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Like Windows 7 is to operating systems development, DirectX 11 is considered the next step for video graphics technology. This is the news that many gamers are waiting for, and there is no shortage of early adopters willing to install Direct X 11 in their gaming desktop computer. The newest Windows games will take advantage of a more immersive environment and virtual experience that DirectX 11 can bring. Game developers will likewise use the new resources and features to create rich worlds, more realistic characters, and more fluid gameplay.
Benefits Of Direct X11
DirectX 11 promises to exceed the capabilities of current generation consoles. Direct X 11 brings various features to the table that can change the video graphic landscape. Here are some of the most notable additions to DirectX 11 that can benefit your gaming desktop computer:
Tessellator
Your fast gaming desktop computer can now take advantage of tessellation. Tessellation describes a GPU implementation that enables developers to create smoother curved surfaces resulting in more realistic, lifelike characters and environments.
The step from current 3D modeling to tessellation is tremendous. Common 3D models involve taking a complex image and breaking it down into simpler shapes. With this old approach, if developers want their models to be realistic, they have to create numerous small shapes. The smaller and more numerous these shapes are, the more defined the model will become. This approach requires high processing power to render these detailed models.
With the DirectX 11 tessellator, developers can render curved surfaces without breaking models into small shapes. This effect will be evident when you look at shadows or the profile of characters in games. DirectX 11 will propel visual graphics to the level of animated movies, as we move away from polygonal models.
Multi Threading
A decent gaming desktop computer uses dual core processors to play recent games at a decent visual detail. DirectX 11 will allow video cards to utilize multi-core processors and take advantage of multi-threading. This implementation will make games run in much faster frame rates since the processing power is shared between the video card and the CPU.
The idea behind multi-threading is computing efficiency. By using the computing power available in the CPU, game developers can create visually stunning games without sacrificing frame rates. Gone are the days when you have to sacrifice graphic quality to make your game run faster.
Direct Compute
Direct Compute is an implementation that uses the power of your GPU to accelerate both gaming and non-gaming tasks. This means that even if you are not playing a game, Windows 7 can use your discrete graphics to run Aero and other visual effects.
Backward Video Card Compatibility
Microsoft worked hard to get Windows 7 to run on older hardware. Unlike Windows Vista where you practically need blazing gaming desktop computers to run the operating system decently, Windows 7 is so light and fast that it can even run on netbooks and five-year old hardware.
The same applies to DirectX 11. You do not need the latest video cards to enjoy the benefits of DirectX 11 since older cards that support DX9 or DX10 will also be able to run DirectX 11. While there are recommended hardware that you can purchase to run DirectX 11, the fact that older video cards can run DirectX 11 will save a lot of money for gamers who are not keen on upgrading their gaming rig just yet. Anyone with a decent gaming computer can run DirectX 11.
Recommended Hardware For DirectX 11
DirectX 11 is a beast waiting to be unleashed to the gaming community, and all hardcore gamers will surely feast on the newest video cards to get the most out of this update. Sure, DirectX works on older video cards, but for a gaming desktop computer, only the best graphic cards are acceptable.
However, we have to remember that since DirectX 11 is a relatively new technology, it will take time before hardware companies and game developers make full use of the power of DirectX 11. If you are budget conscious, you can opt for the more current and standard DirectX 10.1 and wait for an upgrade until the second generation of Direct X 11 video cards becomes available.
You might also need to modify your desktop system to make the most out of the DirectX 11 video card. Even if you have the latest video cards, other components can become a bottleneck to your gaming rig if you do not have a sound upgrade path for your computer system. It is best to wait until the products that support DirectX 11 fully mature and there are actual games that take advantage of DirectX 11.
However, if you want to be an early adopter, you can buy the ATI Radeon HD 2000 series and the ATI Radeon HD 4000 series. AMD is also set to launch the ATI Radeon HD 5800. All these graphic cards from AMD support DirectX 11.
If you prefer to buy NVIDIA, you will have to wait for at least the first quarter of 2010 to get a DirectX 11 compatible card. The GT300 graphics card will be the first video card from Nvidia based on DirectX 11 graphics. The company is also developing their high-end video cards to handle exclusive technologies such as Physx and 3D vision in addition to DirectX 11.
2010 will be a big year for those who own a gaming desktop computer. New games will support the new platform, allowing a more vivid and richer experience for gamers. Time will tell if DirectX 11 can take gaming to a whole new level, but if the success of Windows 7 is a sign for things to come as far as Microsoft products are concerned, then DirectX 11 is a big win for hardcore gamers.
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