Where is multicore support... and directx 10?

[Schmiggy_JK23]

Wasnt Ep2 supposed to be dx10? Im on vista, run other games in dx10 on a 8800GTS, yet I cant select dx10 on Ep2 graphical options.

And from the looks of it, it seems the game isnt running on multicore support.

Any clues?

And yes I have tried forcing -dx10 in the command line option, all I get is dx9+

 

[elrasho]

how can you tell the game is not running multicore?

 

[Schmiggy_JK23]

Well watching a CPU performance chart it seems my cores go from 90% and 25% to 40% and 15%. So I suppose it very well may be running on both cores, though its not balanced, which is fine I guess. Maybe the main engine runs on one core, and the physics or something is ran on the other.

Ill give a pass on that for the moment till I do more benchmarks and tests.

But the dx level still has me confused. Any one know whats up?

 

[[Matt]]

Its still a dx9 game thats why

 

[Schmiggy_JK23]

Why is it still a dx9 game? Its supposed to be 10.

http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/A8BFBE29-E523-465F-B396-4FC304742B3A.htm

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=159955

are you inferring that a "update" later will ad dx10 functionality, after most people have gone along and beat the game already?

:hmph:

 

[Narvi]

It has slight DX10 functionality. It's not a native DX10 game.

 

[we11er]

Source supports multicore.

 

[Schmiggy_JK23]

It has slight DX10 functionality. It's not a native DX10 game.

Um actually it is. That was the main reason given for the last delay of ep2, dx10 functionality.

And you cant have slight dx10 functionality. It either runs in it, or it doesnt. Now when it runs in dx10, it may not make full use of dx10 features, sure. But dx10 is still dx10...

 

[Tagaziel]

VALVe added it in as an afterthought, because, realistically speaking, spending months on implementing something 1% of STEAM users (according to the Tech Surveys as far as I remember) is not effective.

 

[function9]

What are we missing out on by it not being dx10 again?

 

[Dynasty]

Even Company Of Heroes has a DX10 option, but you cant select it *shrugs*. My cards are DX10 ready, and I cant use the DX10 option there, so maybe its something they changed at the last minute? Who cares, EP2 looks awesome as it is, dont forget the engine IS like...6 years old???

Theyve already added new lighting effects, but it still looks like HL2 and EP1, if a little better due to the large outdoor environments etc

*kicks STEAM* Download faster biatch!!! 43%! ARGH!! I wanna play it NOW!

 

[The Brick]

EP2 is not running DX10, but valve is looking into using some of the dx10 hardware capabilities through DX9.

And neither portal nor EP2 are running multicore. 100% certain. I can monitor individual core usage while playing, and it uses core0 100%. It only uses core1 about 20% when you open the ingame steam community stuff.

 

[Paulaner]

I really don't care much about DX10. The graphics of EP2 is awesome, and the thing runs very smooth on non-monster machines. Valve is simply targeting the widest possible range of users, and that is really good.

 

[z3rb]

Only AI/Particle effects run on core1, the rest is on core0. It is definitely multithreaded.

 

[The Brick]

This is not the hybrid multicore update, which has yet to come.

 

[Schmiggy_JK23]

Valve is simply targeting the widest possible range of users, and that is really good.

That is a bunch of nonsense.

Its not like if it runs in dx10 you cant still run it in dx9. It doesnt alienate anyone.

 

[Paulaner]

That is a bunch of nonsense.

What I was trying to say is: what DX10-specific features would have improved the EP2 experience? In my opinion, very few, considering the work needed to refactor the Source engine. EP2 as a DX9 game is graphically splendid, and the majority of users out there still have DX9 compliant video cards (see the stats). So Valve took the decision.
DX10 is still in its infancy so in my opinion there is no point in asking for games to fully support it.
As an example: DX9 Bioshock is almost identical to its DX10 counterpart. The same for Lost Planet. Crysis, having a monster machine to run it, will not be so different in its DX9/DX10 incarnation.

Its not like if it runs in dx10 you cant still run it in dx9. It doesnt alienate anyone.

See Shadowrun, Halo 2 and the forecoming Alan Wake: DX10/Vista only games. Alas, the list will grow. Valve is clearly stating: we are not going in that direction.

 

[Schmiggy_JK23]

What I was trying to say is: what DX10-specific features would have improved the EP2 experience? In my opinion, very few, considering the work needed to refactor the Source engine. EP2 as a DX9 game is graphically splendid, and the majority of users out there still have DX9 compliant video cards (see the stats). So Valve took the decision.
DX10 is still in its infancy so in my opinion there is no point in asking for games to fully support it.
As an example: DX9 Bioshock is almost identical to its DX10 counterpart. The same for Lost Planet. Crysis, having a monster machine to run it, will not be so different in its DX9/DX10 incarnation.



See Shadowrun, Halo 2 and the forecoming Alan Wake: DX10/Vista only games. Alas, the list will grow. Valve is clearly stating: we are not going in that direction.

I wouldnt say that it's in its infancy still. Most top games coming out this fall and winter, and there is a boatload, support it. I guess my point is, from everything they had been saying it seemed it would at least be an option, and at this point it doesnt seem to be. Now I didnt buy a dx10 card, or Vista for these reasons, but it certainly would be nice to maximize the hardware on my favorite game as I was expecting to.

As far as those games, I realize some are dx10 only but I was trying to insinuate all games were backwards compatible, just that this one was supposed to be. But why couldnt valve have gone the crysis, ut3, bioshock route, etc. The game was certainly delayed long enough.

 

[[Matt]]

You wouldnt say its still in its infancy whe only 1% of steam users have a vista + dx10 card set up?

And as i said before the source engine is still a DX9 game. It may use a DX10 path on available systems for performance reasons but still uses only DX9 features since they gain a performance boost under a dx10 path.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

What are we missing out on by it not being dx10 again?

Well assuming you have a dx10 card, just some watery water and less blocky smoke apparently. Mostly stuff you have to look for, nothing too apparent in so far games.

 

[elitenetpc]

didnt see it taking up barely even a fraction of my 2nd core.

i was dissapointed, hoping to see all 4's blazing away.