Intel Sandy Bridge Linux Graphics? It's A Challenge

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Intel Sandy Bridge Linux Graphics? It's A Challenge

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (I'll be there looking out for Linux), Intel will officially launch their next-generation Sandy Bridge micro-architecture and CPUs. The NDA though expired at midnight on these first CPUs so there is now a stream of reviews coming out. Is there any Linux graphics test results for the Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K? Unfortunately, there is not...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=ODk2OA

[spykes]

So in the end, we will have to wait for Q3/Q4 of 2011 in order to see a "proper" support of Sandy Bridge packed in our distribution.
Thankfully they have started the Linux support a year ago...

[curaga]

Touché Michael. Entirely correct, and a rightful shot at Intel.

Then it's a good sign that Linux is getting more publicity, maybe even resulting in the press kits having built drivers


Re the Sandy encoding support - anyone know if it will merely accelerate x264 (keeping its excellent quality), or will it be a more complete block like the GPU encoders (whose quality sucks, incidentally)?

[deanjo]

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (I'll be there again looking out for Linux),

Please leave the "obligatory booth babes" crud until the end of all other CES related articles. I'm getting sick and tired of clicking on all these show links only to have them featured over and over and over on tech sites. Hardware first, adolescent eye candy last.

[deanjo]

Oh and get over to the Hauppauge booth if they have one and see if they have any juicy details on linux support for their Colossus HD capture card.

[phoronix]

Please leave the "obligatory booth babes" crud until the end of all other CES related articles. I'm getting sick and tired of clicking on all these show links only to have them featured over and over and over on tech sites. Hardware first, adolescent eye candy last.

Unless some European companies import Bavarians in dirndls and Scandinavians, you won't see any of that garbage on Phoronix .

[gbeauche]

Re the Sandy encoding support - anyone know if it will merely accelerate x264 (keeping its excellent quality), or will it be a more complete block like the GPU encoders (whose quality sucks, incidentally)?

Initial testing shows much better quality than CUDA or Stream based accelerators. At least for Windows (Media Espresso 6). However, since this is a dedicated ASIC, the Linux implementation will have the same quality.

[deanjo]

Unless some European companies import Bavarians in dirndls and Scandinavians, you won't see any of that garbage on Phoronix .

Excellent.

[phoronix]

Touché Michael. Entirely correct, and a rightful shot at Intel.

Then it's a good sign that Linux is getting more publicity, maybe even resulting in the press kits having built drivers


Re the Sandy encoding support - anyone know if it will merely accelerate x264 (keeping its excellent quality), or will it be a more complete block like the GPU encoders (whose quality sucks, incidentally)?

Intel PR just sent their thanks for this article for clearing things up, but still no signs of any samples so that the Linux situation can be truly transparent

[deanjo]

Initial testing shows much better quality than CUDA or Stream based accelerators. At least for Windows (Media Espresso 6). However, since this is a dedicated ASIC, the Linux implementation will have the same quality.

Correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC Media Espresso doesn't actually do the actual encoding on the GPU, that is still done on the CPU. What is done on the GPU is the filtering, resizing etc the same as TMPEnc does.