Many users receive the error message Feature level required 10.0 DX11 to run engine (sometimes the feature level 11.0 or to run the game) when certain games are running. Taking into account that a novice user may not be very clear about this text, you may come across questions like “I have directx 12 and write this error, to do?”.
This tutorial details what exactly this message means, why the appearance of the error does not depend only on the version of DirectX and how to fix the errors “DX11 feature level required 10.0 to run the engine” Y “DX11 feature level required 11.0 run the engine ”when playing games. Forms will work for Windows 10, 8.1 and Windows 7.
What level of DX11 feature 10.0 means run engine error and why it happens
This error does not mean that you do not have the correct version of DirectX, literally means no feature level support 10.0 (O 11.0 if that number is specified). It may be missing even if you have DirectX 12 installed.
The feature level here refers to the level of support for Direct3D features (a component within DirectX), and the supported level depends on the three components together:
- DirectX versions
- Video card models
- Installed video card drivers
How exactly this dependency can be read in English on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_levels_in_Direct3D, but I have prepared a short summary so that most users can quickly draw their conclusions (I still don't mention the drivers , assuming you already have the latest official versions installed):
- If you have DirectX 11, the function level DX11 10.0 will be compatible with video cards NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 and later, Radeon HD 5000/6000 / 7300-7600 / 8300-8400 series, R5 210-235 and later, adaptadores Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000 (Ivy Bridge and later) integrated.
- Function level 11.0 DirectX 11 will be compatible with video cards NVIDIA GTX Series 600, AMD HD 7790/8770, RX 260/290 and more recent, Intel HD Graphics 4200-5200 (Haswell and newer).
- If you have DirectX 12 – DX11 feature level 10 Y 11 will be compatible with video cards Getting started with NVIDIA GTX 400, AMD HD 7700-7900, RX 240, Intel HD Graphics 4200-5200 (Haswell and newer).
- Note: I have not found any information on support for feature levels 10 Y 11 GTX graphics cards, but in the NVIDIA GTX, even though I suppose it should be within the aforementioned video adapter series.
By understanding the causes of the error and possible inconsistencies in our system, we can proceed more safely to fix the problem. Do not forget that we are talking about Windows 10, 8.1 (8) and Windows 7, in older versions of the system the game may not run.
Feature level required 10.0 of DX11 for the engine to run; possible fixes
First, just in case, check the version of DirectX on your computer and the version of WDDM by pressing Win + R on your keyboard (Win is a key with the Windows emblem), scribe dxdiag and hit Enter, agree to verify digital signatures and wait until data collection is complete. Pay attention to the “DirectX version”, must be at least 11.
Go to the tab “Screen” and pay attention to the item “Model WDDM”, must not be less than 1.2, and better – 1.3 (if it is not, follow the steps below to install the drivers, as long as you have a compatible video card, can fix it) Y, what is more important, to the element “Feature levels”, just about the absence of the correct feature level and tells us the error. If the required levels are missing from the list but must be compatible with the video card, the problem is probably with the drivers and we will try to fix it later.
In case your video card (discrete or integrated) support required DX11 feature level, first, perform the following steps to correct the feature level required error 10.0 of DX11 / feature level 11.0 to run the engine:
- Download and run the DirectX Libraries web installer from Microsoft's official web portal https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/details.aspx?id=35 – Yes, has DirectX on your computer by default, but this web installer will add the missing libraries to your system.
- Install the latest drivers for your discrete and integrated graphics card. Warning: This should not be done by clicking “Update driver” in Device Manager, but by manually downloading the latest available drivers for your video card from the official NVIDIA websites, AMD or Intel and installing them manually. “Update” Through Device Manager you can report that “the most suitable drivers for this device are already installed”, even when Windows drivers “standard” they are truly installed, that do not support anything other than the desktop screen.
- After installing the above components, restart your computer.
- Check the start of the game: if everything is ok and the video card supports the correct feature levels, the error will no longer be displayed.
Sometimes it happens that a user has an integrated graphics card and a discrete one, one of which supports the appropriate level of functions and the other does not. As an example, you have bought a new motherboard and CPU with new integrated graphics, but you have left the old video card or vice versa.
In this circumstance, you can try disabling the older graphics card in Device Manager. To disable the video card:
- Is essential: For PC, first turn off the computer and connect the monitor to the video card which will stay on, such as the video output built into the motherboard; opposite case, we will run out of picture when the video card is turned off. In some configurations (rare) of notebooks with integrated and discrete video adapters, disabling one of the video cards may turn off the monitor; do not use this method if you are not sure you can fix the problem if it occurs.
- Presione Win + R on your keyboard, scribe devmgmt.msc. and hit Enter.
- Warning: If there is only one video card in the section “Video adapters”, do not follow this and all other steps, won't work for you.
- In “Video adapters”, select the video card you want to disable, right-click and select “Disable device”.
- Confirm to disconnect the device.
Thereafter, try running the game again; now the game will only be able to use the GPU (Graphic card) that was left enabled, and if it supports DX11 Feature Level 10 o Feature Level 11, the game will start.
In summary, the most unpleasant variant is when the feature set of the video card model and the DirectX version, even with the latest versions of the drivers, do not make it possible to run the game with the required level of features, for this case to clear the DX11 feature level 10.0 / 11.0 required to run the engine (or to run the game) it will only be achieved by changing the video card (or the system, for older versions of DirectX on unsupported operating systems).
Video tutorial on how to fix the problem
Hope the instruction was helpful and helped, if not to solve it, to understand and delve into the essence of the error considered when launching games.
