

The version of the DirectX Runtime doesn't indicate anything about whether or not the system is running a Direct3D 9-era Shader Model 2.0 part (which would be D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_9_1 or D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_9_2), a Shader Model 3.0 part ( D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_9_3), a Direct3D 10 video card from 2006,( D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_0 or D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_1), a Direct3D 11 video card from 2010 ( D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0), or a just released latest card ( D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_1, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_12_0, or D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_12_1). With Windows 10, you have the DirectX 12.0 Runtime which supports 11.3 (or with the November 2015 build 10586, 11.4) as well as 12.0 If you have Windows 8.1, then you have the DirectX 11.2 Runtime.

See this blog post and MSDN: Direct3D feature levelsįor example, if you have Windows 7 installed, then you have the DirectX 11.0 Runtime or the partial DirectX 11.1 Runtime update. The version of the DirectX Runtime you have installed which describes what the OS software can support is not the same thing as the Direct3D Hardware Feature Level which describes the support your video hardware provides.
