Windows 7: How to chose DX11 In Games

BTW, Crysis doesn't use DX11. But maybe you weren't asking that..

No, unless the game has an option in settings, it will automatically use the DX level it requires.

Toggling DX11 and DX9 Rendering


Obviously, the big feature in DiRT 2 is DirectX 11 support. But that doesn’t mean we always want to run in DX11 mode. Sometimes, we found it necessary to go back and forth between DX9 and DX11, especially for performance comparisons.

To do that, we edited the "hardware_settings_config.xml" file located in the "[..]\Documents\My Games\Dirt2\hardware_settings\" folder. In that configuration file, there is a field which reads "forcedx9=false". Simply change that option to "forcedx9=true", save the file, and the game will be in DX9 mode until you change it back.

So in my case will it automatically use DX11 then

Toggling DX11 and DX9 Rendering


Obviously, the big feature in DiRT 2 is DirectX 11 support. But that doesn’t mean we always want to run in DX11 mode. Sometimes, we found it necessary to go back and forth between DX9 and DX11, especially for performance comparisons.

To do that, we edited the "hardware_settings_config.xml" file located in the "[..]\Documents\My Games\Dirt2\hardware_settings\" folder. In that configuration file, there is a field which reads "forcedx9=false". Simply change that option to "forcedx9=true", save the file, and the game will be in DX9 mode until you change it back.

First off...

6 - Speaking of DirectX 11 – Just because Windows 7 (and now Vista) is DX11 capable doesn’t mean your games automatically run in DX11 mode!!! In order to run in DX11 (or 10 for that matter) 3 things must happen:

1- The Windows must support the modes – Window 7 and Vista (DX10 & 11)
2- The game must support the Mode(s) - Games with DX11 Support, Games with DX10 Support
3- The video card must support the Mode(s) – ATI 5000 series cards, Nvidia GTX 470, 480 (more?)

If any one of those 3 requirements isn’t met the game defaults to the lowest DX mode possible - DX9 (or lower depending on the game).

Here's an example - You have Fallout 3 (DX10), Windows 7 (DX10 & 11) an ATI X1950 PRO or Nvidia GT 8400 (DX9 cards) - well….Fallout 3 will run in DX9 because the video cards are only capable of running in DX9 mode.

On the other hand, using Fallout 3 (DX10), If we have an ATI 5970 (DX11) and Window 7 (DX10 & 11), the game will run in DX10 mode because the game does not support DX11.

Now, if we have a game like Metro 2033 (DX11), Windows 7 (DX11), and an ATI 5970 (DX11), well…we have all the requirements met and the system will run in full DX11 mode!!!

On the other hand – say you are running a DX10 or 11 game and wish to run in DX 9 – some games like Crysis, Crysis Warhead, or Bioshock will let you by simply right-clicking the game’s .exe and choosing the mode you want to run in. See this post - Force DirectX 9?

So… To sum it up, unless ALL components are DX10 or 11, you are running in DX9 (or lower depending on the game) by default!!!


But my question is this... Can you not toggle from DX11 to 9 in Dirt2 like these games do as shown in this post??? - Force DirectX 9?

Yeah, I read the article, just saying.

Graphics Options in DiRT 2 - DiRT 2 Gameplay Performance and Image Quality | [H]ard|OCP