Nvidia finally embraces DirectX 10.1

[Heinz68]

We admit it's good and crunchy
Written by Fuad Abazovic
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 09:41
Nvidia will start with mobile chips and afterwards, towards Q3 and later, it will release discrete desktop chips that will support DirectX 10.1 API.

After years of preaching how bad this is, Nvidia finally decided to include this API and this proves the fact which ATI has been stating for a while now - that DirectX 10.1 is actually better than DirectX 10.

This is a transition toward DirectX 11, something that Nvidia and ATI will aim for later this year and it's quite clear now that at least ATI can manage to launch a DirectX 11 chip before the end of the year, while we are not sure if Nvidia can pull the same feat off.
DirectX 10.1 API towards Q3 and later, for discrete desktop chips ???? Thats when Windows 7 and DirectX 11 is going to be out.

[Medion]

This is why monopolies are bad, and why we need AMD/ATI to compete. If it were up to NV, we'd still be on DX9 hardware. Don't get me wrong, ATI is the same way. Remember when they took the market lead with the R300, and then refused to support DX 9.0C? We need competition to keep both companies honest.

[jlippo]

It is not cheap to change GPU to support change of that magnitude, it would mean changes to ROPs, tex units and most likely ALUs.
This is the reason why we see architecture change and then speed bumps for 3 years.

And yes, next architecture from nvidia will support SM4.1 and SM5.

[Lfctony]

Meh....

[Atomizer]

To me this just sounds like nvidia cards, that support DX11, will also support DX10.1, but since ATI already supported DX10.1, they didnt make a big fuss about it.

Regardless, typical Fuad to spin it as ATI advertisement

[Heinz68]

No it is NOT DX11 card, please go read one more time and Fuad unlike Charlie is very much NVIDIA guy.

[Atomizer]

Ive gone through countless articles and news items, I cant find anything saying nvidia wont be doing DX11 this year, unless its refering to the GTX220, which all the articles ive found dont state what version of DX it is, regardless its just a refresh at 40nm, I am certain the GTX300s will have DX11, which also means its got DX10.1(well, I guess it doesnt have to).

And this is the only relevant information I could dig up:

With that said, our sources said that GT300 had taped out but Nvidia is being quite cagey about a release timeframe. It has been manufactured on TSMC’s 40nm node, which AMD has been having a lot of trouble with as RV740 chips are in “very short supply.” If the problems with the process aren’t ironed out, it could affect both companies which wouldn’t be good for us consumers.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2009/05/29/amd-will-be-first-to-directx-11/1


Edit: Ok just found this, which provides the "whole story", though I am one to take fudzilla with a grain of salt, at least this shows my point
http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/14085/65/
Just as the soon to launch 40nm mobile chips from Nvidia are DirectX 10.1 compatible, the upcoming desktop parts including GT218 and GT216 will also support DirectX 10.1 API.

ATI has been preaching that DirectX 10.1 is a good thing for years now and Nvidia jumping on the DirectX 10.1 bandwagon just months before Microsoft is set to reveal DirectX 11 is quite strange. Nvidia was a very opponent of DirectX 10.1 since all of its currently shipping generation doesn’t have support for DirectX 10.1 and all the sudden, they are announcing a new generation that will completely support DirectX 10.1

Since mobile and desktop chips from both Nvidia and ATI are usually the same thing, Nvidia wanted to offer DirectX 10.1 check box technology to its potential users and with Calpella, Intel’s Nehalem – Clarksfield quad core for notebooks platform. Nvidia expects many Calpella design wins for its 40nm DirectX 10.1 GPUs and most probably Nvidia customers simply wanted to have DirectX 10.1 and not DirectX 10, something that Nvidia offers for years.

Naturally, in late 2009 or early 2010 Nvidia will have a DirectX 11 chip, something that we currently call GT300, but before that, you can expect dozen of DirectX 10.1 capable, all 40nm chips in both desktop and mobile flavours.