CPU Performance Engineer job suggests future high-end APUs

Feb 23, 2015 08:47 GMT  ·  By

LinkedIn is a very popular platform for people searching for and offering jobs, so it is no surprise that Advanced Micro Devices is using it. The latest posting has significant implications for the future though.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company is hiring driver makers for central processing units, specifically the graphics in new CPUs.

The job offer is for a “CPU Performance Engineer” who can start right away on “working with highly talented 3D graphics driver developers to optimize graphics drivers.”

What the employee would be expected to do

The engineer would be expected to analyze CPU benchmarks and games to identify CPU bottlenecks in drivers, and use that information to optimize the drivers.

New CPU architecture impact on driver performance will be under their purview as well, and the worker will have to collaborate with graphics and CPU architects in order to get the best results.

In a way, this is a sort of extension of the software and hardware expertise AMD gained from developing the Mantle application programming interface.

While implementing the Mantle API, the company was basically setting the foundation for its CPU optimization techniques.

The goal now is to make CPUs, or at least the graphics processors embedded into them, more efficient and effective under all other APIs as well.

If you live in Boxborough, MA or Sunnyvale, CA, or are willing to relocate there, you can apply for the job immediately.

What this says of the future

AMD wants its next generation of accelerated processing units (APUs) to provide a higher degree of performance than ever, obviously. And not just under Mantle API, but DirectX 12 as well.

Interestingly enough, even if someone hypercompetent emerges to snatch the new job, the Zen architecture (expected to finally restore the competition with Intel CPUs on the high-end front) won't benefit since the FX line of processors has historically lacked integrated graphics.

AMD could finally change this, seeing as how even Intel includes its iGP in its Core-series, such as they are, but we won't swear by it.