Vista will get DX11

[NormCameron]

"We just received new information about DirectX 11. The new API will be delivered with Windows 7.
Microsoft's Ben Basaric just told us that Windows 7 will, contrary to the rather vague statement a few days ago, be delivered with DirectX 11. Furthermore DX11 will also come for Windows Vista although Microsoft wouldn't confirm, if this will coincide with the release of Service Pack 2 for Vista.

PCGH - News: DirectX 11 confirmed for Windows 7 - Microsoft revised statement

New versions of Windows have featured new versions of DirectX, the 3D audio and graphics family of APIs, and it now appears that Windows 7 will be no exception. According to PC Games Hardware, Microsoft's Ben Basaric, Product Marketing Manager Windows, says that Redmond will be bundling DirectX 11 with Windows 7, after all. Earlier this week, PCGH had reported that the pairing of DirectX 11 and Windows 7 was "unlikely."

Windows 7, DirectX 11! | Maximum PC

 

[DBsantos77]

Sounds awesome, I hope that Microsoft uses the same determination that they put into the Windows 7 Pre-Beta's into DX11 and make it surreal. Nice find, I enjoyed reading it!

 

[jackdelamare]

Will be looking forward to it.

 

[Adamd]

I always liked DX11, but after 10 I just don't care anymore...

DX10 really offered very little improvement over 9 and now they are coming out with 11 before the game companies even really had a full chance to make good games that take full advantage of 10.

I am sure 11 is not going to make any huge changes, but I guess it's good that we are moving forward...

 

[NormCameron]

Features of DX 11

"Features of DX11 include:
1. Uses much less system memory irregardless of how many windows you have open. However GPU memory will still be consumed (so close them windows before playing games)
2. Introduces Direct2D for hardware accelerated 2D. This is a replacement for the software only GDI/GDI+ Windows uses to render 2D objects (like splines). Direct2D is rumored to be ported to Vista and XP.
3. Better display scaling, this is mostly when you have a projector hooked up to your widescreen laptop.
4. Most of the DX11 features are compatible with DX10 hardware.
5. Multithreading support. This means DX11 functions will support multi-core processors.
6. Tessellation - This takes a polygon and breaks it up into even more polygons. This allows for smoother looking curves and higher detail. The best way to think of this, it's as if you took bump mapping or virtual displacement mapping but it's actually real polygons instead of texture tricks. This is the only feature that requires DX11 hardware.
7. Better GPGPU support, if you're into that thing
8. Heterogeneous graphics support - This was missing in Vista but was in XP. Basically you can take two different graphics cards with totally different drivers and have them run at once. But this isn't an alternative to SLI or Crossfire. Meaning if you run a game, it'll still run on one card or the other."

ForumPlanet - Topic - DX11 features

 

[mansrm81]

Hope #4 is true cause I don't want to wait for a DX11 card to be made. Thanks for the info Norm

 

[Cyberwolf]

I like hearing more and more about multi-threading. Gotta put my old Quad core to use, aside from Distributed computing projects.