Right now all the talk in PC gaming is DirectX 10 Graphics. New hardware and new DX10 games have everyone buzzing about a new era in PC gaming. But is all the celebration a little bit premature?
Yes and No!
As with any new technology there is a lag time before everything catches up, before the new technology is truly integrated into the old, in this case gaming systems. The big question on everyone’s mind, (especially gamers) how long will we have to wait before DX10 graphics delivers the goods?
In other words, how long is the lag time before performance (what you see in your games) catches up with the technology DX10 Graphics will ultimately deliver?
For the ordinary consumer who is not a techie or even Jun88 a dedicated gamer all this fuss about X10 Graphics can be downright confusing to say the least. Getting a handle on even the simplest terminology can be a challenge.
First, you have to understand DirectX is a Microsoft Windows technology that lets you have higher performance in sound and graphics when playing games and/or watching videos on your computer. In the past we have had different versions of DirectX… DirectX 8, DirectX 9, and with the introduction of Windows Vista we have DirectX 10.
DX10 Graphics gives us better performance and better looking PC graphics with clearer, higher resolution images with more shading and details. It simply means better overall picture quality and performance; a forward step to true realism in gaming.
At the heart of DirectX are APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) which can be oversimplified as a bridge or way for the hardware and the software to “talk” to each other. These give you multimedia applications such as (3-D) graphics acceleration, sound mixing, sound output and other functions.
We are now seeing higher performing DirectX 10 Graphics GPUs from top makers such as NVIDIA with their 8800 series, including the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS. These GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) will give you better gaming with greater image quality and performance. HD DVD and Blu-ray video playback is even possible.
Top gaming manufacturers like Rockdirect in the UK are now all carrying DX 10 Graphics in their gaming machines. You will also find many of the major gaming specialists such as Alienware, Vigor, and Sager sporting DX 10 graphics.
Present or upcoming games that will have DirectX 10 support include Crysis, Shadowrun, World in Conflict, and Company of Heroes.
Nor should you think DirectX 10 is solely for gamers; the general PC user will also benefit from better graphics and higher performance.