ProSavageDDR DirectX support.

[Martin-H]

I'm having ProSavageDDR on-board graphics from the VIA P4M266 chipset.

I know it's very old, but i don't play any games and dosen't want to exchange it to something newer...

I'm on Win2k and using the latest driver which is: Version 139433 from 22 February 2005, but when installed it states v6.14.10.33 from 13-08-04 in device manager...

My question is if any of you guys could please tell me what version of DirectX this graphic chip supports in hardware, and also what version it supports in the latest drivers that i'm using.

Since the driver states in device manager that it's from the 13th august '04, then as that is a little after when DirectX 9.0c was released, then do you think that the driver supports DirectX 9.0c in software ?

Finally, then do you know if it would be beneficial at all to update from DirectX 7 that's default in Win2k, to DirectX 9.0c with such an old graphic chip ? I'm not playing games, but just watching movies and so i was wondering if i should bother with updating to DirectX 9.0c or not, but if the drvers are written to work with DirectX 9.0c, then i suppose it would make sence ? Could it maybe give a little better performance to update ? Or maybe a little better image quality ?

I'm watching movies with Media Player Classic, where you can choose between DirectX 9 and older renderers...

Thank's in advance.

[Mr. Chris]

Ugh, this is all I could dig up on the P4M266: VIA P4M266 - VIA Technologies, Inc. and I don't see any mention of what version of Direct X it supports. That being said, I don't really see why DX9.0 shouldn't work. Give it a try, I am sure that it will make a difference in image quality. Chris.

[Martin-H]

Hi Mr. Chris, and thank you so much for your reply

Thanks for the link also, although i actually had read it before, as i have been googling this issue for about 10 ours by now, and also read up on a load of old posts here...

Anyway, since the ProSavageDDR graphics chip is from the 1'st Nov. 2001, then i must assume that it isn't DirectX 9 compatible in hardware, but would you then still say that it would make sence to upgrade my Win2k system from DirectX 7 to DirectX 9.0c, when it's only the drivers that support DirectX 9.0c and not the hardware ? (i don't actually know if the drivers support DirectX 9.0c, but since they are released after DirectX 9.0 was released, then i'm guessing it, and also since they are for both Win2k and XP, and since XP SP2 includes DirectX 9.0c by default...)

I'm in the process of making a new Win2k unattended ISO with all post-SP4 critical updates slipstreamed and some apps integrated, but i cannot decide if i should also slipstream DirectX 9.0c or not ?

So sorry for asking again, but i just want to be completelly sure that i understand you right...

Thank's in advance...

[Mr. Chris]

I wouldn't include DX9.0 on a slipstreamed CD until I checked it out by installing it on an existing W2K system.

Have you checked to see if MS says that W2K will support DX9.0? I wonder if they offer it as an update? That may say something.

Other than that, I'm afraid I can't offer much more advice. Actually, I did run W2K SP4 for a while before I upgraded to XP Pro and I must have had DX9.0a or b, because I game a lot and DX9 is needed for most of the games I was playing.

Another quick thought, I wonder if a utility like Si Soft Sandra might tell you what version of Direct X the chipset supports? Or maybe it will just tell what version of Direct X is installed? Chris.

[boyblue]

Martin-H

W2K is supported by the latest DX version.



http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

[Martin-H]

Thank's for your reply's, mates

Actually my question was not about if it would work or not, since i know it will, as DX9c is supported by Win2k and since DX versions below 10 is 100% backwards compatible, but i where merely asking if you guys would say that i should even bother upgrade when having hardware from 1. Nov. '01, which means that it is a DX7 compatible card only(since newer DX APIs where released after that date...).

I had previously checked dxdiag to se if i could find some info about what DX version my driver supported, but it didn't showed anything, but now after having installed DX9c and gone into dxdiag again, then there are now some new data available, like e.g. before under the drivers DDI version it was just blank, but now it states '9 or higher', so now i atleast know that the drivers i'm using is written for the DX9 Device Driver Interface, so i have now decided that even though DX7 still works for drivers written for the DX9 DDI, then i will update anyway, even though my hardware isn't DX9 compatible, but i just wish that someone could e.g. tell me that i should either don't bother, since it would be useless anyway with such old and DX9 unsupported hardware, or that i defenetelly should do it, as it would e.g. improve performance, or image quality(even on non-supported hardware, that is), or that it would be the best thing to do stability-wise, with drivers written for the DX9 DDI version or something like that

Also, after i installed DX9c, then there now where some extra tests in dxdiag, like testing driver support(not hardware!) for Direct3D 8 and 9 APIs and it also worked fine with my driver...

anyway, thank's for your help, guys - it's very much appreciated, mates...