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I was DMark API Overhead feature test for upcoming Directx12, Mantle API and Directx11 by Futuremark. I want to know what is Performace-limiting overhead for CPU? Test description says ' Games make thousands of draw calls per frame, but each one creates performance-limiting overhead for the CPU. APIs with less overhead can handle more draw calls and produce richer visuals.

The 3DMark API Overhead feature test is designed to make API overhead the performance bottleneck. It measures API performance by making a steadily increasing number of draw calls. The result of the test is the maximum number of draw calls per second achieved by each API before the frame rate drops below 30 fps'

Thanks in advance.

Anurag Daware
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1 Answers1

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"Performance-limiting overhead" refers to a case where the effort necessary to arrange to do something is significant compared to the time needed to actually do it. A test to measure performance-limiting overhead attempts to do the same amount of work but in progressively smaller and smaller pieces and watches the performance degrade.

For example, suppose I have 25 things I want to get from the grocery store. Well, I have to get ready to go to the grocery store, go to the grocery store, then do the real work of finding and buying the items, then come back, and then figure out what to do next. We can consider everything but the actual shopping as "overhead". To measure the overhead, you could compare buying the same 25 things in one trip versus buying them one at a time.

David Schwartz
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