How to Access "Texture Reads" metric on Ivy Bridge

[Cameron_E_]

Is the Texture Reads metric supported on Ivy Bridge?  The documentation says it is, but it's not showing up for me.  Has it been superceded by GPU Memory Writes and GPU Memory Reads?

Here's my GPA->About:

Windows 8, 64-bit DEP enabled Num Processors: 8 Memory: 32452MB System BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 1908 (03/14/2013) Video BIOS: Hardware Version 0.0 (01/16/20) Driver 0:      Device: Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000      Provider: Intel Corporation      Date: 12-12-2012      Version: 9.17.10.2932      VendorId: 8086      ProductId: 162      Stepping: 9      Supports GPA Instrumentation GPA install directory: C:\Program Files\Intel\GPA\2013 R1\ GPA version: 13.1.194259 Current user is in Administrators group: YES Current GPA 2013 R1 (13.1.194259)

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello,

Have you specifically enabled the special BIOS option so that you can see this metric? Here's a "snippet" of the documentation on this metric (online help link):

On Intel(R) HD Graphics 2500/4000: to access this metric, you must explicitly enable the Intel(R) Graphics Performance Analyzers option in your BIOS settings:

1. SelectAdvanced

2. SelectSystem Agent (SA) Configuration

3. SelectGraphics Configuration

4. Reboot your machine

If the BIOS on your system does not include the Intel® Graphics Performance Analyzers option, update your BIOS to the latest version from Intel. After completing your performance monitoring activity, we recommend that you disable the Intel(R) Graphics Performance Analyzers BIOS option and reboot your machine.

Please let me know if this helps.

Regards,

Neal

[Ronan_Bel]

Hi Neal.

I have the same issue on my (new) laptop (Dell Inspiron 14z)(Ivy Bridge Core i3)(windows 8, latest drivers)

And I can't find this option in the BIOS.

Is there any way to set this option outside the BIOS please ?

[the game I'm working on seems to be limited by texture access, so ... I need these metrics :) ]

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello,

We're seeing that many system vendors are not incuding the BIOS option that enables you to see these extra metrics. Unfortunately, there is no other way to access these metrics, so the texture metrics you need may not be an option available on this platform.

In parallel, I'm trying to see if there are any platforms that we know do include this BIOS option.

Regards,

Neal

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello Ronan,

As you mentioned, the older SandyBridge systems also have the texture read metric available, and a special BIOS option is not needed for accesing this metric on the SandyBridge platform.

You also requested some detailed information about the GPU. I recommend the DirectX* Developer's Guide for Intel Processor Graphics, as it provides an overview of the graphics architecture, including tips and tricks to help developers optimize their games and graphics applications for the Microsoft* DirectX* API.

Here's an overview of the content of the article: "This guide was created to enable the developer to optimize Microsoft DirectX* applications for use on Intel processors based on the Intel® microarchitecture codenamed Ivy Bridge. Improvements to the hardware and game optimizations are discussed. Ways in which a developer can improve power efficiency of an application are presented. Sample code is included demonstrating some of the suggested techniques to assist the programmer/architect further."

For future reference,  this page provides general information about Intel graphics processors (including links to various articles), and will be helpful when future generations of Intel processor graphics systems are released.

Regards,

Neal

ps-> I would also be interested in getting your opinion of the article, especially if it's missing key information that you need to optimize your graphics applications,

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello,

One more resource that may be helpful... there are very detailed documents on the architecture for IvyBridge located here.

Though intended for Linux users, much of the content is appropriate for any OS.

Regards,

Neal

[LLess]

It would be good to have a list of Vendor providing this option.

I am in the process of selecting a new motherboard with an Haswell CPU and so far, as far as I can see, MSI and ASUS are not providing that option. I asked ASUS if they were going to support it on my old motherboard and they said no because it was discontinued. I doubt that they intend to add it on the new one either...

I hope that it would be easier for Intel to find out what motherboard includes the option and which doesn't because going through all manufacturers website and checking the manuals is painful.

Laurent.

[LLess]

I guess I will have to go for an Intel DH87MC ... IF the option is there :)

[LLess]

And there is no way to know apparently if the DH87MC has the option or not.

Can someone at Intel compile a quick list of the supported motherboard?

I would be happy just to know if the DH87MC has the option or not but a list would be better.

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello,

Unfortunately, as you've indicated it's very hard to find vendors who support the BIOS option for extended metrics on Ivy Bridge. In fact, I don't know of any vendors who do, and we are intending to remove these extended metrics from support on the IVB platform.

But you do have two other choices that do not require any BIOS option to use them with Intel GPA -- both Sandy Bridge and Haswell graphics systems have extended metrics that are always enabled. See the latest Intel GPA Online Help (http://software.intel.com/sites/products/documentation/gpa/13.2/hh_goto.htm#Metrics_List_for_Intel_Graphics_Performance_Analyzers.htm) for a complete list of the metrics available on the various platforms that we support.

I know that I didn't directly answer your question, but hopefully this information helps.

Regards,

Neal

[LLess]

Hi Neal,

Well if the metrics are always enabled on the Haswell then it is perfect for me. I am using OpenCL so most of the metrics in the current GPA are not useful for me but some of the GPU memory ones are essential. Hope that some next version of the GPA will bring more OpenCL metrics support :)

Thanks a lot for the link too.

Laurent

[Neal_Pierman]

Hello Laurent,

Glad this info helped!

Regards,

Neal