X800XL and HDR?

[cmrmrc]

i am gonna buy an x800xl soon and i was just wondering if it supports HDR. Also, does it support DX9.0C or something like DX9.0A/B?

 

[Pete]

It's SM2b, which is an improvement over SM2 in terms of speed, but obviously more limited than SM3 (in terms of both features and, in some cases, speed). Shader Model is not related to HDR ability, though all "SM3" cards on the market support HDR as we know it in Far Cry and Splinter Cell (which requires FP buffers and blends, above and beyond current SM requirements).

AFAIK, it "supports" HDR, but not in the same manner as the GF 6-, GF 7-, and R X1-series: more of a Medium than High Dynamic Range. So, not as effectively or as efficiently (SM3 HDR in SC:CT shows a greater dynamic range than SM2 HDR, and I'm guessing we'll see a difference in the upcoming Half-Life 2: Lost Coast [due end of October]), and therefore not in as many games (HDR in Far Cry is for "SM3" cards only).

If you want HDR in any future game that'll enable it, consider a 6800GT (tho even this may not be that fast with HDR enabled--check benchmarks). I can't imagine they're much more expensive than X800XLs.