Documentation

The first step in using PIX is to take a capture.

Learn about the available capture types:

• GPU captures
• Timing captures
  • Analyzing CPU samples
  • Analyzing stalls and context switches
  • Analyzing Memory usage and performance
  • Analyzing Win32 File IO performance
  • Converting previous versions of Timing Captures
• System Monitor

For best results, instrument your game using the WinPixEventRuntime.

Last but not least:

• Use remoting to run the user interface and capture/analysis on different machines.
• Use pixtool.exe to take and analyze GPU captures from the command line.
• Programmatically control when a GPU capture or a Timing Capture should be taken from inside your game code.
• Debug TDR problems (aka GPU hang / device removal).
• Understand GPU memory usage, heap residency and paging.
• Configure which GPU PIX should use on hybrid graphics systems.
• Learn how to manage PIX window arrangement.
• Learn how to handle shader debug information in a way that works well with PIX on Windows.

If you prefer watching to reading, a video introduction to PIX on Windows is available from the Microsoft DirectX 12 and Graphics Education YouTube channel.