Microsoft today introduced DirectX 12 at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. DX12 is Microsoft's latest version of the graphics API that is the dominant standard in the growing, $25 billion PC gaming industry. Developers have been asking for a thinner, more efficient API that allows them to control hardware resources more directly. Despite significant efficiency improvements delivered by continuous advancement of existing API implementations, next-generation applications want to extract all possible performance from multi-core systems. Developers also want to take direct advantage of advanced GPU hardware features, from which developers are currently insulated to provide fool-proof usage. DirectX 12 was designed from scratch to provide the infrastructure for these advanced applications.
DirectX 12 will mirror many of the improvements AMD implemented in its own Mantle API. The big news today was that DX12 will support more than just the PC and will work on existing hardware. Microsoft will bring DX12 to all of its platforms, including the Xbox One and even Windows Phone. Which hardware will be DX12-compatible? AMD said all of its Graphics Core Next-based Radeon GPUs (i.e. Radeon HD 7000 series and newer) will work with the new API. Nvidia pledged support for all Fermi, Kepler, and Maxwell (i.e. GeForce GTX 400 series and newer) parts.
The DirectX 12 API would not be limited to desktop PCs but since AMD has hardware implemented in Microsoft’s Xbox One, the benefits of the latest Direct3D 12 API would be forwarded to the next generation console. Turn10 studios demoed a short video of FORZA 5 running with new API maintaining a smooth 60 FPS frame rate with all new rendering features implemented. Since Xbox One has full support of DirectX 12 API, we will see upcoming games for the console to offer improved performance.
Next up was Eric Mentzer from chipzilla, Intel, who announced that their Fourth generation of Haswell CPUs will feature full support for the DirectX 12 API. However, there’s a restriction and only processors which feature the Iris and Iris Pro graphics chip will adopt the new Direct3D API. Intel recently announced that their Haswell refresh platform processors with unlocked K-Series design will feature the Iris Pro graphics chip. This means that Intel’s upcoming generation of processors will fully be compatible with DirectX 12 and offer improved speed and driver support in multiple apps and games. The Iris Pro with DirectX 12 can now become a great addition for NUCs and Mini PCs such as Gigabyte BRIX resulting in a great platform for Steam Machines.
Lastly, we have NVIDIA on the desktop front who announced that DirectX 12 API would be supported by not just their Maxwell and Kepler GPUs but also by their Fermi core architecture. Fermi was launched back in 2010 and NVIDIA supporting the GPU architecture to this date is great news for those users who still have Fermi GPUs running in their rigs. Following is NVIDIA’s note on the DirectX 12 API:
Speaking to a crowd of about 500 developers and press, Anuj Gosalia, development manager of DirectX at Microsoft, described DX12 as the joint effort of hardware vendors, game developers and his team. Our work with Microsoft on DirectX 12 began more than four years ago with discussions about reducing resource overhead. For the past year, NVIDIA has been working closely with the DirectX team to deliver a working design and implementation of DX12 at GDC. Read more:
NVIDIA: DirectX 12 Is Huge Improvement for Gaming
