What kind of video card should I buy?

[Asher]

Originally posted by faded glory
everything will be moving to OpenGL. DirectX is finished

I see the Iraqi Information Minister has a suitable replacement.

[faded glory]

Indeed, i could do that. What makes you think DirectX will be around in 2-3 years?

[Asher]

Perhaps it's because OpenGL is only used in games with engines written by Carmack?

DirectX's use in games has only increased, and will increase for the forseeable future.

OpenGL is too slow to adapt to technology, DirectX 8 and 9 were out long before OpenGL 2.0 with comparable standardized technology, and even then the only way to get decent performance out of it is to write an ATI and Nvidia codepath for all the rendering (what Carmack does).

What makes you think DirectX will be gone in 2-3 years, when by game developers' perspectives it gets better each iteration?

Not to mention that hardware is designed around DirectX specs foremost. Nvidia and ATI both design for DX8/DX9/DX10, not OpenGL versions.

[faded glory]

"written by Carmack"

Lie. i can name 3 others that are moving to Open GL in there next release.

"DirectX's use in games has only increased, and will increase for the forseeable future."

I dont have a response for that at the moment. Im not sure how you knew that. (like that dull, angled response? )

"OpenGL is too slow to adapt to technology, DirectX 8 and 9 were out long before OpenGL 2.0 with comparable standardized technology, and even then the only way to get decent performance out of it is to write an ATI and Nvidia codepath for all the rendering (what Carmack does)."

Carmack iz da shiet....

Ya if you could get DX 9.x to even work without destroying video card you were lucky. There wasnt even a DX9 game on the market yet, so who gaves a rats ass? And DX10 is early in dev.


What it comes down is everybody is chasing the DX R&D. OpenGL will come along, watch it.

[Asher]

Originally posted by faded glory
Lie. i can name 3 others that are moving to Open GL in there next release.

Do it.

Ya if you could get DX 9.x to even work without destroying video card you were lucky. There wasnt even a DX9 game on the market yet, so who gaves a rats ass? And DX10 is early in dev.

What it comes down is everybody is chasing the DX R&D. OpenGL will come along, watch it.

Could you even tell me the fundamental differences between OpenGL and DirectX?

[faded glory]

DirectX is Microsoft. It supports many features like 2D graphics, sound, input devices,3D graphics etc. DirectX changes alot and old functions are supported for backwards compatibility. DirectX is used in windoze and x-box.

want me to answer the second part?

oh heck. OpenGL is its nemesis API and works with all Platforms.

OpenGL is easier to devolop in (IMO)

[faded glory]

okok...I fold on the first part. There were no '3 games'. I know DX is pretty critical in making games. But my opinions are my own, and im pretty damn biased about them, often to the point of making up false stuff.

[Asher]

Originally posted by faded glory
DirectX is Microsoft. It supports many features like 2D graphics, sound, input devices,3D graphics etc. DirectX changes alot and old functions are supported for backwards compatibility. DirectX is used in windoze and x-box.

want me to answer the second part?

oh heck. OpenGL is its nemesis API and works with all Platforms.

Or how about the smaller details?

OpenGL is largely a procedural API (C), DirectX is largely an object-oriented API (C++).

OpenGL was designed for workstation graphics, not games. DirectX was designed for games.

DirectX only has one output device for the monitor, and it automatically does what it can in hardware, tries to emulate the unsupported features in software, and if that fails it doesn't run those commands.
OpenGL has infinitely many output devices you can write to, and actually forces you to write code to address many of them individually because of vendor-specific extensions which are needed to do anything remotely modern in OpenGL.

DirectX drivers can be WHQL certified to ensure that the drivers all behave the way that they should, OpenGL has no such body to do certification.

OpenGL is easier to devolop in (IMO)

For some reason I doubt you've ever even written a line of OpenGL code...

[faded glory]

you can doubt it. But maybe I have? Why would I talk ****. Maybe my expierence with OpenGL API and DX is minimal compared to yours. But its there.


You left out. Quake, DOOM, and Hexen btw in the OPENGL, yes all from Carmack. Carmack knows his stuff tho.

My turn,
If your so smart 'ass'her. Whats GLIDE?

this is done anyway. Its 3:00 am

[MRT144]

wasnt glide the proprietary 3dfx graphics engine?

[Asher]

Originally posted by faded glory
you can doubt it. But maybe I have? Why would I talk ****.

But my opinions are my own, and im pretty damn biased about them, often to the point of making up false stuff.

My turn,
If your so smart 'ass'her. Whats GLIDE?

3dfx's proprietary API for Voodoo cards.

It was limited, but fast...

[MRT144]

yay! i was right

[uh Clem]

About Tingkai 's original question, what about power supply? Is he going to need to upgrade that as well?

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by faded glory
actually cruddy

This is a socket A, what you have pictured is Slot A

I am unaware of any Socket A 500 MHz AMD processors. Didn't that come in for 600 upwards? I could be wrong here... but I have NEVER seen a socket A as low as what Tingkai has.

Originally posted by faded glory

I said unsure support, cause your socket a built in the 1ghz thunderbird era theoretically have a threshold up to a barton 3000+ but in reality dont

Pont taken - Slot A does is not as expandable as Socket A, but for a total novice just changing a CPU is tough enough. A whole motherboard replacement is quite a challenge.

Your links don't work on my system - anybody else see faded glory's pix? I always upload mine (and it still takes 10 minutes or so to get the link just right).

As for OpenGL VS DirectX, I think OpenGL can be used for significantly faster updates, but it doesn't provide the same facilities as DirectX. Asher is right in the sense they were developed for diffferent markets, although I wouldn't say DirectX was PURELY for games - kind of all singing and dancing solution that includes games. Let's face it, games are the biggest area for graphics developers.

Mind you, if a game has an OpenGL graphics driver, I would prefer it. Not as good looking as DirectX but a lot faster (I've got a one lunged system, remember).

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by uh Clem
About Tingkai 's original question, what about power supply? Is he going to need to upgrade that as well?

He never asked. You are right, a new mobo, XP Athlon and a brand new graphics card (Probably even an Nvidia Geforce TI) will be greedier than a 200W PSU can supply.

Again, upgrade in steps. If you start getting an erratic system, PSU can be the cause (or you need a new BIOS, or a new set of graphics or other drives, or something isn't quite connected properly, or a host of other niggles).

It WOULD be great if PSU builders actually tested each PSU to its maximum limit and put a sticker on to state this. Instead, every PSU gives a slightly different rating, and some makes vary incredibly as to their actual rating.

Finally, if TingKai goes Pentium 4, Tingkai WILL need a new PSU. IIRC P4s need an extra couple of power lines from the PSU, so it's best to a P4 approved one. I honestly don't know, because I have never built a P4 system.