Nvidia cards + Direct X 10.1 = screwed?

seems like if Nvidia card owners want access to improvements in 10.1 they will have to get a new card. Wonder how true this is...Nvidia wouldn't screw their customer base would they? That''s Microsofts job.

http://apcmag.com/7790/vista_sp1_needs_new_hardware

 

The improvements aren't major, mostly just previously optional stuff before is now mandatory. IMO DX 10.1 isn't worth it and not really major, heck, even MS said that it's not really important (google it). Having a DX10 card just won't allow you to utilize some of the new software technology that can be implemented using DX10.1.

 

DX 10.1 does not add a single feature over DX10. It determines card standards and makes mandatory what once was optional.

Example:
DX10.1 makes 4xAA mandatory... DX10 cards can do 4xAA just fine, it just isn't mandatory.

DX10.1 compatible is more of a "quality" sticker than anything else.

While a DX10 card might be able to do 4xAA, it might not be able to provide the 4xAA quite as well as the DX10.1 cards. (its a new generation of cards... of course they will be faster...)

Hopefully, someone will figure out how to run it in DX10 mode instead of DX10.1 mode or DX10 cards might actually function better.

4xAA is not "free" and DX10 titles have enough issues right now without forcing 4xAA.

 

I don't know, did I get screwed 3 years ago when I bought a DX9 card?
Did I get screwed 8'ish years ago, when I bought my Geforce 2?

NVidia never claimed that your card would last forever, that it would support *every* future feature, or that progress would be halted just to avoid exposing your insecurities about not having the latest and greatest hardware.

They claimed to sell you a DX10 GPU, and that's exactly what you got. No, it doesn't run DX10.1, DX11 or DX204, but it never claimed to.

I don't get exactly what the problem is. It still supports DX10 as well as it always did, and games will still support DX10 for years to come. In fact, it'll be years before DX10 even becomes a minimum requirement.

Vista SP1 doesn't need new hardware. It makes life a bit easier for game developers dealing with cutting-edge hardware, but it doesn't in any way change things for you.

 

Is it just me or when running games at a higher res, u cant see any difference with no AA? Usually run games at 1900x1200 or at the lowest 1440x900, i have trouble seeing a difference.

 

Calm down Hoss. I can see how passionate you are about Microsoft and Vista so sorry if I got your panties twisted judging by your sig.
I have a problem when my new DX 10 card bought in December will not support 10.1. What's wrong with that? No, it won't change my life and it won't stop me from playing my games but when a card manufacturer will not or doesn't plan to release updates making their card compatable with an incremental release is plain wrong.

 

???

Like the above said, current cards still work like normal. DX10.1 is just a set of standards. If your really want, call up nVidia and they'll be glad to ship you a sticker for your "update".

 

Oh, I'm not upset if it works. Only if games are released that require 10.1.
I guess that won't happen.

 

Games that require DX10.1 will never happen.

If you're that upset about the situation, you should've done a little more research before you bought your notebook.

 

Punk,
never said I was upset. Quote me.
Let's hope games never require 10.1 like they require 9.0c. Since you seem to be in the know, I'll take your word that games will never require 10.1. What if your card manufacturer didn't support 9.0c, would that be OK? Since they never said they're selling a 9.0c supported card but only a DX 9 card.
Oh, the logic.

Thanks for your helpful input. Got to go research what plans the engine manufacturer has lined up in the next two years in valve technology advancements before I buy a new car.

 

Well...

Who knows, I guess you could say that line jumping with joy.

Sure would. Geforce FX series cards support shader model 2.0a (dx9), and not 3.0(dx9c). Sorry, but companies can't predict the future. Does Microsoft owe you a new console because 360 games don't work in your old Xbox?

That's a good idea, because I hear that if a company puts a new, more powerful engine in next year's model, they don't send a mechanic to your house to replace your engine. Damn companies, always trying to screw us little guys.

 

Wait a minute, how long has the 8600m GT been out? Not very long. It's only been replaced with the 8800. It's considered good business practice to support your products. No one expects Nvidia to write drivers for 5 years and of course DX10.1 won't make the card obsolete. I don't think you can really compare DX10 to DX10.1 vs Xbox & Xbox 360. As you say the gulf isn't that wide and it's just a 'sticker update'

 

sounds like you don't believe in afterservice, updates, or customer service.
You'd make a good CEO.

 

I would love for nVidia to come to my house to replace my 8600m GT with a dx10.1 card, and then a dx11 card, and then a dx254 card. Except that the world doesn't work like that. Companies exist to make money, believe it or not. I know it's a hard concept to grasp.

 

DX10.1 will be available with Vista SP1 if I'm correct. DX10 is very new. Nvidia seems to release drivers almost daily. As people have said it's a sticker upgrade, yet it requires new hardware. I don't find it unreasonable that the company release updated software. I'm all for companies making money and it's not a hard concept to grasp, I'm heavily invested in my 401k and stock market. It's also not hard to understand new products should be updated.

 

..........

I don't know where to go with this anymore. Do you want nVidia to release a driver that forces 4x AA and cripples the performance of your card?

 

Ok, so what's the point? Where is the screwed part in all this? In addition, as mentioned by Jalf in his very ironic way of writing, it will take some time for that technology to be common and with no problems (DX10).

Now, it is not strictly true that requires new hardware, simply now a specific part of the resources will be totally dedicated to the 4xAA, which is not free as mentioned by someone else almost at the beginning of this thread. An easy way to achieve this in today's cards is by going to the nVidia control panel and force 4xAA for all games.

And on the updated software, what kind of software are you talking about? Because certainly you are not talking about the drivers, right?

 

I just read the same article. I completely understand. Just saying as a 'consumer' Nvidia really should update theirs and my NEW product. Not replace my hardware.

 

Screwed meaning it would not be cool if developers released games that required 10.1

 

Of course not.

 

Not going to happen. Can't happen. Did you even read the quotes Lithus posted?

It would be very dumb for a developer to release a game that only works on a specific piece of hardware that does exactly the same as another with the only difference that one forces 4AA and the other has it optional.

 

It will be years before developers start requiring a DX10 card, let alone 10.1, and by then our current DX10 cards (8600GT/HD2600) will be very poor for playing new games anyway. If I had a desktop 8800 GTX, then yes, maybe it would be good to have DX10.1 supported. But even DX10 isn't worth it on the current Notebook 8600GT/HD2600 GPUs in light of the performance increases offered with DX9.

My HD 2600 just can't increase the DX10 graphical settings high enough in Crysis to see a difference in image quality, but I get a sizable boost to the framerate in DX9 mode. With a few compromises Company of Heroes runs fine in DX10 mode, but again, DX10 shaders just aren't worth it compared to having higher a higher framerate and more detail with DX9. So I couldn't care less about DX10.1 as far as support on my HD2600 goes (if a DX10.1 update was even possible). I expect it is similar for most 8600GT users too.