GPU PerfStudio 2.0 has been designed from the ground up to easily integrate with existing projects, and help to identify and resolve performance issues early in the development cycle. With these tools, AMD is bringing its unparalleled understanding of 3D graphics technology and the leadership of its line of ATI Radeon™ graphics cards to bear on the development process.

“The GPU PerfStudio 2.0 suite of tools is extensive, customizable and, most importantly, based on open standards, which is critical for developers looking to integrate them into their existing workflows,” said Neal Robison, director, Developer Relations, Graphics Products Group, AMD. “AMD is committed to arming developers with a full complement of hardware and development tools that help increase their development efficiency and improve 3D performance quality.”

New Features Help Reduce Development Time

With GPU PerfStudio 2.0, AMD is introducing a newly written GPU Performance Analysis tool and an extensive feature set including:

• Frame Debugger, allowing developers to freeze applications on a single frame for detailed inspection;
• Shader Debugger, for the live debugging of HLSL and ASM pixel shaders;
• and Frame Profiler, which quickly identifies performance bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.

In internal testing of GPU PerfStudio 2.0, AMD software engineers measured significant time savings when searching for and resolving issues within games.

The new tools are immediately accessible to all game developers, requiring no modifications to existing code. GPU PerfStudio 2.0 delivers instant benefits to developers, enabling them to quickly identify algorithm and performance issues early in the development process, avoiding the hassle of discovering problems later in the development cycle and having to re-code particular game segments to get around them.

Flexible support, including the latest DirectX 10.1 games

GPU PerfStudio 2.0 offers a number of unique capabilities that set it apart from other application development tools offered today, including support for DirectX 10.1 enabling the production of the most advanced gaming titles possible today.

GPU PerfStudio 2.0 also offers platform flexibility with native support for 32-bit and 64-bit applications, including the ability to debug 32-bit applications on a 64-bit system. Developers also have the freedom to run GPU PerfStudio 2.0 on a different system from the application being debugged for a more flexible workflow.

The new tools also make navigating often complicated cross-vendor development issues a thing of the past, taking a platform-agnostic approach to hardware support. No custom drivers are required in order to utilize the full feature set available on ATI Radeon graphics processors – GPU PerfStudio 2.0 works with the shipping ATI Catalyst driver.

GPU PerfStudio 2.0 is free for all developers and is available through a closed beta program. Interested developers may contact AMD at PerfStudio.Beta@amd.com.

Offered worldwide, GPA enables PC game developers to analyze and optimize game performance on Intel Integrated Graphics. The Visual Adrenaline program, launched at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco in August 2008, provides tools, resources and information for game developers, artists and animators.

GPA provides in-depth application analysis and customization so developers can pinpoint performance bottlenecks and optimize games for Intel-based desktop PCs and laptops that use Intel’s chipsets. GPA consists of three components: System Analyzer, Frame Analyzer and the Software Development Kit (SDK). System Analyzer delivers high-level views of overall software performance, Frame Analyzer offers in-depth frame-by-frame performance analysis and the SDK enables developers to customize the suite according to their needs. Developers have the choice to run the tools locally or remotely through a network connection.

“Game developers need simple, yet powerful tools which enable them to create games that look real, act real and feel real,” said Elliot Garbus, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Visual Computing Software Division. “The Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers suite is the only software development toolkit that provides a holistic view of system performance for games running on Intel Integrated Graphics. Solving performance bottlenecks with GPA ensures developers are delivering the best gaming experience.”

“Gas Powered Games is thrilled with the resources available to us as members of the Visual Adrenaline Developer Program,” said Chris Taylor, CEO and founder of Gas Powered Games. “The competitive landscape requires tools that evolve with the industry and deliver rapid turn-around for graphics solutions. The Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers helped us unlock a higher level of optimization, making our games look even better and run on a broader spectrum of hardware configurations.”

GPA offers the ability to analyze graphics performance on current Intel integrated graphics chipsets and processors, including the Intel Core i7 Processor. In the future, GPA will also support upcoming Intel graphics and many-core related products. GPA is available free of charge to Visual Adrenaline members and can be purchased by non-members for $299 through the Intel Business Exchange. To learn more, visit www.intel.com/software/gpa.