DirectX 10 reality

One of the key changes made with the introduction of Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows Vista, is the replacement of the three-year-old DirectX 9.

The DirectX developers talk of a quantum leap in API (application programming interface) development and the first previews look promising. In this feature, we’ll look at the advantages of the new version.

DirectX 10 removes many of the weaknesses found in DirectX 9, such as the object overhead, which takes a big hit on CPU performance.

The more effficient way in which the API, the GPU (graphics processing unit) and the CPU work together results in an enormous increase in performance. For games this means, among other things, more details and more shadows – in other words, more realism.

Since June last year, the new DirectX 10 SDK (software developer’s kit) has been available for download. If you download and install the file – which is almost 400MB in size – you can take a look at some of the new features.

The SDK is really a sort of preview that lets you look over the DirectX development team’s shoulders for an overview of the development status.

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