Does Direct X run on the CPU or GPU.

[Blackstar001]

I understand that DirectX software is an application interface between the CPU and GPU. I was wondering however if anyone could tell me if DirectX is run by the CPU or GPU. Is it more dependant on one than the other if so or is DirectX run by the OS or the BIOS?

I ask because I am trying to understand this as it realates to gaming. I realize this might be a simple "google it" answer but there is no short answer readily available. Every article lately is about DirectX 12. I am just wondering about the AP in general. My thinking in relation to gaming is if the CPU dictates the OS and the OS dictates what version of DX it can run then gaming capabilites of a given PC are limited entirley by the processor.

However and this where someone might be able to correct my thinking is that if DX is GPU dependant then a advanced enough GPU should be able to crunch out just about any game, right? Up to a point then any CPU should be good for gaming.

[Omega Cosmos]

I'm pretty sure it runs off the GPU and it also runs of the sound card. DirectX basically helps your PC create the needed visual and audio effects needed in the games. As for an advanced enough GPU, that really doesn't play a part in how good DirectX will run. That's really based on the supported version for your sound card. For example a PC with a NVidia GeForce GTS 250 and a sound card supporting DirectX 11 might run it the software better than a NVidia GeForce GTX 980. Hope this helps and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as it will help with my Computer Science course!

[Blackstar001]

Originally posted by GamingKnightTV:

I'm pretty sure it runs off the GPU and it also runs of the sound card. DirectX basically helps your PC create the needed visual and audio effects needed in the games. As for an advanced enough GPU, that really doesn't play a part in how good DirectX will run. That's really based on the supported version for your sound card. For example a PC with a NVidia GeForce GTS 250 and a sound card supporting DirectX 11 might run it the software better than a NVidia GeForce GTX 980. Hope this helps and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as it will help with my Computer Science course!

I hate to be a "Sir buzz kill" but I am pretty sure that the sound card in no way factors into the equation. The MOBO and sound card likely comunicate directly with no need for integration as with the video data, which is way more complex. Sorry but I cannot see how the sound card runs a video integration software program.

Perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[Rove]

DirectX is both CPU and GPU dependant as well as OS.

GPU's are listed as suporting certain versions of DirectX on their various models, sometimes this can be updated to a higher version for software emulation but not that much higher than what they support natively.

API performance is also going to be according to your CPU.

I think how it works is your CPU tells the GPU the API instructions and your GPU executes.

I've read that DirectX 12 will scale up to 6 cores very well. This should really improve DirectX12 performance above DirectX 11 since I read DirectX 11 was not scaling up well past 2 cores in terms of expanding API call performance. DirectX 12 should be nearly additive performance for API calls on a up to a 6 core CPU which means 6 cores will really be 6 times better than 1 core. Like I said supposedly DirectX 11 had trouble with more than 2 cores and did not gain much past there.

For this reason a lot of game engines and game designers have made their own multicore rendering systems custom to bypass DirectX. A lot of the really good quality games at least.

[Blackstar001]

Originally posted by Rove:

DirectX is both CPU and GPU dependant as well as OS.

GPU's are listed as suporting certain versions of DirectX on their various models, sometimes this can be updated to a higher version for software emulation but not that much higher than what they support natively.

API performance is also going to be according to your CPU.

I think how it works is your CPU tells the GPU the API instructions and your GPU executes.

I've read that DirectX 12 will scale up to 6 cores very well. This should really improve DirectX12 performance above DirectX 11 since I read DirectX 11 was not scaling up well past 2 cores in terms of expanding API call performance. DirectX 12 should be nearly additive performance for API calls on a up to a 6 core CPU which means 6 cores will really be 6 times better than 1 core. Like I said supposedly DirectX 11 had trouble with more than 2 cores and did not gain much past there.

For this reason a lot of game engines and game designers have made their own multicore rendering systems custom to bypass DirectX. A lot of the really good quality games at least.

Thank you as your reply was very helpful to me in confirming the theory I have on the matter. I thought there had to be some emulation going on. It just did not make sense to me that all of a sudden a given game which is really GPU dependant will not run because of a CPU limitation. A game would be GPU dependent but its perfomance will be CPU dependent.

I guess what I was getting at was that the GPU is what allows a person to stretch there system in terms of gaming. I am not trying to get around upgrading my system in fact I am looking forward to doing so . I remember an old saying which is in 'computing there is always a way around'.

I am somewhat skeptical of DirectX 12 being able to reach overclocking speeds automatically. It sounds like it could be problematic. Somewhat skeptical but not very, I hope it works well.

[Omega Cosmos]

Originally posted by Blackstar001:

Originally posted by GamingKnightTV:

I'm pretty sure it runs off the GPU and it also runs of the sound card. DirectX basically helps your PC create the needed visual and audio effects needed in the games. As for an advanced enough GPU, that really doesn't play a part in how good DirectX will run. That's really based on the supported version for your sound card. For example a PC with a NVidia GeForce GTS 250 and a sound card supporting DirectX 11 might run it the software better than a NVidia GeForce GTX 980. Hope this helps and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as it will help with my Computer Science course!

I hate to be a "Sir buzz kill" but I am pretty sure that the sound card in no way factors into the equation. The MOBO and sound card likely comunicate directly with no need for integration as with the video data, which is way more complex. Sorry but I cannot see how the sound card runs a video integration software program.

Perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong.

Meh, no worries. It'll help me during my course!