Add Another Core for Faster Graphics

Dzonatas writes "Need a reason for extra cores inside your box? How about faster graphics. Unlike traditional faster GPUs, raytraced graphics scale with extra cores. Brett Thomas writes in his article Parallel Worlds on Bit-Tech, 'But rather than working on that advancement, most of the commercial graphics industry has been intent on pushing raster-based graphics as far as they could go. Research has been slow in raytracing, whereas raster graphic research has continued to be milked for every approximate drop it closely resembles being worth. Of course, it is to be expected that current technology be pushed, and it was a bit of a pipe dream to think that the whole industry should redesign itself over raytracing.' A report by Intel about Ray Tracing shows that a single P4 3.2Ghz is capable of 100 million raysegs, which gives a comfortable 30fps. Intel further states 450 million raysegs is when it gets 'interesting.' Also, quad cores are dated to be available around the turn of the year. Would octacores bring us dual screen or separate right/left real-time raytraced 3D?"

Comments

Not quite

[Aceticon]

If i remember it correctly from my days of playing with POVRay (free raytracing app), the time it took to raytrace an image depended on things like the presence (or not) of semi-transparent, semi-reflective surfaces and on the number of light sources.

If this is still the case, then going from the current rendering techniques in games to raytracing would result in images with more realistic reflections and lighting but, due to performance tradeoffs, few reflective surfaces and light sources.

Besides, at the moment what games need the most is beter AIs and procedurally generated content, not yet another layer of eyecandy that requires gamers to upgrade their hardware (again).

Re:How many do I need

[Ihlosi]

One core to rule them all
One core to find them
One core to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them ;)

You must be talking about the one core that's part of the TPM.

"entirely vectors"

[Joce640k]

Raytracing is pretty much entirely vectors isn't it?

No, ray tracing is all about searching databases for ray-object intersections. That's what GPUs can't do at all.

Film at 11

[jalefkowit]

A report by Intel about Ray Tracing shows that a single P4 3.2Ghz is capable of 100 million raysegs, which gives a comfortable 30fps.

Extra, extra! This just in! Report from CPU vendor discovers that you should spend more money on your CPU and less on your graphics card!

Shocking, I tells ya. Shocking.