GPU Smack Down! – A Look at Software Trends
Posted by: JT in Apple, Software, Technology
I’ve been noticing a lot of software developers are beginning to tap one of the best and least used workstation resources to fuel their feature-rich and visually stunning applications. Apple have moved a majority of their graphical tasks within OS X to the client’s GPU instead of following the usual design paradigms, whereby the already tasked CPU has to contend with not only program code but also the responsibility of displaying and manipulating the interface elements, etc. It sounds like a great idea, and it has proven pivotal to a great deal of applications that promise us features, even with our greatly streamlined CPU’s, would seem improbable.
A few applications of note, that have called upon GPU power to solve the dilemmas of visually oriented/design applications, include:
Pixelmator (by Pixelmator Team Ltd.)
A photo editing package that is touted as the first to utilize the GPU for all of its realtime previewing/application of filters, as well as rendering. It has a beautiful interface and since every filter or task you perform is in realtime it allows for a lot of creative expression, since you’re not constantly waiting for a preview to be rendered.
VectorDesigner (by Tweakersoft)
A vector drawing app and combines a great interface with Apple’s CoreImage effects. It allows direct conversion from raster to vector, supports layers, and blends. All previews prior to export are using the GPU in realtime.
ScreenFlow (by Vara Software)
A truly stunning application for creating screencasts. It allows multiple video/audio sources and provides the most streamlined and innovative timeline edition work flow I’ve ever seen. All video effects and mixing occurs in realtime thanks to some custom GPU algorithms.
These programs are great examples of GPU-enabled applications and all are a joy to use. It’s exciting to see programs start to look and behave in the much coveted “hollywood futurism” style that we all expect. It’s 2008, goddamn it!
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some downsides to using the GPU. First off, power consumption goes up, and with that comes heat. Also you are somewhat limited in dealing with large content should you not be blessed with a standalone video card. Using the GPU to manipulate high DPI or high megapixel images can really hurt when shoved through an integrated Intel 950 or comparable card. A card that has to peel video memory from physical system RAM. Editing a 12MP photo in Pixelmator on your Macbook is not advisable.
Secondly, driver issues can introduce inconsistencies in a program’s output. Sometimes you may have a image created in a particular piece of software but when exporting you may find scaling issues, artifacts, etc. I was using a modified Geforce 7800 XT that I bought off ebay with a flashed BIOS to work in a G5 (obviously not the best thing to do) and noticed all the applications that used the GPU for exporting images were introducing artifacts into the output. A bit of spline-snot is fine when you’re playing a game but not when you’re producing something for print.
But like I said, I’m not faulting the developers entirely for this, but it is just another nuance for the consumer to be aware of when purchasing and configuring your computer.
Now I would like to make a general recommendation, if I may, to anyone who would like to produce graphics for print or audio recordings professionally.
Buy a MacBook Pro not a regular Macbook.
You can’t run Final Cut Studio on a Macbook, you can’t record audio through the rear USB port due to some sort of hardware glitch that only m-audio seems to want to acknowledge (even though this wasn’t their fault), and without a standalone video card certain visual effects and applications will just be out of your reach. The veritable app-booty you will receive after having a machine with a standalone GPU will far outweigh the monetary costs.
*steps down from soap box*