Is my card DirectX 9.0c compatible?

[MysticalMrBob]

I'm running a GeForceFX 5600 256mb on my machine and I've noticed my antlions look very different form everyone elses. While yours look like the one on the site (first one attached) mine look like the latter (second one attached).

Those are definetly normal maps.

I went and DLLed DX9.0c and tried to install it and it said it's already installed or something. Is my card compatible?

 

[giant384]

no only geforce 6 series are 9.0c compatible

 

[iconic-]

im pretty sure your card is running in dx8. something... thats the downfall of the nvidias, everything before the 5950 ultra, for some reason gets locked into playin in dx8. however there is a work around, but i dont know if your comp could handle the hit. its on here somewhere, use the search function

 

[Killing2Live]

yes, your card is running in Directx 8.1 mode, although it can run in dx 9.0 it would barely go, like 10 fps

 

[MysticalMrBob]

Locked in as in it's unable to use it, or it's a bug?

 

[Killing2Live]

no its able to run in dx 9.0 but it would run really really bad

 

[oberGeist]

there are at least few different antlion textures (or shaders) in the game. one is all green, another has red spots and so on.
so if Your antlion doesn't look like the one on the screenshot it doesn't necessary mean that it's some kind of a video card issue.

 

[PvtRyan]

FX5950 = part of the Nvidia series that is weak with DX9.0
So Valve made it switch to DX8.1 to improve performance.

And unfortunately, character normal mapping (the cause of the difference in quality) is a DX9 only feature.

 

[The_Preacher]

i still say if valve had coded a decent Partial floating point precision system into teh game, and given us FX users, the OPTION of choosing visuals over FPS (the higher end cards of the FX line, if in Partial precision mode, culd run Half life 2 in DX9 with acceptable and more than playable frame rates (im talking at least 40fps).

edit. of course that is dependant on teh rest of your system though. but it is (or should be )possible. im hoping valve does indeed give us this option in a future patch via steam.

 

[Asus]

In short, you can display DX9 graphics.
HL2 will default to DX8.1 with your card because of it's performance.
Your card is 9.0c compatible, yes. Although there are no features your card takes advantage of with DX9.0c over DX9.0b.

 

[Ultimape]

your card suxors 4 hl2 in the prettyness compaired to others in the same price-range.

sorry bob

 

[Moto]

I'm running a GeForceFX 5600 256mb on my machine and I've noticed my antlions look very different form everyone elses. While yours look like the one on the site (first one attached) mine look like the latter (second one attached).

Those are definetly normal maps.

I went and DLLed DX9.0c and tried to install it and it said it's already installed or something. Is my card compatible?

I have the same exact card as you. But, I have a gig of RAM and my processor is an Athlon 64 FX, so the game runs pretty darn good. I can get world reflections in water and some nice lighting effects, but the "Reflect all" option won't work for me. Nevertheless, the graphics still look amazing on DX8. I didn't know that we were on DX8 though. I might be getting an X800 XT for Christmas, that'll make it all better.

 

[Fallout2man]

I have the same exact card as you. But, I have a gig of RAM and my processor is an Athlon 64 FX, so the game runs pretty darn good. I can get world reflections in water and some nice lighting effects, but the "Reflect all" option won't work for me. Nevertheless, the graphics still look amazing on DX8. I didn't know that we were on DX8 though. I might be getting an X800 XT for Christmas, that'll make it all better.

Actually in a price-comparison, you get more this round with Nvidia. Full DirectX 9.0C compatability is a big thing. Pixel/vertex shaders 3.0 allow you to code the same shader with considerably less operations, making them run much faster.

The only real downside is the GeForce 6800 Ultra requires two molex connectors and still has that bulky fan. Though I hear some versions of the X800 XT have the same type of two-slot fan design.

 

[fabianoag]

Actually in a price-comparison, you get more this round with Nvidia. Full DirectX 9.0C compatability is a big thing. Pixel/vertex shaders 3.0 allow you to code the same shader with considerably less operations, making them run much faster.

The only real downside is the GeForce 6800 Ultra requires two molex connectors and still has that bulky fan. Though I hear some versions of the X800 XT have the same type of two-slot fan design.

Actually, ATI's way of dynamically emulating/shortening the shader code works just as fast as Nvidia's PS3.0 method because of Ati's superior compiler. Of course, I'm a rather biased Ati fanboy, so you should just go with which ever card (x800xt or 6800u) you can get cheaper. The geforce, as mentioned, has the two molex connector thing, which i find rather annoying. You might not mind it though.

EDIT: A x800 with a two-slot fan design? Thats the first time ive heard of tghose, u sure thats true?

 

[crownest]

The only card currently in the market that fully supports DirectX 9.0c is the NVIDIA GeForce 6 Family. Im sure ATI too will also come up with some 9.0c cards next year.

 

[fabianoag]

The only card currently in the market that fully supports DirectX 9.0c is the NVIDIA GeForce 6 Family. Im sure ATI too will also come up with some 9.0c cards next year.

Actually, Nvidia cards are the only ones that support Pixel Shader 3. Ati's cards are fully DX9c compliant. Contrary to popular belief, Pixel Shader 3 is supported by DX9c but it isnt a requirement (IIRC, flame away if I'm wrong ) As far as I know, cards need to support EITHER PS 3 or PS2.1; Geforce 6s support the former and Radeon x's the latter.

 

[Maxi]

But since ONLY the 6800 supports PS 3.0, not many game devs are willing to use it. Since it would only improve graphics for those who have that card, and they are a very small minority.

And when ATIs next gen card comes out, it will most likely support 3.0, and the next gen of ps and vs.

 

[fabianoag]

Yep.
6char

 

[czrsink]

Pixel shaders ate my hampster.

 

[hbegg]

alas my hampster has been devoured too.

 

[MysticalMrBob]

IRT: OberGeist

No, I know they have different skins. It's the texture. He has more bumps and grooves.

 

[Asus]

PS3.0 supports a thousand or so instructions while PS2.0b supports a few hundred.
Guess how many games like Farcry and HL2 use for a lot of their effects? Much less than 100. There's a lot of room left in 2.0b over regular PS2.0 still.
IMO you should get what engine performs better rather than what supports the higher version number.