With more and more organizations turning to VDI solutions to manage their internal resources and free the workforce from limiting desktop computers, there is increasing need for virtualizing GPU resources. Graphic designers, 3D artists, video editors and many other professionals essentially require the power that a high-end discrete GPU can offer. In order to remove the workstation PC from the equation, virtual GPU solutions become important.
AMD’s FirePro Multiuser GPU has been designed with exactly this situation in mind. With a single card, up to 15 users can share equal portions of the GPU. The FirePro Multiuser GPU dedicates specific portions of the GPU to each of the installed VMs. The level of workload does not dictate the level of performance, so one single user cannot take away all the computing power from the other connected users. This approach allows AMD to deliver predictable levels of performance, which can be very important when working in CAD/CAE applications and other GPU compute-heavy workloads.
With a virtual desktop configured with a portion of the FirePro Multiuser GPU, users have access to native AMD display drivers, and can make use of OpenGL, DirectX and OpenCL APIs. AMD said that each user gets a dedicated portion of local memory, as well as part of the GPU. This will enable stable, predictable performance and enables AMD to allow unrestricted acceleration for any application. AMD FirePro Multiuser GPUs are designed to work with VMware vSphere/ESXi 5.5 and up. The company said remote protocols such as Horizon View are supported.
AMD Multiuser GPU Features Include
- Compute capabilities based on OpenCL supported by industry leading GPU virtualization
- Full feature set support including DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.4
- OpenCL 2.0 acceleration support
- Stable, predictable performance
- User-owned share of local memory providing additional security
- 15 maximum users per physical GPU
AMD Multiuser GPU is designed to work on environments using VMware vSphere/ESXi 5.5 and up, with support for remote protocols such as Horizon View.
AMD strives to provide world-class professional graphics hardware for companies desiring to implement virtualized environments. To help IT managers with the installation process and ongoing support, there are no additional per-seat software costs from AMD beyond the purchase of the AMD Multiuser GPU1.
