OpenCL mod for the Kindle Fire HD reveals untapped graphics potential (hands-on video)

[ ](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/opencl-mod-for-the-kindle-fire-hd/)

As neat as the [Kindle Fire HD](http://www.engadget.com/tag/kindlefirehd) already is, just a few dinky tweaks could turn it into so much more -- a platform for true physics-based gaming, for example, or even for surprisingly fast photo manipulation. How come? Because both the [8.9-inch](http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/19/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-8.9-review/) and [7-inch](http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/11/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-review-7-inch/) versions of the Android-based slate come with a graphics engine that can handle [OpenCL](http://www.engadget.com/tag/opencl) acceleration. It certainly won't work out of the box, but Amazon has been working quietly with Imagination Technologies -- the folks behind the tablet's PowerVR GPU -- to try it out. The demo after the break is subtle, perhaps, but it's fluid, detailed and goes far beyond anything that a stock device can achieve. It also proves that, in certain circumstances, OpenCL has the power to boost frame rates by 50 percent while simultaneously _lowering_ power consumption by the same proportion. Read on for more.

[Continue reading _OpenCL mod for the Kindle Fire HD reveals untapped graphics potential (hands-on video)_](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/opencl-mod-for-the-kindle-fire-hd/)

Filed under: [Tablets](http://www.engadget.com/category/tablets/), [Amazon](http://www.engadget.com/category/amazon/)

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URL: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/opencl-mod-for-the-kindle-fire-hd/