WDDM 1.3 (win 8.1) support besides Geforce 700 series

Hello, I was hoping for some clarification on the intended GPU series support for Windows 8.1’s WDDM 1.3 driver model.

My understanding is that at least part (if not all) of the 700 series GPUs have WDDM 1.3 support in the Windows 8.1 Preview, using the current forceware 326.01 drivers available for the OS.

However, I’m not clear on NVIDIA’s future plans for supporting WDDM 1.3 on other recent GPU series, such as the 500s and 600s.

I don’t have access to a 600 series GPU, but I have managed to check for support for the 500 series (using a GTX 560 Ti) in Windows 8.1 Preview with the 326.01 drivers, and the 560Ti shows as only a WDDM 1.2 device there.

I also took a closer look at optional feature_level_11_0 support on the 560ti with the current Visual Studio 2013 Preview in Windows 8.1 Preview, using example code for Hardware Overlay Support as well as for Tiled Resources. In both cases support was unavailable using 326.01 with the 560ti GPU. Hardware Overlays returned false from dxgiOutput2->SupportsOverlays(), whilst Tiled Resources appears unavailable with a value of D3D11_TILED_RESOURCES_NOT_SUPPORTED when populating a D3D11_FEATURE_DATA_D3D11_OPTIONS1 object using device->CheckFeatureSupport(). I didn’t check the optional feature support for Mappable Default Buffers.

Has anyone else who frequents the forum had chance to test either general WDDM 1.3 support or those more specific level_11_0 optional features with a 600 series GPU in Windows 8.1 Preview?

If at all possible, could anyone at NVIDIA clarify whether future Windows 8.1 drivers will bring WDDM 1.3 / optional feature support for the 500 Series (and/or other GPU series)?

Thank you for reading.

Any input on this?

Nvidia should clarify this ASAP…

Hi,

Given the outstanding performance due to 326.01 in Windows 8.1 (see my presentation here: Hybrid CPU GPU MATLAB Image Processing Benchmarking ) it appears to me that this is a brand new driver rather an updated version of previous drivers etc. However, it will be safe to assume that as soon as it gets finalised, compatibility\support for previous generations will be added.

Yes. It would be nice with a list of which drivers that is going to be updated to WDDM 1.3. I thought all drivers in the 326.01 update where WDDM 1.3. But apparently they aren’t. My old Quadro NVS 140M is reported as WDDM 1.2 by DxDiag.exe in Win 8.1 with the Nvidia 326.01 driver.

Just to follow up for anyone else seeking this information, I managed to get a reply from a nvidia rep elsewhere.

WDDM 1.3 is supported by all cards using fermi GPUs or newer. That means 400 series or higher for geforce cards.

I also uncovered a bug/design issue with windows 8.1 with onboard graphics devices that prevented the 560ti in my original post from being detected as WDDM 1.3. Currently you need to ensure any onboard VGA that isn’t WDDM 1.3 capable is disabled in your motherboard bios, even if it’s unused and windows reports it as inactive, otherwise it can cause your active display device to use WDDM 1.2 also. This was the case in my original post and forcibly disabling my onboard VGA in my bios allowed the 560ti to present as a WDDM 1.3 device.

that’s great news. My GTX 570 can still last a little more :)

Is it only the Fermi based CPUs that is going to have WDDM 1.3 drivers? So no WDDM 1.3 drivers for older Quadro NVS GPUs?

Well well… I should not be surprised. I think it was astonishing that they updated the Quadro NVS 140m driver so far as to WDDM 1.2. I was just really hoping to be able to use Miracast from my old laptop. But I guess I’ll just have to get a new one.

Surprise! http://alex.diamantopulo.com/nvidia.png How can you explain this?