While AMD have set about selling developers on their Mantle API and its impressive performance gains, Nvidia have redoubled their efforts to improve their DirectX drivers – which they point out are compatible with “almost all” contemporary AAA games.
They’ve emerged with a set of new beta drivers, promising an up to 71% reduction in load times, and performance boosts in games like Battlefield 4, Thief and Titanfall.
And no, they’re not above a dig at the rather more limited applicability of AMD’s Mantle drivers.
“Without question, DirectX is the leading graphics API of choice for game developers,” write Nvidia.
Consequently, Nvidia have remained “laser-focused” on DirectX 11 and its forthcoming successor, DirectX 12.
“Unlike changes tailored around custom graphics APIs,” say Nvidia, pointedly, “our new optimizations can benefit all DirectX 11 titles the second they go on sale, regardless of developer or publisher.”
The results are “dramatic” gains in performance in DirectX 11 games. Those that benefit from the 337.50 beta drivers Nvidia released yesterday include Assassin’s Creed IV, Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4, BioShock Infinite, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Far Cry 3, Hitman Absolution, Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2, Thief, Titanfall, Tomb Raider, and Total War: Rome 2.
“Compared to our competitor’s new, much-discussed API, our testing found the combination of the new 337.50 Beta drivers, and DirectX 11, to offer a faster experience with suitably-matched hardware,” finish Nvidia.
“Results will vary depending on your CPU, GPU, operating system, and system configuration, but you should experience some degree of enhancement in almost all DirectX 11 games.”
Elsewhere, new and updated SLI profiles in the 337.50 drivers have prepped Nvidia cards for Reaper of Souls. Do you expect to make use of them?
Thanks, NeoGAF.