A new abstraction layer! DirectX 12 will now be able to utilize multiple graphics cards much easier now with this new update that takes away a lot of the complexity in multi-GPU systems.
This highlight feature of this latest version of DirectX that is exclusive to Windows 10 is called Explicit Multi Adaptor (EMA), and this allows different cards to work together regardless of their make and performance.
EMA being a low-level tool offers great performance improvements if used properly, but it is tricky and time consuming to implement.
In fact, if used incorrectly, it can even degrade the performance.
The complexity of this feature means very few titles support this feature, and as a result most users are not able to take advantage of this powerful new option. But Microsoft is about to change this, and allow developers to leverage multiple GPUs on a system with only minimal coding.
The software titan has outlined plans to develop a new abstraction layer that will allow developers to implement basic multi-GPU support easily.
Of course, they will have to implement EMA properly to access the full power of multiple videos cards.
But this new technology will at least lead to developers spending less time on implementing it, and end users needing to spend less money to get high-end performance out of their systems.
The big winners here will be regular laptops that have both integrated and dedicated GPUs, as this new technology should theoretically combine Intel HD Graphics with NVIDIA or AMD cards in notebooks.
Redmond says that it is applying the finishing touches to this new abstraction layer, and will make it public very soon. Chances are that it will be a part of the upcoming Anniversary Update for Windows 10 that is set for launch next month.
source:windows10update
