When will I *need* a Directx 9 card?

Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

thanks.

Of course you don't absolutely need one. Games will run just fine on your
current card, but you won't be able to see some of the fancy eye candy.
Most of that stuff is way overhyped anyway, IMHO.

"John" wrote in message
om...
Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

thanks.

Upgrade 6 months after Doom III comes out.


"John" wrote in message
om...
Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

thanks.

On 23 Nov 2003 12:27:35 -0800, (John) wrote:

Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.


Do not confuse the need for DirectX9.0b software and
the hardware support in the game. Read the game-box
for a list of the supported hardware. If your (old) video
hardware does not support DX9.0 hardware functions,
some will be automatically emulated by the CPU
(with slow-down), others will be ignored.

Games that have hardware support for earlier video cards
generally have option-settings that eliminate the emulation
of hardware functions (and restore speed), which are all
graphics-enhancements not essential to the game-play.

Recommendation:-

1. Install the latest updates to your OS. If the OS is
obsolete and not supported, then upgrade.

2. Update your audio and video drivers to the
latest version.

2. Install the latest official version of DX.

Your old games should not break unless you have not
updated your audio and video drivers to the latest
versions.Set System Restore points if you are
paranoid about 1, 2, 3.

4 Try the new game out on your hardware. Not
satisfied, then consider a new card. Only takes a
couple of days to ship in the US, with free Fedex
shiipping on the upper-end cards.

Updating hardware before the software is available
is not a clever use of monetary resources.

Consider those who rushed out to buy cards specifically
for anicipated HL2 needs. With HL2 delayed for 6 months,
another generation of video cards will be here, and the
current generation will be much less expensive.

John Lewis







thanks.

"John" wrote in message
om...
Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

thanks.

The Geforce 3 and 4 are DirectX 8, not 8.1.

I've been thinking about a video card upgrade, I guess the real answer is
when your current card can't run the games you want the way you want. For me
that might be Half Life 2, looking a bit less likely now that it will be
Deus Ex 2.


--
Derek

On 23 Nov 2003 12:27:35 -0800, (John) wrote:

Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

Do the upgrade when your games become slow. You still have a decent
video card.

I just replaced my Ti4200 with the ATI 9800PRO, for my current games -
there isn't much difference in performance.

Halo looks a little bit better with the DX9 ATI card, the SUN effects
in the trees is kinda cool - but adds little to the game itself. I
had finished HALO with my Ti4200 with good frame rates in 1024x768.

When Half Life2 comes out, then that WILL BE THE TIME to upgrade, well
most likly anyways. By then, the ATI-9600XT should be about $150, or
replaced with something else.

Check this out: http://www.ati.com/gitg/promotions/hl2offer/index.html

Hows that for a killer deal? I got my "coupon" for free, a friend
who doesn't play games much but wanted a good card got a cheap 9600se
which came with it

But as of this time, I have yet to see a game that really looks vastly
better on an DX9 card vs DX8.... now HALO on a GF2 looks like PURE
CRAP.


--
Remember when real men used Real computers!?
When 512K of video RAM was a lot!

Death to Palladium & WPA!!

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:49:41 GMT, (John Lewis)
wrote:

Updating hardware before the software is available
is not a clever use of monetary resources.

Agreed... because sometimes, the hardware is outdated.

Consider those who rushed out to buy cards specifically
for anicipated HL2 needs. With HL2 delayed for 6 months,
another generation of video cards will be here, and the
current generation will be much less expensive.

John Lewis

How about those who bought 5900 / 9800 to play Doom3 or even Unreal2
engined games? Doom3 is way late, and for the most part - my Ti4200
handled the modern games quite well... not getting 100fps, but still
good.

Now days, the 5900 is finally hitting below $200... think of those
suckers who blew $500 on those first GF-5800 Ultra cards almost a year
ago - which has trouble playing real DX9 games faster than ATI's $175
video card.


--
Remember when real men used Real computers!?
When 512K of video RAM was a lot!

Death to Palladium & WPA!!

"Darthy" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:49:41 GMT, (John Lewis)
wrote:

Updating hardware before the software is available
is not a clever use of monetary resources.

Agreed... because sometimes, the hardware is outdated.

Consider those who rushed out to buy cards specifically
for anicipated HL2 needs. With HL2 delayed for 6 months,
another generation of video cards will be here, and the
current generation will be much less expensive.

John Lewis

How about those who bought 5900 / 9800 to play Doom3 or even Unreal2
engined games? Doom3 is way late, and for the most part - my Ti4200
handled the modern games quite well... not getting 100fps, but still
good.

Now days, the 5900 is finally hitting below $200... think of those
suckers who blew $500 on those first GF-5800 Ultra cards almost a year
ago - which has trouble playing real DX9 games faster than ATI's $175
video card.

Which is why I don't jump the gun on hardware upgrades. I watch and see
where it goes first.

--
Robert Pendell

"John" wrote in message
om...
Anybody know when you'll absolutely need a Directx 9 card to have any
fun with games? It seems that games like Halo and Max Payne 2 use
Directx 9 features sparingly, and therefore, it's no big deal if I
play them on my Directx 8.1 card (which is a GeForce 4 Ti 4200).

Are we talking 3-4 months maybe?

I'm just trying to get a handle on when to spend the bucks for an
upgrade.

That's easy, when your games are too slow to play.

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 03:27:58 GMT, "Robert Pendell"
wrote:

"Darthy" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:49:41 GMT, (John Lewis)
wrote:

Updating hardware before the software is available
is not a clever use of monetary resources.

Agreed... because sometimes, the hardware is outdated.

Consider those who rushed out to buy cards specifically
for anicipated HL2 needs. With HL2 delayed for 6 months,
another generation of video cards will be here, and the
current generation will be much less expensive.

John Lewis

How about those who bought 5900 / 9800 to play Doom3 or even Unreal2
engined games? Doom3 is way late, and for the most part - my Ti4200
handled the modern games quite well... not getting 100fps, but still
good.

Now days, the 5900 is finally hitting below $200... think of those
suckers who blew $500 on those first GF-5800 Ultra cards almost a year
ago - which has trouble playing real DX9 games faster than ATI's $175
video card.

Which is why I don't jump the gun on hardware upgrades. I watch and see
where it goes first.

I wait until a game I want needs an upgrade, and then do it.

Upgrading in aticipation of a game's release is a waste of money -
especially it the game doesn't actually come out for another 6 months.

6 months is a long time in the PC hardware world, and prices dropa
lot.

On Friday I say a graphics card with 256mb of onboard memory for
£100...

--

Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes !
They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses !
And what's with all the carrots ?
What do they need such good eyesight for anyway ?
Bunnies ! Bunnies ! It must be BUNNIES !