When will we see the next big graphics jump?

[Lord Gornak]

I remember the first time I played Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith back in 1997. Good game, but everything changed when I installed my Diamond Monster Voodoo1 4MB graphics card. Colored lighting made the game world look so beautiful and vivid. I marveled at the way a lightsaber bled its color onto a nearby wall, the way the near-miss of a speeding rocket would light the ground beneath it.
When will we see the next big graphics revolution? Physics cards really didn't seem to do it, and neither did Crysis. Both physics cards and Crysis did improve upon the way games look, but I have yet to see a jaw-dropping improvement. When do you guys think we will see something like that?

 

[grieve]

I am hopeing the 9800GTX will be the next huge jump. time will tell.

 

[amddiesel]

2009 is my guess. We will be like whoa

 

[nachowarrior]

considering the fact that everything in computers is just the same recycled crap over again, I doubt it'll be any time soon... I'm personally waiting to see who hits the wall, on how small the cpu process will go, and how much power they can dump into it. when it becomes it's smallest, and there is no more big advancements possible, they'll have to think outside the box (hardy har har) and find innovative ways to run everything.

 

[badgtx1969]

I am hopeing the 9800GTX will be the next huge jump. time will tell.

I don't think it will be like the jump the 8800 GTX offered over the 7800/7900 GTX. Looks like 9800 GTX will be G92 based, and will basically be a pumped up 8800 GTS (512).

http://sg.vr-zone.com/articles/GeForce_9800_GTX%3B_Fastest_G92_Card_w_128_SPs/5589.html

I'd wait to see what RV770 brings to the table this summer, as well as the first 'true' dx10 games.

 

[mikekazik1]

When directx 11 comes out.

 

[jay2tall]

but I have yet to see a jaw-dropping improvement. When do you guys think we will see something like that?

When Nvidia gets some good competition and is forced to battle it out with ATI or some other Graphics Card (whoever that might be). Nvidia is at least not sitting still, they are improving efficiency and getting much better performance for the power required. Also they are bringing prices down. Other than Crysis, what game really needs more than a GTX or GTS512? I play everything I have cranked to the max besides Crysis.

My jaws dropped last weekend when my buddy ran his 3-way GTX SLI system at max res on a new ACER 24" 1920x1200 resolution screen. The biggest factor on this was he has DX10 on and ran at a HIGH resolution with all settings on.

I think people are getting carried away with these fast graphics cards that produce 100+ FPS on whatever resolution and you can't see a difference. Get a high res widescreen monitor running DX10 and then tell me what it looks like. The experience isn't always about the graphics card. There are other factors.

 

[mactronix]

I think it will be when the RV770's get revised and DX11 comes out.
mactronix

 

[jay2tall]

I wouldn't even worry about DX11 since people are only starting to jump on board with DX10. The newer cards seem to run better in DX10 plus you need Vista, which im not excited to go to yet. DX 11 will be a while.

 

[yipsl]

When directx 11 comes out.

No, when DX10.1 is fully implemented in current games. Of course, that requires a migration to Vista, as Microsoft won't release DX10 for XP, but the migration will eventually happen. So far, I haven't seen the promises of DX10 fulfilled.

This weekend, I'll get to experience LOTR online with the DX10 patch, as I just upgraded to a 3870x2. Most games have only implemented some DX10 features through patches, and all offer DX9.0c support for those who won't go Vista.

I think people are getting carried away with these fast graphics cards that produce 100+ FPS on whatever resolution and you can't see a difference. Get a high res widescreen monitor running DX10 and then tell me what it looks like. The experience isn't always about the graphics card. There are other factors.

Nvidia already has serious competition. Some fans of Nvidia simply cannot accept it. :lol: Can't wait to see 4870 and 4870x2 in June (if Nordic Hardware's report is accurate).

I agree about the LCD monitor bit. When I get at least a 20" LCD @ 1680 x 1050, I'm sure I'll see a difference. I might even be able to go for a screen that's 1920 x 1200. I'll see what prices are like on March 15th. At any rate, it will be so far beyond a 17" CRT that I'm looking forward to seeing what my 3870x2 can do when not CPU limited.

 

[spoonboy]

I wouldn't even worry about DX11 since people are only starting to jump on board with DX10. The newer cards seem to run better in DX10 plus you need Vista, which im not excited to go to yet. DX 11 will be a while.

Your right we haven't even got a native dx10 game yet. All 'dx10' games now started off in development as dx9 and had dx10 added later on. The summer should bring some nice surprises from ATI & Nvidia though. Weve seen high performance and high value cards come out in the 3870 and 8800gt, summer might show us the way to the $450 monster that blows away sli'd GTXs.

 

[mactronix]

Does anyone actually know what DX11 is supposed to be bringing us, Is there a white paper out yet ? and does anyone have a link if it is out ?
The reason im asking is that a couple of you seem to be saying that as DX10 wasn't a great success as far as people adopting it is concerned then DX11 will be the same.

As Spoonboy says the support for Native Dx10 games is non existent.

When you put that together with the need to upgrade your OS to even run Dx10 which while nice visually isn't worth it to the majority of people.

I think the key to the whole DX thing is going to come down to if every new DX is going to need new hardware or not. If not then i would have thought that by the time DX11 comes out (providing as i have said that it is only a software change) That the devs would have had enough time working with the hardware to get it optimised enough to run some decent frame rates.

And as far as the migration to Vista goes, and i know that i am far from in a minority here i have 100% no intention of ever installing Vista on my PC and am more than willing to completely miss this OS out and wait for the next one.

 

[Seanydude678]

I believe it's waaay too early to be thinking about DX11, people are still in the transition phase of switching to DX10. Personally I don't think they will think about it until around Q3 of 2009.

I'm guessing about 70% of gamers haven't switched to dx10 yet either. I also agree with the above in the sense that too many people don't like vista, they don't want to switch from their beloved xp to get the graphic updates. (Myself being one of them.)