AMD shows off world's first DirectX 11 GPU
By Darren Murph 
posted Jun 3rd 2009 12:00AM
posted Jun 3rd 2009 12:00AM
AMD Demonstrates World's First Microsoft DirectX® 11 Graphics Processor
− AMD previews significant improvements to the digital media and gaming experience, commits to bring DirectX 11 to market first −
COMPUTEX 2009, Taipei - June 3, 2009 - At a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan today, AMD (NYSE: AMD) publicly demonstrated the world's first Microsoft DirectX® 11 graphics processor. The series of demonstrations shed new light on the significantly improved computing experience set to debut at the end of 2009.1 The fusion of AMD's new ground-breaking graphics processors with the forthcoming DirectX 11 programming interface is set to forever change both applications and PC gaming for the better. To illustrate, AMD showed numerous examples of faster application performance and new game features using the world's first true DirectX 11 graphics processor.
· Get ready for a revolution: Games and other applications are about to get a lot better as a result of AMD's new graphics hardware and DirectX 11. DirectX 11 features such as tessellation will bring consumers higher quality, superior performing games making use of 6th generation AMD technology. Another DirectX 11 feature, the compute shader, will enable AMD's DirectX 11 graphics cards to help make Windows 7 run faster in a wide number of applications and in a manner that's completely transparent to users, for example, in seamlessly accelerating the conversion of video for playback on portable media players through a drag-and-drop interface.2
· DirectX 11 done right on AMD: The development of DirectX 11 has been broadly influenced by AMD graphics technology. Each new version of DirectX builds on the versions that came before it, and many of the capabilities of DirectX 11 were pioneered on AMD GPUs, including DirectX 10.1, tessellation, compute shaders, Fetch4, custom filter anti-aliasing and high-definition ambient occlusion shading.
· Bringing consumers DirectX 11 sooner: The preview of the world's first DirectX 11 graphics processor at Computex 2009 validates AMD's commitment to delivering leading technologies to market before anyone else, and to continuing to foster innovation in computing.
· Fueling developer demand: It's not just consumers who are excited about the prospects of DirectX 11, game developers are also incredibly enthusiastic about taking advantage of new DirectX 11 hardware to bring even better games to market, in large part due to AMD's readiness to meet their DirectX 11 needs. Many developers have indicated their commitment to building DirectX 11 games initially on AMD's DirectX 11 hardware, delivering superior performance and compatibility.
"AMD has a long track record of delivering pioneering features that have gone on to become mainstays in the DirectX experience, and we're doing it again with two mature, AMD-developed technologies in DirectX 11 – tessellation and the compute shader – both of which enable a better DirectX 11 experience for consumers," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, AMD Products Group. "Today, we're previewing AMD's DirectX 11 graphics processor to build enthusiasm for this key technology so developers will have games available at launch and shortly thereafter. With the benefits it delivers to gaming, applications and Windows 7, developers are lining up to get their hands on our hardware, and we're confident that consumers will too."
Go go AMD
I keep forgetting that AMD =+ ATI
i thought amd bought ati
nvm, thought u put a !=
AMD presentation and analysis here: http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=724
YAY 5000 SERIES!!! FINALLY!!!
P.S. Please rename the 5000 series to something cooler. Thanks
the 5000 series is now rebranded as the awesome x1 series.
5850 will now be: Awesome x0.8
5870 will now be: Awesome x1
5870x2 will be the: Awesome x2.
See how much easier are those names?
Is that a direction field? Will the new generation of realia-modeling equipment have support for other physical events such as wind and water current? I'd like to see an outdoor game in which the gusty wind over a harbour near the mountains actually interferes with my weapon's accuracy and maybe even my character's movement... let's start pursuing the subtler parts of reality now...
But Blaine, what will you name the 6000 Series?
WOOOOF!
Awesome. DX11 cards.
Now if someone can name more than 10 games that support DX10 I'll really be impressed. I'll start off:
Crysis
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
World in Conflict
Um...Age of Conan has a Beta client now
....
Forget supported DX 10, name one game that was actually built from the ground up for DX10.
What exactly dose DX11 do so much better then DX10 that it even warrants an update anyway?
Kamokazi has a point im still useing my 9800gt because theres no games out there right now that its crippled by. i mean even crysis plays 30fps. could some one make a game that uses directx10 to full potential before we start talking DX11 cards.otherwise whats the point of buying the new gen cards there just going to be obsolete before any games come out to push them.
BioShock. Albeit only the water.
I'll just leave this here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_with_DirectX_10_support
DX10 was just as ill conceived as Vista.
DX11 is supposed to fix what DX10 should have been, much like how Windows 7 is supposed to fix what Vista should have been.
Personally, I see no reason to "develop for DX10 first". It really sucks and there's a reason why no games only use it (besides Vista only crap). I can understand frustrations with having to buy new cards but really it'll be 2 years before that happens and by then if we don't need new cards (meaning Nvidia 8 series isn't good enough anymore) well, PC gaming is pretty much dead.
Remember the switch to DX9? It took a little bit to get going but the rest is history. Hopefully DX11 will be such an upgrade as DX9 was over 7/8
Wow, you're ignorant. This is really important: DX11's compute shader technology allows for on-GPU calculations, which significantly accelerate computations due to the massively parallel nature of graphics cards, not only that but there are a host of games that support DX10, and a bunch that support DX10.1.
Not only that, but nVidia doesn't even support DX10.1 features, and they're likely just going to skip to DX11 (late, of course).
Oh, for reference, here's a list of DX10 games:
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Alliance of Valiant Arms, Assassin's Creed, BattleForge, BioShock, Call of Juarez, Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor, Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Devil May Cry 4, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, Far Cry 2, Flight Simulator X, Flight Simulator X: Acceleration, Gears of War, Hellgate: London, Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows Of Angmar, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Prince of Persia, PT Boats: Knights of the Sea, Rise of the Argonauts, Shadowrun, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Stormrise, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., Universe at War: Earth Assault, World in Conflict, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault.
Not to mention the up-coming DX10 games:
Alan Wake, Arcania: A Gothic Tale, Chrome 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Duke Nukem Forever (vaporware? lol), Guild Wars 2, Mafia II, Shattered Horizon, Stargate Worlds, THEY, and Warhound
So, how important is the graphics framework Windows is built on? I'd say a smidgen. Now, I like OpenGL, but it's CLEAR that DirectX is integral to game development for MANY studios.
Oh, and I almost forgot: AMD provides the GPUs for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, which runs on DirectX. So, it's kind of important that they're ahead of schedule.
@Andrew
No, I'm not ignorant. The list of games you presented is pathetic in the grand scheme of things (Listing expansions(even standalone) to make the list longer is kinda funny). DX10 has had the slowest adoption rate of any DX version ever (MS is partially to blame here, tying it to Vista). Even with DX11's great features, games will still be crippled due to backwards compatibility needs, and only a few standouts will really cater to the crowd that likes to have the latest hardware, because we are in the minority (Yes, I'm one of those idiots who buys high-end GPUs near launch..my GTX 280 will be a year old this month). About the only thing you said that made any sense was the fact ATI needs to be DX11 ready for the next Xbox. Also, you seem to have inferred I don't think DirectX is important. That's not the case at all.
My overall point being ATI waving around their shiny DX11 chips is pretty moot, because by the time it matters, nVidia will have them too. Supporting the next version of DirectX should not really be a bragging point of a card. They're just using it to distract the press from realizing they have been behind nVidia by a significant margin in single GPU vs single GPU for 3 generations now. Sure, they have great value cards, which is kind of like their CPUs having good value vs Intel (I love building cheap AMD 64 X2 machines), but the Phenom is almost a joke compared to anything based on Conroe without a gimped cache.
You can call me a fanboy if you want, but really I'm just kinda pissed AMD/ATI had failed to be competitive, and therefore allowing Intel and nVidia to get lazy and greedy. (Overpriced X58 as the only chipset for Core i7's? F**k you Intel). I build plenty of PCs for others, and often use AMD and ATI products because they are good price/performance...but on the high end, rarely are they competitive when you look at real world benchmarks.
Okay, that was much longer than intended. Oh well.
What's so special about the compute shader? We've been able to do GPGPU for a long time without it and there are better options for that sort of thing which are cross platform like OpenCL. It should also be pointed out that while a decent number of games have "DX10 support" I haven't seen one yet that is actually notably improved by running it in DX10 mode. Usually it's a small difference that is completely unseen. I've personally seen no real world benefit to DX10 - yet.
I'm honestly curious - what real benefit will DX11 bring besides redundant tech and tessellation?
Wow. What a passionate bunch of gamers.
One question though... what happens when graphics technology gets so good that it looks like real life? Where can it go from there?
I mean... we had printers that evolved over time. Once printers could print realistic photographs... they kinda reached their limit.
Gears of War for the PC was Direct x 10.
@Michael
Hard to say, but it will be awesome.
I would guess AI will be a big one. Pysics, of course, level of interactivity with objects in the game world. Also the scope of the game. I can't wait for the day that games like Oblivion and Fallout are considered limited :-) For that there will need to be some really good procedural content engines (automatically generated). There are a lot of simplistic ones in place, but they can go so much further.
And as far as printers, we're just cracking the surface of 3D printers :-) Once you hit the limit on one dimension, you open up a new one. Games will do the same thing.
@Andrew, you had a good start, but when you said that Nvidia doesn't support DX10.1 and then start complaining I stop reading.
Everything afford in DX10.1 Nvidia GPU card with DX10 can do it just as good, even better. So putting DX10.1 would be a downgrade.
Also DX10.1 feature aims at CAD... nothing about it is remotely linked to gaming.
Nvidia will adopt DX11 with the GTX 300 card, that is for sure. Nvidia is also not in a hurry, as currently less people use Win7 RC than Vista. And that it will take months before Win7 comes to Vista level in market share, and it give them an opportunity to see what AMD has in store and decide to skip a GPU to another already made, or release the current one and release the better one after. (YES, all hardware companies have plan B and C already ready for launch when they are about to release something. So when you get the top most video card, they is another one or otherS from the same company that are better waiting to be released when sells go down.
@Kamokazi
Nvida has NOT dominated within the last 3 generations. ATi/AMD made ground with their 3XXX series, and has captured HUGE amounts of market share with their 4850/4870 lines, garnering much attention from enthusiasts and mainstream alike. The 4870 1GB and the 4890 outperforms similarly priced Nvidia offerings by a significant margin. Just look around for reviews. ATi's Crossfire technology is also significantly more effective then Nvidia's SLi which runs through an obsolete Nvidia chipset.Two 4890s in Crossfire would be quite a bit quicker then two GTX 275s in SLi.
The fact of the matter is; AMD/ATi has a better long term road map in place, meanwhile Jen Hsun is just lighting fires left and right. AMD will soon eclipse Nvidia in the coming generation of GPUs, as they are ready to move into a new architecture (R800 specs have been closed, suggested to have 3-4gb of DDR5 ram) meanwhile the Nvidia architecture has remained largely the same for the last 2+ years. DirectX 11 is the future, it can only be in AMD's favour if Nvidia shows up late to the party, no strides/money was made in resting on one's laurels, especially in a fast paced market like the GPU market. Look at the Domestic auto makers, they rested on their laurels through the 80's-90's and gave themselves a bad rep, and now they are reaping what they sow.
I have to agree with kam on this. I love the heck out of my 4890 HD, but this thing just sounds like a big bag of "look look, we haz teh elevenz first!!" All that crap the anal guy above was going off about, parallel processesing etc, that's all software and drivers, which the current gen should be able to take advantage of in a world that wasn't dominated by artificially shortened upgrade paths. Where is the monumental leap in hardware that gives you the real edge AMD? I'm glad to see you first at something, but I'd rather it be something that mattered, instead of this paper trophy you've proudly presented to the world, like it means something outside the R and D labs.
If someone names 10 games that run on OS X... THEN I'll be impressed.
@Michael
They can make them smaller and cheaper.
"What exactly dose DX11 do so much better then DX10 that it even warrants an update anyway?"
It will REQUIRE Windows 7 of course! ...This will be because some older piece of software just wouldn't be able to handle the extra speed. Yeah, that's it.
@blah
I already said ATI can be competitive in price vs performance. I'm not talking about value, I'm talking about raw power.
What I have stated, is when you compare top-end single GPU cards versus eachother, the past three generations (ATI 2xxx and nVidia 8xxxx through current), ATI has not been able to make a GPU that can put out real-world benchmarks that compare. Look at the GTX 285 vs the 4890...on average, you're looking at a 10-20% performance gap:
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/gaming-graphics-charts-2009/compare,1200.html?prod%5B2458%5D=on&prod%5B2488%5D=on&prod%5B2478%5D=on
Yes, the 285 is significantly more expensive...by about 40%. And the reason it is more expensive is because ATI does not have an even competitor, so nVidia can set whatever price they want. That is what annoys me most. (However, prices are currently half what the GTX 280 was at launch) This was not always the case, however. It used to be ATI and nVidia's top cards were neck and neck in most cases, one coming out slightly ahead in one game, and the other in a different one.
@Michael Scrip
"what happens when graphics technology gets so good that it looks like real life? "
Graphics technology has always looked as good as real life. Sometimes even better. On a few occasions, it was even beyond 3D!
http://i43.tinypic.com/2co37t1.jpg
...that fad has faded though, apparently.
@ Andrew and Kamokazi - Exactly, once they have realistic 2D games, they will start pushing 3d. I'd assume the first thing they'd tackle with that is to get true 3D screens (no glasses) produced. Once they have THAT down... well I'm just waiting to see how long it will be before I am 'jacking in' to me games (Matrix style).
It seems that DX11 will be more of a broad non-gaming api. Allowing the gpu to be used in regular applications. Think of it as Microsoft's answer to openCL. (In a paradox that surprisingly did not result in the destruction of the universe, Microsoft is going more proprietary than Apple's openCL)
DirectX 11 isn't exactly being hidden away. It's running in Windows 7 right now. You make it sound like nobody knows about it.
yup...just run "dxdiag" in win7 - there it is....DirectX 11
It is hidden away, in the sense that it's proprietary and one of the tools that Microsoft employs to keep people within its ecosystem. They've pumped untold sums of money into in trying (very effectively) to kill off open and far more elegant solutions (OpenGL) which work on all operating systems and platforms.
So, what are they going to call it? HD 5850/70?
or they can follow nVIDIA's confusing naming and called it the GTA360
NVIDIA's new naming scheme is meant to be simpler.
@JohnTitor
GTA360 . . GTA IV Xbox 360? subtle advertising or what, how much are microsoft/rockstar paying you? :P
Has nVidia even added 10.1 support yet?
11!
I still haven't played a single DX10 game that looks different enough from the DX9 version to warrant the slowdown (undoubtedly due to incomplete/poorly implemented DX10 programming).
I am all for new features (especially nerdy GPU ones) but DX10 has gotta be the slowest adoption for fancy new graphics technologies I've seen yet.
It's partially true but in order for you to see any difference you need to crank up the details. I don't know what hardware you're using but a lot of people simply cannot do that. As far as adding support for a standard ... hum that means absolutely nothing. It's the performance that counts and AMD is comparing their new hardware with geforce 9500 which is old and slow. I really hope that was an oversight.
Too bad AMD likes boys.
I can has linux drivers?
considering your name is sales and your post makes no sense, i think ill just not click your links
I don't know. I see this + Natal working very well together (with another rehash of Xbox) for "next-gen" gaming (pardon the cliche). Seeing as 360 uses ATI cards, maybe it's only fitting that Natal and DX11 are announced right about now. Call me a fanboy or whatever you want, but I'm excited for the future of gaming.
You are a FANBOY! Natal is an interesting concept although I'm not so sure that MS can pull it off but the important point here is that the new hardware announced by AMD has nothing to do with xbox. The 360 is not getting upgrades any time soon so you are stuck with the same old hardware for at least 2 years. Plus games on the 360 look great and the addition of some bs new standard and is not going to do anything for them.
Is it just me or did they say Direct X11 waaay too much? Every sentence seemed to say it. Seriously, it's in there, like, 10 times too many.
AM I THE ONLY ONE WORRIED ABOUT THIS???!!!
Agreed I just skimmed the article it is in there alot.
22 times actually. Half of 22 = 11, hence DirectX 11. It's all part of a bigger plan.
I think a large part of why dx10 is somewhat rare is that companies involved in multiplatform titles couldnt do dx 10 cause console couldnt do it. Why build a game engine that would be unusable on the consoles and on only some of the pcs out there (obv alot of pcs by now). As for pc exclusives I dont know why there arent more games tho.
Yeah the Wii and PS3 use DX9...
Excuse the sarcasm, but DX is a microsoft library, and the cards are just DX10(etcetera) compliant in capabilities, and if you are working with consoles like PS3 and Wii you obviously don't use any DX whatsoever but use the environment sony/nintendo supplied to developers, which isn't DX, plus the PS3 and Wii are quite different in how they (can) do graphics from your standard graphicscards aren't they? Point being that you always need to make a separate thing for the various consoles.
I exclude the X360 from my remarks because MS supplies a cross-PC-x360 platform environment for gamemakers I understand, but if you are a console-game maker you'd still need to code for 3 systems separately, although a lot of the stuff can be re-used of course.
DX11 will be useless if consoles still remain to be the main development platform. F***ing consoles ruin everything!
Though if DX11 is good enough it'll probably get implemented in consoles in the future somehow... no guesses as to which console...
Screw Dx11 DX9 FTW! I will stick to my 8800gt thanks. Its doing wonders.
Damnit, and I JUST decided to upgrade my aging X1800XT to a HD 4870. Ah well, to hell with it. I'll still double up the HD 4870 when its like $100 or cheaper down the road. I got along fine without DX10 for a long while (hell, I still didn't install a dx10 game yet anyway, but I'll get around to it someday) so I'll get along fine without DX11 !
PS - Someone make OpenGL good again!
Just Get a pS3 you can attach a keyboard and mouse to play ALL games with it. The graphics are close to one on the PC(better Fps too). Not to mention, its got free online play, and no stuttering. Guys need to get hardware that doesn't go out of date in 3 years.
You wonder why PC gaming is shrinking here is the reason why. Not everyone has 500 bucks to blow to get the latest cards.
Further to add to this, Consoles have better variety of games compare to that of PC games. Just face the facts PC gaming IS dead. Just admit it PC gaming IS dead...
go ahead and buy all your games or fuck around with modchips, ill be married to bittorrent. oh and, look at my new mods and skins! let me see yours! oh, wait.... and about the online gaming: its the pc who started it all... and its free. well, have fun pwning online on your ps3. i'm playing on my private server =D you want one too? naa-ha you cant xD
.."Consoles have a better varietHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Wait, some of that wasn't supposed to be in quotes.
Go back to your joysticks, Nick Jonas, and I'll stay here at my keyboard and mouse playing online for few with constantly updating servers ranging in size from 8 players a map to 64, more mods than you could imagine and an actual gaming community
Consoles do have more variety. How many PC games were released this year compared to consoles?
Pure pwnage!
FYI PS3 and Xbox360 support Keyboard and mouse
Another one bites the dust....
@globex,
Most of the console games that come out become available on PC, and cost less. PC's also have WAY more games available than your precious PS3.
Graphics of the PS3 aren't even as good as the x360, let alone what a PC is capable of, not that many of the bastard gamecompanies don't just make poorer graphics because they don't care about the capabilities of a PC of course and are happy with a game that's OK for consoles but relatively shitty for PC's.
Yeah, rename it to something that competes to the Asus Mars!....
...mmm AMD Uranus? =D
@ Ultimatepwnage. You are one of the reasons why PC gaming screws up. You pirates are the main cause(as well as console gamers). You wonder why, the sales compared to PC vs consoles. And come back to me. Console games sell more, because, enthusiasts are dumb. People also complaint about the quality between pc and consoles. Well I beg to differ, its almost exactly the same, except the resolution and the lack of AA(and even then games lag on the PC because of AA).
I couldn't care less about mods, its just a matter of time, Mods comes to consoles(its almost certain). Do you remember the time, when they said consoles don't get patches? Yeah well now they haves patches, so it a better alternative to get a console. Get with the times.
I don't care if PC started the online gaming community. So what? And FYI not every online is free on the PC. Ever heard of WoW and MMO. PS3 does support keyboard and mouse so its going to be amazing to beat you.
No YOU are the reason PC games get shitty because they are happy with the cattle that only play consoles.
Wouhouuuu! I love PC's.
Umm, thanks for all the useless DX 11 info, but how about some info about the actual GPU's that they demonstrated DX 11 on??
@ Ultimatepwnage
laugh it up while your industry is losing players over the dumbass prices for a new high-end graphics card every time a new version of dx (or a new crisis) comes out. The one's that continue don't wanna support the software companies that make the damn games, only the hardware companies. there is no balance
PC games may have the potential to be mind blowing but there is more money in having the game support the widest audience, e.g. mid range gfx cards. they are cheaper to make and sell more, and then released on console as well. the industry has changed. the final nail was when 95% of crisis players didn't wanna pay for it. being a benchmark game on PC is not the same success story as consoles.
it is too easy to play my 360 on my 1080p plasma sitting back on my couch. graphically it is more than adequate and with 5.1 sound i am not the only one who sees the benefits. once MMOs invade consoles the PC gaming industry will lose another massive chunk of players. PC games are definitely in trouble, if the gamers don't support it, who will???
Well said mate, but a few things I would like to tell you.
Few points which I like to counter argue mate.
1. Crysis is not a benchmark game, its infact better than a LOT of the shooters out there that I have to agree with. The gameplay is truly spectacular. Hence why I got a 8800gt(good enough to play).
2. Xbox360 Native resolution isn't 1080p from my memory, either some are or some aren't not sure.
3. I agree on the ridiculous prices of the gfx and that's why they are losing numbers. Even mid-range are very expensive.
4.Keyboard and mouse will = best gameplay. That's why I got a PS3, it supports both. I don't even use the damn controller lol. I just plug in my PC and attach it to my monitor runs sweet.
5.PC gaming is going to die off very soon. Once We see wow in the console market, PC gaming is dead for sure!
Guys get with the times, stop wasting money on crappy machines.
globex97: fyi, pirating exists for consoles too
I know on xbox360 but not ps3...No one has cracked it
Did anybody bother to try?
Haven't people been saying that PC gaming is dead for years and been utterly wrong?
No change there then.
Yes but this time its different. You see Consoles these days are getting more sales. At that, time the gaming wasn't as big as it is now. Its now officially, making over billions dollars, driving the nation's economy.
I partly blame the manufacturers of the graphic card industry for giving the PC gaming industry such a bad name. Though, you don't NEED to spend 5000 dollars on the PC, you can't deny that a 400 dollar, console BEATS a 400 dollar PC. Its just the facts. Yes you can get graphics cards for 200 dollars, but, how long do they really last compared to the PS3, which has a lifespan of 10 years according to sony.
If hardware for PC were cheaper(mainly the GPU) then things would be different.
OK. What are the sales distributions for each of the consoles for 2008 vs PC? Make sure you include digital distribution and subscription services.
You may be surprised.
Could someone tell me what is the best keyboard/mouse combination to get for the PS3?
First ATI DX11 card:2010
First working 64bit drivers without huge bugs for that card: 2013
Hope that doesn't bring bad luck for them eh.
It's great to see so many members of this forum taking an interest in the AMD DirectX 11 announcements made at Computex. With respect to what will happen in terms of game developer adoption of DX 11, we are finding a lot of interest because of support for key technologies like compute shader, tessellation and true multi-threading capabilities. The following video captures some comments made by the developer community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghazN5L7Ncw
Please PLEASE do not make this like the birth of DX10 where nothing took advantage of it for bloody ages and we had to wait for the second generation of DirectX 10 hardware for it to be any good and for nVidia and ATi/AMD to stop spamming the market with low end shit they claimed to be DirectX 10 compatible. Urgh.
Please refrain from the fanboy babble on either side. OpenGL did make something better OpenCL but it's geared more towards a different market than the gaming community.
As for DX11 one thing that is important to me is that the new standard is forcing the Video Card makers to conform to an actual STANDARD rather than some suggestions. This will make it easier on game developers to code games for either card.
I'm sure that AMD and Nvidia will find thier little tricks to gain an edge in this game or that one but overall it will come down to straight up performance.
Also thier is talk that with DX11 we may also see the days having 2 cards from different companies work in the same machine together. That means you could buy the best performer for your money today and when you want to upgrade you could by the best for your money at that time even if it's from the other guy.
Now I'm sure that the competitors will try to come up with something to cripple the other guys card or thier own when used in the same system as the "enemy". But I can always hope and dream.
Forgive my ignorance but, I thought DX11 was going to be released for Vista also? Everyone is going on about it being exclusive to Win7.
I've gaming for nearly sixteen yrs now, and the way things are going, I think something maybe wrong. I say that because I don't know how many people realized this but I think something is wrong when I have to buy a new piece of hardware for a new version of DirectX. I currently own a 1gig 4870 in Vista without any problems whatsoever, but the thought of buying a new GPU for a revision in the API doesn't sit well in my stomach or mind. What do you all think?