* Includes the latest PhysX runtime builds to support all released PhysX content including Batman Arkham Asylum and others.
* This release also resolves issues with Arabic language installations and occasional simulation interruption on some machines and titles.
* New runtimes for the PhysX SDK 2.8.3.
* Supports NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series, 100-series and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB dedicated graphics memory and 32 CUDA cores. Note: Some applications may have higher minimum requirements.

Getting better though

AMD's recently introduced Radeon HD 5870 is readily available in most European markets. After a somewhat bumpy launch, distributors are starting to get new shipments and they are finally coping with demand. Speaking of demand, there seems to be plenty of early DirectX11 adopters to go around. Prices range for the HD 5870 range from just under €300 in Blighty to €315 or €330 on the mainland, depending on the region.

Efficient use of multithreading with DirectX 11. During AMD’s DirectX 11 training sessions last week, the company brought out its upcoming flagship HD 5800 series card under the Hemlock codename, the card which will also be the top model in its entire 40nm Evergreen series.

This multi-GPU beast more appropriately known as Radeon HD 5870 X2 was shown in a meeting room running CryTek’s latest CryEngine 3 development build at very smooth framerates. More specifically, the engine was running at 1920x1200 with AA turned off (as CryEngine has never needed manual AA) and the Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) rendering technique was significantly more pronounced than in Crysis and Crysis Warhead.

The almighty HD 5870 X2. It was just a matter of time before AMD's crown jewel was pixellized, and now we can take a look at the first pictures of the ATI HD 5870 X2, known also by its Hemlock codename. The pictures appeared at Xtremesystems.org forum, and we are quite sure that we will see more of these pretty soon. This card features two 40nm Cypres GPUs, a dual 256-bit memory interface and a total of 3200 stream processors. Judging by the pictures, the card needs a 6 and 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors while the exact clocks are unknown due to the fact that it could have an unacceptably high TDP and thus might have lower clocks than the HD 5870. The card should be up and running sometime in November, at a rumoured price of around US $500.

Because between us is a bunch of people who are not interested in technical details, but interested in practical result, we've created in Photoshop For comparison between DirectX 10 (which came with Windows Vista) and DirectX 11 (which comes in these days with Windows 7). As you can see, so although Nvidia claims that DirectX 11 is useless and not important, it is not true.

We have to give AMD a lot of credit for being the first with DirectX 9, DirectX 10.1 and now with DirectX 11. Radeon HD5870 does support DirectX 11, but when it comes to games that support it, there are still not out.

Dirt 2 PC version is postponed, and now we are hearing that Stalker DirectX 11 version is also pushed at least to January 2010. The bad thing for ATI is that Nvidia should also have its DirectX 11 card before the end of the year.

Some benchmarks about the HD5870:

Doesn't need translation!

According to our industry sources, the creators and publishers of Dirt 2 received quite big chunk of cash to make the game DirectX 11 capable.

Don’t expect any miracles, as developers will only get some minor things enabled and knowing how desperate the gaming industry is these days, they gladly accepted the opportunity to get some free cash for exchange for a few effects in DirectX 11.