14 DAY TRIAL // Back when Advanced Micro Devices launched its Radeon R9 series of graphics cards several weeks ago, it also revealed the Mantle API, and that the first game based on it would ship for free with some of the cards.
The plan wasn't put into practice immediately though, not by all OEMs anyway (original equipment manufacturers).
Still, one by one, AMD's various partners released product bundled with Radeon R9 cards featuring the game for free.
Micro-Star International is adding its name to the list, having paired the game with its R9 290X 4GD5 BF4, R9 290 4GD5 BF4, R9 280X GAMING 3G BF4, R9 270X GAMING 2G BF4, R9 270 GAMING 2G BF4.
Obviously, the BF4 in the name stands for the game itself. So make sure to look for it when perusing the options online or when browsing the shelves of brick-and-mortar retailers.
It shouldn't be too hard to tell them apart, since only the MSI “Limited Edition” cards with Twin Frozr IV Advanced coolers are part of the program.
If you were wondering what all the fuss was about, AMD's Mantle Application Programming Interface is the core around which everything else revolves.
In a nutshell, it's an alternative to DirectX, one that allows Graphics Core Next stream processors better access to the graphics and parallel processing tasks that games need carried out.
Depending on the game and whatever other hardware you use in your PC, the performance gains, in terms of refresh rates, could be of up to 30%.
BF4 is the only game designed with Mantle support for now, but AMD already has deals made with game developers for others.
When they come out over the next few years, Micro-Star International, and all other AMD OEMs for that matter, may or may not launch new bundles like this one. If nothing else, the titles will be included in the Never Settle program.