Thursday, February 14th 2008

All GeForce 8 Cards to Gain PhysX Engine Support Says NVIDIA

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Video card giant NVIDIA, which completed the acquisition of AGEIA Technologies the day before, is now starting to port AGEIA's PhysX engine software to run on its GeForce 8 cards, according to The Tech Report. During a financial call, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hseun Huang revealed that the ported engine will bring enhanced physics capabilities to all of the company's existing GeForce 8 cards.
We're working toward the physics-engine-to-CUDA port as we speak. And we intend to throw a lot of resources at it. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it helps our GPU sales even in advance of [the port's completion]. The reason is, [it's] just gonna be a software download. Every single GPU that is CUDA-enabled will be able to run the physics engine when it comes... Every one of our GeForce 8-series GPUs runs CUDA.
Huang also added that the integration shall encourage people to spend more on graphics processing hardware, and maybe start to buy two or three graphics cards, where one of them will work for physics only.
Source: The Tech Report

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64 Comments on All GeForce 8 Cards to Gain PhysX Engine Support Says NVIDIA

#1
choppy
it was always a matter of time...
Posted on Reply
#2
EastCoasthandle
HA, HA, I knew it, this is going to backfire big time. It appears that one card will not be enough to run PhsyX and the game itself. Which lead us back to what they were doing to begin with, SLI. Which costs more then getting 1 video carda and 1 Phsyx card...way more!
Huang also added that the integration shall encourage people to spend more on graphics processing hardware, and maybe start to buy two or three graphics cards, where one of them will work for physics only.
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#3
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
Hopefully this means that you can stick a lower end video card in the machine and have that do physics. I don't see why an 8500GT or 8600GT couldn't be used to do physics.
Posted on Reply
#4
Scrizz
buy 3 gfx cards, pfft....
Posted on Reply
#5
snuif09
newtekie1Hopefully this means that you can stick a lower end video card in the machine and have that do physics. I don't see why an 8500GT or 8600GT couldn't be used to do physics.
+1 actully im an small ati fanboy but when you can combine a 8800gt for rendering and that with an 8500 for physics that would be awesome


PS:i already have an sli mobo so it wont be difficult to go nvidia(i allready have an nvidia but i was going to buy ati only i think im neutral now)
Posted on Reply
#6
EastCoasthandle
snuif09+1 actully im an small ati fanboy but when you can combine a 8800gt for rendering and that with an 8500 for physics that would be awesome


PS:i already have an sli mobo so it wont be difficult to go nvidia(i allready have an nvidia but i was going to buy ati only i think im neutral now)
That makes no sense, all you are doing is replacing one card for another. With a 8500 its possible to get lower performance using PhsyX. People complain now how SLI doesn't work in all games. Now it's OK to buy a second card that only works on handful of games? Sorry, but if I were to buy a second card, I want to gain the benefit of it in all the games I play.
Posted on Reply
#7
bud951
I have 2 8800GT's and a physx card (thats not installed at the moment). What does this mean for me? Is my Physx card going to be enhanced or will my SLI setup be more powerful or taxed more? Confused.
Posted on Reply
#8
beyond_amusia
I'm waiting for the ATI\AMD Fusion chip to ship on desktops; I bet it'll have a simular technology. Then again, it IS tempting to order an nVidia card while I wait, lol.
Posted on Reply
#9
beyond_amusia
bud951I have 2 8800GT's and a physx card (thats not installed at the moment). What does this mean for me? Is my Physx card going to be enhanced or will my SLI setup be more powerful or taxed more? Confused.
It looks like you should be able to leave out the Physx card and still have the same graphics power that you would with the card installed (once the software is released.)
Posted on Reply
#10
erocker
*
Nvidia is barking up the wrong tree on this one.
Posted on Reply
#11
a111087
EastCoasthandleHA, HA, I knew it, this is going to backfire big time. It appears that one card will not be enough to run PhsyX and the game itself. Which lead us back to what they were doing to begin with, SLI. Which costs more then getting 1 video carda and 1 Phsyx card...way more!
100% agree
Posted on Reply
#12
bud951
beyond_amusiaIt looks like you should be able to leave out the Physx card and still have the same graphics power that you would with the card installed (once the software is released.)
So I can play GRAW, Warmonger and the UT special Physx maps without the Physx card? Cool.. less heat and a free pci slot!
Posted on Reply
#13
erocker
*
I'm a little cofused... So there is going to be a software update and I can run PhysX with my 8800GTS 640mb while using it as my video card, or is this just Nvidia trying to sell more graphics cards as PPU's?
Posted on Reply
#14
EastCoasthandle
erockerI'm a little cofused... So there is going to be a software update and I can run PhysX with my 8800GTS 640mb while using it as my video card, or is this just Nvidia trying to sell more graphics cards as PPU's?
IMHO (and will we find out for sure soon) if you have SLI setup now, you will have 1 video card and one card capable of PPU operations via cuda. Therefore you will no longer have an SLI setup. This is why I believe 3 cards are needed to get SLI working again. But time will tell if this is true or not. If CUDA is used, this makes PhsyX a software operation not a hardware operation. Unless Ageia PPU really sucked I don't see Cuda being faster at this time.

Side note: I did not find any Cuda support for Vista. This may change in the future though.
Posted on Reply
#15
Frogger
:roll:"Our expectation is that this is gonna encourage people to buy even better GPUs. It might—and probably will—encourage people to buy a second GPU for their SLI slot. And for the highest-end gamer, it will encourage them to buy three GPUs. Potentially two for graphics and one for physics, or one for graphics and two for physics.":roll:
:roll::roll:
AND a new MB+a PSU
Posted on Reply
#16
EastCoasthandle
The OP needs to add the following as it answers a lot of questions being posted:
Our expectation is that this is gonna encourage people to buy even better GPUs. It might—and probably will—encourage people to buy a second GPU for their SLI slot. And for the highest-end gamer, it will encourage them to buy three GPUs. Potentially two for graphics and one for physics, or one for graphics and two for physics.

Last, but not least, Huang said developers are "really excited" about the PhysX-to-CUDA port. "Finally they're able to get a physics engine accelerated into a very large population of gamers," he explained. Huang was unwilling to get into a time frame for the release of the first PhysX port. However, considering this will be purely a software implementation and Nvidia now has Ageia engineers on its payroll, the port may not take too long to complete.
Wow, I was right and didn't read this part until just now. :rockout:
Posted on Reply
#17
AddSub
buy 3 gfx cards, pfft....
I hear ya.
Posted on Reply
#18
effmaster
EastCoasthandleIMHO (and will we find out for sure soon) if you have SLI setup now, you will have 1 video card and one card capable of PPU operations via cuda. Therefore you will no longer have an SLI setup. This is why I believe 3 cards are needed to get SLI working again. But time will tell if this is true or not. If CUDA is used, this makes PhsyX a software operation not a hardware operation. Unless Ageia PPU really sucked I don't see Cuda being faster at this time.

Side note: I did not find any Cuda support for Vista. This may change in the future though.
I think I see what your on about EascoastHandle.

Im concerned as well how NVIDIA is going to change the AgeiA PhySX from a hardware unit to a software unit and what kind of repercussions that that could provide us. Personally I believe that if this does become just a piece of software that it may just end up being a rival to HAVOC physics
Posted on Reply
#19
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
EastCoasthandleThat makes no sense, all you are doing is replacing one card for another. With a 8500 its possible to get lower performance using PhsyX. People complain now how SLI doesn't work in all games. Now it's OK to buy a second card that only works on handful of games? Sorry, but if I were to buy a second card, I want to gain the benefit of it in all the games I play.
Yes, but people are complaining about two $300 cards not working. If you can drop a $50 card into the machine and get improved physics in games it is ok. Not every game needs improved physics, so yes it won't work with every game. However, for the price, it is worth it.

Now, if they make us use high end cards for physics, then you have a point.
Posted on Reply
#20
EastCoasthandle
newtekie1Yes, but people are complaining about two $300 cards not working. If you can drop a $50 card into the machine and get improved physics in games it is ok. Not every game needs improved physics, so yes it won't work with every game. However, for the price, it is worth it.

Now, if they make us use high end cards for physics, then you have a point.
I thought it was common knowledge that a 8500GT was more then $50? You may find a sale or 2 but that's the exception not the rule. Since this is software based, I really don't see it being faster then what the the PPU offered unless it really sucked to begin with. Cuda wont do any performance gain. It will allow more visual effects but the performance "hit" (If any) has yet to be seen.
Posted on Reply
#21
bud951
Nvidia did this to make money one way or another but they have confused everyone in the process. What if I already have a Physx card? Will it be as good or better than a 3rd graphics card? If a 3rd graphics card is needed.. does it need to be bridged in SLI with the other cards or can I just get a cheaper 8 series card and run it alone in the 3rd pcie slot? Will my Physx card be more widley supported now or is it now just junk? In other words, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I am still confused..??
Posted on Reply
#22
Morgoth
Fueled by Sapphire
since when does havok work on PhysX PPU ?
i still think Pysics is processor related
Posted on Reply
#23
OnBoard
I'd think you just need to sacrifice some image quality and run the game and physics with just one card ok. Remember that graphics cards are a lot more powerful than PPUs or CPUs, if programmed for the task in hand, like that folding@home.

If game runs good something like 1280x1024 4xAA 16xAF might transfer to 1280x1024 2xAA 8xAF with physics if it's done really well. I'd think we can expect to lose all AA and AF to keep the same frame rate, anything below that in performance is useless (for single card users).
Posted on Reply
#24
Scrizz
bud951So I can play GRAW, Warmonger and the UT special Physx maps without the Physx card? Cool.. less heat and a free pci slot!
lol free pci slot, not
you'll just be taking up another pcie slot and the slot adjacent to it, lol :laugh:
:shadedshu
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