DX10 and AH

[bandit752]

I was going to upgrade my video card but started reading about the new Vista and DX10 ready to surface in 2007. I understand that DX10=VISTA, so I am just waiting to see the new video cards for DX10.

How will DX10 affect AH??
Like to hear feedback on this topic
Thanks

[Skuzzy]

It is irrelevant.  As DX10 will only be available for Vista, it will be a very long time before we can even consider DX10.

[bandit752]

Thanks for the reply!
Then I would think that everybody is not running out in Jan to buy DX10 compatible video cards?

[Krusty]

Correct. Most don't want to "up"grade to Vista to get it, because Vista alone would negate any other benefits. Not to mention no game uses the capabilities of DX10 (it'll take a couple of years for games to come out, the production cycle takes a while)

[Skuzzy]

Actually, there will be a couple of DX10 games released shortly after Vista is.  MS has paid a fortune to a couple of game companies to do a 'Vista/DX10 only' version of thier new game titles.  Not evan an XBox port of them are going to be available.

[Krusty]

Interesting, so MS released the "building blocks" (if you will, I don't know the real term) in advance of them actually being available?

Well, I can't blame them, but I'm predicting the first games will be buggy as hell, run terrible (Vista, remember?) and be lackluster in almost every way compared to their DX9 brethren.

(*The above is my biased opinion on the matter, not to be taken as impartial in any way*)

[bandit752]

I understand and thanks for the input.
I think the more memory is ok and as for the video card I probably am just going to stay under the 200 mark. you can get the X1600 crossfire card for 164.00 at tiger.
It seems that a card like the 1950xtx crossfire, which is what I was going to do, with a new mobo!!!
So this is a big leap upgrade and only after to realize that I should of waiting for the DX10 card.

[sonicboom970]

i have no idea why ppls think that Vista will slow your computer, it doesnt, i have played AH2 in Vista and i only lost 3FPS, and thats w/ 1.5GB of PC3200 and a 3GHz P4 (vista will rate the major parts of your computer, my CPU was the limiting factor, GPU was fastest factor.) but either way... i wonder you know all those DX7 and 8 cards that run DX9 wonder if DX10 could be the same way... running on DX9 cards. (P.S. FSX will have a patch to make it run under DX10 if wanted)

if you dont wanna wait you could always get an 8800GTX *sigh* or if you got the funds stick it w/ a Intel Core 2 eXtrem QX6700(its quad core) 4 GB of DDR2-800, a sound blaster X-Fi card, 3 WD Raptors (10,000 RPM) in RAID 5, and another 8800GTX, for SLI

*lol you dotn have to wait for 4 grand you can get one from some company, i dont remember its name though.*

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Even though the 8800 series is DX10 compliant, it absolutely rocks also in DX9 world. That's why it is a very good buy even if you will never touch Vista.

I'm going to get one for sure.

[eagl]

Skuzzy,

What about the microsoft marketspeak about how the DX10 SDK makes it "easy" to code for both DX9 and DX10 at the same time in the same game?  From the ads, it sounds like they've tried to make it possible for a game to follow either DX9 or DX10 paths without any trouble.

Or are you guys still dabbling with DX7?

[eagl]

Forgot to add, ripley is right.  The nvidia 8800 is the fastest card on the market right now running DX9 games.  Not only that, a single 8800 totally blows away even the best SLI 7xxx setups.  We're talking 30% faster than an SLI 7900 setup.

Plenty of reason to get an 8800 if you have $500 - $700 to throw away on gaming hardware...  It's simply the fastest card on the market even without bringing vista or DX10 into the discussion.

[Skuzzy]

eagl, Aces High II has been DX9 based since it was released.  

The base structure of the DX10 pipeline was redone to improve efficiency between the start and stop of each draw.  All DX applications will benefit from it, but with Vista's bloat, you end up losing that efficiency.

[eagl]

Skuzzmeister,

I was just yankin yer chain with the DX7 comment

I am personally quite suprised with the performance of the 8800.  I thought they'd be completely cpu limited, but they've added in very high quality filtering and improved antialiasing, and that ought to go fairly far to curing my two big graphics gripes, crawling and shimmering textures.

I'd really like to see what AH looks like with an 8800.  The transparancy antialiasing and textures that look sharp at all angles ought to help a lot.  Still, I wonder what it will take before the trees and tops of the hangars stop shimmering and sparkling in AH...

[bandit752]

I just checked the price on the 8800 Card A big $640.00!!!!
I hope that this card is worth it!!!
I saw this price at Tiger direct!!

[sonicboom970]

lol u guys make SURE you got a good PSU, each card requires 2 PCI-E power connectors, you want SLI for it you need 4 PCI-E power connectores, not to mention the funds and northbridge to support it.