Latest news with #DirectX12
CNET
2 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Now You Can Upgrade Your PC to Windows 11 Pro or Home for Only $10
Whatever your needs, from scrolling at leisure to gaming competitively or even staying productive at home, it makes a big difference to be running the latest version of Windows. You'll get access to all of the latest features and vital security updates, which is about to become all the more important with Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025. If you haven't upgraded to Windows 11 yet, now's the time -- and we've found a way for you to do it on the cheap. If you've ever looked into buying a copy of Windows 11, you'll know just how costly it can be. Buy Windows 11 Pro directly from Microsoft, and it costs a whopping $200. Thankfully, there are ways to get the same software for considerably less. StackSocial is offering Windows 11 Pro for just $10. The catch? You'll have to use promo code MSO5 at checkout to score this low price. Act quickly if you're interested to make sure you don't miss out. This deal from StackSocial allows you to download Windows 11 Pro onto your laptop or desktop PC. Windows 11 Pro offers a seamless interface and supports professional-level work and multitasking. It also features DirectX 12 Ultimate, which provides better gaming graphics by utilizing your laptop or desktop's hardware to its full potential. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Windows 11 Pro also features BitLocker device encryption, Azure-AD, Hyper V and other professional tools that can help you run your business or enjoy hours of gaming. StackSocial is also offering Windows 11 Home the same price with the promo code, but we'd recommend opting for the Pro version while it's at such a low price. Once you purchase, you'll be able to download Windows 11 Pro and enjoy your lifetime license. Keep in mind that your computer must meet the system's minimum requirements or you won't be able to download the software. For PCs that are currently running Windows 10, note that if Windows Update doesn't let you install the free Windows 11 upgrade, your computer will not be compatible with this version, either. Another caveat is that you'll only have 30 days to redeem your download code before it expires. If it's new hardware that you need, rather than software, be sure to look through our roundups of the best laptop deals happening now. Why this deal matters Windows 11 Pro costs $200 when purchased directly from Microsoft. StackSocial is offering Windows 11 Pro for only $10 for a limited time when you use the promo code at checkout. This saves $190 on the latest Windows OS, making it a great option for those looking to upgrade. There's no word on exactly when this price will rise, but it's unlikely to last for too long.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
SPEC Delivers SPECviewperf 15 Benchmark with New Graphics APIs and Workloads, Support for New Application Versions
SPECviewperf 15 GAINESVILLE, Va., May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC), the trusted global leader in computing benchmarks, today announced the availability of the SPECviewperf 15 benchmark, a significant update to the worldwide standard for measuring graphics performance based on professional applications. The SPECviewperf 15 benchmark includes new graphics APIs for DirectX 12 and Vulkan, workloads for new industry use cases, and support for the latest versions of the currently represented applications. The extensive enhancements in this version of the benchmark enable users to understand how the latest versions of their applications will perform on the current generation of hardware. The SPECviewperf benchmark measures the 3D graphics performance of systems running under the OpenGL, DirectX, and Vulkan application programming interfaces (APIs). The benchmark can be run without installing licenses for the represented applications and is frequently used as the basis for performance measurement and the estimation of new hardware, such as GPUs and system platforms. The diverse set of modern workloads are easy to install and run, and provide high-quality, consistent results. 'Enterprises and end users will find the SPECviewperf 15 benchmark especially helpful when deciding on future hardware purchases,' said SPECgpc Committee Chair Ross Cunniff. 'It enables them to better understand how to allocate their resources to achieve their required performance levels, leading in turn to a better user experience and increased productivity. Moving forward, SPEC will continue to expand the SPECviewperf benchmark to enable our growing community of users to optimize the performance of their systems.' Key new features of the SPECviewperf 15 benchmark New workloads representing significant new use-cases: blender-01 – an OpenGL benchmark highlighting the use of Blender 3.6 LTS in content-creation use cases unreal_engine-01 – a DirectX 12 benchmark highlighting content-creation use cases that rely on Epic's Unreal Engine 5.4 with advanced rendering technologies such as Lumen, Nanite, and Temporal Super Resolution Enscape-01 – a Vulkan benchmark highlighting GPU-accelerated ray tracing as used by the Chaos Enscape 4.0 application in architectural visualization Updated workloads based on new versions of represented professional applications: 3dsmax-08 – updated with traces from Autodesk 3ds Max 2023, including subsets of KitBash3D's Mission to Minerva model and materials Kit, based on real-world production data commonly used by game developers and filmmakers. catia-07 – updated with traces from the 2022x version of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA. Traces from CATIA v5 are also included in the workload. creo-04 – updated with traces from PTC Creo 9 maya-07 – updated with traces from Autodesk Maya 2025. Two new models, 'Apollo' and 'Sol and Solette' are also included. solidworks-08 – updated with traces from Dassault Systèmes Solidworks 2024 Significant usability improvements, including an all-new graphical user interface (GUI) and updated installation and configuration processes. Available for Immediate DownloadThe SPECviewperf 15 benchmark is available for immediate download from SPEC under a two-tiered pricing structure: free for the user community and $2,500 for sellers of computer-related products and services. SPEC/GWPG members receive benchmark licenses as a membership benefit. About SPECSPEC is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains and endorses standardized benchmarks and tools to evaluate performance for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 120 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations, and government agencies worldwide. Media contact: Brigit Valencia360.597.4516brigit@ SPEC® and SPECviewperf® are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Yahoo
Unreal Engine Has The Shader Stuttering Solution
Unreal Engine 5.2 introduced a new system for preloading Pipeline State Objects (PSOs) to help reduce stuttering caused by shader compilation in games. This alleviates shader stuttering, which is a huge problem in PC games right now. Shader compilation stuttering (also known as shader stuttering) happens when a game needs to prepare a shader just before it can be displayed, leading to noticeable delays and the shader popping in noticeably. This delay happens because converting high-level shader code into machine code that different graphics cards can understand is complicated. Modern graphics APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan introduced PSOs to improve performance. PSOs combine shaders and rendering settings so that they can be prepared in advance. However, the sheer number of possible PSO combinations can be overwhelming in complex games with many different materials and rendering options. Earlier methods, like Unreal Engine's "Bundled PSO Cache," couldn't keep up. This cache required a lot of resources to track and was hard to manage. The new PSO precaching system by Unreal solves some previous issues. When loading, it examines materials, meshes, and overall settings to determine which PSOs (Pipeline State Objects) are likely needed. These are prepared during a loading screen or just before they're needed. If objects come in later, they can either wait for the PSOs to be ready or use a basic material instead. This helps reduce noticeable delays. It's great that engines are working to fix this problem. What's interesting is that this is only an issue because of the improvements in technology. In the past, games would come with precompiled shader code, which the graphics driver would then convert while the game was running. This worked well for simpler games, but performance issues emerged as shaders became more complex and graphics cards improved. Keep in mind that dealing with changes in materials is a work in progress and currently only applies to some shaders. For example, Global shaders (used for effects like motion blur) are handled differently and will still see issues. However, there are plans to improve this in the future. Still, it seems like Unreal is leading the charge to fix this problem for players. Hopefully, a permanent solution will make shader stuttering a thing of the past. Source: Unreal
