Performance fans who like to squeeze every drop of responsiveness out of their games will want to check out AMD's new frame latency measurement tool. The tool, just released via GPUOpen, allows PC gamers to measure mouse-to-pixel latency without the need for fancy high-speed cameras or special hardware tricks.
Low input lag is crucial for fast-paced games, where split-second reactions can mean the difference between winning and losing. The shorter the delay between clicking the mouse and seeing the action on the screen, the better. Measuring latency requires tedious workarounds, like using a high-speed camera to capture mouse clicks and then counting frames until you see the muzzle flash.
AMD's new FLM tool promises to make the process smoother. It's compatible with nearly all modern GPUs that support DirectX 11 or newer (so AMD, NVIDIA and Intel chips will all work) and can capture latency directly from mouse click to visual response. Although the tool utilizes the hardware-native AMF capture codec on AMD GPUs, it will work on any GPU that supports capture with the DXGI codec.
The interface is also simple and clear. Users can run a small number of measurement samples or continuously accumulate readings, select mouse movements or mouse clicks as trigger events, and adjust capture areas and thresholds. Users can export detailed latency and "effective frame rate" statistics to a CSV file for analysis.
One of the coolest tricks with FLM is measuring latency without relying on temporary visual cues like muzzle flashes. This means users can run any number of samples, generating more data points and therefore greater accuracy.
Of course, AMD's launch isn't exactly revolutionary. NVIDIA already has similar tools, such as FrameView for measuring latency. AMD's free, open source alternative tools are still a major win, especially for AMD GPU users. Users can download the tool from AMD's GPUOpen website.
Making it easier for players to get low latency is something the entire industry seems to be pushing for lately. Microsoft's DirectStorage allows developers to improve the performance and responsiveness of their games. NVIDIA has been touting its Reflex latency analyzer and ultra-low latency mode. Now, AMD has launched an alternative that any PC gamer can use.
Download address:
https://gpuopen.com/flm/