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[Diablos]

I posted the news on another forum, about how DX10 will emulate DX9, 8, 7, etc. through a "software" layer.

Here's one of the responses I got:

Not software, a software layer. DirectX9 games will still be hardware accelerated, but there will be an added layer between the API and the low-level stuff. Any speed decrease from this should be negligable, though.

To put it in pseudocode, this is how DX9 currently works (more or less):

DirectX9Function() { //low-level stuff }

And this is how DX9 with DX10 will probably work (more or less):

DirectX10Function() { //low-level stuff } DirectX9Function() { DirectX10Function(); }

In other words, the added software layer will turn DX9 operations into the appropriate DX10 operations.

Also, just to point out, this development is a good thing. It means they can begin with a clean slate, without design mistakes they made in earlier versions haunting them and causing complications, resulting in what most likely will be a better product than it could have been otherwise (see also: Firefox).

If this is true, then it actually may not be so bad...

 

[Shompola]

I thought it was dx10 operations getting converted to dx9 operations? I thought the hardware that will not get harmed in any way are the dx10+ hardware. I thouight the layer was for older hardware still working with newer dx10 games thru the layer.

 

[Diablos]

Beats the hell outta me, that's why I made the topic for others more informed to perhaps figure out if what I quoted makes sense.

 

[Phoenix]

Drivers that are DX10 COM compliant will take DX9 instructions and map them to the equivalent DX9 calls. In most cases they will be 1:1 so its not a big deal, though you will get some API overhead at the CPU - so unless you application is CPU bound (i.e. lack of CPU is what is keeping it from running faster) you likely won't notice any speed difference.

 

[Hitokage]

Um, I don't think any vid card natively runs DX or OGL calls so I can't imagine it mattering much as long as DX can talk to the driver and games can talk to DX.

 

[Diablos]

Drivers that are DX10 COM compliant will take DX9 instructions and map them to the equivalent DX9 calls. In most cases they will be 1:1 so its not a big deal, though you will get some API overhead at the CPU - so unless you application is CPU bound (i.e. lack of CPU is what is keeping it from running faster) you likely won't notice any speed difference.

My 2400+ won't handle this too well, I'd imagine.