Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX 9.0 includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX 9.0 APIs.Update: SDK download listing.
DirectX 9.0 Released
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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A link would be nice. I can’t find any information on MS’s direct x page or downloads page. Is this a release or a public beta? Where’d you see this Eugenia? Have you installed it yet? Any performance improvements?
It looks like they changed their minds about the release.
Does anyone knows WHERE I CAN GET THE SDK ? Besides betaplace..of course..
Duh! I made a typo while writing the story on our backend, and instead of HREF I wrote HRE, so the link was not rendering (but it was viewable if you would do a “view source”). I now fixed it, just click on the second link on this story to download the setup program of DX9.
I am still downloading DX 9 on my brother’s computer here in Greece (he’s on a slow 56k modem), so I don’t know of any DX changes yet.
Not much seems to have changed externally. There is a new DirectX logo that resembles the X-Box logo. Also, the dxdiag.exe application checks for digital driver signatures from Microsoft’s web site. The Direct3D tests now do separate testing for three separate versions of the hardware accelerated Direct3D COM interface. That’s all that I have notice so far…on to 3D Mark 2001 SE for benchmarking…
for dx9 drivers from your specific vendor.. rc0 screwed up alot of things for ppl with old dx8 or dx8.1 drivers (depending on nvidia or ati drivers respectively, since nvidia only have dx8 hw)
“so I don’t know of any DX changes yet.”
Only the latest ATI video cards are able to use DX9. For all the other, they will only used a compatibility mode in DX9 against the oldest. To be clear, except ATI 9000/9500 card, you will run DX7 or DX8 with a DX9 driver. So pay 350$ for a new card if you want to see anything. The acronym of M$ is not always unjustified ;-)))
No change…
> Only the latest ATI video cards are able to use DX9. For all the other, they will only
> used a compatibility mode in DX9 against the oldest. To be clear, except ATI 9000/9500
> card, you will run DX7 or DX8 with a DX9 driver. So pay 350$ for a new card if you
> want to see anything. The acronym of M$ is not always unjustified ;-)))
Providing hardware acceleration of new features without actually having the hardware present would be a neat trick.
There aren’t any games that make use of DX9 yet. When there are games that use DX9 they will ship a DX9 installer on the CD.
Xavier is right, too. No current cards (except for the high-end ATi 9XXX series) are even DX9 compliant. This download won’t do much of anything in terms of performance or stability for current games.
Providing hardware acceleration of new features without actually having the hardware present would be a neat trick.
Who said compatibility mode used any sort of hardware accelleration. DX (all versions) has always had a full fall-back mode if a gven card didn’t support certain features that were being called upon. The calls are sent to the CPU and handled there. Slow, yes, but it is compatibility.
From the inquirer:
A source close to Microsoft’s plans said that the download is really still a beta release candidate and not even RC1, and there will be more releases in the coming months.
That means, he said, that by then ATI will not have the only card that supports DX9 and that the driver support for this release is very very minimal.
Further, there does not yet seem to be a public SDK. Apparently Phil Taylor, in charge of the DirectX 9 programme at Microsoft recently left.
He said: “Anyone who uses this except on a spare machine is nuts.”
“Xavier is right, too. No current cards (except for the high-end ATi 9XXX series) are even DX9 compliant. This download won’t do much of anything in terms of performance or stability for current games.”
Or compatibility
DX9 should has be released one week ago but they decided to release it the 19th.
By the way, 3D Mark 2003 (using DX9) should be released at the same time.
(http://www.futuremark.com)
So, at least, it will be a good reason to get DX9
(http://www.futuremark.com)
So, at least, it will be a good reason to get DX9
Again, only if you have a DX capable video card (e.g. The ATi 9XXX series). For anyone else the release of DX9 is pretty much a non-event. Especially since it hasn’t been released yet.
DX9 wasn’t released today and Microsoft’s DX web pages don’t even mention it yet. I find it very irresponsible of OSNews to run a misleading story announcing that is is released. The link is to an installer of dubious quality (beta? alpha? release candidate?) that could potentially cause you to have to reinstall Windows.
All DX betas are time-locked. They go bad on a certain date. If the next beta (or the release) hasn’t been made available by that date then DX applications will fail to run on the machine. DX can’t be uninstalled, so the only way to get back to a working version is to reinstall the OS.
Installing a beta of DX is not something that should be considered lightly. That’s why MS doesn’t promote them on their website. OS News is playing a dangerous game by announcing to unsuspecting people that DX9 (release) is out and then providing a link to a beta version. The harm done to a users machine because of this could be severe.
How often do you download and install DX without a game that supports it? Nobody in clear mind will download unstable DX from microsoft and everybody knows there is no official release DX9 from MS, as there was no DX9 advertis. from MS. Besides, reinstalling Windows isn’t that hard and tedious as it takes not more than 45-60 minutes. Therefore, OSNews didn’t do anything seriously-damaging to your PC, unless you are a complete moron.
No need no reinstall the OD. Just make a restore point before installing DX. So…once again….does anyone know where can i get the SDK ?
it’s not a beta version, it even not the RC1, it’s really the final version.
After installing, the (new dx9) dxdiag program reports that all DLL are ‘Final Retail’
When installing a beta versions, there were a ‘time limit’ and dxdiag reported as ‘beta retail’
Anywore, it’s not announced, because MS DirectX page is not yet updated.
When Win2K SP3 was released, it was not officially on the MS web site but you were able to get it, and it was really the final version.
Btw, you can always try DirectX Eradicator at http://www1.freewebs.com/firecat/
in order to uninstall directx
On the Microsoft web site now :
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=51608b06-a…
Better than the ‘worm’ link address I think …
If it wasn’t clear to anyone by now, it is indeed a final release, not time locked. Time locked betas report the expire date when you install them, this one did not. In addition the dlls are ‘final’ and now we have the link above…quit trying to scare people about reinstalling the OS and the like sheesh.
You can find the links to the SDK and Redistributable on http://www.MSFN.org as well as many other DirectX 9.0 goodies. 🙂
Waiting patiently for an apology from Anonymous @ ntelos.net..
hah..don’t hold your breath
http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?url=/downloads/list…
DX9 SDK, redist, the whole bit. Yes it’s final.
ATI also has released Catalyst v3.0 drivers, including new ones for the 9700/9500 cards:
http://www.ati.com/products/pc/catalyst/dx9demos.html
Have fun and Merry Xmas.
Waiting patiently for an apology from Anonymous @ ntelos.net..
At the time of my posting DX9 was not officially released by Microsoft. Their pages still pointed to DX8.1 and the file that had been put up earlier by them had been pulled. That DX9 is now available at Microsoft just further underscores my point that Eugenia’s announcement was early and wholy irresponsible for the way it was presented.
heh..
Apology for what, exactly?
For fear-mongering…
All DX betas are time-locked. They go bad on a certain date. If the next beta (or the release) hasn’t been made available by that date then DX applications will fail to run on the machine. DX can’t be uninstalled, so the only way to get back to a working version is to reinstall the OS.
And DirectX 9 was released when Eugenia linked to the download, and you incorrectly stated that it wasn’t.The software was released, the main page just had not been updated yet. Not only that, you were very rude about it. You jumped to conclusions, spouted off, forgot a bold tag, and looked like an idiot. (It would be nice if there was a preview button on OSnews though, I’m sure I will forget a tag someday soon, too…)
Pat
What sort of security enhancements are required for DirectX? Or is this yet another way of M$ cramming DRM down our throats? Ahhhhhhggggghhhhhh…..
What “security” issues? What’s to be unsecure about graphics software?
Some of the security enhancements are around multiplayer networking (DirectPlay), protections against spoofing other players, etc. Remember that DirectX is more than just graphics.
…of course there is still plenty of time.
Why are so many people extremely reluctant to just upgrade their version of DirectX? I mean it’s not like anything’s going to spazz out. Hell, my TNT2 chugs along just fine with this new release. I mean really, you might as well start complaining “Meh why upgrade to the latest version of Mozilla/Netscape/Opera/Internet Explorer? My current version works just fine.”
It’s about getting ready and generally good computer-keeping. Up-to-date software is a must these days, in such a rapidly evolving industry.
no changes could be noticed, but for one that dx9 locks up different games (Q3, etc) and reboot is required
Unless there is a game that needs it, I wouldn’t install a new version, Normally, from experience, I find the newer version more resource hungry. It was only recently that I got DX8 installed, BTW.
There most definitely are people out there who may want to upgrade whether there are any “games out there that support it yet” or not…
namely the developers who MAKE said games…
i guess the fact that the sdk is available and that means companies can “officially” start supporting this isnt important news to anyone though ;o)
Basically games folk would have had their mits on this for a while – even carmack despite the fact that he prefers OpenGL (and with good cause – it’s not M$).
Other developers using DX8 SDK (like me – for my final year project) will take note of the release and maybe support it – i’m not going to cos i’ll never use any of the extra features (and I am talking as if I had a card that could use them of course).
> no changes could be noticed, but for one that dx9 locks up different games (Q3,
> etc) and reboot is required
DirectX does not lock up games. In all seven versions of DirectX that were publicly released, I cannot remember a single patch or upgrade that was required to fix a lock-up issue. DirectX is itself merely a COM interface to the hardware that games use. It is much more likely that the games, drivers, or hardware would crash, and I would suspect from your post that it is the latter two.
> Unless there is a game that needs it, I wouldn’t install a new version, Normally,
> from experience, I find the newer version more resource hungry. It was only
> recently that I got DX8 installed, BTW.
I have not seen much of a difference with either of the two Athlon PCs here, although they do have 256 MB of RAM. One is an Athlon XP @ 1.4 GHz and the other is an older Slot A Athlon @ 950 MHz.
Personally, if I will have to troubleshoot my computer, I would rather do it now instead of when I get a new game that requires it. It is no fun having to spend an hour or two trying to start a game that you just purchased.
> Basically games folk would have had their mits on this for a while – even carmack
> despite the fact that he prefers OpenGL (and with good cause – it’s not M$).
I thought that was taken back a while ago when he announced that DirectX and OpenGL were about equal in features and usability.
> Other developers using DX8 SDK (like me – for my final year project) will take
> note of the release and maybe support it – i’m not going to cos i’ll never use
> any of the extra features (and I am talking as if I had a card that could use
> them of course).
Saying that you will support a new version of DirectX makes no sense. Each new version provides the interfaces of all the old versions. DirectX 9.0 should still support the IDirectDraw COM object. Newer versions merely add new components, not change existing components.
Unless you haven’t noticed, I’m not really a gamer. 🙂