Wednesday, March 13th 2019

DirectX 12 Makes Windows 7 Debut With Latest World of Warcraft Patch

by
crazyeyesreaper
 Discuss (111 Comments)
In what is likely to create a good deal of controversy along with a few cheers, Blizzard will be adding DirectX 12 support to World of Warcraft on Windows 7 thanks to a bit of effort from Microsoft. You might be wondering how that is possible? Well after seeing massive performance gains in WoW when Blizzard released their DirectX 12 update for Windows 10 in late 2018, resulted in the company wanting to bring those performance improvements to gamers still holding out on Windows 7. To facilitate this, they began talking with Microsoft who after getting a great deal of feedback from Blizzard decided to act on it. To achieve this Microsoft decided to port the user mode D3D12 runtime to Windows 7, which will unblock developers, thereby allows them to take advantage of the latest improvements that the DirectX 12 API offers while still giving full support to customers on older operating systems.

For now, World of Warcraft is the first game to run in DirectX 12 on Windows 7 with the latest 8.1.5 patch. However, they will not be the last as more developers are working on porting DirectX 12 games to Windows 7 with more announcements to follow. Microsoft, of course, has taken it upon themselves to remind everyone that the best possible performance with DirectX 12 will still be had on Windows 10 due to numerous OS optimizations. How true this is remains to be seen, but for many curmudgeons still holding out on Windows 7, this will likely be seen as a form of vindication for sticking with the now venerable OS.
Source: MSDN Blog

Related News

Add your own comment

111 Comments on DirectX 12 Makes Windows 7 Debut With Latest World of Warcraft Patch

#51
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
rtwjunkieIt’s going to be a per game basis, to only work with the patched games. WOW is first one. It will be distributed as a game patch, not MS.
Yup until someone cracks the code and makes a redist file.
newtekie1Argh, this sucks. The death of Windows 7 can't come quick enough. Using that OS is like riding a dinosaur to work at this point.
It doesnt need reinstalls like w10 does after an update breaks the os.
lexluthermiesterThat is your opinion, not shared by everyone.


A whole ton of system configs become a pain to access or just plain don't exist.
To me the UI on 7 just works and can be customized, W10s feels like the dinosaur.
Posted on Reply
#52
Legacy-ZA
Prima.VeraWhat's next? Microsoft bringing back 3D Sound acceleration for Windows?? Blasphemy!
I wish, how I wish.

Remember F.E.A.R? That games sound will still blow anyone away, or the first Bioshock. Providing they have a sound card that can make use of it. :D
Posted on Reply
#53
medi01
cucker tarlsonI jumped on the w10 wagon in 2017 thinking it'll soon get better than dx12.
With nvidia GPU it was rather optimistic.
lexluthermiesterHow does Vulkan works without kernel level support?
Doesit?
Posted on Reply
#54
chrcoluk
So how is dx12 downloaded? I dont see any download page anywhere, I want to see if its also available for windows 8.1.
Posted on Reply
#55
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
chrcolukSo how is dx12 downloaded? I dont see any download page anywhere, I want to see if its also available for windows 8.1.
Please read the thread. All answers are within. It’s been said several times.
Posted on Reply
#56
Easo
lexluthermiesterBuy a license, download the iso from Microsoft.
You cannot buy LTSB license as an individiual, only as company. Everyone here has their own business with Microsoft E1/3/whatever subscription or Enterprise agreement with Microsoft? Doesn't seem very realistic...
Tomorrowwinaero.com/blog/upgrade-windows-10-evaluation-to-full-version-easily/

In Home and Pro versions the only nags on unactivated copy are watermark and not being able to set desktop background with windows tools.
Your link still requires Enterprise MAK key or KMS server and we are not talking about Home/Pro, but LTSB.
So, again, home user, how? Legally, without piracy. It is a no-no on this forum.
Posted on Reply
#57
cucker tarlson
medi01With nvidia GPU it was rather optimistic.
I'd say that in case of nvidia it'd be pessimistic to think dx11 won't deliver 100% performance already without the need for buggy and unstable dx12 that amd recommends for radeon.
I hear division 2 is an exception.So much hype for async and the new enhanced feature of Radeon VII just to see it match 1080Ti again.Been waiting for amd to deliver that crushing dx12 performance since 2015,will this happen anytime soom?
Posted on Reply
#58
medi01
cucker tarlsonbuggy and unstable dx12
FUD is forever.
cucker tarlsonamd to deliver that crushing dx12 performance since 2015
Which GPU did you use back then?
Posted on Reply
#59
cucker tarlson
medi01FUD is forever.




Which GPU did you use back then?
Lol,fud.so basically what everyone said happened never happened according to you.Not gonna debate what is common knowledge,waste of time.I know,alternative facts are just as relevant as actual facts.

980ti and a 1440p 144hz display at that point.My first high end gaming setup,so you know I really cared about what I was getting. So glad I actually read the reviews and made an educated purchase,didn't buy (or should I say "step into") the Fury X hype.
Posted on Reply
#60
lexluthermiester
medi01Doesit?
That article explains why kernel support is not needed.
EasoYou cannot buy LTSB license as an individual
It can be done.
Posted on Reply
#61
R-T-B
lexluthermiesterBuy a license, download the iso from Microsoft.
They don't sell the licenses in one packs.
newtekie1Using that OS is like riding a dinosaur to work at this point.
Tbh that sounds epic.
lexluthermiesterHardware drivers are still interchangeable
I've yet to meet one 10 driver that could run on 7, so not really...
darksfAll of that is bullshit by first rule since the dawn of the Internet
Wannacry says hello.
lexluthermiesterIt can be done.
Not while complying with the EULA. The only way I can think an individual can legally attain ltsb is to work for a company who kindly gifts him a license.

I'm in that situation, but it's a copy of 2015 ltsb and feels rather dated now.
Posted on Reply
#62
lexluthermiester
R-T-BI've yet to meet one 10 driver that could run on 7, so not really...
I've done it a few times. Maybe it doesn't work with every single driver out there, but I have yet to find one that doesn't.
Posted on Reply
#63
mouacyk
R0H1TAdmittedly we'll have to see what DX12 features WoW has on win7, but it goes without saying that not everything will work as it does on win10.
Pretty sure it has to have better multi-threaded rendering to improve fps and framerate consistency on too-many core CPUs.
Posted on Reply
#64
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
mouacykPretty sure it has to have better multi-threaded rendering to improve fps and framerate consistency on too-many core CPUs.
W10s scheduler is still broken. Linux has it right.
Posted on Reply
#65
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
Like I said in the other thread, I get the impression Windows 7 DXDIAG won't show DirectX 12 is installed/supported. WoW will use D3D12's multithreaded rendering capabilities and submit the frame to the display driver via D3D11 calls. Microsoft says performance won't be as good as running DirectX 12 natively on Windows 10 and there's absolutely no reason to believe it will. The Windows 7 display driver isn't D3D12 compatible.
Posted on Reply
#66
lexluthermiester
FordGT90ConceptLike I said in the other thread, I get the impression Windows 7 DXDIAG won't show DirectX 12 is installed/supported. WoW will use D3D12's multithreaded rendering capabilities and submit the frame to the display driver via D3D11 calls. Microsoft says performance won't be as good as running DirectX 12 natively on Windows 10 and there's absolutely no reason to believe it will. The Windows 7 display driver isn't D3D12 compatible.
That's great thing about software, it's flexible. As long as supporting hardware is there, the software can be made to run on it. There's no magic about it, only know-how.
Posted on Reply
#67
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
lexluthermiesterThat's great thing about software, it's flexible. As long as supporting hardware is there, the software can be made to run on it. There's no magic about it, only know-how.
The truth is Microsoft could actually make the display driver environment and Windows 7 compatible with DirectX 12 or vice versa they just don't want to do it so they can force the broken operating system known as Windows 10 on everyone
Posted on Reply
#68
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
They would have to encourage Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA to push out D3D12 drivers for Windows 7 and they won't do that. Intel/AMD/NVIDIA want to EoL Windows 7 as bad as Microsoft does. Windows 10 is difficult enough to WHQL by itself with the regular RedStone updates that almost always affect the display driver.
Posted on Reply
#69
lexluthermiester
R-T-BNot while complying with the EULA. The only way I can think an individual can legally attain ltsb is to work for a company who kindly gifts him a license.
There is another way.
R-T-BI'm in that situation, but it's a copy of 2015 ltsb and feels rather dated now.
This equally applies to LTSC.
eidairaman1The truth is Microsoft could actually make the display driver environment and Windows 7 compatible with DirectX 12 or vice versa they just don't want to do it so they can force the broken operating system known as Windows 10 on everyone
Of course. This is exactly what they are doing and have been doing so since Vista with DX10. Halo2, a game that literally required the DX10 libraries, ran just fine on Windows XP after having been modified and the needed libraries included. As long as the GPU was DX10 ready the game ran perfectly. Lot's of people back then claimed that XP couldn't handle DX10 because of "kernel level this" and "driver model that". All of it was clueless nonsense.
FordGT90ConceptWindows 10 is difficult enough to WHQL by itself with the regular RedStone updates that almost always affect the display driver.
That's Microsoft's fault. If they'd quit changing things every ten seconds, hardware makers would not have these issues.
Posted on Reply
#70
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
FordGT90ConceptThey would have to encourage Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA to push out D3D12 drivers for Windows 7 and they won't do that. Intel/AMD/NVIDIA want to EoL Windows 7 as bad as Microsoft does. Windows 10 is difficult enough to WHQL by itself with the regular RedStone updates that almost always affect the display driver.
You mean updates that always break the OS, 7 you dont have to worry about that. It just works.
Posted on Reply
#71
R-T-B
lexluthermiesterThere is another way.
I'm unaware of any? Care to share? Pretty sure purchasing a license online at any website would be a license violation, (as well as falsely claiming to be a company).
eidairaman1You mean updates that always break the OS, 7 you dont have to worry about that. It just works.
Honestly I keep hearing about these but have yet to experience them. The privacy considerations are more of an ethical issue for me than anything else.
lexluthermiesterI've done it a few times. Maybe it doesn't work with every single driver out there, but I have yet to find one that doesn't.
NDIS is one case where I'm sure it won't work, because there've been like 2 revisions since 7 (network drivers).

Same with display because of WDDM changes.
lexluthermiesterI've done it a few times. Maybe it doesn't work with every single driver out there, but I have yet to find one that doesn't.
I'm curious what you've tried. I liteally could not make one do it (10 driver run on 7, 7 runs on 10 fine though) when I was experimenting.
Posted on Reply
#72
lexluthermiester
R-T-BI'm unaware of any? Care to share? Pretty sure purchasing a license online at any website would be a license violation, (as well as falsely claiming to be a company).
You have to jump through a few hoops and you have to have a reseller account. It helps if you have a business, but that's not critical.
R-T-BNDIS is one case where I'm sure it won't work, because there've been like 2 revisions since 7 (network drivers).

Same with display because of WDDM changes.
I've done a few network drivers. Never had problems.
R-T-BI'm curious what you've tried. I literally could not make one do it (10 driver run on 7, 7 runs on 10 fine though) when I was experimenting.
To be fair, now that I think about it, it's only been network, sound and chipset drivers.
Posted on Reply
#73
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
lexluthermiesterThat's Microsoft's fault. If they'd quit changing things every ten seconds, hardware makers would not have these issues.
Tech is evolve or die.
eidairaman1You mean updates that always break the OS, 7 you dont have to worry about that. It just works.
It's also a decade old and only on life support.
Posted on Reply
#74
lexluthermiester
FordGT90ConceptTech is evolve or die.


It's also a decade old and only on life support.
While I agree generally, change for the sake of change is rarely positive.
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
May 20th, 2024 20:51 EDT change timezone

Latest GPU Drivers

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts