Graphics drivers and DirectX-->OpenGL performance

[cured.not.dried]

This seemed like the most logical place to ask this, since the Mac Pro forum seems to be where all the higher level hardware/software modification discussion is.

Currently the Starcraft 2 beta is suffering from horrible performance problems. Many of the threads I've read on their support forums point to graphics drivers as the main culprit, with DirectX->OpenGL porting being close behind. The main problem with both seems to be shaders.

One thread I found, however, is in reference to performance on Hackintosh machines. Apparently Hackintosh users, who all use custom graphics drivers for specific graphics cards (ones not ever supported by OS X, like the GeForce 9800) are getting performance on par with boot camp users, at similar settings.

So my question is this: is it possible to write custom graphics card drivers for normal mac users (I myself use a flashed 4870) that optimize the use of extensions for shader intensive games like SC2? If so, where should I start looking to figure out how?

 

[Cindori]

So you are basically asking if yourself can make a better graphics driver then Blizzard.

I think the answer is no.


There really aren't much drivers being made in the Hackintosh scene. More like current drivers being modified to include device id for a similar model. The 9800 is actually a 8800 board. So it's supported by Apple's 8800 drivers, with some id-tweaking. Much like the 4890 is.

The starcraft is a beta because it's not finished. I don't see why you would not trust Blizzard to get shiet running smooth until launch when they have been support WoW for years, which afaik has much more graphics.

 

[cured.not.dried]

Ah, that makes sense, G92 similarities and R770 similarities.

If the only changes are device ID's, wouldn't the same hardware perform similarly? I'm confused as to why Hackintosh users are getting better frame rates at higher settings now.

I would think that there would be some legal issues with Blizzard releasing their own custom graphics drivers. So far all the posts by Blizzard support forum moderators have said it's 's problem, and that apparently there will be better graphics support in 10.6.4. According to the support forums WoW suffered from similar performance issues (when compared to being run in boot camp) until a combination of a mac os update and code optimization occurred.

Also, I would not ever presume that I can write better graphics drivers than anybody, since I'm a horrid noob when it comes to writing code. I'd probably just copypasta the sections needed from the better drivers into some crap I'd put on a testing only partition of os x.

By the way, I really appreciate being answered so quickly by one of MacRumor's elites. TY cindori.