DirectX 11 Now Available for Windows Vista

DirectX 11 Now Available for Windows Vista

Jason Cross
Nov 2, 2009 12:00 pm

Microsoft has long said, and we have reminded users, that DirectX 11 is not just a Windows 7 technology. The company promised that DirectX 11 will be availalbe for Vista around the same time as the release of its latest and greatest operating system.

And so it has come to pass. Vista users who check Windows Update should see a rather generic "Platform Update" with the reference KB971644. The update is available for Windows Server 2008 as well. In addition to adding DirectX 11, this update adds and XPS document printing library, the Windows Automation API, and an update to the Windows Portable Devices Platform.

Note that DirectX 11 adds DirectCompute, which comes in three flavors - DirectCompute shader model 4.0, 4.1, and 5.0. The 4.0 version contains features allowing it to be run on most DirectX 10 graphics hardware. The 4.1 version is similar, but for DX 10.1 hardware. The 5.0 version of DirectCompute shaders requires DX11 hardware, and is far more robust.

My point is, this update could be useful for Vista users even if you don't have one of those nifty new Radeon 5000 series graphics cards that will run DirectX 11. You'll need it to run DirectCompute accelerated apps (when they start to appear) even on DX10 hardware, and the update contains some other nice updates.
By the way, the update is listed as "Recommended" and may not be automatically applied if you have Windows Update set only to apply critical updates. You may want to check manually.

More at: DirectX 11 Now Available for Windows Vista - PC World

 

[heavennevaeh]

Now I realize what is causing my FPS drops in Quake 3 Arena Excessive Plus. DX 11 must not be so great in dealing with older games.

 

[thepizzaman]

i think it has more to do with the fact that your gpu is older and isn't doing well with the dx updates.... you need a faster card... haha

 

[heavennevaeh]

i think it has more to do with the fact that your gpu is older and isn't doing well with the dx updates.... you need a faster card... haha

yeah, you're probably right. but i don't play any new games anyway. at least not on this computer.

 

[thepizzaman]

well i'm pretty sure thats the problem

 

[Night Hawk]

Try dropping DX 9c on. Elements from that are needed for OpenGL support and other things when running older titles. The separate download for Vista mentioned there will be mainly for new titles coming out as well as any that require 10.

 

[hclarkjr]

this come out last week via the vista platform update

 

[hclarkjr]

http://www.vistax64.com/windows-upd...date-vista-anybody-notice-any-difference.html

 

[Night Hawk]

I haven't seen any Vista updates for months now first running Vista on the new Virtual PC along with the 7 RCs and now have the retail 7 as the primary OS while still running the 64bit RC on a second drive in order to make comparisons there.

This will be good if I decide to see a Vista reference install go back on at some time however since Vista won't be seen on the next build coming up there. But seeing this made available as a separate download for those still running Vista should be a help.

 

[heavennevaeh]

yeah.. i kind of blindly updated. i need a new desktop altogether.. maybe i should sell this new macbook pro i have to get 1. xD

 

[rasmasyean]

Now I realize what is causing my FPS drops in Quake 3 Arena Excessive Plus. DX 11 must not be so great in dealing with older games.

It will work better with DirectX 11.1 lol

 

[heavennevaeh]

Now I realize what is causing my FPS drops in Quake 3 Arena Excessive Plus. DX 11 must not be so great in dealing with older games.

It will work better with DirectX 11.1 lol

you would think so, but that isn't the case.

 

[JimJoe]

Nor will DX 11 work with Everquest, their servers are set up to use DX 9c. There were posts to Sony Online Entertainment's official forums this past weekend about it.

 

[rasmasyean]

Nor will DX 11 work with Everquest, their servers are set up to use DX 9c. There were posts to Sony Online Entertainment's official forums this past weekend about it.

DirectX is a client technology. Not a Server one. It only works for PC's where you install the game on. If the game doesn't support it, it steps down to use the old stuff.

 

[JimJoe]

Not at Everquest. Their servers check for DX 9c, if it is not on your home computer, the game wont run.

 

[JimJoe]

SOE has a file check program that runs when you log in. It not only checks, and then patches, any of their files, it also checks to see which version of directx is on your computer.

My Vista computer came with dx10. Specs in my profile.

When I ran the SOE game patcher, it checked and said I didn't have dx9c on my computer.

When I went to MS site and downloaded and installed dx9c, then ran the login for Everquest, I was able to play.

Evidently they had it hard wired into their checking program to look for dx9c, if it isn't there no game play.

This gets mentioned often on their official forums on tech support. No dx9c, the game wont run.

 

[rasmasyean]

SOE has a file check program that runs when you log in. It not only checks, and then patches, any of their files, it also checks to see which version of directx is on your computer.

My Vista computer came with dx10. Specs in my profile.

When I ran the SOE game patcher, it checked and said I didn't have dx9c on my computer.

When I went to MS site and downloaded and installed dx9c, then ran the login for Everquest, I was able to play.

Evidently they had it hard wired into their checking program to look for dx9c, if it isn't there no game play.

This gets mentioned often on their official forums on tech support. No dx9c, the game wont run.

OIC. I guess it must be a really old spec that MS decided to drop entirely from default setups. That's actually EQ's fault. They should patch it to use the available downgrades from the Vista / 7 installs.

 

[Night Hawk]

You'll find that a lot of older game titles will require elements from 9c for OpenGL support mainly. Try some older 98-XP compatible games on the newer versions of Windows including the 64bit as well.

 

[JimJoe]

SOE has mentioned they are upgrading to dx10, but not right now.

Evidently they didn't specify a dx version in the early years. They added lots of graphics, and peopel complained of their view of the game becoming a slide show instead of steady continuous video.

Around that time SOE found out many players had older versions of dx and so SOE pretty much forced people to upgrade. They spent lots of money on making the graphics for some zones much better, and it was making the enjoyment drop off. They still support the WinXP server drivers, so when MS drops support for those drivers, probably SOE will up grade to dx10.

Most of that is from hints and mentions by the developers over the past 2-3 years.

 

[Night Hawk]

As newer game titles are released requiring DX10 or above you'll have to expect they will also be moving on and no longer supporting the older titles on their servers. I wouldn't plan on XP support only lasting much longer anyways once the next version of Windows that follows 7 is being readied.

XP will be dropped just like previous versions after a certain period of time. It will upto inddividual gaming sites to keep XP servers running once MS does drop their own support. Once work begins on the 3rd version of Windows to follow any particular version the first has become too far outdated.