Windows XP compatability with newer MoBos and multi-core CPUs?

[rickscript]

Hi,
My computer is really starting to show it's age and needs to be replaced with something more up to modern specs. I have done this a few times before so I know my way around the process. I have identified a few good choices of mainboard/CPU combos and I was all set to start ordering parts when I saw a few comments in a forum. A few others were saying that certain models of MoBo and CPU wouldn't work with Windows XP. I have a full install disk of both Windows XP Pro and 64-bit XP and I am perfectly happy not joining the herd towards Win 7 (for both $ and user reasons). I've heard of hardware not having the horsepower to run a system, but I've never heard of the opposite, so I checked the manufacturer's site (Asus, in this case) and they have a well-hidden link that opens a page showing which models are "compatible" with XP, Vista and 7. I'm not sure what that means and I could not get a clear, unequivocal answer on their site as to what this means (does it mean if you put in the install disk after assembly, that everything grinds to a halt? does it mean some devices may not have drivers? who knows?) If you want to ask them a direct question like this, you have to provide details like serial numbers (since I haven't purchased yet, I can't really do this) so I am trying to get an answer elsewhere. The essential issue is this: I want to use a current model multi-core CPU from AMD, with probably an Asus board and I want to install Win XP Pro on it; that's it. Seems pretty simple but I haven't yet found someone who can definitely answer this. A few years back, when building a computer for my girlfriend we ran into the unforeseen AGP-extinction and she was left with a pricey video card that became a paperweight. I wasn't sure if this should be in the hardware section, or the XP section, so please excuse my error- I have been away from here for a few years. Anyway, if anyone can reveal the mysteries of this issue I'd really appreciate it. I am guessing it will be perfectly fine but I'd like to avoid needless hassles. Thanks

 

[rclarke250]

Almost all DX9/DX10 games will run better in DX9. Less to process, but the picture is better looking in DX10, and in some instances DX11 is shipping on some games as well. One game that supports DX9/DX10 from the same installer and just needs a box checked and restart the client is Lord of the Rings Online. Games with DX11:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_with_DirectX_11_support.

How well Direct x is handled is more a product of the video card/drivers/cpu/sound card, Then the OS. Also there was a team working on hacking dx10 into xp,

http://translate.google.com/transla...t+directx+10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=681&prmd=ivns

 

[cdogg]

Almost all DX9/DX10 games will run better in DX9. Less to process, but the picture is better looking in DX10...

DX10 provides the avenue to achieving more complex geometry than DX9 but does not necessarily mean that is often going to be the case. Saying "most" would be an assumption at this point. It might not be the best example, but think of the old AGP interface that eventually went from 4X to 8X. The first AGP 8X cards released barely tapped into the extra bandwidth that the enhanced interface provided.

Furthermore, a game that can only run in DX9 will usually run slower on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 box (as benchmarks have indicated), simply because DX10 has to emulate DX9 behavior. Since DX9 rendering is not identical in Windows XP and newer versions of Windows, it is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

The few exceptions would be the early DX10 games that were designed for DX9 but later ported to DX10. Crysis and Company of Heroes I've read are two examples. If we were to benchmark these games in both operating systems, we might get a better comparison than the one Resident Evil 5 gave us above. I could be wrong, but from what I could tell Resident Evil 5 was designed with DX10 in mind meaning there are likely more textures and calculations to process when DX10 is available to the game.

Carl

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test
a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln
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