Sunday, April 22nd 2007
DirectX10 Coming for everyone, with the help of the 'Alky Project'
We all know that DirectX10, for many of us, means an expensive upgrade and the move to a new operating system. We also know that DirectX10 is going to be necessary to play DX10 games such as Crysis and Halo 2 for the PC. What if I told you that a project sought to change that? That you could run DirectX10-exclusive games such as Halo 2 for PC on a DirectX9 platform with Windows 2000? Thanks to the Alky Project, we may not have to spend a penny to enjoy DirectX10 goodness. A quote from their official blog (I know, it's not an official web-page, but they do link to working models) tells us exactly how we can make DirectX10 work without spending at least $270 on a DirectX10 upgrade ($170 NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT, $100 Windows Vista Home Basic).
Source:
Blogspot
I'm proud to release a preview of our DirectX 10 compatibility libraries. These libraries allow the use of DirectX 10 games on platforms other than Microsoft Vista, and increase hardware compatibility even on Vista, by compiling Geometry Shaders down to native machine code for execution where hardware isn't capable of running it. No longer will you have to upgrade your OS and video card(s) to play the latest games.The preview/beta build is here. Make sure to read the README file, as it will tell you exactly how to install the project.
89 Comments on DirectX10 Coming for everyone, with the help of the 'Alky Project'
and dx10 class fetures should be 98% compatable with x1k cards due to how programable they are, older cards.....well no, but the code could be recompiled to run better on x800 range cards with more fetures then normal dx9 mode gives.
by the time vista is mature, the next version of windows will be out and ready for use, i wouldnt pay for vista period, its just not worth it.
dx10 could be made by ms to support 2k and up, it would just be a matter of ms accepting that people dont want vista and want dx10 for xp, hell i know ppl who would PAY for that addon!!!!!
but ms wants to push vista on EVERYBODY, i hear ms is PISSED that dell is offering xp again, cant blame them its "old news" and they got this new thing called vista they want to try and convence everybody is "better in every way on all hardware" when really its just bloated betaware shit, i have installed and tested vista on 6 systems, its NEVER been faster then 2000 or 2003, duno about xp, i gave up on xp long ago, to many problems for me(hotfixes/critical hotfixes/critical security updates that break shit.....piss me off)
i would like to see MS do something smart and put out a new vista like os thats more like 2003 server, vs xp, cut down, clean, fast, stable, none of the problems or bloat that the desktop versions force you to deal with......
and this isnt pure dx10 software emulation, its not using software to emulate missing fetures, its converting the code to run using current videocards.
i hope they can manage this, allow people with high end ati hardware at least play dx10 games on their curent hardware with their current windows :)
www.techreport.com/reviews/2006q4/geforce-8800/index.x?pg=1
The G80 IS a unified shader architecture, just as the R600 will be. (and the R500/Xenos in the 360 is)
DX10 and D3D10 are still two seperate things. DX10 has no Directdraw, so it definately CANNOT work on a 2D operating system. IF, if, MS decide to port Direct3D10 over to XP, this part is possible - but what of the apps that want to use the other features, like vistas new audio stack, improved networking code and so on? They cant just throw those into XP, it'd break everything that currently works there.
Thats why MS is doing it all-or-nothing, but it IS possible for say, a linux with a 3D GUI to 'emulate' all these things just line WINE can emulate DX9 (however imperfectly)
and waz, i cant reammber where but i sware nvidia said or at least implyed that the 8800(g80) wasnt true unified because ITS NOT NEEDED TO SUPPORT DX10.
all you need to get a dx10 sticker is sm4.0 support, nothing more, unified is prefered but not requiered.
again if you dont belive me READ THE SPECS!!!!! they are publicly avalable u know.
one comment on the 8800 design, i alwase find it funny that nvidia went with an external chip for analog/hdtv signals, because really according to vista/hollywood requierments that shouldnt be allowed because somebody could possably hardware hack and get access to a HD signal bypassing HDCP, a big part of why card costs are going back up, all this stupid useless DRM crap that is already made 100% useless by anydvdHD and the like........screw ms and screw hollywood.
Any 3D system thats dissasembled will become 2D at its base point, an OS obviously because VDU systems currently used are 2D. We arent using holographic displays, so of course MS would have used a 2D display and worked it into their 3D engine.
Do not invent things i have not said, or make up facts you know nothing about.
DX10 is an SM4.0 sticker? Actually, i think you mean Direct3D10, DX10 is an entire package, and NOT just the video component.
vista starter just dosnt have areo, but that dosnt make sence because, well vista is a 3d os according to you.........then again, your effectivly saying my gf2gts is a dx9 card as well.......
guess your right, vista is 100% pure dx9 3d, no 2d at all......
I think what he meant was to have a card DX10 Certified all you need to do is be SM4.0 compliant, Your card does not have to have unified shaders although that is a big push as we all know it will be more efficient. :ohwell:
"but we can surmise that the G80 has the approximate surface area of Rosie O'Donnell
:roll: :roll:
sg.vr-zone.com/?i=4352
and anybody stupid enought to pry the heatspreder off a card they payed that kinda $ for has to much $ for their own good, or shouldnt have a computer to start with, stupid people suck.
I like my x1900xtx with all that naked silicone :)
Oh and if you really must know, they had a dead review card they pried the IHS off - no wasted money.
Get proper info 1st, then shout all you want :p We're all not stupid you know...
Well your response wasn't that bad spoonmuffin, as ppl are really angry with the NO DX10 on XP thing, it's totally obvious for any1 to get angry and say the 'future' thing is SHIT! cuz ppl have to buy all new gpu's again :p I'm with you on this part.
But...
8800 IS unified shader architecture, so keep quiet about this line ;)
Also, DX10 i.e D3D10 allows the use of more shaders for game makers to use, and to utilise that u need a DX10 compatible gpu, THAT you don't have ATM as I see in your specs...
But not to worry, cuz no dx10 games are near for some time :ohwell:
Uber Dx9 cards WILL run DX10 games but with SM3 it'll look worse than of SM4...
@ the Vista GUI part,
Aero or the GUI of Vista is the complete desktop, i.e anything u see on the desktop is drawn in 3D BUT isn't dx10, lol @ how could any1 think that! :p
It's Dx9, due to the fact that microsoft has said a dx9 card is required atleast as min requirement of Vista.
ALSO, AERO IS 100% 3d GUI. The process called dwm.exe controls/manages the aero.
IF you disable Aero, the dwm.exe pulls out the curtain and reveals a non-3d gui which is sorta like 98. But it's NOT aero and isn't 3d accelerated.
SO, only the AERO (the main gui of vista) is 3d accelerated, BUT NOT the all GUI's of of vista. SO, Vista doesn't need a dx9 card to RUN, but just to show the Aero UI properly
An onboard video card has also been heard to run aero, but with some modification and forced execution.
and as stated by BX, not areo uses 3d fetures of cards, never said it didnt, but with areo dissabled guess what u get WINDOWS EXPLORER!!!!! same old 2d enterface you get with xp, just diffrent themes.
and quote is DIRRECTLY FROM MICROSOFT!!!!!!
the dx9 support is only needed to run areo, not vista itself, but hey if you want to buy a gf2gts that runs dx9 let me know, i have one(if it runs vista then it must be dx9 afterall)
hell my buddys tested vista on 2 server boxes he has when he upgraded the hdd's, they have rage pro class onboard video(8mb) guess what, IT RUNS FINE(opteron systems with tyan boards)
infact its the rage XL
www.tyan.com/product_board_detail.aspx?pid=109
the onboard video used
ati.amd.com/products/server/ragexl/features.html
this is a VERY basick chip, not even rage128 class, its effectivly a rage2 pro with 8mb vram, but under Mussels version of reality i guess its dx9 to.........
check the link this time Mussels ms specs are quoted above for you, vista starter(vista without areo) runs on ANY videocard capable of 800x600 or better resolutions, you can admit your wrong about vista being 100% 3d any time.
areo=3d over old standby 2d windows gui.
OK, 1st of all Vista starter is NOT an OS for even basic use, it's just for testing how will Vista look like :) So, it isn't even Vista's 10% ;)
and starter just looks like normal vista in 2d mode insted of areo mode.