More DirectX 12 Details - To support existing hardware

[Zoot]

DirectX 12 to support existing hardware; first games due in late 2015

GDC — At the Game Developers conference this morning, Microsoft revealed the first details about its next-gen DirectX 12 API. I've got a little free time between briefings and keynotes just now, so let me try to cover the highlights briefly.

DirectX 12 is, of course, all about improving performance by cutting CPU overhead and giving developers more direct control of the hardware. There was talk of "lower level abstraction than ever before" and "unprecedented performance." Microsoft showed DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 versions of the latest 3DMark release running on a Core i7-4770K-powered system. In the DX11 version, most of the CPU load was on a single thread, and the other cores were underused. In the DX12 version, workload distribution was even across the cores, and overall CPU utilization was down 50%.

In this respect, DirectX 12 will mirror many of the improvements AMD implemented in its own Mantle API. We've suspected this development since the first DX12 pre-announcements were made.

The big news today was that DX12 will support more than just the PC and will work on existing hardware. Microsoft will bring DX12 to all of its platforms, including the Xbox One and, if I understand correctly, Windows Phone. This decision should have huge implications for portability across platforms, and one would expect it to make life easier for developers in a number of ways.

Which hardware will be DX12-compatible? AMD said all of its Graphics Core Next-based Radeon GPUs (i.e. Radeon HD 7000 series and newer) will work with the new API. Nvidia pledged support for all Fermi, Kepler, and Maxwell (i.e. GeForce GTX 400 series and newer) parts. The keynote included a demo of Forza 5 running in DirectX 12 mode atop an Nvidia GPU. Finally, Intel said the integrated graphics in its existing Haswell processors will also have DX12 support. All in all, Microsoft estimates that 100% of new desktop GPUs, 80% of new gaming PCs, and 50% of existing gaming PCs will be able to take advantage of the new API.
Microsoft said DirectX 12 will premiere in next year's crop of holiday-season games. A preview release of the API is coming later this year.

Source - TechReport

I like the part of lower CPU usage, and supporting existing GPUs ie. AMD's GCN series and Nvidia's Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell GPUs.

It's starting to look like I might be holding onto my existing setup for far longer than I thought before.

 

[Damien c]

That does sound good but until we see numbers I won't be holding my breath, after all this is the company who said that Windows 8 will be the best OS ever released.

 

[barnsley]

Forza 5 on a nvidia gpu?
Does that mean forza is coming back to PC?

Regardless this sounds promising.

 

[SieB]

50% lower CPU usage is pretty good, guys with older and lower end CPUs are going to see some good improvements. Even people with mid to high end ones should still see improvements as well.

Shame we have to wait ~18 months before the first lot of DX12 games though

 

[Zoot]

You can bet your bottom dollar it'll be tied to whatever the new version of Windows is.

Also, truth be told, I'd like to see either AMD's Mantle or OpenGL taking over moving forward. I'd love nothing more for DirectX to wither and die and M$ being cut out of the picture, but that's a bit too wishful of a thought.

 

[SieB]

I don't mind moving to a new version of Windows, I seriously don't understand what peoples big deal is with 8. Personally I couldn't go back to using windows 7 after moving to 8, but meh each to their own.

Mantle and OGL have 18 months to grow though, more and more devs seem to be getting on board with Mantle so who knows what will become of it by the time DX12 is in full swing. It could lead to where Mantle does better in some games than DX12 and DX12 does better in others.

To early to tell though, until DX12 is out and depending on how many more devs start using Mantle we wont know how it is going to play out, but whatever happens gamers benefit from it.