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Slimebeast on 09 September 2016
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OttoniBastos said:
Zkuq said:

Does the workload of the CPU increase linearly with framerate though? If you (want to) double the framerate, is the workload of the CPU also doubled or is it less (and if it is, how much less)? I'm talking about a vague 'typical game' here. At first glance I would imagine the CPU doesn't get that much more work to do if the framerate is simply increased, because game logic should still be able to run at the same pace as before (at least ideally). I don't doubt what you said, I just want to understand better how big of a difference a framerate increase makes for the CPU.

Depends of the algorithmic complexity of the task, but even if we assume that is always just linear,double the framerate -> double the amount of data  to process on the cpu in the same time frame,thus,double the clock is needed(assuming the IPC is the same of course)

This is not correct.

It depends on the type of tasks.

Graphics, such as painting the geometry, shaders and polygons are heavily GPU dependent. A twice as fast GPU can render images roughly twice as fast, but the increased amount of draw calls required to do that by the CPU only increases the CPU load by 10% or so in a typical graphics intensive game, because most of the CPU tasks remain unchanged, such as calculations for AI, physics, scripts, user input etc.

So the PS4 Pro is perfectly balanced if the games remain within the same generation so to speak. It's designed so that you can double the framerate or resolution or other tasks that the GPU handles such as better lighting, anti-aliasing, filtering, shadows, post processing visual effects, but not for more complex physics (think Battlefield and it's destruction, which is calculated by the CPU) or AI and world systems (think all the behaviour, interaction and position of units in an RTS, or all the world simulation, stats and items that are handled by the CPU in Skyrim).

So in summary, a doubling of the framerate does not require a doubled computation power for AI, physics or simulation (typical CPU tasks), but it does require a GPU that is at least twice as fast. In nearly all games, the AI behaviour, physics and simulation stays the same no matter if the game is played on a weak PC or a strong PC, or on the PS4 Pro or the Wii U.