By: Sarju Shah, GameSpot - Posted on October 23, 2009

Windows 7 seems like a turning point for Microsoft. The operating system came out on time, it runs well, and it's much leaner than Vista. We've spent a few months tinkering with the beta and now the final version. It has still got a few quirks, but overall it's way better than Vista when it launched, and it's a worthy successor to Windows XP. We went over most of the new features in a previous article, but this time around we get to do what we couldn't before: see how the games run.

Flip3D       Invisible Windows       Previews       Alt-TAB      

In terms of gaming, Windows 7's major improvement is DirectX 11. Unlike the shift to DirectX 10 on Windows Vista, where Windows XP users were left out in the cold, Windows Vista users will also benefit from DirectX 11. XP users, it's time for you to step up. Fortunately, many Windows XP users didn't really miss out on too much with DirectX 10. That looks to change as, DirectX 11 will see major support now and in the coming months. In the near future we should see DiRT 2, Aliens vs. Predator, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood, and considerably more if we look more than six months out. If you want to scratch that DirectX 11 itch now, you can download BattleForge, EA's free online real-time strategy game.

Dirt 2       Stalker       Aliens vs. Predator       D&D Online       LoTR Online       Battleforge      

DirectX 11 doesn't bring a whole boatload of new features; it simply builds onto DirectX 10 and makes it better. Among other changes, the key new gaming-related additions are tessellation and the computer shader. Tessellation allows the GPU to draw in extra geometric detail. For example, if your character walks past a car, in DirectX 10 the vehicle will look fine from a distance, but when you get closer, its shortcomings will be readily apparent. With tessellation, the GPU will be able to draw in extra curvature on the fly to make the vehicle look rounder. The compute shader allows the GPU to calculate any number of things. In games, ATI has been using the compute shader to sort transparency effects much more quickly than was traditionally possible.

Tesselation Off       Tesselation On       Transparency Effects      
(Screenshot Credit - ATI)

562 Comments

  • iamcookieman

    Posted Dec 21, 2009 10:16 am PT

    Windows 7 is awesome got it running on my computer, tho my GFX card (Dinosaur age) didnt have a driver update so had to go back to XP, tho I'm buying a new Radeon HD 4870 , W7 is totally worth it, hard to get used to the new features for the taskbar but worth it.

    @MrAbs Did you look for driver updates after installing W7, that might be the problem (like for me) well anyways good luck.

  • MrAbs

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 6:07 am PT

    Is my PC the only one that is not liking Windows 7? I'm running with 2 geForce 8800 GTX in SLI (and even removing 1 of them) it just does not want to work. It keeps showing me 16bit color or crashing with a Blue Screen of death. The 2hours Win7 worked was awesome though.

  • Hellfire93

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 7:09 pm PT

    Windows 7 Ultimate ftw, deffo worth skipping vista from XP

  • mamad_raiss

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 1:28 pm PT

    Windows 7 Really rocks

  • xlovekiller

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 7:21 am PT

    windows 7 ROCKS !!!!

  • specta1989

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 12:27 am PT

    dont get me wrong, i love my pc i mean i practically use it every single day but you cant deny the obvious attraction of a console and these are the facts, on average if you buy the best pc of that day it should last you 2 years before you need to start toning down graphics to get a decent frame rate although by now you should have enough money to buy yourself some new kit! now when it comes to consoles on average they should last 5 years and this is without an upgrade every so often. pc games will almost always look better and will always have better controls for fps and rts. consoles also have very nice exclusives, metal gear solid, god of war, gran turismo just to name a few. so i think the best way to win is to be like me and own a pc and console, there by getting the best of both!!

  • punchultimate

    Posted Nov 9, 2009 10:37 am PT

    @sywi
    you do know that the ps3 has a web browser and in addition the original models(not the slim) can even insall other operating systems. one guy even put windows on his ps3. and as far as consoles being toys: thats like calling a dvd player a toy. its not a toy, its a hobby, or an interest (whichever you rather). and console gamers do know that the computer can do more. not really sure who you were trying to prove that to.

  • subzero2k2004

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 9:08 pm PT

    I originally used the PC for games when I had XP. But now I mostly use it it to d/l. I am also waiting for the condition to change on the Windows Vista part 2 (Windows 7). I us my mac laptop for games only. And I've experience no difficulties with it. My games run smooth. So due to the lack of system failures and complications that I would be experience with windows. I am going to wait till they stabilize windows first for games, until they can prove to the consumers that the faults have been neutralized.

  • sywi

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 12:15 pm PT

    Sigh. Do not bash PCs unless you just want to look like a silly 11-year-old (with an income = your allowance from your parents). "PC" stands for Personal Computer. A PC is a COMPUTER. ONE of the things it can do is play games, of which there are thousands. More, counting all the user-created mods. You could never play all the games, in fact, because indie programmers are creating their own all the time faster than you can play games; and giving them away online for free. Other things computers can do are run Wall Street; make up the Internet; and perform most work not muscle-powered. (Assemble automobiles, do white-collary things, etc. You may have to be a member of the workforce to appreciate all the latter.) So, sticking to gaming -- consoles are toys. Toy "sort-of-computers"; very simple and very very very limited computers that can't do anything but run pre-packaged games. Made for that system. (And connect to the Internet, in some cases and in a limited way, as the manufacturer permits.) Why an adult would want a console I'm not sure -- he/she surely *has* a computer, or access to one, if he/she lives in the First World and is materially well-off enough to be thinking of gaming as well as subsistence. No? I guess some people are wealthy enough to buy a console too, just to play Mario Kart or whatever in the absolute original, not one of the many PC variants. Or play on their PC using an emulator. But who has a console and not a PC, aside from children?

  • sangoanuta

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 7:42 am PT

    Windows 98 stable.

    ROFL!

  • UberDjinn

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 5:18 am PT

    Okay, I do not remember the person who said this to me but I will tell you that yes, Windows 7 is a improved Vista with a new title. The same goes for XP with 2000. XP is a more user friendly version of Windows 2000 so Microsoft pulled this stunt before. They are built off the same kernel just like XP was built of 2000's kernel. All and all, that is what an OS is nowadays, keep the kernel and slap on some new paint and call it a new OS. The reason for Vistas failure (for "some" not all, me being "some" lol...) was the fact they built it from the ground up and did not reuse the old XP, 2000, 2003 kernel so they tried to innovate the idea. It floundered and caused problems because of it...yes, I will admit Windows 7 is the same kernel as Vista but if you look at it the same way Microsoft has in the past, it is a "new OS". One more thing, Mac OSX loves to pull this ALOT with their systems. I will finally say it: if MAC ever becomes 500 dollars, I will buy one and use it for the rest of my life. There I said it!!!!

  • cayne_phoenix

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 12:27 am PT

    i will wait at least 6-8 months until it has been established that this version is stable, not a moronic coverup for past mistakes, that it does address the issues that vista (or past windows) had! besides looking purty! i need a more detailed field-test information about its functionality. aside from OMFG THIS MAKES MY GAMEZ RUN -marginally- FASTER AND MAKES WAY FOR DX10 AND 11!!
    IMO M$ didnt need to go beyond either windows 98 or windows xp, they were extremely stable and very user-friendly for me!

  • Xtasy26

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 6:26 pm PT

    Points for you Stream_Beta. Don't listen to console idiots who often have never played on the PC in all it's glory. I have a gaming rig with a HD 4870 which has 1.3 Teraflops of power, thats more than the combined power of the PS3, Xbox 360, plus all the consoles ever made in history, according to AMD. If you combine that with my Phenom II X3 it will smoke any consoles! And who says PCs have crappy games, they obviously haven't played Crysis and Crysis Warhead everything maxed out. Not to mention older games like Half-Life 2 and games such as Orange Box which we could play at higher resolutions and at higher textures because PC's have more video memory from 512 MB up to 2GB, while Xbox 360 & PS3 can have a max video memory of 256MB and that is shared from the 512MB of total memory. PS3 and Xbox 360 can only play games at only 1280 x 720 (or 720P) and yes I do have a console (PS3), and it no where near comes as close to the graphics quality on my PC. I also have used VBbox on a different PC to run windows in Linux so the flexibilty and the ability to run many different OSes makes the PC a beauty. Not to mention video editing and things of that nature which you can't do on the consoles. And nice pic of Ali, a total babe.

  • Stream_Beta

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 5:27 pm PT

    @Tonitendo

    Dude first off you need to learn not to assume things about people, you say that you know more than me and that I'm a dumbass for bashing everyone else. Well maybe you do know more, we will never know, but I can handle my own. Yes I shouldn't have sworn I apologize for that. But like I said don't assume things about people, because the truth is yes I have used unix-based OS. Hell I have Ubuntu as a dual-boot on my second hard-drive so that I can code for certain things, plus I use other operating systems for work like Mac, Windows and all the Linux base OS. Just to throw it out there (I don't prefer or recommend Fedora, just doesn't work for me). To get to the point though I love Windows for the gaming aspect, Linux for programing and Mac as a paper weight (lol, jk). Everyone would agree though that a friendly and stable OS are the best ones. That's why majority of people get Windows or a Mac, they are easy to use. For Linux its a different story because its basically for advanced users, coding and I actually like the layout and stability of it. I mean if only it could play video games on it like Windows allows, then I would be using Linux based OS from now on. Its all comes down to what you are doing with a computer that determines what OS you should have. Hope this helps

  • zhing_wong

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 3:51 pm PT

    *Tonitendo

    U can easily tell by comparing number of Windows users and Linux users out there. Not everyone can handle Linux. Beside how many games can you play on Linux?

    Stream_Beta got his point, just that Windows 7 is not an absolute choice for everyone, but recommanded.

  • YoungDab

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:29 pm PT

    The truth is that my processor allows 64bit so it only made sense to upgrade over vista Ultimate 32bit.64 Bit is fast and more secure,plus it reads more memory..Thats how you win micro!

  • YoungDab

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:34 am PT

    I have the ultimate 64 bit version and its amazing by all means.I just wish I could sell my Vista Ultimate back lol.

  • Crazy_M_Tz

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 7:38 am PT

    Too many console-huggers are starting a pointless argument. Before you start commenting why not read previous comments? All of what you are about to say have already been answered and its clear the PC is more cost-effecient and better than consoles. All I have to say is "The PC has better games - Look at Crysis graphics and its AI technology; now look at our lovely lower prices for the games. Oh, I forgot; your 360 still uses DX9 lolol".

  • 2w-sephiroth

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 6:05 am PT

    Great news, This came around sooner than I expected! I am so getting windows 7 when I get a new pc.

  • mike_baks

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 4:03 am PT

    I would use Windows 7 if it was 100% compatible with my frikkin' Nvidia drivers (I have a GTX295 card), the problem is when you use Windows 7 with Nvidia's latest drivers, you can't put your monitor's refresh rate on 60hz, it always goes back to 59hz and you also cannot turn off panel scaling (I play lots of older games that don't have widescreen resolutions), it just doesn't save your Nvidia Controlpanel settings for those two!!!
    So I'm going to wait for a fix for that before I go back to Windows 7.

    No problems on Windows Vista Ultimate with SP2.

  • cyrusshroff

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 3:32 am PT

    Windows 7 is here finally and it's time to build a new gaming rig what I would really like is to see a section or an article here or more like a guide to build a gaming PC for 2010

  • ugadog

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 10:55 pm PT

    I have to admit, I purchased a copy of Windows 7, and it is a brilliant operating system, the best I've used so far. Clean easy to use interface, but still allows you to go in and customize to your heart's content.

    I play 360 games as well, and the Wii is amusing, but for me the PC with a 360 controller is where it's at. Games are cheaper and look better. I don't mind upgrading the parts on my PC every now and then, especially since my PC is where I get to do all my other work (I'm assuming no one posted a comment on here using anything other than a PC....)

    I will admit I'm a bit dissapointed in gamespot in using a 1GB graphics card from Nvidia and a 512mb graphics card from ATI. I have the 1GB Radeon HD 4870 and it makes a huge difference. Way to be biased, guys.

  • yourmomykins

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 9:52 pm PT

    @newb16
    "If directx11 is so mutch better than consoles than why doesn't the pc have better games?"
    yo homes pc does have better games. ever heard of GTR-2 or Crysis. GTR-2 is still the best sim racer and Crysis is too powerfull for the crappy consoles to even handle, thats why they never made it for consoles. If you compared a PS3 into PC specs it would be a low Ghz octo-core which is crap for gaming and a graphics card of something like an HD2400 or low HD3000 series. or the 360 which would be a low quad core with a crap graphics card and low RAM. Basically the hobo version of a PC without microsoft office and normal web browsing and all the other stuff that makes PC worth while
    ---------------------------------------
    q6600@4.0Ghz+/HD48901GB/4GB/logitech g25/15/7/xbox 360 controller

  • joevit

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 9:00 pm PT

    @UberDjinn. Win 7 is vista, at it's core. win 7 is a lite version of vista. Win 7 is what vista should have been.

  • UberDjinn

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 7:45 pm PT

    I got to agree with you stream_beta, especially since vista crashed on my laptop (an ACER, but I digress) 7 darn times, 2 where I had to reinstall from manufacturers defaults. I have had Windows 7 and it is NOT Vista. It is similar to what XP was with 2000, not the same but similar. If anyone wants to say I am stupid, well, go ahead and say it...I like Windows 7, it kicks Vista's butt in stability, and even if it is not a step up from games, it is better in everything else. A backup image setup and a repair disc feature are built into the operating system itself and can vista say that...I don't think so...all in all, Windows 7 is better then Vista, but only time will tell if it is a worthy successor to XP...

  • Stream_Beta

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 7:07 pm PT

    And to Newb16 you must really be a nub because a lot of the best games out there are on the PC, a lot even that you can't even play on a console. Plus the PC had Half-life, Half-life 2 (before they gave it to consoles), and not to mention Crysis (one of the biggest stepping stones in graphics).

    Also to GHOSTRyDr.....dude you kinda have it backwards. All vista really had was the gimmicks and tricks which made it pointless to upgrade to. Windows 7 has what makes it better for being stable, efficient, faster and more reliable without it dicking around with you. Windows 7 is everything that Vista was suppose to be but failed flat on its ass, because not having a friendly OS makes everything about it terrible.

  • fel_rossi

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 5:51 pm PT

    lol

  • bastila19

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 5:49 pm PT

    @riariases
    I agree with you. When you have to upgrade graphics cards and memory and all that stuff every couple of years if you want to stay on the cutting edge of PC gaming (to me) it is more of a hassle. I like MMOs and RTSs but the vast majority of my gaming is on consoles and I am perfectly fine with that.

  • GHOSTRyDr

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 5:13 pm PT

    Meh....I don't really see a reason for me to upgrade from Vista. I have little use for 7's gimmicks and tricks.

  • killzoik

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 4:55 pm PT

    7 was worth every penny, my laptop is now like it is on steroids compared to when running vista!!

  • rezpatriot

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 4:54 pm PT

    @newb16 I agree. I mean you can spend over double or triple on a PC and get stuck with playing two games and needing to upgrade your PC ever two months. Where a console can play games for 5 years. I really dont understand the logic. Yet PCs boast logic and intelligence!! wtf?

  • HerbalVideogame

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 4:06 pm PT

    Hmmm....

  • riariases

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 4:00 pm PT

    I dunno. I leave my gaming to consoles. Its way to complicated when it comes to a PC unless its just an MMORPG or something.

  • ss4brolyupth

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 3:26 pm PT

    nice

  • Hellfire93

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 3:25 pm PT

    Definitely upgrading to 7 asap

  • xXSoViEt posted Oct 27, 2009 3:19 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    xXSoViEt

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 3:19 pm PT (hide)

    PC's suck MAc forever if you want to play games keep it on the xbox 360

  • tiggerboy

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 2:06 pm PT

    Good article! I will be upgrading very soon!

  • MajerHawk

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 1:17 pm PT

    kewl

  • plm3d_basic

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 1:09 pm PT

    I hope we get more games that are dx10 or 11 instead of games that are dx9 with 10/11 effects. It's time for dx9 to just die already, but sadly that won't happen until the xbox360 is dead and replaced by the xbox3/720 which won't happen until 2012.

  • newb16 posted Oct 27, 2009 1:09 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    newb16

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 1:09 pm PT (hide)

    @enzo2606

    If directx11 is so mutch better than consoles than why doesn't the pc have better games?

  • Kastigador

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 12:51 pm PT

    I switched to Vista long before its problems were sorted out, and I never felt its bad reputation was truly deserved. People couldn't get their 6 year old printer, scanners, programs to work and suddenly we have a revolt on our hands. The security and stability improvement to the OS alone was worth upgrading, even if it was at the cost of performance and compatibility. Before moving my family to Vista, I'd have to wipe and rebuild an XP machine every 3-6 months due to malware/viruses. Since XP, I've only come across malware twice and it was easily removable. That said, Windows 7 is quite an achievement and is the first OS release I've ever come across where I would say it's actually worth it for people to pay for the upgrade, especially if you have a newer machine running XP or Vista. It's simply that much better in many ways. Of course there's still resistance to visual changes, like with all OS GUI switches, but Windows 7 is WAY faster, more stable, more user friendly than anything else MS has put out in a very long time, if ever(XP wasn't even that much of an upgrade over 2000, and 2000 was awful with driver support when it came out).

  • joevit

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 12:42 pm PT

    @dontshackzmii. Mac's do not get more viruses than windows. It happens, but not as bad. You never hear of mac's getting anything. You hear it a lot on the new when it comes to PC. I also know who leo is. He had a tv show, and I hear him on the radio. Can you even back that up? Win 7 is killer.

    @Psy_m_on. The next gen xbox will use DX 12. Ms is going to stick with ATi and it is my under standing that it is a 4 gig monster. Before any one can use DX 12 they will need a video card that has 2 gigs of ram. How ever, that can change. So it might just need a 1 gig by the time they are done but I know the next gen 360 as of now will have 4 ATi video chips with 4 gigs of ram running in Quad. So each video chip will use a gig of ram, give or take. Also a lot of people think AMD is making the CPU for the next gen xbox. a 8 core CPU. How this falls under win 7? the OS running the next gen 360 will be running a OS like 7. Just with out the desktop stuff.

  • g3n3r41xan

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 12:30 pm PT

    @termadoyle
    lol I gave you a thumbs up and didnt even pay attention to what you said.
    you mean a worthy successor, not predecessor, right?
    lol

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 12:06 pm PT

    XP is sooo dated, vulnerable, and slow compared to modern OSes. Anyone still running XP was obviously hit byt he word of mouth of vista, while the vast majority of vistas problems have ben long sorted out, windows 7 improves in every possible way over both vista and xp. People would be foolish not to upgrade to 7 at some point in the next 2 years.

  • thestrateger

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 12:02 pm PT

    woohoo!

  • guitarist1980

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 11:14 am PT

    I have been using vista 64 since January of '09 and I love it. Windows 7 is better but its basically the same thing, I have both and there really is no need to upgrade to windows 7 right away if you have vista already. XP is a dated os now, it runs slower than vista and 7. If you have an old computer dont upgrade you will regret it. When you upgrade your pc to current tech then install windows 7, or if you have a gaming rig thats not to dated.

  • Dav_id83

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 11:05 am PT

    I was going to get it at launch but didn't I will be getting Win 7 I'll be dual booting with XP Pro because I do use some old programs that Win 7 will not run. I tried the RC1 of Win 7 I liked it it's defo what VISTA should have been and it's nice that Win7 dosn't constantly keep the HDD in constant play.

  • orange_monkey_1

    Posted Oct 27, 2009 9:34 am PT

    zhing_wong

    I benchmarked Far Cry 2 with maximum settings on my Alienware M17x laptop (Quad Core 2.53 Ghz, 8 GB RAM, DUAL GTX 280's) with Windows Vista and after I installed Windows 7 I benchmarked it again and it performed exactly the same (no problem with V-sync).
    The fact that the framerates were the same is bad though, because I expected it to run smoother

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