A: The decision is obviously yours to make based on the type of experience you want to deliver to consumers. Software APIs such as Microsoft's DirectX suite allow you to program for DirectX and move your application (ie: game) to multiple hardware platforms. NVIDIA delivers high-quality, fast drivers that support Windows graphics and multimedia, as well as the full suite of DirectX APIs. Using NVLib to further optimize your application will deliver a more intense PC experience to the consumer.

A: No. You can use a combination of APIs to create to vary the intensity of the experience delivered in your game. By using Windows GDI, or any of the DirectX APIs (DirectDraw, Direct3D for rendering, DirectSound for audio, DirectInput to access the joystick and SegaSaturn game controllers). Since the NV Unified Media Architecture permits multiple simultaneous clients concurrent access to the hardware, you can mix and match calls to standard libraries with your own direct hardware access. These libraries eventually "talk" to the hardware for you. For example, the NV DirectSound driver provides high-performance, low-latency audio capabilities, so we recommend that applications use DirectSound calls to play audio while going direct to the hardware to render blended textures. Similarly, you can use DirectDraw to blit backgrounds along with NV rendering for lit textured surfaces.

A: NVIDIA offers NVLIB, which is an open, multimedia library, along with a set of SDK files required to program to the NV architecture. You can register to receive the SDK by completing and submitting the registration form in the NVenting with NVidia section of this site.