Directx 11

Microsoft DirectX® 11 

DirectX® 11 is the very latest in high-speed, high-fidelity gaming and computing. Featuring technologies like Compute Shaders, Direct2D, Multithreaded Rendering and Tessellation, DirectX® 11 can enable not just more visually stunning games, but significant performance improvements in some of your favorite websites and everyday applications.

Compute Shaders

Compute Shaders are programs executed on the graphics processor. With DirectX® 11’s DirectCompute feature, application developers can harness the massive parallel processing power of the AMD Radeon HD™ GPU to provide stutter-free playback of Internet and Blu-ray videos, improve video quality or upscale DVDs. In games, Compute Shaders can dramatically improve visual detail:

§  Optimized post-processing effects: apply advanced lighting techniques to enhance the mood of any scene.

§  High-quality shadow filtering: see shadows fade at their edges just as you would in real life.

§  Depth of field: enables more realistic focal points by blurring objects that aren’t in focus—imagine looking down the sight of a rifle.

§  Ambient occlusion: generates ultra-realistic lighting and shadow combinations.

Before After

Direct2D

The GPU isn’t just for games. Harnessing DirectX® 11’s Direct2D features, the latest AMD Radeon HD™ graphics cards can supercharge Microsoft® Internet Explorer 9 or Mozilla Firefox® 4.0 for faster browsing and more readable text.

Multithreaded Rendering

Effectively utilizing the available processing cores on advanced CPUs like the AMD Phenom II™ X6 has been a challenge in prior versions of DirectX®, but DirectX® 11’s Multithreaded Rendering architecture has made it easier than ever for application developers. From more detailed games to faster applications, multithreaded rendering helps make the most of modern hardware.

	Multi-Threading in DirectX 11

Tessellation

Tessellation is a technique that allows games to dynamically generate new and impressive detail in characters and scenery without compromising your system’s performance.

§  Dynamic water surfaces: real water doesn’t look the same every time—it shouldn’t in your games, either.

§  Dynamic clothing: more realistic fabrics better interact with wind and movement for a more immersive experience.

§  Detailed environments: tessellated landscapes dial up the detail for a more realistic experience.

Leading the way

AMD’s support for DirectX® 11 with world-class hardware like the AMD Radeon HD™ 6000 Series is just the beginning of its commitment to gamers. Since introducing the world’s first fully DirectX 11-capable graphics card in 2009, AMD has established partnerships with more than 20 developers and publishers to bring the benefits of DirectX® 11 to gamers all over the globe. With 84% of the world’s gamers playing their DirectX® 11 titles on a Radeon HD™ graphics card¹, AMD remains dedicated to one of its core philosophies that Gamers Come First.

Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor returns this fall to put players in the boots of Tier 1 Operators, America’s living, breathing, precision instruments of war. Featuring unparalleled authenticity through collaboration with U.S. Special Operations soldiers, Medal of Honor on the AMD Radeon HD™ 6000 series with AMD Eyefinity technology² is the best way to go loud and bring the rain.

Civilization® V

With over nine million units sold worldwide, and unprecedented critical acclaim from fans and press around the world, Sid Meier’s Civilization® is recognized as one of the greatest strategy franchises of all-time. Experience the game today with full DirectX® 11 and AMD Eyefinity technology support with ATI Radeon™ HD 6000 Series Graphics.

F1 2010

A new generation of FORMULA ONE games begins with F1 2010, the official game of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Featuring Codemasters’ award-winning racing simulation technology, F1 2010 and the AMD Radeon HD™ 6000 Series graphics card with AMD Eyefinity technology² deliver the most authentic Formula One experience yet.

DirectX® 11 partners

Gaming Evolved

AMD’s Gaming Evolved program represents our deep commitment to PC gamers, PC game developers, and the PC gaming industry to deliver innovative technologies like DirectX® 11, nurture open industry standards like OpenCL, and to help the gaming industry create the best possible gaming experience on the world’s best gaming platform—the PC.

Visit the Gamers’ Manifesto to learn more about the many innovations and relationships that reinforce our core philosophy: Gamers Come First.

1.     September, 2010 Steam® Hardware Survey:http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/

2.     AMD Eyefinity technology works with games that support non-standard aspect ratios, which is required for panning across multiple displays. To enable more than two displays, additional panels with native DisplayPort™ connectors, and/or DisplayPort™ compliant active adapters to convert your monitor’s native input to your cards DisplayPort™ or Mini-DisplayPort™ connector(s), are required.  AMD Eyefinity technology can support up to 6 displays using a single enabled AMD Radeon™ graphics card with Windows Vista® or Windows® 7 operating systems – the number of displays may vary by board design and you should confirm exact specifications with the applicable manufacturer before purchase. SLS (“Single Large Surface”) functionality requires an identical display resolution on all configured displays.

DirectX® 11, the next generation of graphics technology, arrives with Windows 7. This is great news for players as many of the newest Windows games will take full advantage of this technology to create more immersive and detailed worlds and experiences. Game developers will utilize new features to create rich worlds, realistic characters, and more fluid gameplay.

DirectX 11 features include:

   

·         Tessellation – Tessellation is implemented on the GPU to calculate a smoother curved surface resulting in more graphically detailed images, including more lifelike characters in the gaming worlds that you explore.

·         Multi-Threading – The ability to scale across multi-core CPUs will enable developers to take greater advantage of the power within multi-core CPUs. This results in faster framerates for games, while still supporting the increased visual detailing.

·         DirectCompute – Developers can utilize the power of discrete graphics cards to accelerate both gaming and non-gaming applications. This improves graphics, while also enabling players to accelerate everyday tasks, like video editing, on their Windows 7 PC.

While Windows 7 is fully compatible with games and hardware that use older versions of DirectX, the new DirectX 11 features are available with a DirectX 11 compatible graphics card and games designed to take advantage of this new technology.