PhysX Graphic Processors. The Future of Gaming?

[BFN]Walmart Security · 04-23-2006, 04:05 PM

Im sure this is old news to many of you, but we've been talking alot about these puppies at work and I just wanted to show peeps who havent heard about this yet. We are trying to get a couple machines and test some titles with the PhysX processor, which is a separte chip on the graphic card that will take care of all the Physic Algorithms for the games, relieving a ton of stress off the CPU.

Check out CellFactor.

http://physx.ageia.com/footage.html

grim reaper · 04-23-2006, 04:09 PM

They look cool. But its a Catch 22 situation, people wont buy them without games support and games wont support them if people don't buy them.

At the moment they are too expensive, £200 for something that could very well never take off is ridiculous. I would rather have another graphics card. If they got the price down to £80 it would be a more acceptable proposition.

As for Cell Factor that does look awesome, however even the devs admitted that the video is LAN. It wouldn't work online due to the huge amount of data that would need to be transmitted. Hopefully they can get that fixed as it could be a killer app.

faker_phil · 04-24-2006, 02:13 AM

Is it going to be payable?
And, the particles that fly off of the containers (not the ones with the traces) seem to fly waaaay too slow. Unless it's paper.

Rambo_Medic · 04-30-2006, 04:45 PM

I can't wait!

I hope it will be cheaper though...

Jan Zizka · 04-30-2006, 07:06 PM

Very nice demo....it will be very interesting to see what developers come up with now that they have this tool to use.

I've heard rumor of an AI dedicated processor now too.....

DanTesla1 · 05-01-2006, 01:40 AM

So this basically just another graphics card that takes some of the load off of your CPU? For that much money, like grim said, y not just buy another vid card?

Still, it looks very cool. I'd wait until it's more developed.

faker_phil · 05-02-2006, 12:23 AM

Its gonna bring a huge performance boost. I takes a huge load off of the CPU, but I dont know if the boost is equivalent to having 2 gfxcards. You could do both, though. (rich people...)

grim reaper · 05-02-2006, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faker_phil

Its gonna bring a huge performance boost. I takes a huge load off of the CPU, but I dont know if the boost is equivalent to having 2 gfxcards. You could do both, though. (rich people...)

Wrong. Along with Dantesla.

While it does take the physics load off the cpu it doesn't give a performance boost. The physx card is used to do hugely complicated physics with a large number of bodies. This cant be done on a normal CPU. The GFX then has to render all these extra effects. This can lead to neutral performance or even worse performance.

Arctic · 05-08-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grim reaper

Quote:

Originally Posted by faker_phil

Its gonna bring a huge performance boost. I takes a huge load off of the CPU, but I dont know if the boost is equivalent to having 2 gfxcards. You could do both, though. (rich people...)

Wrong. Along with Dantesla.

While it does take the physics load off the cpu it doesn't give a performance boost. The physx card is used to do hugely complicated physics with a large number of bodies. This cant be done on a normal CPU. The GFX then has to render all these extra effects. This can lead to neutral performance or even worse performance.

FFS go to hell. Why would they sell somthing that would maake your computer have worse performance. All you do is dissagree with people on computer related subjects. Who are you some kind of computer queen? Go back to school and stop blowing smoke out your ass.

grim reaper · 05-08-2006, 03:58 PM

*No insults are required to make a point* (DJ)

Go look at the fucking benchmarks you ignorant cretin. It slows down GRAW and the cell factor demo is unplayable at high resolutions with any graphics card.

Quite simply you're an ignorant monster truck who likes to fuck horses in a gymnasium* who thinks they know more than they do. I disagree with people on hardware stuff because they are wrong, this is why I disagree with you often. All I try to do on here is give people honest advice on hardware. If someone is wrong I will correct them. I do this because I know lots about PC hardware, unlike you. Is using this knowledge to help the community a bad thing? Quite.

So go fuck your self and come back once you have some knowledge and respect.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...hp?t=17572420#

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?t=17568825

Oh, look. The sweet sound of me being right. Asshole.

*Hahn made me do that.

NavalLord · 05-08-2006, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey the cookie eater

Why don't you just die and learn to spell and go away and go home and die dead

faker_phil · 05-08-2006, 10:30 PM

So grim, you're saying that a PC without PhysX is gonna have worse performance that one with PhysX?
Isnt that the same as saying: A PC with PhysX has better performance than one without it?
Sorry if im missing it...

grim reaper · 05-08-2006, 10:33 PM

A pc with a physx card will run SLOWER than a pc without one in physx enabled games*.

*Of which there are two.

GRAW which shows hardly any improvement physics wise and a big performance drop. Cellfactor which cant be run at any decent resolution or quality settings even on top end cards and can be emulated to run without a PPU.

Donkey · 08-08-2006, 10:52 PM

This guy says something different

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060322-6436.html

The PPU will take load off of the CPU by bypassing the physics calc results straight to the GPU and onto the screen...Much like how the GPU sheds load off of your CPU...

It also mentions 60 software developers making over 100 games... Some computers are already shipping with these from such manufactures as Falcon NorthWest, Dell, and AlienWare...

It really could be interesting to see what happens with this technology

hsimah · 08-09-2006, 02:26 PM

I think what grim is saying is that right now they jsut make mopre shit to see on screen and the graphics card has to then render that shit, thus making more work, however in future, this wont be a problem if drivers/GPU's are designed with the technology in mind, which right now they arent.

Which I think is understandable.

Donkey · 08-09-2006, 05:42 PM

Yes but when you have 60 developers, Falcon Northwest, Dell/AlienWare all signed on I would have to say that their must be something there....

It would def boost performance when everything is written for it properly since you are taking the complexity of all the physics calculations off of the CPU and then completely bypassing it and just telling the GPU what to draw...

It is def interesting....I see computers becoming more "modular" in design and certain tasks taken over by cards strictly designed for them...Making the CPU more less the hub and a device that picks up the slack....This last part is all pure speculation and IMO

grim reaper · 08-18-2006, 11:21 PM

While there is no doubt that physics are going to play a big part in future gaming I don't think Physx is the way to do it.

Most of the games being developed are small and inconsequential, Unreal 3 seems to be the biggest.

What Physx needs is a killer app made exclusively for it. Any game that can run on normal hardware like Unreal is just likely to have bits of Physx stuff bolted on and so the overall effect will be under whelming.

Cell Factor tried this but conveniently left the game out of it.

This combined with the price and overall poor performance of them at this current time makes them an overall very bad purchase. Half the price, double the performance and number of A1 games support and I may change my mind.

With the advent of dual core and soon to be quad core CPUs all this stuff can be done on CPU while ensuring compatibility due to common hardware.

04-23-2006, 04:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
[BFN]Walmart Security Captain Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: West Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,683	PhysX Graphic Processors. The Future of Gaming? Im sure this is old news to many of you, but we've been talking alot about these puppies at work and I just wanted to show peeps who havent heard about this yet. We are trying to get a couple machines and test some titles with the PhysX processor, which is a separte chip on the graphic card that will take care of all the Physic Algorithms for the games, relieving a ton of stress off the CPU. Check out CellFactor. http://physx.ageia.com/footage.html __________________ Designer - Pandemic Studios http://alizandi.com/

04-30-2006, 07:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jan Zizka Private Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 81	PhysX Very nice demo....it will be very interesting to see what developers come up with now that they have this tool to use. I've heard rumor of an AI dedicated processor now too..... __________________ Best Regards CR System Specs AMD FX-57 on ASUS A8N SLI DlX w/Win XP Pro BFG 7800 GTX 2GB Corsair Mem Sb X-Fi Fatality Plextor 716SA and 716A

08-08-2006, 10:52 PM	#14 (permalink)
Donkey Staff Sergeant Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 279	Re: PhysX Graphic Processors. The Future of Gaming? This guy says something different http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060322-6436.html The PPU will take load off of the CPU by bypassing the physics calc results straight to the GPU and onto the screen...Much like how the GPU sheds load off of your CPU... It also mentions 60 software developers making over 100 games... Some computers are already shipping with these from such manufactures as Falcon NorthWest, Dell, and AlienWare... It really could be interesting to see what happens with this technology __________________ FreelanceKillers.com Operation BlackHawk Down - BF2 Map - Video TankWars - Video Last edited by Donkey : 08-08-2006 at 10:57 PM.

08-09-2006, 05:42 PM	#16 (permalink)
Donkey Staff Sergeant Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 279	Re: PhysX Graphic Processors. The Future of Gaming? Yes but when you have 60 developers, Falcon Northwest, Dell/AlienWare all signed on I would have to say that their must be something there.... It would def boost performance when everything is written for it properly since you are taking the complexity of all the physics calculations off of the CPU and then completely bypassing it and just telling the GPU what to draw... It is def interesting....I see computers becoming more "modular" in design and certain tasks taken over by cards strictly designed for them...Making the CPU more less the hub and a device that picks up the slack....This last part is all pure speculation and IMO __________________ FreelanceKillers.com Operation BlackHawk Down - BF2 Map - Video TankWars - Video

08-18-2006, 11:21 PM	#17 (permalink)
grim reaper Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England Posts: 7,256	Re: PhysX Graphic Processors. The Future of Gaming? While there is no doubt that physics are going to play a big part in future gaming I don't think Physx is the way to do it. Most of the games being developed are small and inconsequential, Unreal 3 seems to be the biggest. What Physx needs is a killer app made exclusively for it. Any game that can run on normal hardware like Unreal is just likely to have bits of Physx stuff bolted on and so the overall effect will be under whelming. Cell Factor tried this but conveniently left the game out of it. This combined with the price and overall poor performance of them at this current time makes them an overall very bad purchase. Half the price, double the performance and number of A1 games support and I may change my mind. With the advent of dual core and soon to be quad core CPUs all this stuff can be done on CPU while ensuring compatibility due to common hardware.

04-23-2006, 04:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
grim reaper Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England Posts: 7,256	They look cool. But its a Catch 22 situation, people wont buy them without games support and games wont support them if people don't buy them. At the moment they are too expensive, £200 for something that could very well never take off is ridiculous. I would rather have another graphics card. If they got the price down to £80 it would be a more acceptable proposition. As for Cell Factor that does look awesome, however even the devs admitted that the video is LAN. It wouldn't work online due to the huge amount of data that would need to be transmitted. Hopefully they can get that fixed as it could be a killer app.

05-08-2006, 03:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
grim reaper Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England Posts: 7,256	No insults are required to make a point (DJ) Go look at the fucking benchmarks you ignorant cretin. It slows down GRAW and the cell factor demo is unplayable at high resolutions with any graphics card. Quite simply you're an ignorant monster truck who likes to fuck horses in a gymnasium* who thinks they know more than they do. I disagree with people on hardware stuff because they are wrong, this is why I disagree with you often. All I try to do on here is give people honest advice on hardware. If someone is wrong I will correct them. I do this because I know lots about PC hardware, unlike you. Is using this knowledge to help the community a bad thing? Quite. So go fuck your self and come back once you have some knowledge and respect. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...hp?t=17572420# http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?t=17568825 Oh, look. The sweet sound of me being right. Asshole. *Hahn made me do that.

05-08-2006, 10:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
grim reaper Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England Posts: 7,256	A pc with a physx card will run SLOWER than a pc without one in physx enabled games. Of which there are two. GRAW which shows hardly any improvement physics wise and a big performance drop. Cellfactor which cant be run at any decent resolution or quality settings even on top end cards and can be emulated to run without a PPU.