It is important to know the version of DirectX installed on your computer in case you want to use new features or get support from the community.
DirectX Versions
DirectX has become a standard of all Windows operating systems since its first appearance. DirectX is a software program that makes your computer's graphics system work properly.
There are three versions of DirectX: DirectX 9.0, DirectX 10, and DirectX 11.
DirectX 9.0: This version of DirectX was created by Microsoft in 2000. It is the oldest version of DirectX.
It has a minimal feature set and is compatible with only a few games.
DirectX 10: This version is used by Windows Vista and Windows 7. It includes some features not found in DirectX 9.0.
DirectX 11: This version is designed for Windows 8 and 10.
Check Your DirectX Version in Windows
You may be experiencing the DirectX bug if you're using an older version of Windows (pre-Windows 7) or experiencing problems playing particular games.
Luckily, Microsoft has a tool for identifying this issue.
From the Windows desktop, press Windows and R to open the Run window. Type dxdiag in the Open: field of the Run window. To open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, click OK or enter.
Check the digital signature of your drivers if prompted.
Installing DirectX Runtime Libraries for Legacy DirectX SDK
With the introduction of Windows 8.1 and 10, Microsoft has made it easier for developers to target operating systems through a unified platform called Universal Windows Platform (UWP). T
To make the transition easier, Microsoft has created a legacy DirectX runtime library that can be used with the DirectX SDK.
The following libraries provide runtime support for legacy DirectX SDK (DirectX version 9). The legacy DirectX SDK does not support Windows 7 or later. For applications created using the legacy DirectX SDK, only Windows XP and Vista are supported.
The runtime libraries provided with the legacy DirectX SDK are used in DirectX SDK samples to demonstrate the functionality of the legacy DirectX SDK.
Applications should be updated to use the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Windows Forms technologies for Windows 7 and later.
Installing D3DX9, D3DX10, XAudio 2.7, XInput 1.3, XACT, Managed DirectX 1.1, and XACT is easy with Microsoft's tool. You don't need to upgrade your DirectX version; the tool adds a few runtime libraries.
So, to install the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer, follow the wizard's steps by pressing Next.
Once the installation is complete, select Finish to exit the wizard. After this, you should be able to access your old games.
Conclusion
Looking at a list of all the games with DirectX installed on your computer and all the other components in your system might seem like a tremendous amount of work.
However, with patience and careful planning, it's better than it seems. We'll cover what you need to know and give tips and tricks to ensure you can get your computer ready for the big day!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DirectX 12 use more RAM?
There are problems with DirectX 12 when it uses more memory than the graphics card can physically handle.
Is DirectX 12 good for gaming?
With DirectX 12, that has changed. In addition, the load is more evenly distributed across all cores, making multi-core CPUs more relevant for gamers.
Can I use DirectX 11 instead 12?
It depends on your hardware whether you can choose DirectX 11 or DirectX 12. DirectX 12 is supported by most current GPUs but not by older GPUs like the Radeon HD 4870.
Do I need DirectX 9 if I have DirectX 12?
In addition to DirectX 11, DirectX 9 adds extra libraries to be used by games and software that are designed to work with them.
Does DirectX 12 improve graphics?
Not at all. A decrease in FPS is due to the processing power required when ray tracing is used. Ray tracing is commonly thought to improve image quality, but that's only partially true.
Why does DX12 run worse than DX11?
When the CPU core count increases and the clock rate is lowered, DX12 loses FPS. Compared to DX11, DX12 is less capable of multi-threading.
As a result of rendering thread bottlenecking, DX12 often requires a high clock rate.
Which is better DirectX 11 or 12?
A lot of the work to make games work over multiple CPUs is built into DirectX 12. The goal with DirectX 12 is to utilize the full potential of your PC hardware rather than only using a fraction.
Does DirectX 12 increase FPS?
Performance improvements include double-digit percentage increases in frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will jump by 25 percent at 1080p, while Cyberpunk 2077 will see up to 20 percent improvements.
Which DirectX is best for gaming?
Always use DX11 if your graphics card supports it.
You can get higher performance by enabling additional graphics features that come with higher versions (such as tesselation), which is usually controlled by the game.
Does DX12 affect CPU?
No, it won't have a lower impact. However, it will have a much higher scaling performance and interaction with your GPU without drastically increasing CPU impact.
Is DirectX 11 still good?
As DX12 and Vulkan are much more explicit, they also require much more resources, testing, and devs need to work much more closely with vendors (AMD, Intel, Nvidia, etc.).
Can I run GTA V on DirectX 12?
Since GTA 5 only supports DX 11, Rockstar would need to add DX 12.
However, you can use DX 11 in games that do not support DX 12 if your operating system supports it and your graphics card does.
Is DX12 good for low-end PC?
Yes, you can run DirectX 12 on a low-spec system, but that doesn't mean many games will run since DirectX 12 isn't the only factor in a game's performance.