DX12? DX 11?

[The Sprinkler]

I am not that much of a computer whiz.. I can comprehend some things, but I don't understand this stuff at all. What is DX 12 and DX 11? I have these options on booting up but don't understand it at all

[panasonic]

I use Directx11 to run my game but I think that's because I was having issues with the original launcher.

Here is a link to help explain the differences between the two:
https://www.makeuseof.com/directx-11-vs-directx-12-differences/

"What Are the Differences Between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12?

So, what are the differences between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12? Put simply, DirectX 12 is the latest version of DirectX. One of the most noticeable differences is how they interact with your hardware. Most games developed with DirectX 11 only utilize between two and four CPU cores. One of these cores usually tells the GPU what to do.

The game then uses the remaining cores to handle various CPU-intensive settings like a game's particles or draw distance. On the other hand, DirectX 12 spreads a CPU's workload across multiple cores and allows every core to talk to the GPU simultaneously.

DirectX 12 also comes with some fancy bells and whistles. This includes asynchronous computing and pipeline state objects (PSOs). Asynchronous computing increases GPU utilization by allowing multiple workloads to work in parallel. This essentially unlocks your GPU's full potential.

Aside from graphics rendering, your GPU handles a wide range of other tasks, such as running machine learning algorithms. With DirectX 11, the GPU can only perform one of these tasks at a time and in a certain order. Performance takes a hit when this occurs because your GPU resources aren't being used efficiently. "

"DX 11 vs. DX 12: Which Should You Choose?

The answer depends on a few things, like what game you are trying to run. For example, Guild Wars 2 runs on DirectX 11. Even if your OS and hardware can use DirectX 12, you will not have the option to select DirectX 11 in Guild Wars 2 because the game does not support it. This is entirely the decision of the developer, ArenaNet.
In-game image from Guild Wars 2
Image Credit: Martin Kerstein/Guild Wars 2

Believe it or not, it took nine years for ArenaNet to make the switch from DirectX 9 to DirectX 11. However, some games do support both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, including Fortnite (read our Fortnite cheat sheet), Battlefield 5, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and more. Users can switch between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 in the game settings.

Now, the fact that some games support both DirectX 11 and 12 has probably got you wondering about in-game performance. Does choosing DX 11 or DX 12 deliver better in-game performance? The following video illustrates the differences between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 in a range of games, showcasing vital specs such as average frames per second, CPU usage, GPU usage, and more, using an AMD Ryzen 3600, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and 16GB DDR4 RAM.

The results are surprising in many ways, with little visual difference at times between DX 11 and DX 12, despite the multiple years of difference between their launches. You may have also noted the differences in GPU and CPU loads between both DirectX versions, with the DX 12 versions of each game typically requiring fewer resources than the older DX 11.

In addition to in-game support, choosing between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 will also depend on your hardware. Just about any modern GPU will support DirectX 12, but the same can't be said for older GPUs like the Radeon HD 4870. Released in 2008, this GPU only supports up to DirectX 10. This means it would be incapable of running most modern games, which run using DirectX 11 and DirectX 12."

[SlasH]

Originally posted by The Sprinkler:

What is DX 12 and DX 11? I have these options on booting up but don't understand it at all

Generally I would suggest using DX12, assuming it works with your hardware. You can disable the game asking for it every time you start the game. Go to the game in your library, right-click it, chose 'properties' and select your choice at 'launch options'.

[Dionysus]

Direct X12 and Direct X11 are two different sets of instructions for your the part of your computer that handles generating computer graphics (usually a graphics card). Direct X12 should give you slightly better performance than Direct X11, because it uses an updated, more efficient set of instructions than its predecessor. In all honesty though, I doubt you will notice a difference between the two. Both Direct X12 and Direct X11 should get you the same result. I would suggest defaulting to Direct X12. If you start experiencing game crashes, you could experiment with Driect X11, to see if it is more stable for you.

[Daft Punk]

Its just graphic fidelity, if u have proper setup you can use dx12. I still use dx11 though, i think its more stable and give more fps

[pirate135246]

Use dx11, looks identical and is more stable. Even on a top of the line pc you will get occasional crashes on dx12 depending on the turn and map size

[The Sprinkler]

Originally posted by pirate135246:

Use dx11, looks identical and is more stable. Even on a top of the line pc you will get occasional crashes on dx12 depending on the turn and map size

Maybe that's why my game was sluggish for some reason.

[The Sprinkler]

Originally posted by The Sprinkler:

Originally posted by pirate135246:

Use dx11, looks identical and is more stable. Even on a top of the line pc you will get occasional crashes on dx12 depending on the turn and map size

Maybe that's why my game was sluggish for some reason.

Update: It's still taking like.. 20 minutes for the AI to take their turn..

[crzyfsh123]

Originally posted by The Sprinkler:

Originally posted by The Sprinkler:

Maybe that's why my game was sluggish for some reason.

Update: It's still taking like.. 20 minutes for the AI to take their turn..

Try shift enter.

[crzyfsh123]

It gets sluggish with too many units. The AI has to move them every turn.

[The Sprinkler]

Originally posted by crzyfsh123:

It gets sluggish with too many units. The AI has to move them every turn.

It wasn't like this when I last played a month ago, only after it started popping up with that DX question. I'll try making a new game and see what happens, but I appreciate all the help with the dx 11 and dx 12 question