There are generally three reasons why your computer is throwing this error:
If you don't see 11_0 or higher in that list, your hardware is physically unable to run the program. 4. How to Fix the Error
This is where most users get confused. You might have "DirectX 12" installed on Windows, but that doesn't mean your hardware supports all the "Features" of DirectX 11 or 12. Feature levels define the specific hardware capabilities of the GPU. If a game requires Feature Level 11.0, it needs hardware built to handle specific rendering tasks defined in that set.
If you’ve recently tried to launch a modern PC game like Alan Wake 2 , Fortnite , or Call of Duty , you might have encountered an error stating:
Your GPU can handle the tasks, but the software (driver) that tells it how to communicate with Windows is out of date.
DirectX is baked into Windows. If you are running an unpatched version of Windows 10 or an older version of Windows 7, your system might not recognize the Feature Levels correctly. Run and install all "Optional" updates related to hardware. Step 3: Install DirectX End-User Runtimes
Understanding "D3D11-Compatible GPU (Feature Level 11.0, Shader Model 5.0)"
Shaders are small programs that calculate the levels of light, darkness, and color in a 3D scene. Shader Model 5.0 arrived with DirectX 11. It allows for more complex "compute shaders," which help games render realistic shadows, reflections, and physics. 2. Why Am I Seeing This Error?
Before buying new hardware, check what your current system can actually do: Press Windows Key + R , type , and hit Enter.
There are generally three reasons why your computer is throwing this error:
If you don't see 11_0 or higher in that list, your hardware is physically unable to run the program. 4. How to Fix the Error
This is where most users get confused. You might have "DirectX 12" installed on Windows, but that doesn't mean your hardware supports all the "Features" of DirectX 11 or 12. Feature levels define the specific hardware capabilities of the GPU. If a game requires Feature Level 11.0, it needs hardware built to handle specific rendering tasks defined in that set.
If you’ve recently tried to launch a modern PC game like Alan Wake 2 , Fortnite , or Call of Duty , you might have encountered an error stating:
Your GPU can handle the tasks, but the software (driver) that tells it how to communicate with Windows is out of date.
DirectX is baked into Windows. If you are running an unpatched version of Windows 10 or an older version of Windows 7, your system might not recognize the Feature Levels correctly. Run and install all "Optional" updates related to hardware. Step 3: Install DirectX End-User Runtimes
Understanding "D3D11-Compatible GPU (Feature Level 11.0, Shader Model 5.0)"
Shaders are small programs that calculate the levels of light, darkness, and color in a 3D scene. Shader Model 5.0 arrived with DirectX 11. It allows for more complex "compute shaders," which help games render realistic shadows, reflections, and physics. 2. Why Am I Seeing This Error?
Before buying new hardware, check what your current system can actually do: Press Windows Key + R , type , and hit Enter.
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