What hardware should I buy to run Doom 3?

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Staples

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: AndyHui
DX9 shouldn't matter in the case of Doom 3, since it's written in OpenGL.

?

Yes, it will matter. Even though Carmack is using OpenGL instead of D3D 9 for graphics, it doesn't change what features cards do and don't support, since most features exposed in D3D are also exposed in OpenGL, and as you can imagine, Carmack is likely to use anything he can get his hands on. A DX8 card running Doom 3 will be just as crippled as a DX8 card running HL2(D3D based). Besides, we're also forgetting that Doom 3 will use DirectX for input and sound, so one way or another, you're going to have to have DX9 installed.

Will it really matter? Depends what "matter" means to you. An older card will be slower but it should display all the video effects so you can't compare it to HL2 running on a GF4.

It won't play all the video effects though, that's my point. The PS/VS 2.0 standard defines things that a DX8 card doesn't support, so by extension, there are some effects a DX8 card can't display.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: AndyHui
DX9 shouldn't matter in the case of Doom 3, since it's written in OpenGL.

?

Yes, it will matter. Even though Carmack is using OpenGL instead of D3D 9 for graphics, it doesn't change what features cards do and don't support, since most features exposed in D3D are also exposed in OpenGL, and as you can imagine, Carmack is likely to use anything he can get his hands on. A DX8 card running Doom 3 will be just as crippled as a DX8 card running HL2(D3D based). Besides, we're also forgetting that Doom 3 will use DirectX for input and sound, so one way or another, you're going to have to have DX9 installed.

That's how I understand it.