[Hardware 360] DirectX 12 Requires New Graphics Cards to Utilize All Features

[Slomo4shO]

Seems that Fermi, Kepler, 1st generation Maxwell and current GCN cards won't fully support DX 12...

Last week both AMD and NVIDIA were making the media rounds with the welcome news that Microsoft’s latest DirectX would be supported by current generation graphics cards. AMD has stated anything with their GCN architecture has native support for DX12 and any series released after NVIDIA’s Fermi architecture will have support the API as well. Today though we learned these graphics cards will have only limited support for the API, with key elements missing.

According to TweakTown current generation graphics cards will not be able to use the new blend modes and conservative rasterization features. In order to use these features you will have to upgrade to AMD’s Radeon Rx 300 series, or NVIDIA’s second generation Maxwell architecture. Luckily DX12 will not hit the market until 2015, so there’s plenty of time to get the necessary hardware before DX12 is on the market, but if you were planning on having a long upgrade cycle you will be missing some features.
What version of Windows is necessary to run the API is another area of debate, but we do know Microsoft is at least looking into Windows 7 support.

 

[Arkaign]

Windows 7 support will be critical. I know Microsoft would like to use their market force to artificially lock Win7 out of DX12, but at the same time they have to at least partially realize that might cause DX12 to be stillborn, as many users will be on Win7 until midway though Win9's life.

 

[Spjut]

I have no idea how useful those mentioned DX12 features will be, but it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that DX12 would introduce new features that require a new graphics card.

 

[Attic]

I'm guessing it will be pushed back to early 2016. Hope to hear more about what this will bring to gaming. DX9 titles still are pretty damn razor thin close to DX11 titles in terms of graphics fidelity when DX9 was done to the hilt.

 

[96Firebird]

Isn't this always the case...?

 

[Bubbleawsome]

 

[wand3r3r]

This isn't a surprise.

The only surprise was NV saying fermi-kepler will be supported (old cards) and AMD saying current cards, they should say only partially supported. I would be surprised if there weren't hardware level changes.

 

[OCGuy]

2014 Maxwell DX12 was confirmed.

 

[JechtShot]

Would we have to upgrade our Operating Systems as well ?

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Would we have to upgrade our Operating Systems as well ?

That's what we are all waiting to find out. I'm sure we will have to, and since Windows 9 will likely be a fixed version of windows 8 like 7 was a fixed vista it should be just fine.

 

[dn7309]

This is why I always skip a generation before upgrading. I've always buy a video, then when next gen comes around I SLI or Crossfire because prices drop, then when another generation comes around I'll get the newest card that support the current DX.

 

[Carfax83]

Windows 7 support will be critical. I know Microsoft would like to use their market force to artificially lock Win7 out of DX12, but at the same time they have to at least partially realize that might cause DX12 to be stillborn, as many users will be on Win7 until midway though Win9's life.

Windows 7 wasn't artificially locked out. The problem is that new DirectX versions have required new driver models, because DirectX is used for so many OS functions.. So DirectX wasn't a simple drop in replacement like it was in the old days without upgrading the driver model as well, which requires a fundamental change at the deepest level of the OS..

Personally, I don't see what everyone's hang up is about Windows 8.1. To me, it's far superior to Windows 7, and it looks just like it for the most part. You never have to use the Metro UI if you don't want to, while still reaping the benefits of the numerous under the hood improvements.

 

[Carfax83]

DX9 titles still are pretty damn razor thin close to DX11 titles in terms of graphics fidelity when DX9 was done to the hilt.

What? Are you serious? It may have been that way when DX11 first came on the scene, but now that we have plenty of native DX11 titles that take advantage of DX11 features, DX9 games are clearly inferior in every possible manner..

Take the best case scenario, like the Witcher 2. An excellent example of the pinnacle of a DX9 game in terms of graphical fidelity. But when you look closer, the Witcher 2 has a very basic lighting and shadowing system compared to what is found in the most advanced DX11 titles like Crysis 3, AC IV etcetera..

Also, the texture and detail pop in are both horrible because DX9 is so inefficient compared to DX11 when it comes to memory management and uploading resources..

By moving to DX11 and 64 bit, the Witcher 3 is miles above the Witcher 2 in terms of graphical fidelity and scale with no loading zones or even chapters to break the feeling of immersion. Looks like the texture and detail pop in issue in the Witcher 2 was solved as well with DX11's superior resource management.

 

[janii]

Good news. A bit old but still. I hoped it needs new hardware. Otherwise it wouldnt really be a great upgrade from 11 to 12 imho.

 

[sandorski]

I have no idea how useful those mentioned DX12 features will be, but it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that DX12 would introduce new features that require a new graphics card.

Indeed, it should be assumed. If current cards supported it already, it would IMO make DX12 kind pointless. At least as far as I see it, DirectX is supposed(my assumption) to drive Innovation on the hardware side, not just respond to it. Perhaps I'm wrong on this though.

 

[Stuka87]

By moving to DX11 and 64 bit, the Witcher 3 is miles above the Witcher 2 in terms of graphical fidelity and scale with no loading zones or even chapters to break the feeling of immersion. Looks like the texture and detail pop in issue in the Witcher 2 was solved as well with DX11's superior resource management.

Unfortunately by the time Witcher 3 comes out, DX12 will most likely be out :/

I never had the texture pop in issue with Witcher 2, but that may depend on how much vram you have. 3GB @1080P (highest quality) was fine in my case.

As for the guy saying DX9 looks as good as DX11, yeah right. There is no comparison between the two provided the DX11 game is a pure DX11 game, and not just a port of a DX9 game.

 

[Carfax83]

Unfortunately by the time Witcher 3 comes out, DX12 will most likely be out :/

Witcher 3 should be out by February next year, so it should be out before DX12 becomes available.

I never had the texture pop in issue with Witcher 2, but that may depend on how much vram you have. 3GB @1080P (highest quality) was fine in my case.

Even on my 4GB GTX 770s, I still see texture pop in; especially in Flotsam. It's a DX9 issue I'm certain of it, as DX9 isn't very efficient when it comes to handling resources.

As for the guy saying DX9 looks as good as DX11, yeah right. There is no comparison between the two provided the DX11 game is a pure DX11 game, and not just a port of a DX9 game.

Yeah I agree.

 

[bystander36]

It almost sounds like dev's could be presented with the opportunity to write two versions of DX12 games, one for Fermi and newer, and one for Maxwell and newer (and their AMD counter parts). This would be cool if that means the older cards could still get the CPU multithreading and low overhead advantages, even if they don't get the latest IQ bonuses.

 

[ShintaiDK]

It almost sounds like dev's could be presented with the opportunity to write two versions of DX12 games, one for Fermi and newer, and one for Maxwell and newer (and their AMD counter parts). This would be cool if that means the older cards could still get the CPU multithreading and low overhead advantages, even if they don't get the latest IQ bonuses.

Any DX11.0 card can get the API reduction part (speedup) from DX12. Maxwell however is the only true DX12 GPU there is.

 

[Bateluer]

Windows 7 wasn't artificially locked out. The problem is that new DirectX versions have required new driver models, because DirectX is used for so many OS functions...

DirectX 11.2 did artificially lock out Windows 7. It was an attempt by Microsoft to get people to purchase Windows 8 after the market very emphatically said GTFO. Whether DX12 makes enough changes to warrant the OS change is debatable, but Microsoft has artificially locked out older OSs in the past. They did it with DirextX 10 and Vista as well.

 

[ShintaiDK]

DirectX 11.2 did artificially lock out Windows 7. It was an attempt by Microsoft to get people to purchase Windows 8 after the market very emphatically said GTFO. Whether DX12 makes enough changes to warrant the OS change is debatable, but Microsoft has artificially locked out older OSs in the past. They did it with DirextX 10 and Vista as well.

Thats still false. And the Vista with DX10 is even more false.

To give XP DX10, it would have to be transformed into Vista. The entire driver structure got changed with Vista for the GPU.

 

[Spjut]

Any DX11.0 card can get the API reduction part (speedup) from DX12. Maxwell however is the only true DX12 GPU there is.

"Any" DX11.0 card might be wrong, AMD hasn't yet confirmed anything for the HD 5000/6000 series.


But it's not like we haven't seen support for older hardware before, the DX11 API did support DX10/10.1 cards as well

 

[cytg111]

Thats still false. And the Vista with DX10 is even more false.

To give XP DX10, it would have to be transformed into Vista. The entire driver structure got changed with Vista for the GPU.

And why was the driver model changed? - You can rationalize back and forth all you want it still proves nothing.
While still not proving anything yet still tells so much more is that OpenGL4, with all the bells and whistles of DX11, will run marily on windowsxp. How can that be? Surely no microsoft-lock-in going on here, no, nothing to see here, please pass the street.

 

[cytg111]

When is the last time you saw microsoft turn a piece of software around 180, crazy ivan style, and actually *compete* with first revision out the door? I cant remember one case, - i do remember alot of flops .. I'd wait and see what this DX12 actually brings to the table before going to my happy place.

 

[Slomo4shO]

Any DX11.0 card can get the API reduction part (speedup) from DX12. Maxwell however is the only true DX12 GPU there is.

Only GCN cards from AMD will receive partial DX 12 support. Also, the GTX 750 and 750 Ti are are also not true DX 12 GPUs even though they are Maxwell...