NVIDIA's New Software Development Kit Supports Shader Model 5.0

[D_o_S]

Even though not all game developers have adopted shader model (SM) 3.0 introduced three years ago, and some claiming that transiting to DirectX 10's shader model 4.0 right now hardly makes sense, NVIDIA's new software development kit (SDK) already features profiles for shader model 5.0, which is believed to be an improved version of the SM4.0.

NVIDIA new SDK 10, which was released just last week, apparently contains macro invocations that define the supported CG profiles, including such profiles as Fragment50, Vertex50, Geometry50, meaning that current SDK supports architecture micro-code profiles for pixel shaders 5.0, vertex shaders 5.0 and geometry shaders 5.0.

While hardly anybody knows what shader model 5.0 actually is and how much is it different from the shader model 4.0, the inclusion of the architecture micro-code inside a compiler indicates that NVIDIA foresees the arrival of shader model 5.0-capable hardware soon enough to enable game developers to compile their titles for it.

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[Ketxxx]

Zzzzzzz... unless it can at least bring improved performance over SM3, its worthless.

 

[DaMulta]

And why wouldn't it ket/?

 

[C.Ash]

And why wouldn't it ket/?

Because SM has nothing to do with performance..

Im interested in what cards are going to be utilized while using this SM5.0 profile.
And also, why are they releasing SM5.0 when SM4.0 hasnt even been utilized in a single game. And if it took them 2 months to come up with SM5.0 after SM4.0 then why did it take them 3 years to come up with SM4.0?

Even if they already have the SM5.0 technology (wich is wierd at best), they shouldnt be releasing it now because then no one would buy the SM4.0 cards. Its like Intel putting all of their efforts into creative 32nm chips right now (wich im sure they can), they arent because then they would have to price much higher than the 65nm chips and no one would buy it and so there would be no demand in all.

All in all, this is just wierd.. and quite frustrating.

 

[Eric_Cartman]

things are moving way to fast

 

[Grings]

it's a profile for developers to use, this is a good thing, considering many games can be in development for 3+ years, i remember reading in 2003 that the guys making stalker had to make loads of changes to use sm2 (they obviously had to make more for sm3)

 

[WarEagleAU]

is SM 4.0 better than 3.0?

 

[Ketxxx]

Because SM has nothing to do with performance..

Exactly. In other words, SM5 wont bring anything that hasnt been done before.

 

[DaMulta]

It has less codes to do certain things which would lead too performance increasments.

 

[Ketxxx]

Depends how its optimised. I seriously doubt it can have any significant perf gain over SM3.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

Not necessarily. Less code often means performance hit due to compilers not being able to fully optimise to microcode. Machine code >> C++ >> Visual Basic. (Most coding... middle coding... least coding)

 

[yogurt_21]

STOP the MAdness! I mean seriously give the consumers time to go to work and build up more funds before throwing something newer than the current unadopted and unimplimented shader 4. lol