Super 64 Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Im running DirectX 8.1 with no probs. Ive held off on installing 9b because i was unsure of the result. Is this a solid, problem free release? Because as you know once Direct X is installed, there is no going back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Ive got the newest installation of DX on both my machines. Havent noticed any improvements, nor have I noticed any problems. Its hard to tell what it would do on any computer, simply because of the endless combinations of hardware and software types there are. Id say go for it, but if you can run all your games with no problems, theres really no need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasniper Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 i've got it too with no probs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzDaKat Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I actualy noticed a slight improvment in the smothing of 32 bit graphic's, mainly on tree's. But unless your playing in 1280x1024x32 with all your card's eye candy settings maxed and the game setting's all on their highest, you probably wont notice (Running a Ti4400 here on a 98se machine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warhawk Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 @Super64 If you are running Windows 98SE then DON'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stay at 8.1. There may be other issues that I either am not thinking of right now or not aware of at the moment so I would keep an eye on this thread for a bit to see what other people say. It would also help to know what your system specs are. Read the sticky at the top of this thread. Stout Hearts Warhawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzDaKat Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Bug's in 98se with Dx9b? Well then I better stay here at Dx9a where all run's smoothly and bug free. Funny that a single step in release version could cause so many headaches for the users of a particular OS, but I guess it's possible they completely changed course from Dx9a to b ?!? If you can find any link's pertaining to these bug's could you please post them up? Who know's, mabey I'm suffering from one now and just dont know it. There is of course the possibility that the bug's reported as being related to 98se were in fact related to the hardware the person reporting the bug was using, more specificly, the poh's drivers. Or perhaps I'm just seeing things while I type this, and reaslly I've been staring at the old BSOD for the past 4 months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I saw people who DL'd dx9.0 and it totally thrashed their systems, and 9.0a would work. So yeah, I'd say a single step can make one heck of a difference, considering that the dx9.x wasnt written with 98 or ME in mind at all, but still works. Sometimes. Occassionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warhawk Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 @Fritz I am on of those people that Phantom speaks of. As he can attest to when I went up to DX9.0 on my 98SE machine it totally hosed my system. I currently use DX9.0a but unless it becomes and absolute necessity I will not be making another DX upgrade anytime soon. I have been fortunate so far with 9.0a. The old saying "if it's not broke don't fix it" comes to mind. The whole upgrade issue for Super64 should be centered around why he wants to upgrade and then what steps can he take to protect himself should it be necessary to do so. Just upgrading DX for the sake of doing so is not always a good thing. It never has been in my many years of experience with PC's. Stout Hearts Warhawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Well said warhawk. Directx is the direct equivalent of a kernel update for the OS. Not always necessary, and not always a good thing either, depending on circumstances, especially since 9 out of 10 times it cant be undone without an FFR if it screws up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzDaKat Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 @Fritz Just upgrading DX for the sake of doing so is not always a good thing. Stout Hearts Warhawk I wasnt trying to say that it was, simply that often the compatibility issues often trace down to trouble between hardware driver dll's and not nessisarily the OS itself, something which in some cases can be fixed by reinstalling ones drivers for the offending piece of hardware. Initialy I did have some minor issues with Dx9a on my box, but all cleared up after reinstalling the Nvidia drivers. P.S. For those that had the issues, had you reinstalled your adapter drivers after upgrading Dx? Because it recomends doing so in some of the documentation in the knowledge base, at least in the sense that one should first install Dx on a system prior to installing video adapter drivers, and by reinstalling the drivers once Dx is upgraded, it allows everything to settle better, I'll try to find a link to the specific knowledge base report I'm talking about for you sometime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warhawk Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 @Fritz For those that had the issues, had you reinstalled your adapter drivers after upgrading Dx? Because it recomends doing so in some of the documentation in the knowledge base, at least in the sense that one should first install Dx on a system prior to installing video adapter drivers, and by reinstalling the drivers once Dx is upgraded, it allows everything to settle better, I'll try to find a link to the specific knowledge base report I'm talking about for you sometime soon. While I can't speak for everyone else, I can tell you that between Phantom, Snakebite and I (and at the risk of sounding like I trying to toot my own horn) we together represent quite a lot of expertese in the field of PC's. The problem I was experiencing was directly related to DX9.0's incompatibilty with 98SE. As Phantom said DX9.x was not written with 98SE or ME in mind. How else is "Uncle Billy" going to get you to upgrade to his newest software? Have you also noticed that no drivers today are written to be DX9 certified with Windows 98SE? I only speak of 98 as it is the op system I use. Stout Hearts Warhawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzDaKat Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 And I'm also curious as to these issues for I too run 98se, and it's working just fine for me, which is why I'm bringing up the point of it being more related to the current drivers installed for your video adapter, and wether or not you had attempted to reinstall the video drivers after upgrading as the knowledge base article had advised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warhawk Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 The problems varied from not being able to use either winamp or windows media player. Some games would not load, including Ghost Recon. Some sound files that normally played, like start up sound files, did not run. Overall picture quality was crap too. But again this was with DX9.0 not DX9.0a. I am now using 9.0a with no problems. We are getting a little off topic here though. Super64 get us the info I eluded to earlier and then we can give you a more informed opinion on the matter. By the way why are you considering upgrading to DX9.0b? Stout Hearts Warhawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Warhawks issue wasnt related to video drivers, it was related to directx itself. It didnt happen to everyone, but it did happen to alot of people. Even people using the latest Directx drivers. Me also was famous for dx9.0 issues. dx 9.0 was a beta version written for XP, not 9x or ME. Some people just got lucky and it happened to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzDaKat Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Arg! is it just me, or does it seem alot of the info is "currently unavailable" over there at the knowledge base? i was trying to find that document I mentioned before but from the WIn98 support page anything put in the search bar comes back 404 But anyway, the micro-benefits I had mentioned earlier were related to my switching to 9.0a not B, so, I'll make sure to finish that first cup of coffee before I start posting. happens to most folks from time to time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost gamer Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 an old saying my dad has always used..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it" ...trust me...if you have your pc running GR as well as you would like, man, I would not change a thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Amen. Unless you are a major tweak freak, if it aint broke, leave it the hell alone ! ! ROFL ! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecmic Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Hi, Taking a leaf out of Phanny's book I've been just reading the stuff that comes into this forum without offering any comment or opinion. And we come to Direct X !! It's interesting the way peeps skirt around DX as if it was an unexploded bomb. A prod here and there to see if it will react. Lots of heresay and rumour about how it will blow up yer system, convert everything to Chinese or produce cinematic quality graphics. I've always installed the latest when its arrived, on Win98 or XP. Perhaps I've just been very fortunate? Admittedly, I skipped everything in between Win98SE and WinXP Home. Didn't see the point for my purposes (mostly flight sims and graphics manipulation) Oh btw! I have also successfully employed one of those so called DirectX Busters in the past to revert to an earlier version of DX8. NOT MEANT TO BE ADVICE, JUST COMMENT! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 (edited) Hello tecmic. I have always installed the lastest DX and the latest everything because I like to be update or I can't go to sleep. DX9 nearly killed my system but I removed it sucessfully and I did the same wit DX8 also but I don't remember what tool for DX8. And yes I would say you have been lucky then. And me too since I had no serious trouble in the end because of DX and was able to rollback to previous versions when I needed to. Some people like to wait some don't it doesn't matter but I can see how some are wary to upgrade or update because they are unsure and don't want to be a part of a DX9-like fiasco. Edited August 7, 2003 by Stinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 @Tecmic Admittedly, I always have installed the latest as soon as it arrived - right up to this last time. I did it with 9.0 and that was a big mistake. I watched 9.0 fubar more systems, including my own, to the point an FFR was needed. 9.0 was a beta, and had nothing in it for 9x/ME, although it did work for some people. For alot of people it hosed the 9x/ME OS and they had to FFR and go back to 8.1 I have lost alot of faith in MS products since the whole ME fiasco and as a result of that little retail version of a virus, I am very cautious about anything that comes from MS. Since ME, I have just gotten into the safe habit of if it works, leave it alone and watch what happens before running out to install the latest and greatest. That has also ALWAYS been my rule with hardware also. I could never see spending 400 bucks on a video card that cant be fully utilized for at least a year, when I can wait a year and the price will drop by 75%. But that is for another thread. But since dx9.0 and ME, I am very cautious about any MS upgrades to anything. Just like SP1 for XP. I watched that little gem hose alot of systems. In fact, I dl'd it, and mine never rebooted. I promptly formatted and to this day I still dont have SP1, and dont foresee the day I will. I just keep DL'ing the individual security updates and such. SP1 will never see my machine again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecmic Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Bill, yer got a lot to answer for bro! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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