Direct X 10 compatible graphics cards?

[SyPheR]

Hi all,

Lately I've been reading stuff about some games that will support direct X 10 functions and will be released around the same time when DirectX 10 shows up. Now I was wondering if these expensive graphic cards of today are really worth that much money and if they are capable of running direct X 10 functions while Direct X 10 allready shows up at the beginning of Q4 of this year. So the main question would be....Would it not be a waste of money for such a short period of time to buy a high end graphics card today or is direct x 10 allready supported by these cards?

 

[Henrik]

I can't say if the graphic cards of today will support Dx10. But I can tell you that they aren't a waste of money. Currently I'm running a 7800GTX and I have yet to have a problem with any game running poorly. (even on max settings)

Rumors of Dx10 not supporting older versions of Dx is something graphic card vendors can't afford and will untiltimately work around.

In my opinion, buying a new (expensive) card is not a waste of money. There are still plenty of people out there that are running todays hottest games on Dx8 without a noticable difference. Sure you might not get the latest shader technology and all the latest bells and whistles... but you can still play the games at the highest levels (almost) and still have fun.

If my 7800GTX doesn't support Dx10, I won't be heart broken. I know that I will get very good frame rates for quite a long time to come... if I end up using Dx9 from now on... I won't mind too much.

-my two cents-

 

[ravon]

The current gen cards wont be able to support DX 10 .. think of DX 10 like a totally new technology.. they are saying its more streamlined than DX 9 .. that we'll have to wait n see.. but the bottom line is the current generation cards just dont have the hadware necessary to make use the DX10 instructions.. but as Henrik put it nicely, u can still play any of the games coming out using current gen cards.. but just u wont have DX10 features... and what i have read says DX10 cards wont even run DX9 features directly ... they would have to go through a software emulation, since the architecture of DX10 is totaly different and the hardware build of DX10 cards will also be very different... but all of this is speculation at best... the choice will be either u wanna miss out on all the other great games coming out now (Spore, Oblivion, Sin, etc) , or wait for Halo 2 to run on DX10 ?

 

[Mach5Motorsport]

DX 10 is supposedly to compliment the new version of Windows XP.

 

[SyPheR]

Yes, you are right in some way but when the benefits of dx 10 really give a huge advantage over the Dx 9 cards it could be wiser to just have a little patience as the DX 10 cards can also run Dx 9 games via emulation Oh well....thx for teaching me some details on this matter

 

[mdd1963]

"So the main question would be....Would it not be a waste of money for such a short period of time to buy a high end graphics card today or is direct x 10 allready supported by these cards?"

Unless you are upgrading to Windows Vista, where Direct x 10.0 features will be available/utilized, it's hard to make that sort of guess. (I doubt many game makers will *require* a Direct x 10 compatible card and Windows Vista, without allowing a Direct x 9.0c conversion rendering solution in the code as well for XP users as well, unless they wish to sell only 12 copies of a new game title it's first couple of months)

 

[p05esto]

And thus the age-old thinking flaw: that if you just wait a little longer something faster and better and cheaper will come out.

Yes, that's true....but there's always something better and faster and cheaper coming out. You may as well never buy if that's your thinking.

If you're in the market now (old card is now cutting it) and you have extra cash then upgrade already. I'm upgrading to the 7900GT in a couple weeks here as soon as I see the card I want bundled with a game a don't have yet. I never buy hot off the press. A deal/rebate/freebie will show up in the next few weeks.

 

[SyPheR]

True, they would not sell a lot of copies that way but they will if the DX 10 card comes a few months earlier. And that would make it a smart wait I guess cause games will look much better. Anyways...there are negative sides and positive sides on this matter. I'm a guy who likes to use his graphics card at least 3 years. So to wait that long for being able to use DX 10 functions if I would buy one now would be a bad option. hmmm...maybe I should plant some moneythrees in my garden.