DirectX 10.1

An advantage that may tilt the graphics card war in favour of ATI is the DirectX 10.1 support in the new Radeon HD 3870/3850 graphics cards. Although DirectX 10.1 will not debut until Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is released, it will really not matter a whit until there is a game or application that is actually designed for DirectX 10.1.

Still, the DirectX 10.1 support is a potent marketing tool and ATI would certainly want to milk the most out of it. NVIDIA is fully aware of just how problematic it can be. They made use of it themselves when they launched their GeForce 8600 graphics cards. Many gamers bought the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS/GT graphics cards merely on the basis of the DirectX 10 support, even when they are too underpowered for it to even matter.

NVIDIA has already started to strike back, firing journalists a short FAQ on DirectX 10.1 on the day the ATI Radeon HD 3870/3850 reviews came out :

Q: What is DirectX 10.1?

A: DirectX 10.1 is a minor extension of DirectX 10 that makes a few optional features in DirectX 10 mandatory. Most DirectX 10.1 features are already supported by the GeForce 8800 GT.

Q:  What are developers saying about DirectX 10.1?

A:  We do not expect most developers to move to DirectX 10.1.  Here is a statement from Crytek on the subject:

“We pride ourselves on being the first to adopt any important new technology that can improve our games so you would expect us to get with DX10.1 right away but we’ve looked at it and there’s just nothing in it important enough to make it needed.  So we have no plans to use it at all, not even in the future.” - Cevat Yerli, Crytek CEO

As we have said earlier, we don't think DirectX 10.1 will make a difference quite so soon, but we think Mr. Yerli should think twice before making a quote like "So we have no have no plans to use it at all, not even in the future" Does that mean that all future games from Crytek will perpetually support DirectX 10 and nothing newer? That is a little extreme, even for a diehard NVIDIA fanboy.

NVIDIA Strikes Back?

ATI's joy may be shortlived though. The current shortage of NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT cards would probably last only several weeks, 3 months on the outside. As the G92 is built on matured 65nm process technology, poor yields are unlikely. In fact, it is possible that the shortage of these ground-breaking cards was actually intentional.

After all, the GeForce 8800 GT's incredible price-performance ratio made the other GeForce 8 graphics cards pretty irrelevant. Providing these cards in large quantities would greatly erode sales of the far more expensive GeForce 8800 Ultra/GTX/GTS graphics cards. Until ATI released a credible challenge, there was no real impetus for NVIDIA to actually ensure sufficient supply or even enforce the official price range.

Now that ATI actually delivered the Radeon HD 3870/3850 cards, you can be sure that NVIDIA will quickly ramp up production of the G92 GPUs, or even "stumble upon" a stockpile or two. Either way, ATI only has a short lead-time before the inflated street prices of the GeForce 8800 GT fall to the official price range and wipe out ATI's price advantage.

As mentioned in our previous editorial, NVIDIA very likely have another ace up their sleeves. If it comes in the form of a G92-based upgrade of the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB, as many have speculated, and even a replacement for the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX, then ATI's advantage will be fleeting indeed. NVIDIA is expected to reveal their new card(s) at a press briefing on November 20, 2007.

What PsYkHoTiK Thinks

I personally think that the new ATI cards are a moot point. Sure, they add to the ATI's line-up but what they really offer to consumers as a whole is really nothing better. I would gladly spend 20% more for an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (street price, of course!) for an equal boost in performance.

I also think that their DirectX 10.1 support is pure hype right now. Sure, it will be useful sometime in the future, but let's concentrate on the current issue at hand. Graphics cards are having a hard time running DirectX 10 games as it is. ATI should really bite off what they can chew and work on a more competitive card. Of course, the rebuttals from NVIDIA's spin doctors and Crytek are similarly inane and should be ignored.

You can show what you want on paper and say what you want to the crowd, but a fast card is a fast card is a fast card. At the end of the day, the card's actual performance is what matters most. The upcoming high-end cards from NVIDIA and ATI will be somewhat more interesting. As usual, the only bias I have is for the hardware that performs better.

Questions & Comments

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