AMD's Advantage with Vega GPUs
6. Benchmark Results for Far Cry 5
7. SLI and Crossfire Scaling with AMD and Nvidia GPUs
8. Conclusion

Nvidia's Mobile Graphics Chip Switcheroo

Nvidia has come under scrutiny once again with their MX 150 lineup of mobile graphics processors. It has been discovered that Nvidia has released a lower power version of the MX 150 chip for ultrabooks without making it known to consumers. This lack of transparency has been observed in several OEM laptops, including those from Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and Acer. These laptops are being sold to the public, who are unaware that they are purchasing a lower class GPU. This move by Nvidia raises concerns about their transparency and has drawn comparisons to the GTX 970 scandal.

It is understandable that ultrabooks require lower TDP parts, but consumers should be informed about the compromises in performance. The undisclosed lower power version of the MX 150 chip has been found to deliver about 20 to 25 percent less performance than the original version. This revelation has sparked outrage among consumers and the tech community alike.

This issue highlights the need for companies like Nvidia to be more transparent and upfront about the hardware they are using in their products. It is unfair to consumers who are unknowingly purchasing devices with inferior performance. Nvidia's lack of response to these allegations only adds fuel to the fire, reminiscent of their controversial GeForce Partner Program.

In conclusion, Nvidia's mobile graphics chip switcheroo has raised serious concerns about the company's transparency. Consumers should be aware of the compromises in performance when purchasing ultrabooks with the MX 150 GPU. It is crucial for companies to be transparent and provide accurate information to consumers to maintain trust in the industry.

Far Cry 5 Performance and Optimization

With the release of Far Cry 5, gamers are eager to see how the game performs on different platforms. Initial performance numbers indicate that the game is running quite well, especially on PCs. Ubisoft, the game's developer, seems to have taken the necessary steps to optimize the game. This is good news for players who have experienced performance issues in previous Far Cry games.

One aspect that is contributing to the Game's good performance, especially on AMD's Vega GPUs, is the use of floating point 16 compute. Far Cry 5 utilizes a feature called rapid packed math, which replaces single floating point 32 calculations with two floating point 16 calculations. This doubles the mathematical throughput for floating point 16 workloads and significantly improves performance on Vega GPUs.

Benchmarks conducted by AMD on an Intel i7-7700K 4GHz system show promising results. At 1440p resolution, Vega 64 and GTX 1080 both average around 80-90 FPS on high settings. Vega 56 performs similarly to the GTX 1070 Ti, surpassing the GTX 1070 and RX 580. At 4K resolution, the game requires lower settings to achieve an average of 60 FPS, indicating the need for more powerful GPUs, potentially in SLI or Crossfire configurations. AMD reports decent crossfire scaling for Vega 56 and RX 580, with improvements of around 1.8 times the performance compared to a single GPU.

Overall, Far Cry 5 seems to be well-optimized and capable of delivering a smooth gaming experience, especially on AMD's Vega GPUs. The use of floating point 16 compute and rapid packed math technology gives AMD a slight advantage in terms of performance. Gamers looking to play at 4K resolution may need high-end GPUs or multiple cards in SLI/Crossfire configurations. However, it is important to note that actual performance may vary depending on the specific system configuration.

In conclusion, Far Cry 5's performance and optimization show promise, with AMD's Vega GPUs benefiting from features like floating point 16 compute and rapid packed math. Gamers can expect a smooth gaming experience, especially at lower resolutions, with the potential for improved performance through SLI or Crossfire configurations. Ubisoft's efforts in optimizing the game have paid off, leading to a better launch compared to previous Far Cry titles.