PC Perspective GDC 14 DirectX 12 Live Blog

"It is nearly time for Microsoft to reveal the secrets behind DirectX 12 and what it will offer PC gaming going forward. I will be in San Francisco for the session and will be live blogging from it as networking allows. We'll have a couple of other PC Perspective staffers chiming in as well, so it should be an interesting event for sure! We don't know how much detail Microsoft is going to get into, but we will all know soon."

[-Foxtrot]

Well soon we'll know

MisterX vs Thuway

Who will be right...who will be wrong.

[Golden_Mud]

What's their theories man ?

[iamnsuperman]

I don't think that matters. Both are probably talking out of their arses.

[zeal0us]

Something about MS having dGPU hiding in the X1 or its power brick if I recalled.

[4Sh0w]

iam-with-superman on this one.

[Majin-vegeta]

MK voice announcer *Round 1 Fight*.

OT: Hmmm let's see what happens

[MasterCornholio]

Mister X is always wrong and his followers are a bunch of bungholes.

They shall face the wrath if my almighty bunghole.

But I need TP first.

[Alan_Shore]

Ehhh well Misterx Think's Dx12 will involve secret hardware

I just reckon expect awesome software.

And what has thuway said about Dx12

[hello12]

Pete Dowd is an better Insider for Sony he usually is more right than thuway. Thuway was probably cboat anyways,

Actually in fairness to misterx he claimed directx12 would be coming to next x box console back in 2012

He was right.

I think he is right on Microsoft has not revealed everything about the x box 1 and theories exist to what it could be. All of them could be wrong, but i have a feeling there will be some surprises been announced at GDC

[Devin942]

Thuway didn't say anything because he didnt know anything about dx12, but supposedly he knows insiders. there has to be a reason that MS and AMD have a 3 billion dollar deal. Don't be surprised if ms was hiding something like they did with xbox360.

[lfc_4eva]

Yeah.

I think XB1 was meant to ship with DX12 anyway.
MS were just forced to release XB1 early to counter Sony and the PS4 launch.
I hope for MS sake this is true, and that DX12 can leverage some aspects of the Bone.

[corvusmd]

Uh, both of those guys are morons...they are both wrong more than they are right...any one that gives them or CBOAT, Famous Mortimer etc and grain of credit needs to get examined...they are all wrong more than they are right...and I'm right about inside stuff as much as they are. They only thing they are good for is rumors...that you should then research from credible sources. As far as DX 12, very little has been said publicly from credible sources...but what HAS been said looks to all be promising, and actual developers seem excited about it....let's see how it works out.

[stuna1]

I agree with you, for well said! have have a bubble on me.

[SaturdayNightBeaver]

My bet is Mr.X and the "secret sauce" gpu under the motherboard of X1 that will drive the performances up to 50% plus even more , and it's only possible with DX12 on X1. In future it's safe to expect 1080p 60fps as a standard for X1 and 1080p (barely) 30 fps on PS4.

As i said earlier , selling my already more capable $800 PC and saving for X1 if that is true.

[NeoTribe]

Keep your pc bro. Xbox aint getting any beefier. Sorry to burst your drug indused bubble.

[SaturdayNightBeaver]

@Neo LOL that was an obvious joke.
I'm not that retarded.

N4G kids *facepalm*

Sorry you are too stupid to understand stuff.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

MisterX will be wrong, and crazy

If so: He will be released from Izanami
If not: Izanami 4 ever!

[Kayant]

For dGPU believers/secret hardware being unlocked. I think this is where mistermediax has been getting his/her wishes/theories from ---> http://www.neogaf.com/forum...
Looking at how the design evolved from that chart there's zero percentage of hidden hardware being awaken IMO.

OT - Will be interesting to read shame there is no live stream iirc. I wonder what new features they will add.

[Alan_Shore]

I reckon expect gpu of x1 to interact with esram,ram,data move engines a whole lot better. Other then that don't expect super secret hardware

[cfc78]

It's like christmas eve when i was 5 will it be good presents or will it be clothes not long to wait.

[No_Limit]

Can't wait. The XB1 should get a much needed boost from DX12.

[brich233]

I wonder how many possible resources arent being used since Direct X 12 hasnt been implemented.

[christocolus]

Direct X12 is the reason im interested in this years GDC.The differences between dx10 and dx11 were enourmous and thats why i want to see the improvements in the new directx and if possible a demo showing off its new features... Turn10 is going to be there so we might see something from them too.

[Geoff900]

GDC is more of a developers meeting, than an actual showing of games, although some publishers/hardware manufactures use it for more than that.

[Elit3Nick]

Hopefully a showcase of the next Forza Horizon, I need my open world racer fix

[its_JEFF]

I'm not at all versed in PC/Console tech, but from what I've read over the years... doesn't DirectX benefit PC more than anything?

"It is nearly time for Microsoft to reveal the secrets behind DirectX 12 and what it will offer PC gaming going forward."

I really don't know, can anybody explain?

[Geoff900]

DirectX is an API (Application Programming Interface), which enables developers to interact with the hardware.

Although DX11 is okay, it isn't well optimized for lower spec hardware, and in some cases even higher end hardware.

MS is redesigning their API, to work more effectively across multiple variations of hardware, e.g. Snapdragon (ARM).

If it is implemented on the Xbox One, (which seems to be the case), it will mean that the software will be much optimized, and could result in similar things for PC, e.g. better FPS, higher res etc.

Overall if it's good, it will benefit everyone PC and Xbox One gamers.

[its_JEFF]

Ahh... ok, thanks!

[BenqMagician]

Well i'm wondering how can u update a gpu from DX11-DX12 and maybe we might be misinformed on what gpu is really in the X1.

[Elit3Nick]

It makes sense considering that MS helped with making than GPU, it could be they wanted to closely monitor it so info doesn't leak

[hello12]

I think its a directx12 GPU in the x box 1 not sure there been a second GPU?

But we know two things for sure.

Microsoft paid AMD more money for the GPU than Sony did. AMD has a partnership with Microsoft.

Directx12 is coming to the x box 1.

I find it interesting AMD said recently and announced a dual GPU is coming

2 is better than 1.

Could Microsoft have a prototype in the x box 1?

I'm leaning more to the possibility the GPU in the x box 1 is a directx12 GPU its new and has been customised for future developments.

[BenqMagician]

Interesting I didn't know "Microsoft paid AMD more money for the GPU than Sony did" that's really strange when we have been told the PS4 gpu is a AMD 7850 OR 7870 and the X1 gpu is a AMD 7790.

[wtopez]

Erm... no. AMD's teaser campaign of "2 is better that 1" is for the Radeon R9 295X2. It's a dual Hawaii chipset GPU that requires a hybrid cooling solution (air and water) so that it doesn't spontaneously combust.

[its_JEFF]

Wasn't the X-1's setup more expensive because of the ESRAM?

I really don't get the thinking behind a "hidden" GPU... why sit there and have the internet/articles ream you in the arse for months and say nothing about this secret that you have up your sleeves? That's just crazy. Were they just biding their time... what company would think that was a good strategy?

[BenqMagician]

Wait I don't believe in a "hidden" GPU but come on if it's true that MS can just update a gpu from DX11-DX12 then there's something we haven't been told about what gpu is really in the X1? And why now update it? why not have it already done before it launched? And it's not like the X1 going too magically catch up or match the ps4 specs(it'll help the X1 but by how much?).

[its_JEFF]

Oh no, I didn't say you (@BenqMagician) believe in a secret GPU. I was just talking about the idea of it, in general terms. I don't thing there is a doubt that DX12 will help the X1. Who know's why the update is coming out now, could be that the X1 was rushed to market a few months too early? who knows.

[LoydX-mas]

Because the DX12 API was not finished yet plain and simple. The hardware was ready but the software wasn't. MS couldn't wait 6 months and lose a holiday release to Sony and lose that much market share.

Besides, if you have no software ready to prove the "hidden" power......why say anything? It would have made things ten times worse given the DRM thing and not hitting higher res and all.

[Geoff900]

dGPU, isn't likely to happen, since the Die (APU) has been looked countless times by various people, and MS has even stated they don't have a hidden GPU.

However, like with everything hardware related, more so now than what it used to be like in the 80's,90's, and the 00's, firmware/software is becoming more important than the actual hardware.

You can heavily optimize the hardware, more so now than that was previously available from the higher adoption of internet, and the fact you have EPROM chips.

[LoydX-mas]

Umm......
http://www.chipworks.com/co...

This photo from Chipworks clearly shows "A12 41" and then just underneath "A12 40". Looks like more than one layer of something on that chip.

Software wise, I definitely agree though. Both systems will benefit from Cloud computing and better API(DirectX12 and OpenGL)

[n4rc]

Well.. There could be some secret dx12 stuff theyve kept under wraps.. Actually I think thats pretty much certain at this point..

But something like a 2nd hidden GPU? Sure it sounded great and possible before launch.. But it just isn't the case now..

Why hold off on it for so long? As much as I'd love to see it.. I'd bet money against any hidden hardware.. How that hardware interacts with software may hold some surprises.. But a 2nd GPU or something aalong those line? Can't see it

[Gr1mmyshadows]

Things will be getting interesting in the coming days

[Windy999]

Direct x 12 may improve graphics and performance but it won't be able to produce better games than the ps4 with it's more power GPU and GDDR 5 memory it may improve fps and graphics by 12-16% but not enough
With the ridiculous contract AMD and Microsoft now have there maybe something else they could be hiding, it could be a secret or second GPU as the xbox one has been built with an extremely large fan to compensate for maybe a second GPU.
Being a Microsoft fan I would love to believe a lot of rumours about the GPU and the software I only can believe that the software will improve a lot of things but one improve drastically.
But it still leaves the question of the ludicrous contract Microsoft and AMD have.

[beerzombie]

Graphics or power don't make a better game. Some people like simple games and others like complex games what is better is really subjective and has nothing to do with graphics at all.

[stragomccloud]

I'm really hoping that this will be just like Mantle in the way that I won't have to buy a new card. Also, I hope it'll work with Windows 8, and not force me to wait for Windows 9.

[Pogue1906]

MS has put out another DirectX12 ad just like the one on this article except it has a XBOX ONE symbol in the bottom left corner where the AMD symbol is. What will you guys have to say if they say its in the X1 tomorrow?

[ATi_Elite]

Directx12 will FINALLY include "Blast Processing and Mode 7"

LMAO