{"video_id":"W3jGzo0glPY","title":"Is This AMD's Secret Weapon? - Smart Access Memory","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2021-05-05T14:58:16Z","duration_s":286,"segments":[{"start_s":0.08,"end_s":6.0,"text":"are you in the market for a new graphics card if so you've probably seen plenty","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.16,"end_s":12.16,"text":"of performance reviews that primarily focus on the GPU itself but the video","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":9.599,"end_s":16.88,"text":"memory of a graphics card can often be a bottleneck and i'm not just talking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":14.559,"end_s":21.6,"text":"about how much vram you have or how fast it is but the way that the rest of your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":19.279,"end_s":26.0,"text":"system talks to it this is an issue that AMD has tried to resolve with a new","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":23.439,"end_s":30.32,"text":"feature called smart access memory and to find out more about it we spoke with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":28.0,"end_s":35.76,"text":"nish nilogen i'm so sorry the product manager for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":32.32,"end_s":37.2,"text":"AMD's new Radeon rx6000 series gpus and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":35.76,"end_s":42.399,"text":"we'd like to thank him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to assist us with this video so the particular","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":40.48,"end_s":47.2,"text":"bottleneck AMD was hoping to address was the data link between the graphics","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":44.079,"end_s":49.52,"text":"card's video memory and the system's CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.2,"end_s":53.44,"text":"the CPU needs to communicate regularly with the vram in order to ensure that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":51.28,"end_s":60.16,"text":"the vram has the correct data for the GPU to act upon historically the CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":56.48,"end_s":62.399,"text":"could only access 256 megabytes of vram","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":60.16,"end_s":67.2,"text":"at once this limit was actually set a long time ago back when cards with one","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":64.64,"end_s":72.4,"text":"Gigabyte or less of vram were far more common but these days the 256 meg limit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":70.88,"end_s":77.04,"text":"which has been kept in place in order to ensure compatibility with older 32-bit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":74.64,"end_s":81.04,"text":"cpus is a real bottleneck that can result in tangible performance loss","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":79.52,"end_s":85.84,"text":"because of the space constraint created by this limit data can get shunted over","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.36,"end_s":90.0,"text":"to your main system memory instead which slows things down smart access memory","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.159,"end_s":95.28,"text":"addresses this by taking advantage of a new feature that's actually in the PCIe","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":92.56,"end_s":98.96,"text":"or pci express standard called resizable bar","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":96.24,"end_s":104.079,"text":"this allows your CPU to access much more vram at once multiple gigabytes in fact","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":101.84,"end_s":108.32,"text":"depending on how much vram you have on your card AMD has built on the resizable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":106.479,"end_s":112.96,"text":"bar feature with compatibility testing and driver optimizations that attempt to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":110.64,"end_s":118.32,"text":"place resources the CPU needs to access frequently such as render commands onto","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":115.36,"end_s":122.399,"text":"the vram instead of system memory unsurprisingly however the exact","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.399,"end_s":127.04,"text":"performance benefits will depend a lot on your workload and which game you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":124.719,"end_s":131.36,"text":"playing although AMD has tried to make their driver optimizations effective","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":128.8,"end_s":134.4,"text":"across a range of titles developers also need to make use of the resizable bar","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":133.44,"end_s":140.08,"text":"feature AMD is claiming that smart access memory boosts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.76,"end_s":144.56,"text":"performance by an average of six percent in terms of frame rate but what do you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.56,"end_s":149.44,"text":"need to take advantage of it and get that six percent well at the time we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.12,"end_s":158.08,"text":"shot this video the feature only works if you have a ryzen 5000 CPU a Radeon rx","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":153.68,"end_s":160.72,"text":"6000 GPU and a 500 series AMD chipset","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":158.08,"end_s":165.28,"text":"the holy trinity but hold on a second it's based on resizable bar which is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.64,"end_s":170.959,"text":"part of an open standard why do you need such a specific hardware combo well","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.72,"end_s":175.599,"text":"there is not some kind of inherent technical limitation that you can only","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.28,"end_s":180.16,"text":"get around if you have those specific parts AMD's approach is partly to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":178.0,"end_s":184.4,"text":"promote their newest products but they also want to do more validation and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":182.4,"end_s":188.959,"text":"testing before smart access memory is enabled on older equipment which AMD","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":186.64,"end_s":193.84,"text":"does plan on doing in a phased rollout team red is also working with believe it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":191.36,"end_s":198.56,"text":"or not Intel and NVIDIA to enable similar technologies on those platforms","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":196.4,"end_s":202.879,"text":"ultimately AMD's vision is to have smart access memory be similar to freesync","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.879,"end_s":207.2,"text":"AMD's specific implementation would still be called smart access memory but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":205.2,"end_s":211.68,"text":"the underlying tech could be used by other companies this is especially good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.72,"end_s":216.08,"text":"news if you want a CPU or a GPU that isn't from AMD and NVIDIA has already","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.319,"end_s":220.799,"text":"confirmed a similar feature for their own gpus is in the works but if and when","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":218.959,"end_s":225.76,"text":"you do get a system that supports smart access memory be sure to confirm that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":222.879,"end_s":230.239,"text":"resizable bar support is turned on in your BIOS for now it's actually off by","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":228.4,"end_s":234.4,"text":"default to try to prevent errors with hardware or software that doesn't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":231.68,"end_s":239.28,"text":"support it fully so it seems like AMD's philosophy for now is better safe than","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.04,"end_s":242.159,"text":"sorry which anyone who's ever fried a CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":240.4,"end_s":247.04,"text":"can certainly appreciate just like we appreciate our sponsor","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":243.92,"end_s":250.0,"text":"seasonic and their prime ultra titanium","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.04,"end_s":254.159,"text":"pc power supply the creme de la creme of power supplies it's ultra high","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":251.76,"end_s":258.16,"text":"efficiency with an 80 plus titanium rating has fluid dynamic fan bearings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":256.32,"end_s":262.88,"text":"with hybrid fan control to cut down on noise and even includes a power supply","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":260.799,"end_s":266.479,"text":"tester which is really useful if you're trying to install a custom liquid","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.4,"end_s":270.32,"text":"cooling loop and of course it's modular so you won't have to deal with excess","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":268.24,"end_s":275.52,"text":"wiring with a 50 000 hour life expectancy backed by a 12 year warranty","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":273.36,"end_s":278.56,"text":"what do you have to lose just buy it today at the link below so thanks for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":277.28,"end_s":282.08,"text":"watching guys if you like this video like it subscribe it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":280.479,"end_s":287.52,"text":"and be sure to hit us up in the comments section with your suggestions for topics","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":283.759,"end_s":287.52,"text":"that we should cover in the future","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"are you in the market for a new graphics card if so you've probably seen plenty of performance reviews that primarily focus on the GPU itself but the video memory of a graphics card can often be a bottleneck and i'm not just talking about how much vram you have or how fast it is but the way that the rest of your system talks to it this is an issue that AMD has tried to resolve with a new feature called smart access memory and to find out more about it we spoke with nish nilogen i'm so sorry the product manager for AMD's new Radeon rx6000 series gpus and we'd like to thank him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to assist us with this video so the particular bottleneck AMD was hoping to address was the data link between the graphics card's video memory and the system's CPU the CPU needs to communicate regularly with the vram in order to ensure that the vram has the correct data for the GPU to act upon historically the CPU could only access 256 megabytes of vram at once this limit was actually set a long time ago back when cards with one Gigabyte or less of vram were far more common but these days the 256 meg limit which has been kept in place in order to ensure compatibility with older 32-bit cpus is a real bottleneck that can result in tangible performance loss because of the space constraint created by this limit data can get shunted over to your main system memory instead which slows things down smart access memory addresses this by taking advantage of a new feature that's actually in the PCIe or pci express standard called resizable bar this allows your CPU to access much more vram at once multiple gigabytes in fact depending on how much vram you have on your card AMD has built on the resizable bar feature with compatibility testing and driver optimizations that attempt to place resources the CPU needs to access frequently such as render commands onto the vram instead of system memory unsurprisingly however the exact performance benefits will depend a lot on your workload and which game you're playing although AMD has tried to make their driver optimizations effective across a range of titles developers also need to make use of the resizable bar feature AMD is claiming that smart access memory boosts performance by an average of six percent in terms of frame rate but what do you need to take advantage of it and get that six percent well at the time we shot this video the feature only works if you have a ryzen 5000 CPU a Radeon rx 6000 GPU and a 500 series AMD chipset the holy trinity but hold on a second it's based on resizable bar which is part of an open standard why do you need such a specific hardware combo well there is not some kind of inherent technical limitation that you can only get around if you have those specific parts AMD's approach is partly to promote their newest products but they also want to do more validation and testing before smart access memory is enabled on older equipment which AMD does plan on doing in a phased rollout team red is also working with believe it or not Intel and NVIDIA to enable similar technologies on those platforms ultimately AMD's vision is to have smart access memory be similar to freesync AMD's specific implementation would still be called smart access memory but the underlying tech could be used by other companies this is especially good news if you want a CPU or a GPU that isn't from AMD and NVIDIA has already confirmed a similar feature for their own gpus is in the works but if and when you do get a system that supports smart access memory be sure to confirm that resizable bar support is turned on in your BIOS for now it's actually off by default to try to prevent errors with hardware or software that doesn't support it fully so it seems like AMD's philosophy for now is better safe than sorry which anyone who's ever fried a CPU can certainly appreciate just like we appreciate our sponsor seasonic and their prime ultra titanium pc power supply the creme de la creme of power supplies it's ultra high efficiency with an 80 plus titanium rating has fluid dynamic fan bearings with hybrid fan control to cut down on noise and even includes a power supply tester which is really useful if you're trying to install a custom liquid cooling loop and of course it's modular so you won't have to deal with excess wiring with a 50 000 hour life expectancy backed by a 12 year warranty what do you have to lose just buy it today at the link below so thanks for watching guys if you like this video like it subscribe it and be sure to hit us up in the comments section with your suggestions for topics that we should cover in the future"}