[Bug] Nvidia removes restrictions on hybrid NV+ATI Physx setups!!!

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May 13, 2009
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What a classy company. To think 4 months ago I was a nvidia fanboy. Way to push away your loyal fans.
 

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
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Yes, this is a bug in the latest build of PhysX that was packaged with the driver. We'll be fixing this issue ASAP - the WHQL driver launching in early June won't have this issue. -NVIDIA

I like how they worded that. :D
 

Leyawiin

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2008
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Its their IP. They bought Ageia to get it. If they want it exclusively functioning on Nvidia hardware only that's their prerogative. If the feature is that important to you, buy an Nvidia primary card. I doubt they ever intended for there to be a backdoor way to get it to work with their competitor's card. To make an investment like that and then give it away would be idiocy. Basically, put up or shut up.
 

Cogman

Lifer
Sep 19, 2000
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Its their IP. They bought Ageia to get it. If they want it exclusively functioning on Nvidia hardware only that's their prerogative. If the feature is that important to you, buy an Nvidia primary card. I doubt they ever intended for there to be a backdoor way to get it to work with their competitor's card. To make an investment like that and then give it away would be idiocy. Basically, put up or shut up.
No, it would be sanity. They reducing there client base for a product that isn't implement universally in all products (not even close). Yes, It is their right to do it, however, it is generally hard enough to get people like game publishers to use your fancy new APIs in the first place, why give them less of a reason to use it?

Think of it like a snowball effect. The more people that can see a difference in the gaming experience from a feature, the more people are going to want to get said feature.

Its the same reason HTML5 and silverlight aren't going to topple flash video any time soon. Both are, IMO, superior to flash video in so many ways, yet flash has one of the largest software install bases out there. As a result, very few people put out HTML5 or silverlight content compared to the massive amounts of new flash content produced each day.

But, whatever, It really is nVidias choice, I just don't think it is the wisest one.
 

konakona

Diamond Member
May 6, 2004
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But, whatever, It really is nVidias choice, I just don't think it is the wisest one.
Agreed. They CAN do it, just that it isn't exactly customer friendly, and isn't very inviting to new comers despite its choronically niche history.

Plus letting people use it on older card isn't exactly giving it away, Geforce 8 series is still an nvidia tech all the way. Prospective users of this nv+ati configuration have paid their good money for the nvidia card at some point. If you feel these people are getting a 'free ride', then so are people using a single outdated nv card for physx and everything.
 

thilanliyan

Lifer
Jun 21, 2005
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I doubt they ever intended for there to be a backdoor way to get it to work with their competitor's card. To make an investment like that and then give it away would be idiocy. Basically, put up or shut up.

I paid money for a 8800GT 2 years ago but can't use it as a PhysX card now...they're not giving anything away for free...they still got my money.
 

taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
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I paid money for a 8800GT 2 years ago but can't use it as a PhysX card now...they're not giving anything away for free...they still got my money.

that, and people who own a 5870 card would potentially pay for a GTX250 or some such to use as a physX card alongside their ATI card.
 

3DVagabond

Lifer
Aug 10, 2009
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I think the biggest market for mixed vendor cards would be those who already owned a previous gen nVidia card and have now purchased a new ATI card. nVidia is trying to take away a reason to jump camps.
 

alkalinetaupehat

Senior member
Mar 3, 2008
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So what I'm wondering is whether people who have the drivers without the restriction will be awesome and host it somewhere...please?
 

thilanliyan

Lifer
Jun 21, 2005
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^I downloaded it earlier yesterday...how do I know they had not changed it by the time I downloaded it?
 

scooterlibby

Senior member
Feb 28, 2009
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This is awesome the new driver pownz u can choose your phsyic ,, amazing their best drivers yet. Tested from Crysis, MW2 and UT3.

thx

Tweak your trolling feels a little less organic here. The double commas seem so forced, but you do kind of pull it out in the end with your trademark 'thx' closing. I never get tired of that part.

Sad to hear this is a 'bug' and am still not seeing Nvidia's logic in disallowing this. They know they're a bit behind this round, why not encourage ATI users to try Physx with a cheap second Nvidia card?
 

NoQuarter

Golden Member
Jan 1, 2001
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Sad to hear this is a 'bug' and am still not seeing Nvidia's logic in disallowing this. They know they're a bit behind this round, why not encourage ATI users to try Physx with a cheap second Nvidia card?

I think their logic is, if nv allow current nvidia owners freedom of choice while nvidia is 'behind' they may have bought a 5850/5870 instead of waiting for the 465/470/480. Perhaps if nvidia feels more secure with their lineup they could unlock the drivers but while they feel people may switch red they will probably keep them locked to discourage switching. They obviously feel it's more important their 65% or more share doesn't switch than courting the other 35% into buying a budget card.

So.. short term it makes a *little* business sense (though I think they're missing out on some good will and some more market share) but long term it seems like a terrible decision.
 
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HurleyBird

Platinum Member
Apr 22, 2003
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No, it would be sanity. They reducing there client base for a product that isn't implement universally in all products (not even close). Yes, It is their right to do it, however, it is generally hard enough to get people like game publishers to use your fancy new APIs in the first place, why give them less of a reason to use it?

Yeah, well, I think AMD generally doesn't take action against Nvidia's use of PhysX simply because they realize that Nvidia is shooting themselves in the foot and severely holding back PhysX adoption.

As far as disabling PhysX being Nvidia's right... I don't think so, at least in the long run. I think it's only a matter of time before some class action pops up and Nvidia is forced to change. This driver has proven that Nvidia's claims of 'intricate connections' is a downright lie, its merely an artificial limitation. That, and the box of an Nvidia product does not say it stops doing PhysX whenever a competitors product is present.

Also, in the unlikely scenario that hardware PhysX does take off, AMD is going to sue Nvidia for anticompetitive practices and they'll most assuredly win. I'm sure AMD could do this right now if they wanted to, however the payout would be small and they want PhysX to stay marginalized anyway.
 

Ualdayan

Member
May 11, 2004
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Yes, this is a bug in the latest build of PhysX that was packaged with the driver. We'll be fixing this issue ASAP - the WHQL driver launching in early June won't have this issue. -NVIDIA
I like how they worded that. :D

Leave it to nVidia to take something that's working, call it an 'issue', fix it faster than almost any other bug, then call it fixed when something no longer works.
 

MagickMan

Diamond Member
Aug 11, 2008
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What a classy company. To think 4 months ago I was a nvidia fanboy. Way to push away your loyal fans.

Me too. I loved their stuff, right up until they started shoveling shit to everyone and telling them it was cake. They're majorly f$#ked up and I'll never buy anything from them again until they change their ways.
 

ronnn

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
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nvidia pr will do anything to get people to actually talk about phys x. Maybe a killer game would work even better.
 

Dark Shroud

Golden Member
Mar 26, 2010
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The worst part of this is that Nvidia is segmenting the PC gaming market. PC gamers have so many other issues to deal with we didn't need this on top of it.

It's been a few years already since I bought my last Nvidia card. It will be several more before I give them a second chance. Here's to hoping for Direct Compute taking over with Havok & Bullet.
 

taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
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The worst part of this is that Nvidia is segmenting the PC gaming market. PC gamers have so many other issues to deal with we didn't need this on top of it.

nVidia is TRYING to segment the market, but physX doesn' have the market penetration to actually pull something like that off. They are not segmenting it, they are just killing off their own technology by making their level 1 character try to solo a level 70 elite; thats not an attempt at killing the elite, thats assisted suicide.
 

Borealis7

Platinum Member
Oct 19, 2006
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did you just make a WoW analogy?

anyway, this would allow some talented coders to "Diff" the drivers and re-create a patch that could unlock PhysX in next driver releases.