GT430 as a dedicated PhysX card?

[Nick89]

I have a GTX480 already. I saw the GT430 and wanted to know if any of you guys have experience using another card for PhysX?

Also how would I install this card just for PhysX? do I have to uninstall my current video drivers? Or do I just put the card in and set it to PhysX in the driver options?

Here is the GT430: EVGA 01G-P3-1430-LR GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128...

Would the GTS450 be a better dedicated PhysX card? Or is the GT430 enough?

 

[Xaser04]

As a physx card it should perform similarly to a GT240. I know there are a few reviews looking at the GT240 physx performance so that might be a good starting place.

When I attempted to run one of my 460's alongside the 470 I had at the time, I ended up having to reinstall the drivers as my system didn't pick up the 460.

I would recommend:

Uninstall current drivers
Shut down PC and add the physx card (whatever you choose).
Restart PC and install Nvidia drivers
Enable the second card as a physx card in the Nvidia control panel.

The GTS450 would be a better physx card but tbh it's too expensive for just that purpose.

 

[boulard83]

+1 for a GTS450 as physX. The GTS430 is kinda weak.

Thats what i have as PhysX card and i cant complain about it.

 

[ShRoOmAlIsTiC]

the rop's kinda ruin it for a physx card. there should be a minimum for that too. 8 minimum with 16 recomended

 

[afw]

With 96 shaders clocked at 700Mhz ... I think its a good choice for PhysX ... Going for a GTS is pointless ... cos the difference will be very minimal ... and considering the power consumption ... I guess the GT430 will be a better choice

 

[Mr McC]

i don't know, but in the thread linked below conerning the choice of a Physx card in a hybrid set up, the general consensus is that anything over a 240 is overkill:

A ? about adding a PhysX card to my system

 

[cheezburger]

I have a GTX480 already. I saw the GT430 and wanted to know if any of you guys have experience using another card for PhysX?

Also how would I install this card just for PhysX? do I have to uninstall my current video drivers? Or do I just put the card in and set it to PhysX in the driver options?

Here is the GT430: EVGA 01G-P3-1430-LR GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128...

Would the GTS450 be a better dedicated PhysX card? Or is the GT430 enough?

yes...GTS450 is far better choice

 

[VulkanBros]

what a brilliant idea....I have played with PhysX (GTX285) alongside my 5870.....but that was with
PhysX mod v1.03 ... it worked but it was a hell when installing new drivers...

I never thought about using a PhysX card with my GTX480.....
I have my GTX285 laying around somewhere....will give it a try tomorrow......
maybe a littlebittle of an overkill, but what the hell...the powerplant need the money...

 

[boulard83]

i don't know, but in the thread linked below conerning the choice of a Physx card in a hybrid set up, the general consensus is that anything over a 240 is overkill:

A ? about adding a PhysX card to my system

False ... @ 1920x1080 maxed, my GTS450 is already used @ 50-60% in some rare case in Mafia2 ( usually way less, 10-30%, but in some case its higher ). A GT430 is ~1/3 of a GTS450... so a GT430 is just not enough for newer title to come with PhysX.

Im running 5760x1080 and my GTS450 can follow my SLI GTX460. I doubt a GT430 could be enough... its ~1/3 of a GTS450 ...

@ ~100$ a GTS450 is just a perfect choice for PhysX.

 

[Xaser04]

False ... @ 1920x1080 maxed, my GTS450 is already used @ 50-60% in some rare case in Mafia2 ( usually way less, 10-30%, but in some case its higher ). A GT430 is ~1/3 of a GTS450... so a GT430 is just not enough for newer title to come with PhysX.

Im running 5760x1080 and my GTS450 can follow my SLI GTX460. I doubt a GT430 could be enough... its ~1/3 of a GTS450 ...

@ ~100$ a GTS450 is just a perfect choice for PhysX.

For Physx purposes a GT430 is more like 1/2 a GTS450.

TBH this won't really be answered properly until actual benchmarks are ran across a broad (using that term lightly when it comes to Physx games) range of games.

 

[the54thvoid]

Pardon me for being so rude but.....

Nvidia's flagship card can't run Physx on it's own? I dont believe that for a second. If i bought a GTX 480 and it couldn't handle Physx on it's own i'd be mighty pissed off. This is the general bonus for buying NV - Physx and CUDA.

Are we all saying a GTX 480 can't handle Physx on it's own? If so, this really needs to be heralded to the masses because that kinda smacks in the face of NV's marketing. I mean, whats the point of spending maximum bucks on a card that then needs another to run Physx?

C'mon, we need some tech perspective here. This isn't an ATI thing either (me having 5850's and saying 'tut tut'). This is me not believing you need another card to run Physx with a GTX 4fricking80.

 

[Nick89]

Pardon me for being so rude but.....

Nvidia's flagship card can't run Physx on it's own? I dont believe that for a second. If i bought a GTX 480 and it couldn't handle Physx on it's own i'd be mighty pissed off. This is the general bonus for buying NV - Physx and CUDA.

Are we all saying a GTX 480 can't handle Physx on it's own? If so, this really needs to be heralded to the masses because that kinda smacks in the face of NV's marketing. I mean, whats the point of spending maximum bucks on a card that then needs another to run Physx?

C'mon, we need some tech perspective here. This isn't an ATI thing either (me having 5850's and saying 'tut tut'). This is me not believing you need another card to run Physx with a GTX 4fricking80.

I never said my GTX 480 couldn't handle physX I just figured I would get even better performance if I had a secondary dedicated Physx card.

 

[boulard83]

Pardon me for being so rude but.....

Nvidia's flagship card can't run Physx on it's own? I dont believe that for a second. If i bought a GTX 480 and it couldn't handle Physx on it's own i'd be mighty pissed off. This is the general bonus for buying NV - Physx and CUDA.

Are we all saying a GTX 480 can't handle Physx on it's own? If so, this really needs to be heralded to the masses because that kinda smacks in the face of NV's marketing. I mean, whats the point of spending maximum bucks on a card that then needs another to run Physx?

C'mon, we need some tech perspective here. This isn't an ATI thing either (me having 5850's and saying 'tut tut'). This is me not believing you need another card to run Physx with a GTX 4fricking80.

Lets just take mafia 2 as exemple. A GTX480 maxed with physx will do ~10 more FPS with a proper physX card since you unload all the physX from your main GPU.

In Mafia 2, if i disable my GTS450 i loose alot of smoothness and fps.

 

[erocker]

I just use a GT 240 for PhysX with a 5850 and Mafia II with PhysX on high works fine/smooth/whatever. Does one really want to spend over a hundred bucks for the couple games they play that actually use PhysX?

 

[boulard83]

if someone have the money for a GTX480, SSD, and more ... why going too cheap on the PhysX card ...

I already seen my GTS450 used at 60% in Mafia 2, a GT430 could have been capped at the time.

 

[erocker]

why going too cheap on the PhysX card ...

Because of the amount of games that use PhysX, not to mention if someone actually owns them all. Granted if you have a disposable income and money is not a problem, fine. GT430 GT240 do not need external power and can be found in smaller form factors. The past few weeks I've been using a GTX 470 as a PhysX card. I see no noticable difference between that and a GT 240. I'm just saying, don't waste money on something you don't need. To each their own if they do though.

 

[wolf]

a GT430 or GT240 should be ample in just about any situation, and if it's borderline, overclocking it should clear that right up, especially a GT240 where you can OC just the sp's by themselves, and probably to the tune of a good 20% faster.

 

[boulard83]

A GTS450 is still more futurproof for upcoming title.

 

[Mr McC]

A GTS450 is still more futurproof for upcoming title.

To be honest, I don't think greater emphasis will be placed on PhysX in the near future: it's proprietary and too many people now own ATI cards, whereby it is not in the developers interests to release games with features that will be denied to a large segment of potential customers.

 

[qubit]

I reckon using the 430 for PhysX will actually lower your FPS, as it's such a weak card.

One can always try it out though. If you buy it online, you have the right to try it out and return it within a short time if you don't like it. In the UK, at least.

 

[Mr McC]

I reckon using the 430 for PhysX will actually lower your FPS, as it's such a weak card.

Is that possible? Are you suggesting that something like a 240 would also have an adverse affect on fps?

 

[qubit]

Is that possible? Are you suggesting that something like a 240 would also have an adverse affect on fps?

It might.

The way I understand it, part of the GTX480 would be given over to PhysX processing. Now, as that card is so much more powerful than the little 430, it's quite likely that 480 doing PhysX on its own is more powerful.

However, one would have to try it to be sure.

 

[boulard83]

What qubit is saying, is that the PhysX card have to follow the Main card. In this case, the PhysX card have to follow a GTX480 and thats not nothing... thats a huge card to follow.

In most case ( if we keep mafia 2 as exemple ) i think the GT430 can do it. But in few HIGH physX part of the game, i dont think a GT430 can follow a GTX480.

I paid ~125$ (canadian) for my GTS450 and i can tell that this is an excellent PhysX card. It stay cool, its quiet and its doing its job without any issue.

 

[claylomax]

I just use a GT 240 for PhysX with a 5850 and Mafia II with PhysX on high works fine/smooth/whatever. Does one really want to spend over a hundred bucks for the couple games they play that actually use PhysX?

I think the rate is like a physx game a year

 

[erocker]

It might.

The way I understand it, part of the GTX480 would be given over to PhysX processing. Now, as that card is so much more powerful than the little 430, it's quite likely that 480 doing PhysX on its own is more powerful.

However, one would have to try it to be sure.

Incorrect. I know for certain that a GTX 470 + GT 240 is better than just a GTX 470 on it's own. Also, I know for certain that a GTX 470 or HD 5850 plus a GTX 460 for PhysX makes little difference against those two same cards and a GT 240. PhysX doesn't require as much as people think. It just needs a compatable GPU.