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Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18Q2 Tech Report

Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 Tech Report

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The new AMD Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 driver is here! It is a mouthful, to be sure! Find out what’s new in the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 driver, and how it delivers enterprise-grade quality and reliability, and better performance, for professional applications!

Updated @ 2018-05-13 : Added more details and links.

Originally posted @ 2018-05-11

 

AMD Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2

AMD Radeon Pro Software is a professional-grade driver that lets you maximise the performance and capabilities of AMD Radeon Pro graphics solutions. The Enterprise Edition is a special version of the Radeon Pro Software that emphasises enterprise-grade quality and reliability.

The new Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 is now certified for over 100 workstation applications, including leading professional applications like Autodesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systèmes CATIA, Siemens NX, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, and Autodesk Maya.

In this technical report, we split the topic into easily-digested portions :

 

What’s New In Enterprise Edition 18.Q2

AMD releases the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition in quarterly updates. Here are what’s new in the Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 driver :

Support for Windows 10 April 2018 Update

Microsoft released the Windows 10 April 2018 Update at the end of April with a slew of new and improved features. Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 adds enterprise-level support for Windows 10 April 2018, so you don’t have to worry about post-upgrade reliability issues.

Display Issues Fixed In Enterprise Edition 18Q2

  • Radeon Pro Overlay will now appear when you run two monitors in clone mode.
  • Fixed display issues for full-screen 3×2 AMD Eyefinity Pro display configurations.

VDI-Specific Known Issues With Enterprise Edition 18Q2

  • VM may disconnect after upgrading to this driver, and will be unable to connect until it is rebooted.
  • The energy subtest of SPECviewperf 12.1.1 may not complete in an MxGPU environment.

Feature Support Information

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  • Driver Options is available on Microsoft Windows 10. Always update to the latest gaming drivers to mitigate driver switching issues. This is not available with multi-GPU configurations nor with Radeon Pro Duo (Polaris). This is not available for mobile platforms.
  • Multi-GPU Eyefinity Pro on Microsoft Windows 10 is not currently supported on any hardware for Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2.

ISV Certification Notes

  • Due to Maya-MtoA software issue Trac #3142, some Viewport Draw modes for stand-ins draw an infinite line. Workaround is to toggle the Viewport Draw Mode of the stand-in in the Attribute Editor.
  • Autodesk Maya 2017/2018 may show gray patch in playback in certain models due Maya issue Maya 41945. Workaround is to click on a different frame on timeline or to click on first frame.

Apple Boot Camp

The AMD Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18Q2 is not intended for use on Radeon GPUs running in Apple Boot Camp.

 

Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 Compatibility

AMD Product Family Model
Radeon Pro WX Series Radeon Pro WX 9100 (16 GB | 32 GB)
Radeon Pro WX 7100 (Price Check)
Radeon Pro WX 5100 (Price Check)
Radeon Pro WX 4100 (Price Check)
Radeon Pro WX 3100 (Price Check)
Radeon Pro WX 2100 (Price Check)
Radeon Vega Frontier Edition Radeon Vega Frontier Edition (Air | Liquid)
Radeon Pro Series Radeon Pro SSG
Radeon Pro Duo (Polaris & Fiji)
FirePro W Series FirePro W9100 (16 GB | 32 GB)
FirePro W9000 (Price Check)
FirePro W8100 (Price Check)
FirePro W8000 (Price Check)
FirePro W7100 (Price Check)
FirePro W7000 (Price Check)
FirePro W5100 (Price Check)
FirePro W5000 (Price Check)
FirePro W4300 (Price Check)
FirePro W4100 (Price Check)
FirePro W2100 (Price Check)
FirePro W600 (Price Check)
FirePro S Series FirePro S7150x2 (Price Check)
FirePro S7150 (Price Check)
FirePro S7100X (Price Check)
All other FirePro S series products
Dell Mobile Radeon Pro WX7100
Radeon Pro WX4150
Radeon Pro WX4130
FirePro W7170M
FirePro W5170M
FirePro W5130M
FirePro W4170M
FirePro M6100
FirePro M6000
FirePro M5100
FirePro M4000
HP Mobile Radeon Pro WX4170
Radeon Pro WX4150
Radeon Pro WX3100
FirePro W6150M
FirePro W5170M
FirePro W4190M

 

Download Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2

Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 is free to download and use for compatible AMD graphics solutions. It is available for the following operating systems :

  • Windows 10 (64-bit and 32-bit)
  • Windows 7 SP1 or better (64-bit and 32-bit)
  • Windows Server 2016 (64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
  • Linux

You can download the drivers here.

Next Page > Enterprise Edition Key Features – Better Quality + Security

 

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Key Features Of Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 Part 1

Enterprise-Grade Quality

To deliver enterprise-grade quality and reliability, every Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition driver undergoes a stringent stability testing process. This process consists of “waves” of testing by both AMD and their OEM partners. Such extensive pre-launch testing helps to minimize post-launch issues.

Thanks to OEM and ISV partner tests and a final wave of beta user tests, there were zero reported issues with the Enterprise Edition driver in 2017 for over 99.99% of AMD Radeon Pro users. These tests are not limited to only a few professional software vendors.

The Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition drivers are certified on over 80 of the leading professional applications. The last 18.Q1 Enterprise Edition driver even scored a 100% pass rate for all the certifications AMD submitted it to.

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Better Security

Data security is an oft-neglected aspect in the pursuit of better performance. That has led to major security flaws like Meltdown and Spectre. Look at the thousands of CPU models that were affected by just those two flaws.

Working with the AMD Secure Processor, Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18Q2 delivers advanced security features to help thwart malicious attacks, giving enterprises added protection for their valuable intellectual property.

The Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition also provides secure virtualization capabilities through the AMD MxGPU Technology. Because it is hardware virtualization technology, it offers users a dedicated and isolated share of the graphics memory for increased security.

AMD offers a predictable quarterly release schedule, that targets the 2nd Wednesday of the 2nd month of each quarter. This makes it easier for IT managers to plan for their next driver update, with the next Enterprise Edition release scheduled for August 8th, 2018.

Next Page > Better Performance, New ProRender Plug-Ins

 

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Key Features Of Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 Part 2

Better Performance

Alexander Blake-Davies, Software Product Marketing Specialist for Professional Graphics at AMD’s Radeon Technology Group, shared these performance findings with us.

The continuous performance optimizations in every Radeon Pro Software driver update, thanks in part to the close technology partnerships we have with ISV application developers, means you can get new GPU-like performance improvements over the lifetime of your graphics investment, as shown in the chart below.

For the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 driver we are delivering significant performance improvements in Dassault Systèmes CATIA. The 18Q2 driver is up to 38% faster when running AMD’s internal benchmark of complex customer models and up to two times faster with the AMD internal assembly model benchmark.

For design and manufacturing applications, the 18.Q2 Enterprise Edition driver when compared to the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Driver 17Q2 is up to an estimated 47% faster in Siemens NX when tested with SPECviewperf 12.1 snx-02, up to an estimated 14% faster in PTC Creo when tested with SPECapc for PTC Creo 3.0, and up to an estimated 12% faster in SOLIDWORKS when tested with SPECapc for SOLIDWORKS 2015.

For media and entertainment applications, the 18.Q2 Enterprise Edition driver when compared to the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Driver 17Q2 is up to an estimated 44% faster in Autodesk 3ds Max when tested with SPECapc for Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 and up to an estimated 22% faster in Autodesk Maya when tested with SPECapc for Autodesk Maya 2017.

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New Radeon ProRender Plug-Ins

While not technically part of the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 driver, AMD also introduced updated versions of the Radeon ProRender plug-ins for 3ds Max, Maya and Blender. Following the release of new macOS versions in April, AMD has just released :

  • updated Windows and Linux versions of the Radeon ProRender plug-in for Blender,

  • an updated Windows version of the Radeon ProRender plug-in for Maya, as well as,

  • an updated Radeon ProRender plug-in for 3ds Max.

These plug-ins introduce several new features and enhancements including updates to the Uber and Light Shaders, support for volumetrics and interactive denoising – accelerating artists’ workflows and ultimately making their lives easier.

Next Page > Complete Set Of Radeon Pro Enterprise Edition 18Q2 Slides

 

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Complete Set Of Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition 18.Q2 Slides

 

Suggested Reading

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AMD FirePro S7150 Hardware-Virtualised GPUs Launched

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AMD today revealed the world’s first hardware virtualized GPU products – AMD FirePro S-Series GPUs with Multiuser GPU (MxGPU) technology. AMD’s ground-breaking hardware-virtualized GPU architecture delivers an innovative solution in response to emerging user experiences such as remote workstation, cloud gaming, cloud computing, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

In the virtualization ecosystem, key components like the CPU, network controller and storage devices are being virtualized in hardware to deliver optimal user experiences, but prior to today the GPU was not hardware virtualized. AMD MxGPU technology, for the first time, brings the modern virtualization industry standard to the GPU hardware.

What does this mean? Consistent performance and enhanced security across virtual machines. MxGPU controls GPU scheduling delivering predictable quality of service to the user.

AMD MxGPU technology, based on SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization), a PCI Express® standard:

  • Delivers hardware GPU scheduling logic with high-precision quality of service to the user.
  • Preserves the data integrity of Virtualized Machines (VM) and their application data through hardware-enforced memory isolation logic preventing one VM from being able to access another VM’s data.
  • Exposes all graphics functionality of the GPU to applications allowing for full virtualization support for not only graphics APIs like DirectX® and OpenGL but also GPU compute APIs like OpenCL.

 

AMD FirePro S7150 & FirePro S7150 x2

The new AMD FirePro S7150 and AMD FirePro S7150 x2 server graphics cards will combine with industry-leading OEM offerings to create high-performance virtual workstations and address IT needs of simple installation and operation, critical data security and outstanding performance-per-dollar. Typical VDI use cases include Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Media and Entertainment, and office applications powered by the industry’s first hardware-based virtualized GPU.

IT budgets can realize support for up to 16 simultaneous users with a single AMD FirePro S7150 GPU card which features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while up to twice as many simultaneous users (32 in total) can be supported by a single AMD FirePro S7150 x2 card which includes a total of 16 GB of GDDR5 memory (8GB per GPU). Both models feature 256-bit memory bandwidth.

Based on AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture to optimize utilization and maximize performance, the AMD FirePro S7150 and S7150 x2 server GPUs feature :

  • AMD Multiuser GPU (MxGPU) technology to enable consistent, predictable and secure performance from virtualized workstations with the world’s first hardware-based virtualized GPU products to enable users with workstation-class experiences matched with full ISV certifications.
  • [adrotate banner=”4″]GDDR5 GPU Memory to help accelerate applications and process computationally complex workflows with ease.
  • Error Correcting Code (ECC) Memory to ensure the accuracy of computations by correcting any single or double bit error as a result of naturally occurring background radiation.
  • OpenCL 2.0 support to help professionals tap into the parallel computing power of modern GPUs and multicore CPUs to accelerate compute-intensive tasks in leading CAD/CAM/CAE and Media & Entertainment applications that support OpenCL allowing developers to take advantage of new GPU features.
  • AMD PowerTune is an intelligent power management system that monitors both GPU activity and power draw. AMD PowerTune optimizes the GPU to deliver low power draw when GPU workloads do not demand full activity and delivers the optimal clock speed to ensure the highest possible performance within the GPU’s power budget for high intensity workloads.

AMD FirePro S7150 has an MSRP of USD $2399 and AMD FirePro S7150 x2 has an MSRP of USD $3999.

AMD FirePro S7150 and S7150 x2 server GPUs are expected to be available from server technology providers in the first half of 2016.

 

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