260°

DirectX11: Is it Worth it Anymore?

Many PC gamers have already made the switch from DirectX 9 and 10, to Microsoft's latest DirectX 11 platform. Originally revealed at Gamefest in '08, DX11's major features include DirectCompute, tessellation, and improved support for multi-core processors. However, as we close in on a half year since the release of the platform, those who haven't made the move yet are stuck in the middle. Let's review a few of the features included, and hopefully help those of you who are still riding it out on the Radeon 4 series or even Nvidia's latest. (Minus the Fermi's)

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Pandamobile5153d ago

What the hell kind of question is that?

That's like being 4 months into the next console generation and asking "Is it worth it anymore?"

toaster5153d ago

Well it's not our fault console gamers are content with outdated hardware.

Godmars2905153d ago

By outdated you mean 10 minutes out the box? Relatively speaking?

poindat5153d ago (Edited 5153d ago )

What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with console gamers, and I don't believe that Panda was insinuating that console gamers are satisfied with outdated hardware, as you claim.

Anyways, I'm pretty happy with my DX 10 system right now. DX 11 capability would be nice for me to have, but I don't feel that it is as necessary an upgrade as the move from DX 9 to DX 10. That's at the moment though; I have no doubt this will change in the future as more games start making use of more features.

toaster5153d ago

I'm content with DX10 at the moment as well. I wouldn't mind a shiny new DX11 card and I do have the money for it but there just aren't enough games that utilize the hardware properly right now. I'll wait until driver issues and stuff get all smoothed out before I get a new card.

Biggest thing in DX11 is probably tesselation. Multi thread support will only be of use to people with 4+ core processors.

I don't think gamers will be able to see DX11 in all it's glory just yet but I'm sure there will be people who need it for things other than gaming.

As the article points out, there aren't many games out now that use DX11. So it would be a worthy upgrade to future proof your machine but you would just have to wait a while for more devs to hop on and create the games that will push this new technology.

evrfighter5153d ago (Edited 5153d ago )

Actually it's like buying a next-gen console and asking if its worth it anymore on the drive back from the store

beginning to see a trend here with associatedcontent. I'm guessing a pc gamer must have really laid the smack down on this guy when he tried to play a pc game for the first time.

AssociatedContent seems to be trying to litter n4g with anti-pc articles for some reason.

sid4gamerfreak5153d ago

WTF???? What sort of question is that? Of course it is worth it.

Is the xbox 720 or ps4 worth anymore? And they will still be generations behind!

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Speed-Racer5153d ago

This article's title is total BS... they said in the end that DX11 would be worth the upgrade after a while...so wat the hell do you all mean?

Proxy5153d ago

DX11 will be worth the upgrade, after a while...

FantasyStar5153d ago

Looking at the cards and the games cited. I have only one rebuttal.

DX7 = DX9 = DX11
DX6 = DX8 = DX10

Anyone who knows their DirectX history will surely understand this correlation.

El_Colombiano5153d ago

Enlighten me, I do not understand your math.

Pandamobile5153d ago

Every second (odd numbered) DX version will be widely adopted. (tick)

The even numbered DX versions are essentially minor revisions just meant to keep everything moving along. (tock)

CPU's and GPU's often follow the same sort of pattern. You'll have a new architecture (Nehalem, GT 200, etc) which would be your tick - and slightly down the line, the revise and refine the design.

For example, the move from the GTX 280 to the 285 was a tick-tock as the only real difference between the two GPU's was a die shrink and higher clockspeeds.

toaster5153d ago (Edited 5153d ago )

Ahh that makes more sense. Seems to be correct as well. I can't believe people still use DX9. It really needs to die..

ThatArtGuy5153d ago

D is your variable. X = Zero.

Equation solved.

El_Colombiano5153d ago

Makes perfect sense thanks Panda.

mivanc5152d ago

I'll still on DX 9 since I'm still running XP SP3.

Tried to get a 3rd party DX 10 the other day, not sure I noticed a difference. Maybe its not working properly given its support has been dropped.

I need to get myself Windows 7.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5152d ago
champ215153d ago (Edited 5153d ago )

Personally i would be worried if i was ATI or Nvidia.

Since games are now designed with consoles in mind. Developers arent doing much to adopt new technologies.

Obvioulsy this means PC users dont need upgrades as well. Since even 3yr old PC hardware outdoes whatever consoles can do.

While Like Panda said its too early to tell. However If developers do not shift attention to DX 11 then even PC users will stop upgrading hardware.

Companies like ATI Or Nvidia cant survive on the small number of chips sold to the Console market and with the Core business the PC not upgrading any more. There will be hard times for both of them.

A: Either they stop supporting Consoles next gen

B: They heavily invest in development of games which use modern hardware.

Otherwise i do forsee their sales tumbling.

Edit: If it does happen that Dx11 doesnt take off, PC users slow down on the upgrades. Upgrades already seem unnecessary. This would probably lead to stagnation of further improvements in tech improvement, which in turn will lead to next gen consoles being that much more gimped, since tech progress will be hit.

Omega Zues5153d ago

I mean its been solid for several years, great graphics, good performance and readily available. Vs Dx10 which previously during its time killed your hardware when used across several games that gave very little in return. True Dx10 gave nicer graphics against Dx9 problem was developers found several ways to work around with Dx9 instead of killing your hardware to use Dx10 for very similar effects.

Having said that I will say this. Dx9 against Dx10 not much of a difference. Dx10 vs Dx11 again a small difference BUT Dx9 vs Dx11 is a Big difference. So Dx11 could be the thing to finally put Dx9 away. And really if developers never take advantage of any of the new Dx features then its really pointless to even further the Dx line up. I mean why make Dx12,13 or 14 when developers still dont touch Dx10 elements?

I got my fingers crossed for Dx11 but if Dx11 doesnt get developers going then forget it. Dx9 for life then lol.

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