AMD launches Radeon GPU Detective 1.0, Help developers analyze the cause of graphics card crashes
Even the most sophisticated graphics cards are not immune to the occasional malfunction. To address this, AMD has unveiled an avant-garde utility, christened “Radeon GPU Detective (RGD) 1.0”. Its primary mandate is to aid developers in deciphering and elucidating the root causes behind Radeon graphics card malfunctions, thereby yielding insights that streamline the task of pinpointing the crux of such aberrations. The gleaned information encompasses intricate details about page faults, resource particulars, and execution tags, which mirror the endeavors the GPU was embroiled in at the moment of the anomaly.
Radeon GPU Detective 1.0 is adept at analyzing GPU mishaps (TDR) on Windows within Direct3D 12 applications. Its compatibility spectrum envelopes the Radeon RX 6000 series based on the RDNA 2 architecture and the Radeon RX 7000 series underpinned by the RDNA 3 architecture. To harness this tool to its fullest, the most contemporary iteration of the AMD Radeon Adrenalin driver – notably the publicly available version 23.7.2 – is imperative. Whether AMD contemplates broadening this compatibility scope to embrace legacy Radeon graphics cards remains an open-ended query.
TDR, an acronym rooted in Windows’ lexicon, is essentially a mechanism that triggers a graphics card reset if the latter remains dormant for an extended duration. This contrivance is invaluable, as it resurrects the system to a functional state, eschewing the need for an arbitrary system reboot. Those wielding standalone graphics cards might be no strangers to this conundrum. TDR errors are notoriously intricate, stemming from a diverse array of culprits, spanning from file corruption to outright graphics card malfunctions. With the Radeon GPU Detective, AMD’s aspiration is to furnish developers with a tool to expediently troubleshoot TDR discrepancies.
AMD’s innovation boasts a salient feature, granting developers the liberty to precondition the driver into what AMD dubs the “Crash Analysis” mode via the Radeon Developer Panel (RDP), preceding the replication of the malfunction. This culminates in the generation of an analytical report in text format. Moreover, there’s a provision to render its output in a JSON format, catering to automated processes.
