Importance of DirectX 9 compatability

Hi,
I'll be ordering a system with the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro
(http://www.ati.com/products/radeon90...ro/index.html). I like the
card because it is relatively cheap, has on screen TV viewing capability, and
enough memory (64 MB) to drive the somewhat low-fi games I plan on using (Sim
City 4000, Age of Empires) but I am worried because it only states having
DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is DirectX 9
not an issue for most users? I do plan on doing some basic home video editing
if that is an issue.
Thanks for the help, Steve.

You're card will work under DX9. Its just can't take advantage of some new
instructions and capabilities in DX9. Bottom line: you're new card will
work.

Mike

"Steve" <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.edu ...
> Hi,
> I'll be ordering a system with the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro
> (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon90...ro/index.html). I like the
> card because it is relatively cheap, has on screen TV viewing capability,
and
> enough memory (64 MB) to drive the somewhat low-fi games I plan on using
(Sim
> City 4000, Age of Empires) but I am worried because it only states having
> DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
DirectX 9
> not an issue for most users? I do plan on doing some basic home video
editing
> if that is an issue.
> Thanks for the help, Steve.

you're means you are


"Mike Clair" <theclair@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:oeX4b.76358$la.1914290@news1.calgary.shaw.ca. ..
> You're card will work under DX9. Its just can't take advantage of some new
> instructions and capabilities in DX9. Bottom line: you're new card will
> work.
>
> Mike
>
> "Steve" <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.edu ...
> > Hi,
> > I'll be ordering a system with the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro
> > (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon90...ro/index.html). I like
the
> > card because it is relatively cheap, has on screen TV viewing
capability,
> and
> > enough memory (64 MB) to drive the somewhat low-fi games I plan on using
> (Sim
> > City 4000, Age of Empires) but I am worried because it only states
having
> > DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
> DirectX 9
> > not an issue for most users? I do plan on doing some basic home video
> editing
> > if that is an issue.
> > Thanks for the help, Steve.
>
>

Steve <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message news:<MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.ed u>...
> but I am worried because it only states having
> DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
> DirectX 9 not an issue for most users?

It won't effect you at all. The biggest feature DX9 added was managed
DirectX support (meaning DirectX could be used from the Managed DX
languages, such as C# and VB.NET). It also added a high-level shader
language, but didn't add much in the way of new 3D features for the
end-user. DX9 is mostly a "programmer upgrade." So the card you
ordered will work fine.

If you need any of the DX9 features (which I doubt), DX9 will be
installed on your system with the app. But I can't think of anything
aside from managed language support that you might even need. Most of
the 3D features are DX8.1.

> I do plan on doing some basic home video editing
> if that is an issue.

Nope. :-)

Right, right. Serves me right for posting when tired. Me fail english?
That's unpossible.

Mike

"gappy" <fake@email.com> wrote in message
news:3f546456$0$46006$65c69314@mercury.nildram.net ...
> you're means you are
>
>
> "Mike Clair" <theclair@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:oeX4b.76358$la.1914290@news1.calgary.shaw.ca. ..
> > You're card will work under DX9. Its just can't take advantage of some
new
> > instructions and capabilities in DX9. Bottom line: you're new card will
> > work.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > "Steve" <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message
> > news:MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.edu ...
> > > Hi,
> > > I'll be ordering a system with the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro
> > > (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon90...ro/index.html). I like
> the
> > > card because it is relatively cheap, has on screen TV viewing
> capability,
> > and
> > > enough memory (64 MB) to drive the somewhat low-fi games I plan on
using
> > (Sim
> > > City 4000, Age of Empires) but I am worried because it only states
> having
> > > DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
> > DirectX 9
> > > not an issue for most users? I do plan on doing some basic home video
> > editing
> > > if that is an issue.
> > > Thanks for the help, Steve.
> >
> >
>
>

On 2 Sep 2003 06:49:55 -0700, chris@bucketobits.com (Frecklefoot)
wrote:

>Steve <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message news:<MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.ed u>...
>> but I am worried because it only states having
>> DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
>> DirectX 9 not an issue for most users?
>
>It won't effect you at all. The biggest feature DX9 added was managed
>DirectX support (meaning DirectX could be used from the Managed DX
>languages, such as C# and VB.NET). It also added a high-level shader
>language, but didn't add much in the way of new 3D features for the
>end-user. DX9 is mostly a "programmer upgrade." So the card you
>ordered will work fine.
>
>If you need any of the DX9 features (which I doubt), DX9 will be
>installed on your system with the app. But I can't think of anything
>aside from managed language support that you might even need. Most of
>the 3D features are DX8.1.

Does all this mean that DX9 games won't be such a huge leap over DX8
ones?

Lynley

Magius <magius@netactive.co.za> wrote in message news:<59a9lvskjvcf9tne3kmv6vdbkdjjtvs6ik@4ax.com>. ..
> >If you need any of the DX9 features (which I doubt), DX9 will be
> >installed on your system with the app. But I can't think of anything
> >aside from managed language support that you might even need. Most of
> >the 3D features are DX8.1.
>
> Does all this mean that DX9 games won't be such a huge leap over DX8
> ones?

Yes. I think there are some shader model 2 pixel shaders (just read
this info yesterday) that aren't available in DX8.1, but aside from
that, there aren't any huge improvements in DX9 over 8.1. Probably
(for end-users) the biggest improvements are bug fixes and
optimizations.

On a related note, I want to get a new video card. My motherboard
supposedly takes AGP 4x.

Most of the cards today say they are AGP 8x.

Are they backward compatible? Will an 8x card work in a 4x slot?

BJ

some think the generality and power of PS 2.0 shaders over PS 1.x shaders
will result in better games.

I am sure the HL2 developers would agree with that, as would others.

"Frecklefoot" <chris@bucketobits.com> wrote in message
news:dfd57bb5.0309030536.575efe08@posting.google.c om...
> Magius <magius@netactive.co.za> wrote in message
news:<59a9lvskjvcf9tne3kmv6vdbkdjjtvs6ik@4ax.com>. ..
> > >If you need any of the DX9 features (which I doubt), DX9 will be
> > >installed on your system with the app. But I can't think of anything
> > >aside from managed language support that you might even need. Most of
> > >the 3D features are DX8.1.
> >
> > Does all this mean that DX9 games won't be such a huge leap over DX8
> > ones?
>
> Yes. I think there are some shader model 2 pixel shaders (just read
> this info yesterday) that aren't available in DX8.1, but aside from
> that, there aren't any huge improvements in DX9 over 8.1. Probably
> (for end-users) the biggest improvements are bug fixes and
> optimizations.

Mike Clair wrote:

> You're card will work under DX9. Its just can't take advantage of some new
> instructions and capabilities in DX9. Bottom line: you're new card will
> work.
>

Just might not give best result for games like DOOM3 or Starwars Galaxy
online.



>
> Mike
>
> "Steve" <SRossiter@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.19b951c8329924e39896a3@news.fullerton.edu ...
> > Hi,
> > I'll be ordering a system with the ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro
> > (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon90...ro/index.html). I like the
> > card because it is relatively cheap, has on screen TV viewing capability,
> and
> > enough memory (64 MB) to drive the somewhat low-fi games I plan on using
> (Sim
> > City 4000, Age of Empires) but I am worried because it only states having
> > DirectX 8.1 capability. Is this something I should worry about or is
> DirectX 9
> > not an issue for most users? I do plan on doing some basic home video
> editing
> > if that is an issue.
> > Thanks for the help, Steve.