Windows launches DX11 display drivers for Vista in wake of Windows 7

Monday, November 02, 2009

The new display driver framework included in Microsoft's recently released Windows 7 operating system is now available for Vista via platform update.

DirectX 11 is the second version of DirectX to use the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), with the first being DirectX 10, the flagship display firmware of Windows Vista. The display driver package includes several versions of a feature called DirectCompute, which allows users to scale DirectX functionality based on the display hardware available.

For example, DirectCompute 4.0 is designed for DirectX 10 hardware, version 4.1 will work with DirectX 10.5, and the most robust DirectCompute 5.0 will only be compatible with DirectX 11-compliant hardware.

Some experts warn that few computers have the cutting-edge graphics cards necessary for full DirectX 11 functionality, and they encourage users to make sure that their computer can run it before downloading. However, the DirectCompute functionality is expected to be available in several upcoming programs, according to PC World, so it might be worthwhile anyway.