GeForce 8 graphics processors to gain PhysX support

[Pottsey]

” Sigh are you still playing this "I can't imagine the game without the PPU effects so I'll bring up this same old tired PPU effects on the CPU argument to make it sound like there's actually a benefit" spiel?”
That’s not what I am doing at all. The only person spinning words is you. The fact is UT minimums FPS doubles in places and increase’s a small amount in other places. Yet you’re going around saying its cut in half. How is the minimum FPS going up not actually a benefit?

No matter what you do in UT adding a PPU boosts FPS. The only person playing word games is you as you’re laying by saying FPS is cut in half.

If you get 15fps minimum without the PPU, and 35fps with the PPU the FPS is not cut in half. Yet you make it sound like there is no benefit.

If you get 30 average without the PPU and 32 average with the PPU the FPS is not cut in half.






“What incentive will people have to spend money on a dedicated PPU once the PhysX API has been ported over to CUDA and can run on a GPU?”
Some if the GPU physics take off and lots of game start supporting it. Then there will be people who want faster physics but don’t have room for a 2nd GPU on PCI-E so they will get a PPU PCI. More PhysX games are good for the PPU not bad.

I don’t see the PPU PCI being more popular then the GPU option but if the GPU takes off it will add life to the PPU not kill it.

 

[james.miller]

hmmm it does make it an option, yes. or even a pci-e x1 ppu perhaps.

 

[Nymins]

“Ermm those effects look like bump. Its even in a tight confined area with no enemies or decent textures.“
They don’t look like bump mapping. Since when does bump have liquid flying though the air settling down and dripping!!!

One was the liquid from a chemical grenade settling down and dripping. The other one was an action shot from a wine box exploding the liquid flying all over. It was in mid air in the screen shot for crying out loud. How can you have a bump mapping effect in mid air! Show me bump mapping that looks half as good as that wine.

Textures have nothing to do with physics or the PPU so textures are irrelevant here. As for tight confirmed area with no enemies well 2 screenshots where outdoors and if its the part of the game I think it was it had enemies. What on earth does tight confined area or enemies even have to do with liquid physics? Those liquids effects where from games. The liquid effects can happen with or without enemies around and in both open and tight areas. In fact one is chemical grenade so it’s going have enemies around. The emphasis was on the liquid. Not showing off the enemies and none liquid stuff.

You’re flat out wrong when you said the PPU cannot do liquids in games. The above screenshots prove you wrong.

Sorry i meant to say "dump" like crap or poo. I would love to see the PPU doing liquid physics in Crysis. How can you say the textures dont affect it? Of course it will run well in a tight spot with no textures or enemy AI. But i would love to see you running Crysis with the entire surrounding Ocean with full liquid physics.

 

[Pottsey]

“How can you say the textures dont affect it?”
The PPU has nothing to do with textures it’s the graphics artist and GPU jobs to deal with textures. If you don’t like some textures on the walls or other objects I hardly see it as a fault with the PPU. The only thing the PPU does is physics.



“ What incentive will people have to spend money on a dedicated PPU once the PhysX API has been ported over to CUDA and can run on a GPU?.”
On the drive home I thought of something else. Assuming the Nvidia GPU physics takeoff and game support follows. ATI user’s who don’t want to spend £200+ on an Nvidia card or swap for other reasons will be left with the option of getting a PCI PPU if they want the PhysX support. Assuming of course the game support increase’s and lots of good games come out. Games support is the biggest problem right now.




“Of course it will run well in a tight spot with no textures or enemy AI.”
You don’t seem to be listening to me. The screenshot was focused on the liquid. You can use the liquid weapon anywhere in the game. Anywhere includes, wide open spaces with large mechs and tons of enemy soldiers. One part of the game has you holding a fort with a army of mech and enemy soldiers trying to break though. You can use the liquid weapons there if you want.
The weapon is not limited to tight spots with no textures or enemy AI. So the PPU can use liquids in game.

 

[Nymins]

What about Crysis then with the entire Ocean with full liquid physics?

 

[Pottsey]

“What about Crysis then with the entire Ocean with full liquid physics?“
I don’t know for sure but I think a full Ocean in Crysis with liquid physics is beyond anything current hardware can do. Not sure if there is a way to scale it so you only do the full liquid physics on the areas you can see. If you have to do the full liquid physics for an entire ocean well the power needed to do that is staggering for today’s equipment. I dont really know the current limits of liquids or how much power it needs or how it scales.

If the only hard part is when something interacts with the Ocean then it might be doable. It would be nice but I don’t see it happening any time soon.

 

[Trox]

some people are insane...

Why **** off something that's introduced to enhance gaming, to help move it to another level...

you guys are soo craaaazy.... (and backward)

 

[phatboy]

Sounds like it will work with a single 8800.

Yeh i thought that too.....

sounds like it would just mean that PsyX enabled games (e.g the certain levels on Cellfactor and UT3) would work from the off on an 8800 card

be quite cool, and defo another feather for Nvidia's cap

 

[willhub]

I some ways it makes me think I should have kepts my P5N-E SLi, then when they get this physX stuff sorted I'd probs get an 8600GTS or something for the second one to act as a PhysX card or abit of extra performance in some games.

I thought ATi's cards have build in PhysX capability too?

 

[mdjmcnally]

I thought ATi's cards have build in PhysX capability too?

When originally going to have physics was going to be through HavokFX which would port the Havok Physics API to GPU's, originally was how Nvidia were going to do.

However Intel buying Havok and cancelling the Havok FX in favour of developing Havok to run better on multicore CPU's (strange that) means that Physics won't be arriving on ATI until Microsoft get DirectPhysics or whatever they are calling it out of the door.