DirectX 11 for Windows 7 and Vista SP2

DirectX® 11, the next generation of graphics technology, arrives with Windows 7. This is great news for players because the game developers will utilize new features to create rich worlds, realistic characters, and more fluid gameplay.

DirectX 11 features

• 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. Read here the DirectX history.

DirectX 11 for Vista SP2

Microsoft is beginning to backport Windows 7 features to Windows Vista, and as an integral part of the process, the company is also upgrading Vista’s graphics technology to the level of Windows 7. Read more about it here. Also, you may want to read this: How To: Upgrade Windows Vista To DirectX 11