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ShAdOwCoN

You might have come across these terms Directx and OpenGL terms . Like for Example the Nvidia GeForce 8600Gt is DirectX10 enabled

Directx
DirectX is a collection of API (Application program Interface) for handling Multimedia based tasks like Videos and gaming .Its made by Microsoft

Direct3D is widely used in the development of computer games for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Xbox, and Microsoft Xbox 360. Direct3D is also used by other software applications for visualization and graphics tasks . As Direct3D is the most widely publicized component of DirectX, it is common to see the names "DirectX" and "Direct3D" used interchangeably.

Latest version of DirectX is the DirectX10.1 for Windows Vista

Versions of DirectX Currently Being used

DirectX 8.1 (xp)
DirectX 9a , 9b , 9c (xp)
Directx9L (Vista)
Directx10 , 10.1 (Vista)

OpenGL
OpenGL is slightly similar to DirectX . But it is Open Source

OpenGl is a standard specification defining a cross platform API for developing applications that produce 2d and 3d Graphics

Unlike DirectX it is not the API itself just the specification .

OpenGL is a specification, meaning it is simply a document that describes a set of functions and the precise behaviours that they must perform

Latest OpenGL version is OpenGL 3.0

newprouser

Never heard of it.. i had to install DirectX 9c to play games in vista.

just4kix

Good article. Repo!

prasannaganesh

vista has directx 10 inbuild, so dont need to install.
i guess directx 10.1 is also released.
just check the microsoft website and update your vista.

ShAdOwCoN

Dx9L was the first Vista version of Dx .....

Dx 9c is the last version of Dx for XP ... u can also use it for Vista obviously .... but for Vista its currently Dx10.1

Thanks

prasannaganesh

hello shadow,
do you know anything about shader model.
does it affects the video playback and games too.
any idea.

ShAdOwCoN

Yes definitely

Shader Model (SM) is primarily concerned with image rendering and so will effect both video and games ..
Puting it very simply [but not very accurately in the technical sense]
Shade=Color
Shader= ??
I hope you understood

Difference between shader models
How significant the effect will be will depend totally on the Shader Model ..... For example the difference between SM2 and SM3 is small when compared to difference between SM3 and SM4 .

Game devolopers include support for multiple shader models so it can be run on any card . But for advanced shader models more effects will be supported .And ofcourse your graphic card must have the capability of supporting the shader model .

Shader Model has many modules like Pixel Shader , Vertex Shader , geometry Shader etc

SM4 introduces a new shader that is the geometry shader hence the difference between SM3 and SM4 is great .

rajan1311

how does ur shader model version help in video ?? i did not understand

ShAdOwCoN

pixel rendering .... Geometry rendering etc etc

For example
As i said before
SM4 introduces the geometry shader. A new module that provides instructions like 'triangleadj' (for getting adjacent triangles on the GPU) cannot be done on the GPU in SM2 or SM3.

So it effects the quality of image/graphics rendering

eruptionjoojo

i'm a total n00b as far as graphics card are concerned so kindly explain to me the actual difference between the two terms i mean what actually does it mean in graphics cards terms and also how important is it ..........

What is the difference between DirectX and OpenGL ........ ??
what does these two actually refer to ...... ??

I' have noticed that most of the cards support DirectX 10.1 but while it comes to OpenGL 2.1 some do and some don't ........ why this is so ....... ??