Every gamer has come across such a concept as DirectX 9. What is this component for and what is it? Of course, today there are already versions older than the ninth. In simple terms, this is a kind of intermediate tool between computer games and a video card, which makes it possible to use all the computing power of a computer to draw impressive graphics.
When a user sees in the game realistic reflections in puddles and windows, smoke that does not differ from the real one, sparks - he understands what DirectX is for.
Version differences
All technologies are developing very fast. This also applies to computer graphics. Each fresh version of DirectX gives developers the opportunity to add some new visual effects to the game, and make the old ones more beautiful. What is DirecX11 for? It allows you to make very realistic snow, soft shadows without a noticeable drop in performance. Older versions boast thiscan't.
To put it simply, a higher version is a better picture. But don't expect miracles, as changes are often difficult to see. Most likely, this small difference is due to the fact that modern games are created immediately for all platforms. And set-top boxes, in comparison with computers, are much weaker in their technical capabilities. Bottom line: PC games look the same as they did on consoles that came out a few years ago. If consoles have a lot of limitations regarding graphics, then computers do not suffer from this.
To the question: "What is DirectX for?" many users will answer that it improves the graphics. In fact, it allows developers to make the game more beautiful. If it was created for the ninth version, then installing the tenth version will change absolutely nothing. Graphics are affected not only by the performance of the video card, but also by the technology supported by the game.
DirectX and Windows
DirectX is a set of software libraries. If they are missing in the folders, then the games will either have no effects, or, most likely, will not start at all. In this case, an error message will pop up - the absence of a file. That's what the DirectX program is for - so that games that support this technology can run. These files are already present in the operating system in the minimum required composition. The supported version of DirectX also depends on the OS version.
Video card and DirectX
The newer the model,the more recent version of the technology it supports. Together with the new one, all the previous ones will be supported. The Windows operating system must also support the new version, because if you have a new video card, but with a build system, only old toys will run.
How to check the supported version
To find out about the version supported by the video card, you can go to the manufacturer's website and find the necessary information there. You can also find it in online stores.
The operating system is somewhat more difficult, as much depends on its updates.
First of all, you need to make sure that all the latest updates are installed. This is done in the Update Center. Then you need to press Win + R on the keyboard and enter the word dxdiag. This will run a diagnostic where you can see the installed version of DirectX.
If you come across the latest version for an old operating system on the Internet, then you need to understand that this is a hoax. It can not be. In older versions of Windows, there is no way to enable support for recent versions of DirectX.
Do I install libraries from the Microsoft website?
You can do this, but the version will not change. For the normal launch of games, you must download and install all the updates, as already mentioned earlier. The system takes fresh versions of libraries from there. It is not an installer that is downloaded from the company's website, but a downloader that takes files from the network and only then installs new versions instead of outdated ones.
Operating systems of new versions of the library do not need these, becausehow all updates come along with updates. Why do you need DirectX on Windows of the old version? In order to launch not the latest toys, but those requiring updates.
Installation
Installer contains files of both old and new versions. The installation process is very simple. You just need to click "Next" a few times, and then - "Finish". After that, the libraries will be installed on the computer and automatically activated. Now games can use them.
Conclusion
So, summing up, you can quickly answer the question of what DirectX is for. This set of libraries is required to run PC games, as well as to support realistic visual effects that were created by the developers. If games start without these libraries, then the picture will not be at all what it should be. And true connoisseurs of games as an art form will not be able to see all the beauty. Thus, you need to follow the updates and install them on time. What is DirectX 11 for? The new version is needed for more beautiful graphics. You also need an up-to-date video card model that can work with these libraries and provide the gamer with a pleasant game process.
