You can run Nvidia CUDA applications natively on Radeon GPUs thanks to ZLUDA, the open-source project that AMD once funded

HardwareYou can run Nvidia CUDA applications natively on Radeon GPUs thanks to ZLUDA, the open-source project that AMD once fundedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Christophe Seux | Blender)

The classic Classroom developed by Christophe Seux for Blender

You don’t need to be a professional content creator or an expert in data analysis to know that when it comes to GPUs for these roles, one manufacturer dominates the market: Nvidia. That’s almost entirely down to CUDA, a programming platform that’s been around for years. AMD has its own system called ROCm but it’s nowhere near as popular. Well, thanks to the tireless efforts and work of one person, you can now enjoy all the benefits of CUDA applications on a Radeon graphics card, without changing a single line of code.

However, there was a nice ending to it all, as Janik was contractually permitted to continue the work as an open-source project. And that’s where it’s all at right now (you can grab it off Github) and Phoronix tested the latest version of ZLUDA on a ROCm platform, using the classicCUDA-based benchmark Blender(as shown at the top of this story).

And it works really well. For example, in the Classroom benchmark for Blender, it took 20.89 seconds for aRadeon RX 7900 XTXto render the scene using the standardRadeon HIP software platform, where using ZLUDA (with Blender running in CUDA mode), the render time dropped a little down to 18.44 seconds.

Your next upgrade(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.

Your next upgrade

(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.

(Image credit: Future)

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It’s not a 100% perfect system, of course, andsome Geekbench testsshow that ZLUDA can sometimes be significantly fasterandslower than the usual OpenCL that the software uses. ZLUDA can only ‘translate’ standard CUDA applications too, so anything written using OptiX for example, just won’t work.

Phoronix reports that Janik isn’t particularly hopeful about maintaining the pace of development of ZLUDA, without any financial backing from the industry, but since it’s open source, he may well get the support needed.

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It is a little odd that AMD decided to abandon the project and I can only assume that it wanted to focus entirely on raising the status and uptake of ROCm, rather than just let CUDA continue to dominate.

For now, though, professionals with Radeon graphics cards might want to give ZLUDA a thorough test because in that sector, time is money. Or less time is more money, as is the case here. Something like that, anyway.

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