PhysX Runs On RV670, Scores 22,000 CPU Marks in 3DMark Vantage

[btarunr]

Eran Badit of NGOHQ.com successfully modified NVIDIA CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) to operate on an ATI GPU and has been able to run the NVIDIA PhysX layer on an RV670, the Radeon HD 3850.

He tells that enabling PhysX support on Radeon cards is not particularly difficult, leading us to believe that physics on graphics cards may not so much be a technology problem but an issue of corporate dynamics.

On his first run, Eran got a 22,606 CPU score in 3D Mark Vantage, enhancing the overall score to P4262. A comparable system without PhysX-support will cross the finish line at about P3800.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[cdawall]

now do we get to download those drivers?

 

[Bytor]

But will I be able to use my Asus P1 physX card with my ATI cards?

 

[pagalms]

Eran said that he will be offering the ATI PhysX-enabling utility on NGOHQ.com as soon as he gets his hands on more hardware to check the application on more than one graphics card. We are told that he is testing hardware already, which means that the software should be available “soon”.

TG Daily

 

[panchoman]

yup i was waiting for this.. ati wouldn't buy cuda licenses and all from nvidia only to implement a while down the road.. they want cuda drivers from nvidia, this way their cards can compete with nvidia cards in all of nvidia's arenas.

 

[btarunr]

But will I be able to use my Asus P1 physX card with my ATI cards?

Of course you can.

Paglams beat me to it.

Words cannot explain the awesome.

 

[mdm-adph]

Of course you can.

Paglams beat me to it.

Words cannot explain the awesome.

Words cannot explain the lawsuits and DMCA notices soon to come. :shadedshu

 

[phanbuey]

oooohhhhh mannn... Its great but that guy is gonna get sued so fast.

Edit: I want a copy before its officially illegal.

 

[btarunr]

Something of this sort had to happen, else 3DMark Vantage would have lost its credibility as a neutral benchmark for the industry.

 

[vojc]

he wont, CUDA is open source, so officialy ATI can use it

 

[phanbuey]

Something of this sort had to happen, else 3DMark Vantage would have lost its credibility as a neutral benchmark for the industry.

lol... true; i modified this post; for some reason i thought PhysX features were not open source.

 

[HTC]

Yeah but this is not a vantage fix... its a third party hack to get licenced drivers to work on unathorized hardware (in the eyes of nvidia)... Technically PhysX is property of nVidia... so they will sue, and hard - because it elimintaes not just the advantage they had in Vantage but in all physX games. And all that money they spent on Aegia is now down the toilet if ATI can do the same thing.

Very well put!

 

[thoughtdisorder]

now do we get to download those drivers?

Read this:

We are told that there is currently no relationship between NGOHQ.com and AMD’s PR team, which means that Eran does not have access to Radeon 4850 or 4870 cards. Check the www.ngohq.com website for the software to become available this weekend.-TG Daily

We'll have to watch this weekend and get it before it's taken off!

 

[a111087]

lol... Nvidia is probably going to be mad... very mad...

 

[panchoman]

cuda open source? wtf?

 

[btarunr]

Technically "open source" means even Homer Simpson can use it. The complication is that whether or not CUDA is open-source, PhysX definitely isn't and is bound by NVIDIA's policies.

 

[selway89]

Would these work on a 2900 card? Same chip really just larger fab process.

 

[panchoman]

Technically "open source" means even Homer Simpson can use it.

i thought it was like an sdk for developers.. i understand that part of open source.. but is it open source in terms of gpu architecture and the gpu side?

 

[btarunr]

i thought it was like an sdk for developers.. i understand that part of open source.. but is it open source in terms of gpu architecture and the gpu side?

Yes, it's an SDK open (as in you can use it if you abide by NV's policies) to developers. Not very long ago, NV ran contests for "best CUDA apps", in an attempt to popularise it. The SDK could be downloaded for free.

 

[KainXS]

seeing how similar the 2900XT is to the 3800's, im pretty sure it will work

one thing is certain though, if these physx mods are moved to the 4850 and 4870, nvidia will be f*cked

 

[thoughtdisorder]

Thanks Btarunr, nice find!

 

[muon]

Its a HD 3850, not a 3870.

 

[Darkrealms]

I'm sure Nvidia put restrictions on the SDKs they released to developers. One way or another I'm sure Nvidia is looking for blood. You don't acquire a company like that only to hand it to the opposition.

 

[Steevo]

ATI NVidia

 

[btarunr]

Its a HD 3850, not a 3870.

Thanks mate. I've not sourced a large image so far. I'm looking up. I can see a "GDDR3". Edited.