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DirectX is a collection of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming, on Microsoft platforms. It is competing with OpenGL and with SDL and is widely used in the development of computer games for Microsoft Windows, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox and Microsoft Xbox 360.

DirectX is also used among other software production industries, most notably among the engineering sector because of its ability to quickly render high-quality 3D graphics using the latest 3D graphics hardware.

Both the DirectX runtime and software development kit are proprietory closed-source software but available free of charge. The DirectX runtime was originally redistributed by computer game developers along with their games, but later it was included in Microsoft Windows. Game developers still often include an updated version of DirectX that prompts installation automatically after the game installation to ensure proper program functionality.

The latest release version of DirectX is DirectX 10, which is included with Windows Vista, but is not available for other versions of Microsoft Windows.

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nVidia and ATi are graphics card manufacturers and they make the hardware graphics cards. Which you go for depends on your motherboards support.

Shared graphics are cards that are integrated on the motherboard and are ok for general PC use. Useless for gaming, unless the game is very basic.

I assume from your question, you're considering purchasing an upgrade?

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