Worth updating Direct X?

I`m running DirectX version 9.0c(4.09.0000.0904) that is installed with WindowsXP\Service Pack 2. Lately games that I have tried keep saying that I haven`t the latest version installed despite telling me to install version 9.0c which I have.

Is there a later revision? Would it make a difference to system performance if I install this? Finally, can I install DirectX 10 or is that just for Vista? Is there a recommended place to download DirectX from?

Thanks for any help.
Jason.

DirectX 10+ is for Vista only. I would check out MS's DirectX web site as I know that they do update the SDK every so often.

As far as I understand, Microsoft have updated their DirectX v9.0c for a while without updating the version number.. I could be wrong, but this seems to be my experience with newer games.

theres a web installer that only updates the files that need updating. Seems to be 4-8mb every now and then. Occasionaly it makes a slight difference in newer games. I think DX gets patched a little every month.

There was certainly a DX9 update in March.

No, I don't think it will make a difference to system performance. If your program/game was using an update you don't have, you wouldn't be able to run until you downloaded it. Each update seems to install new files, not revised versions of existing files.

My advice would be to leave it until you need it.

Is it the actual directx drivers the games are complaining about, or the dirextx compatability level of your video card?

1. Yes, DirectX 9.0c has been updated multiple times without the version number changing, which IMO isn't a good idea, but that's the way it is. Having DirectX 9.0c doesn't mean you have the latest version now, so go run the web installer and all your games should work.

2. If anything, later versions of DirectX should improve performance, rather than reduce it (or at least this has been my experience with DirectX.

3. DirectX 10 is Vista only.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Jason.

Anyone tried this? Its supposed to be DX10 for XP/Linux/OSX eventually:
http://www.technospot.net/blogs/download-directx-10-for-windows-xp-from-alky-project/

Looks interesting, hope they succeed.

changing the DX version numbering would only have made a sense if it actually changed something to DX not minor changes.
And it changes the numbering as well just not on the major level ... if you check the dlls you will see _27 to _3x, which are the different versions.

I`ve just installed the latest update but if I go into dxdiag the version number still reads:

DirectX version 9.0c(4.09.0000.0904)

despite the update saying that it was successful. Am I missing something? Shouldn`t the number in brackets update to reflect the newer version?

Jason.

No there won't be a newer number in there. Only the available runtime dlls show you which is the most recent you have.

As Dreamora says, you can spot whether you've got or missed any of these updates by looking for the d3dx9_xx.dll files. Where XX is a two digit number. I have 24-37 inclusive, but that may well not be all of them.

There are also D3DX10_xx.dll files, but I assume they're only installed on Vista.