DirectX 11: Is it Worth It?

Many PC gamers have already made the switch from DirectX 9 and 10, to Microsoft's latest DirectX 11 platform. Originally revealed at Gamefest in '08, the DX11's major features include DirectCompute, tessellation, and improved support for multi-core processors. However, as we close in on a half year since the release of the platform, those who haven't made the move yet are stuck in the middle. Let's review a few of the features included, and hopefully help those of you who are still riding it out on the Radeon 4 series or even Nvidia's latest. (Minus the Fermi's)

DirectCompute

DirectCompute is a feature included in DirectX 11 that allows for the use of GPGPU techniques, or processing that is usually done by the CPU, done by the GPU. This allows quicker and more detailed rendering of objects and more realistic effects, presumably fixing problems such as pop in when playing large scale games.

Tessellation

Tessellation is the display of several details shapes on a plane with no spaces or gaps in between. Objects such as floors and walls appear with more depth and realism. For example, a game may display a roof that appears detailed, but when looked at from an even elevation, appears flat and two dimensional. When tessellation is incorporated, the roof will be viewed as a 3D object on screen, and not just a flat paper thin surface.

Multi-thread Support

Multi-thread support allows the latest games to make much better use of processors that have four or more cores. Many games in DirectX9 and 10 made use of multi-core processors such as Grand Theft Auto 4, but most only took full advantage of dual-core processors. With DirectX 11, environments will be much larger thanks to multi-core processing, and we should begin to see much more freedom and exploration in open world games.

Current DirectX 11 Games

In short, there aren't many yet. I'll list a few; Aliens vs. Predator, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, BattleForge, DiRT 2, Metro 2033, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. : Call of Pripyat. While these games can be run with DirectX 10 and earlier GPUs, they will make use of the newer features included in DX11 cards. However, it doesn't seem that developers have gotten the most use out of the new interface yet. These games have the potential to look about the same; beautiful with or without a DirectX11 card.

Future DirectX 11 Games

These games offer a powerful argument for upgrading to a DX11 compatible GPU. Crysis 2, Civilization V, GRID 2. It is well known that developer Crytek will push Crysis 2 to the limit on PC. It will probably be the first game to make full use of the new features, most importantly for graphics fanatics, tessellation.

Should You Wait? Or a More Valid Question, How Long Should You Wait?

Microsoft has a habit of releasing a new DirectX platform every 1.5 to 2 years. With more recent releases, the time frame has been about three years between each new release. DirectX 9 was released in 2003, DirectX 10 in 2006, DirectX11 in 2009. The main worry would be buying a new GPU, only to realize that DirectX 12 would be released in less than a year. That doesn't seem to be the case here for anyone planning on buying a card before the end of 2010.

Altogether, with recent trends of releases and several new major features in this release, DirectX 11 seems like a worthy upgrade, even six months late. Nvidia has yet to release their mainstream DX11 cards, so support in the latest games and software will only increase in the future. Those who decide to wait it out with their last generation cards may have to wait up to two years for the next platform release, so outdated hardware may be an issue.