CPU access to graphics memory: Asus unlocks AMD SAM for Intel



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To introduce the Radeon RX 6900 XT, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6800 graphics cards, AMD marketed the Smart Memory Access (SAM) feature as a platform feature of the Ryzen 5000 and Radeon RX 6000. A current processor can access the GPU RAM in combination with an X570 or B550 motherboard without going through the main memory. Depending on the game scenario, the frame rate can be improved to a greater or lesser extent.

Behind the marketing chic term SAM hides a well-known PCI-Express function that releases graphics memory for the processor: Base Address Register (BAR). The whole thing is by no means limited to the AMD platform, but it does help the chipmaker start marketing Ryzen Radeon PCs.

Asus is bringing SAM and BAR in a first wave of BIOS beta versions on LGA1200 motherboards with Intel Z490, H470, B460 and H410 chipsets. The whole thing then works with 10-core Core i processors, such as the 10-core Core i9-10900K.

Updates can be found on the Asus product pages for motherboards. After the flash process, the two options “Re-Size BAR Support” and “Above 4G Decoding” appear in the UEFI Advanced menu under the PCI Subsystem Settings tab. Users must enable both of them so that the processor can access the full memory of the graphics card.

Asus abides by AMD’s performance predictions: in exceptional cases, the frame rate increases by more than 10 percent, for example in the racing game “Forza Horizon 4”, but mostly in the low to mid to single digit percentage range. For the moment, the Intel version only works with Radeon graphics cards including the latest driver – Nvidia wants to bring their implementation in a future driver update.


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