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DirectX 12 is on the way

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 22 Mar 2014 10:55 User comments (6)

DirectX 12 is on the way

Earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled the next step for their gaming graphics API, DirectX 12.
The key enhancement of the upgrade will be on performance. PC utilization will be improved significantly, better spreading the computing across multiple cores.

Reads the company's blog post:

DirectX 12 introduces the next version of Direct3D, the graphics API at the heart of DirectX. Direct3D is one of the most critical pieces of a game or game engine, and we've redesigned it to be faster and more efficient than ever before. Direct3D 12 enables richer scenes, more objects, and full utilization of modern GPU hardware. And it isn't just for high-end gaming PCs either – Direct3D 12 works across all the Microsoft devices you care about. From phones and tablets, to laptops and desktops, and, of course, Xbox One, Direct3D 12 is the API you've been waiting for.



What makes Direct3D 12 better? First and foremost, it provides a lower level of hardware abstraction than ever before, allowing games to significantly improve multithread scaling and CPU utilization. In addition, games will benefit from reduced GPU overhead via features such as descriptor tables and concise pipeline state objects. And that's not all – Direct3D 12 also introduces a set of new rendering pipeline features that will dramatically improve the efficiency of algorithms such as order-independent transparency, collision detection, and geometry culling.


The company will reveal more details at their upcoming BUILD conference in April, with an expected launch date of November 2015. For more information now, check here.

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6 user comments

122.3.2014 23:01

is windows 7 going to be able to use it or just win8 & above?

223.3.2014 01:58

good question.probably not though.at any rate my hd4870 wouldnt support it anyway.lol

323.3.2014 05:18

Originally posted by ddp:
is windows 7 going to be able to use it or just win8 & above?

Would hardly be surprising if they used it as a way to try to force people to upgrade...maybe it will only be Windows 9 (also due in 2015)???

423.3.2014 07:31

Originally posted by ddp:
is windows 7 going to be able to use it or just win8 & above?

Considering DirectX 11.2 is already a Windows 8 exclusive, I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that yes, Microsoft is going to try to use DirectX 12 to bludgeon people into switching to 8.1 (or 9), just as they so clumsily tried with Vista and DirectX 10. Not that it worked then, or will now, of course.

In fact, it was specifically that obnoxious tactic that made me swear to NEVER move to Vista, even after it finally matured and became a reasonably viable OS, and if they do it again, the same for Windows 8.

Edit --> Following that link, this is scheduled for release sometime around the holiday season in 2015, so I imagine this wil be a Windows 9 exclusive. Interestingly enough, however, they claim it'll work on 80% of the hardware currently in use; I'm not sure how that's supposed to work, considering current DirectX versions need compatible graphics hardware to work at all =o . If it's true, that'll be a significant improvement, on its own.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 23 Mar 2014 @ 7:41

523.3.2014 13:06

It could be a tough call.

One could easily see MS holding DX12 for ransom, requiring W9 as payment.

But with Mantle here and working good (considering it's youth), it would only take enough outcry from the public for Nvidia to adapt Mantle, costing MS that bit of leverage they had to require W9.

623.3.2014 15:11

Well, remember, it's not like holding DX11 for ransom worked at all, either, you know.

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