AMD introduces Mantle in Sid Meier Civilization Beyond Earth
AMD introduces Mantle in Sid Meier Civilization Beyond Earth
AMD is partnering with Firaxis Games to mark the launch of Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. The game now supports AMD's Mantle graphics API from day one, boosting performance for Radeon users. "Our Mantle graphics cards are ahead of competitors in speed and efficiency," stated Matt Skynner, AMD’s VP and GM of Product & Platform Solutions. "This partnership lets gamers enjoy top-tier results with Mantle and the Graphics Core Next technology." Mantle optimizes CPU usage and reduces bottlenecks, making it ideal for demanding titles. The AMD Radeon™ GPUs paired with Mantle achieved higher frame rates than any other single-GPU card in testing. Players can access Mantle performance starting at $99 USD for an AMD Radeon R9 or R7 GPU. The solution relies on the GCN architecture and features like PowerTune and ZeroCore Power, though availability varies by model. Requirements include Mantle support and compatible hardware. Internal tests showed Mantle’s R9 290X outpacing the GeForce GTX 980 in 2014 benchmarks, delivering better performance with certain settings. Prices are available through AMD e-tail as of late October 2014.
It seems like if EA and Ubisoft combined their talents, the result would be something extraordinary—like Beyond Earth. Everyone I've read on Steam thinks it's just a cheap copy of Civilization V, but I think it deserves more than that. A reskinned version of CIV 5 should definitely get this kind of attention.
The game seems fairly accessible, but those performance numbers are surprising. Civ isn’t overly demanding to launch. Yet the benchmarks—like 45FPS on a 980—suggest something more limited than expected. It’s possible the optimization relied on very basic hardware rather than powerful systems.