Microsoft DirectX 10.1 Version – Final Update for DirectX 10

Microsoft DirectX version 10.1 is projected to be the last and final update to the DirectX 10 application programming interface (API), the head of developer relations of ATI, graphics product group of Advanced Micro Devices, recently said.

While Microsoft DirectX 9 had several shader models, including versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0b and 3.0, the DirectX 10 will exist in two versions, 10.0 and 10.1, said Richard Huddy, worldwide developer relations manager of AMD’s graphics product group at a conference recently.

The DirectX 10.1 is a relatively minor superset of DirectX 10, but it will last for quite a time, unlike the 2.0a or 2.0b versions of shader model 2.0 that were promoted back in 2003 and 2004 by Nvidia and ATI, which did not become popular due to availability of shader model 3.0.

If Microsoft does not have plans to develop its DirectX 10 further and will concentrate on the DirectX 11 instead, developers of graphics processing units (GPUs) will not need to add any new functionality to their products and will therefore have to focus on performance, rather than on innovation of functionality. But that is hardly a bad news: presently performance-demanding DX10 games, such as Call of Juarez or Crysis, cannot show adequate framerate on current-generation ATI Radeon HD or Nvidia GeForce 8 hardware.

Unfortunately, actual availability timeframe for Microsoft DirectX 10.1, which is supported by ATI Radeon HD 3000-series GPUs, remains unclear. It is expected that the version 10.1 will be featured in Microsoft Windows Vista service pack 1, which is due sometime in 2008.

It is unclear whether ATI, graphics product group of AMD, and Nvidia Corp. plan to change their DirectX 10/10.1 architectures going forward, or will rely on making large chips using thinner process technologies with higher amount of execution units as well as improving multi-GPU technologies.

Source

New Nvidia GeForce 8800GTS

Nvidia has postponed its upcoming GeForce 8800GTS GPU from the original launch date of November 19 to December 11, according to sources at graphics card makers.

The new GeForce 8800GTS 512MB cards will replace the previous generation GeForce 8800GTS 640MB cards with a 65nm process GPU supporting PCI Express 2.0, HDMI and PureVideo Gen2. The GPU will have 128 streaming processors, 970MHz GDDR3 memory frequency, 650MHz core frequency and a maximum TDP of 140W, according to the sources.

Since the G92 graphics chip on which the GeForce 8800GTS is based has shown good performance after overclocking in the recently launch 8800GT series cards, several graphics card makers are planning to launch overclocked versions of the 8800GTS to boost demand.

GeForce 8800GTS 512MB cards are expected to be priced around US$299-349.

Source

Take Control of Your Components With ESA

What if you could control and monitor all aspects of your computer, from the power supply to the chassis, in order to boost its performance? The concept isn’t new to power users, who sometimes go to elaborate lengths to maximize their PCs’ speed. But a new open standard, Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA), spearheaded by nVidia, might help make this component information easier to access.

“ESA enables components such as chassis, power supplies, and water-cooling systems to communicate status and control in real time,” said Waleed Zamel, nVidia’s technical marketing manager, in a statement. “ESA-compliant applications provide enthusiasts with unprecedented software control to achieve better performance [and] optimal thermal and acoustic operating environments.”

nVidia's partners in promoting ESA include system builders and component manufacturers such as Asus, Cooler Master, Dell, Falcon Northwest, Gigabyte, HP, and Thermaltake. At press time, CoolIt Systems was offering its Freezone Elite CPU Cooler, which features the MTEC Control Center module. ESA-compliant motherboards and desktops should be available by the time you read this.

“By providing ESA-compliant [equipment], it enables users to exploit the full potential of the hardware,” said Zamel in the statement. “This kind of engineering cooperation is targeted to enable our mutual enthusiast customers to push the technology to new heights.”

Source