My new WIP dummy list, I'm the dummy ;) \ VOGONS

My new WIP dummy list, I'm the dummy ;)

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First post, by squareguy

Posted on 2016-06-29, 01:04

squareguy Offline

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Posts: 887
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Ok, I am working on a compatibility dummy list and it is far, far from finished. Do not trust the values I have entered but I am pretty sure they are correct. Just wanted to give a preview and see if anyone had interest in helping out or expanding.

Filename: Computer Games Hardware Timeline.pdf
File size: 28 KiB
Downloads: 86 downloads
File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

The same colors mean compatible, orange means breaks compatibility. Orange is compatible with orange though. I did both directions for DirectX. Yellowish orange (GeForce FX) means I have had some issues and not sure. EAX and Creative were just guesses.

Make sense?

Im trying to find ways to visually create my new Windows 98 SE Box. So far, judging my biased chart, I am looking at DirectX 7.0a, a GeForce4, a Vortex2, and a SB Audigy.

Gateway 2000 Case and 200-Watt PSU
Intel SE440BX-2 Motherboard
Intel Pentium III 450 CPU
Micron 384MB SDRAM (3x128)
Compaq Voodoo3 3500 TV Graphics Card
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Sound Card
Western Digital 7200-RPM, 8MB-Cache, 160GB Hard Drive
Windows 98 SE

Reply 1 of 7, by SRQ

Posted on 2016-06-29, 20:03

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I thought DX was strictly iterative and the most recent version would have the exact same result as the earliest version for a game.
I.E DX9 on a 98SE machine would act just like DX6 for a DX6 game.

Maybe not though?

Reply 2 of 7, by squareguy

Posted on 2016-06-29, 20:30

squareguy Offline

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DirectX 7.0 was the last version to FULLY support DirectX versions prior to version 7.0. DirectX 9.0 FULLY supports down to version 7.0 and not before. The key word is FULLY.

I forget specifics but I have experienced the problem years ago before I knew the issue existed. It may have been Deltaforce 1-2 or another first person wargame. Seems like i remember things that were transparent that shouldn't be and other visual anomalies. I will try to find the source of the information to post.

Reply 3 of 7, by squareguy

Posted on 2016-06-29, 21:10

squareguy Offline

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I cannot find the information. It is possible I got confused about another issue but I know I have read 7.0 was last version to fully support earlier versions. Am I wrong?

Reply 4 of 7, by Jo22

Posted on 2016-06-29, 21:21

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squareguy wrote:
DirectX 7.0 was the last version to FULLY support DirectX versions prior to version 7.0. DirectX 9.0 FULLY supports down to version 7.0 and not before. The key word is FULLY

Yup, games for DX 1-7 use the DirectX 7.x DDI (on DX7 or newer).
Afaik, the last version, DX 7.1 was a Win ME exclusive.. 😉 And DX7 is also the only one not supported by most virtual machines.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 5 of 7, by Jorpho

Posted on 2016-06-29, 21:24

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I'm sure it's always possible to find some program that's so badly written that it will demand highly specific software with highly specific drivers and highly specific versions of every single system file. (Heck, I think I can recall one throwaway freeware game that was written for DX3 and had weird artifacts under DX5.)

The important question is: are these actually programs you have such a genuine interest in running that it's worthwhile to build your entire system around them?

Reply 6 of 7, by jheronimus

Posted on 2016-06-29, 23:03

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squareguy wrote:

Make sense?

Not right away, but it does. It's only after you understand it's about BACKWARDS compatibility it becomes obvious =)

MR BIOS catalog
Unicore catalog

Reply 7 of 7, by SRQ

Posted on 2016-06-30, 01:05

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I've never had any issues and have installed DX9 since like, 2002, thus my question.
Would it make games slower? That could explain why Deus Ex always seemed a little slow- that or it just /is/.

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