GoldenEye: Source Forums

Global Communications => Development Media => Topic started by: Mark [lodle] on March 25, 2009, 04:25:17 pm

Title: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mark [lodle] on March 25, 2009, 04:25:17 pm
Im sorry this is a day late, i ended up very drunk last night and was in no state to write a blog post.

I live at home with my parents and thus dont have to do any of my own washing, so when i ran out of clean cloths this morning i was in for a bit of a shock. I sourced out a laundromat and headed 4 blocks down to it from my hotel. On arriving i was greeted with a massive room full of washers (see pict)  and had no idea wtf to do. Lucky for me a nice old lady showed me the ropes and i was on my way.

My day at GDC consisted of the intel Threading for games lecture/tutorial. It may sound boring to normal people but it was fantastic for me (and other programmers). For starters the computers we had where 3.2ghz i7 with 6gb ram and top of the line nividia gfxs (to say they where beasts really doesn't cut it). They covered how to structure a game engine to be scalable for multicore processing and to do it with out using locks. The presentation really opened my mind to new ways of doing things.

The other cool thing was that they showed us how to use there profiling tools and we got to have a hands on with them. I must say that their new tools rock. Parallelstudio is there light weight performance profiling and fits strait into visual studio 2005 and 2008. Coming from using AQTime (sim program) which adds 5+ mins to build times, the instant startup and lack of performance hit from parallelstudios made it a dream to use. The only down side is the price tag however im trying to convince intel to release an light indie/modder version for cheap.

Intel also has a booth setup in the lobby with free energy drinks (much needed due to jet lag) and the latest games and such.

As stated above, the moddb crew ended up going to the indie party after gdc where we meet up with wolffire, 2dboy and various other indie companys.

(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1081.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1082.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1085.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1086.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1087.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1088.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1089.JPG)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/161/160045/IMG_1090.JPG)
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Kujo on March 25, 2009, 07:30:47 pm
Ah, I see you experienced the Tuesday party! Those are the best kind :D  Also, in that last picture, that computer is in desperate need of a system rating!  An unrated 1.0 for that machine is a disgrace!

Also, I <3 Intel :)
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mark [lodle] on March 25, 2009, 08:34:59 pm
It was doing it in the background (got 5.9)
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: VC on March 25, 2009, 09:37:31 pm
I live at home with my parents

NERD! BASEMENT-DWELLER!



... I moved to the other building we own.  : )

So with threaded programming skills, you won't be breaking our reload animations anymore? :D
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mark [lodle] on March 25, 2009, 10:44:24 pm
That was bad patching on my part for some needed fixes for other things (i copied and pasted a line in two spots that looked the same but they had a sutle difference)

Multi threading has very little applicability in source mods as well. :(
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: killermonkey on March 25, 2009, 11:02:52 pm
a 5.9???

My computer has a 5.5 rating an is nowhere near that "powerful".. although looking at the ratings I have 5.9 down the board except my processor (5.5). Microsoft prolly clamped the scores to a 5.9
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: major on March 25, 2009, 11:22:42 pm
Yeah mine has a 5.9(in Win7), and has parts that are 1-2 years old, but 5.9 is also the highest you can get in Vista if I remember rite, so makes sense, as this isn't like 3D/PC Mark.
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mike [fourtecks] on March 26, 2009, 02:28:19 am
For starters the computers we had where 3.2ghz i7 with 6gb ram and top of the line nividia gfxs (to say they where beasts really doesn't cut it).

But can it run Crysis?
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: killermonkey on March 26, 2009, 04:39:54 am
Even if it could run Crysis, why would you want to?
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mike [fourtecks] on March 26, 2009, 06:17:38 am
double ZING
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Kinky on March 26, 2009, 08:27:34 am
Is someone bashing crysis?  :o

I SHALL HAVE THINE HEAD

*ontopic - srsly cool stuff mark, i love the counter of energy drinks that guys got xD ....we all know how much you programmers need to stay awake xD
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: PPK on March 26, 2009, 10:02:33 pm
double ZING

QFT


Anyway, good news that multithreading has little applicability in Source mods, because I'm still running on a P4. Old but gets the job done.
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Loafie, Hero of Dreams on March 27, 2009, 03:34:53 am
that looks like the brainwash cafe and laundromat. staying in soma?
Title: Re: Intel Threading (GDC Blog 4)
Post by: Mark [lodle] on March 27, 2009, 03:46:35 am
Bonus points for loafie. Im in hotel Milano on fifth street atm.