Is it worth keeping a card for Phsyx anymore?

[Fuelrod]

I recently got a GTX 470 and paired it with and old 9600GT I had lying around. Not a huge bump from a GTX 470 alone, but it still shows even a 470 can benefit from a dedicated card.

Batman AA: 1920x1200, all setting Highest, 4xAA, PhysX High

470 PhysX ON: Mn: 32 Av: 60 Mx: 88

470 + 9600GT PhysX ON: Mn: 33 Av: 68 Mx: 110


Cryostasis TechDemo: 1920x1200, all setting Highest, 16x Anisotropic

470 PhysX ON: Mn: 28.1 Av: 44.5 Mx: 153

470 + 9600GT PhysX ON: Mn: 30.4 Av: 50.7 Mx: 116.4


I thought it was interesting the Cryostasis TechDemo max frames went down but the average went up

 

[MyLeftNut]

Looks good, but as long as having that extra videocard for dedicated physx won't be a significant power drain, all the better. Or is it actually power intensive?

 

[Fuelrod]

Looks good, but as long as having that extra videocard for dedicated physx won't be a significant power drain, all the better. Or is it actually power intensive?

At idle (i.e. surfing the web, etc) it adds about 10 watts. While playing a game it adds anywhere between 50 to 70 watts.

 

[Scali]

At idle (i.e. surfing the web, etc) it adds about 10 watts. While playing a game it adds anywhere between 50 to 70 watts.

Makes one wonder... would replacing the GTX470 with a GTX480 give you more of a performance increase than adding the 9600GT?
And would that then result in less extra power consumption?

 

[MyLeftNut]

Well, the gtx 480 is about 15 percent faster clock for clock for a particular amount extra of wattage. Say 70 watts for a 9600/9800gt.

 

[Dark Shroud]

I guess that's why I see people recommend the green GTS 240s for PhysX. Either way unless you're recycleing an older card you have I can't recommend this anymore between the prices and other issues with Nvidia.

The GTX 460 1GB is tempting as hell but I'm not going to buy Nvidia again until they remove that software block on hybrid setups.

 

[Keysplayr]

I guess that's why I see people recommend the green GTS 240s for PhysX. Either way unless you're recycleing an older card you have I can't recommend this anymore between the prices and other issues with Nvidia.

The GTX 460 1GB is tempting as hell but I'm not going to buy Nvidia again until they remove that software block on hybrid setups.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150475
GT240 for 60.00.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125333
GTX460 1GB 230.00

Now, unless the consumer already has an older 8 or 9 series (8800GT or 9600GSO/GT) that they can use for PhysX, this setup above would be pretty sweet for running games with PhysX or without. If you don't run a PhysX title, the dedicated PhysX card would just idle. Still consume some power, but idle power. About 9W worth.

So what "other" issues are there? What's wrong with the prices? You can't recommend this or you won't due to your boycott of Nvidia products because they block PhysX on hybrid systems?

My best friend is picking up two of the 460's I linked to above and he is going to be using an 8800GTS512 for PhysX. He picked up a P55 SLI board with a dedicated 4x PCI-e slot for PhysX. If he did not have an 8800GTS512, he would be picking up one of these GT240's for PhysX.

I may have lost the context of this thread as it goes in many directions, so bear with me.

 

[destrekor]

So, I currently have a GTX285. The card it replaced, quite a while ago, was my 8800GTS 640mb.
This is all on a DFI P965-S motherboard (ATI chip, Crossfire)... so I can't do SLI, but can I do Physx with a dedicated card?

Would the 285 for GPU, 8800GTS 640 for physx be a good combination?
Also, would the 8800 have too high of power draw? I do have a PC Power & Cooling 750w PSU, should be able to handle all that no problem - but don't really want to crank up the total power draw all that much if it's not worth it.

If I do this, Iw ill have to buy a new wireless pci card, PCIE 1x if possible, as the two two-card slots will crowd all of my available PCI slots, minus the bottom which is my soundcard.

 

[happy medium]

So, I currently have a GTX285. The card it replaced, quite a while ago, was my 8800GTS 640mb.
This is all on a DFI P965-S motherboard (ATI chip, Crossfire)... so I can't do SLI, but can I do Physx with a dedicated card?

Would the 285 for GPU, 8800GTS 640 for physx be a good combination?
Also, would the 8800 have too high of power draw? I do have a PC Power & Cooling 750w PSU, should be able to handle all that no problem - but don't really want to crank up the total power draw all that much if it's not worth it.

If I do this, Iw ill have to buy a new wireless pci card, PCIE 1x if possible, as the two two-card slots will crowd all of my available PCI slots, minus the bottom which is my soundcard.

Yes ,you can use physx.
You psu is fine.
Try the new Mafia 2 demo with physx on. You get it from steam client.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2096624

 

[Dark Shroud]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150475
GT240 for 60.00.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125333
GTX460 1GB 230.00

Now, unless the consumer already has an older 8 or 9 series (8800GT or 9600GSO/GT) that they can use for PhysX, this setup above would be pretty sweet for running games with PhysX or without. If you don't run a PhysX title, the dedicated PhysX card would just idle. Still consume some power, but idle power. About 9W worth.

So what "other" issues are there? What's wrong with the prices? You can't recommend this or you won't due to your boycott of Nvidia products because they block PhysX on hybrid systems?

My best friend is picking up two of the 460's I linked to above and he is going to be using an 8800GTS512 for PhysX. He picked up a P55 SLI board with a dedicated 4x PCI-e slot for PhysX. If he did not have an 8800GTS512, he would be picking up one of these GT240's for PhysX.

I may have lost the context of this thread as it goes in many directions, so bear with me.

Most of me not recommening Nvidia comes from my boycot over PhysX and other software shenanigans on Nvidia's part. It's also the fact that the GTS cards are mostly rebrands that do not support DX11. That last one is a biggie to me.

Basically if Nvidia quit with the garbage and focused on making great cards I wouldn't have a problem with them and eventually would start using them again.

 

[Scali]

That last one is a biggie to me.

Really? I don't even own any DX11 games yet... can't really think of any 'killer' DX11 titles that are out.
I'm on my second DX11-card now, but the only DX11 code they've seen is my own, and some benchmarks

 

[evolucion8]

Really? I don't even own any DX11 games yet... can't really think of any 'killer' DX11 titles that are out.
I'm on my second DX11-card now, but the only DX11 code they've seen is my own, and some benchmarks

Does that really matter? There's no DX11 and PhysX killer app, but does that really matter? With that way of thinking, we should clinge with our Radeon X1950/GeForce 7900GTX series because there's no DX10 killer application, your way of thinking and his way of thinking is different. nVidia has done shoddy tactics and you can't cover that, while boycotting the company in a forum is a bit off, the best way to boycott a company is with your wallet.

 

[Keysplayr]

Does that really matter? There's no DX11 and PhysX killer app, but does that really matter? With that way of thinking, we should clinge with our Radeon X1950/GeForce 7900GTX series because there's no DX10 killer application, your way of thinking and his way of thinking is different. nVidia has done shoddy tactics and you can't cover that, while boycotting the company in a forum is a bit off, the best way to boycott a company is with your wallet.

"Does that really matter?"
Then you might ask yourself, what "does" matter. Put the emphasis on "yourself".
Then ask yourself, "Does my opinion reflect everyone else's?"
You can't answer yes to that one, nor for what you might deem a majority which is a pull it out of the hat made up statistic on the spot.
DirectX 11 titles are out. Well, at least DX10 with DX11 features. Metro, AVP, Dirt2 etc.
DX version may matter to some and not other.
Same with PhysX content and the ability to run it.
I'd rather have the option to run either if I wanted to no matter what I thought of the technology. I would think anyone else would to. You can call this a made up on the spot statistic too, but at least it's a logical assumption. Who wouldn't want the option of checking "GPU PhysX ON or OFF"?
Wouldn't you rather have the option? I mean PhysX of course.
Even if the PhysX content was very little, you wouldn't want the option to run it?
You can say you can run it on the CPU just fine, but we kind of know that has a bit of trouble with performance. Not the better solution at this time.
Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts and see if it goes against logic.

-Keys

 

[Scali]

Does that really matter?

That's what I'm asking the guy. He said "That last one is a biggie to me.", referring to no DX11 support.

With that way of thinking, we should clinge with our Radeon X1950/GeForce 7900GTX series because there's no DX10 killer application, your way of thinking and his way of thinking is different.

Not really, aside from DX10+ features, newer videocards also have much better performance and image quality than these cards.
But the image quality and performance of the more high-end DX10 cards is very similar to the DX11 cards. And they are often better value for money (like the 4870 still being popular because it's so cheap, and still a pretty mainstream performer).
So I was wondering why not having DX11 was such a big deal to him.

 

[Scali]

DirectX 11 titles are out. Well, at least DX10 with DX11 features. Metro, AVP, Dirt2 etc.
DX version may matter to some and not other.
Same with PhysX content and the ability to run it.
I'd rather have the option to run either if I wanted to no matter what I thought of the technology. I would think anyone else would to. You can call this a made up on the spot statistic too, but at least it's a logical assumption. Who wouldn't want the option of checking "GPU PhysX ON or OFF"?
Wouldn't you rather have the option? I mean PhysX of course.

That was exactly what I asked myself when my 8800GTS died.
I had PhysX and DX10.
Now I had the choice: do I buy a new card with PhysX and DX10, or one without PhysX, but with DX11?
I chose the latter, but in retrospect, it may have been the wrong choice.

 

[evolucion8]

"Does that really matter?"
Then you might ask yourself, what "does" matter. Put the emphasis on "yourself".
Then ask yourself, "Does my opinion reflect everyone else's?"
You can't answer yes to that one, nor for what you might deem a majority which is a pull it out of the hat made up statistic on the spot.
DirectX 11 titles are out. Well, at least DX10 with DX11 features. Metro, AVP, Dirt2 etc.
DX version may matter to some and not other.
Same with PhysX content and the ability to run it.
I'd rather have the option to run either if I wanted to no matter what I thought of the technology. I would think anyone else would to. You can call this a made up on the spot statistic too, but at least it's a logical assumption. Who wouldn't want the option of checking "GPU PhysX ON or OFF"?
Wouldn't you rather have the option? I mean PhysX of course.
Even if the PhysX content was very little, you wouldn't want the option to run it?
You can say you can run it on the CPU just fine, but we kind of know that has a bit of trouble with performance. Not the better solution at this time.
Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts and see if it goes against logic.

-Keys

If you ever bothered to read the whole thread, you would know that I was being sarcastic, because Scali claimed that he didn't had DX11 tittles because the aren't DX11 killer apps out there, and I said that if it does really matter? Because besides of DX11, newer cards consumes less power and are more efficient like Scali just stated, he understood quite clearly my point, and you just spun your words without any sense. In the other thread you said that If I was smoking something, now this, are you stalking me?

 

[Grooveriding]

"Does that really matter?"
Then you might ask yourself, what "does" matter. Put the emphasis on "yourself".
Then ask yourself, "Does my opinion reflect everyone else's?"
You can't answer yes to that one, nor for what you might deem a majority which is a pull it out of the hat made up statistic on the spot.
DirectX 11 titles are out. Well, at least DX10 with DX11 features. Metro, AVP, Dirt2 etc.
DX version may matter to some and not other.
Same with PhysX content and the ability to run it.
I'd rather have the option to run either if I wanted to no matter what I thought of the technology. I would think anyone else would to. You can call this a made up on the spot statistic too, but at least it's a logical assumption. Who wouldn't want the option of checking "GPU PhysX ON or OFF"?
Wouldn't you rather have the option? I mean PhysX of course.
Even if the PhysX content was very little, you wouldn't want the option to run it?
You can say you can run it on the CPU just fine, but we kind of know that has a bit of trouble with performance. Not the better solution at this time.
Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts and see if it goes against logic.

-Keys

That's why physx is a bullshit feature.

It's exactly the reason nvidia implemented it the way they did and buys off game developers to use it.

They bank on the pc gamer's mentality of wanting to be able to 'check off' video settings when they are setting them up in a game.

nvidia is playing on that mentality and hoping people will buy their product so the user doesn't feel inferior for lack of the ability to check off physx and seeing it sitting there greyed out because they are not using an nvidia card.

That's a pretty weak, even shallow reason to go nvidia, just so you 'check off' physx when you see it in a game. That is not exactly a reason at all to go nvidia, because they decided to implement a proprietary feature, that offers nothing beyond what you could of already had for free on your cpu ?

A game developer could add a box 'amazingsauceoooooo' that needed you to buy a $1000 usb key and plug it in to enable it. But it would do nothing, pretty much the same way physx does almost nothing, unless you play one of a handful of games, only one of which was worthwhile and was a singleplayer, play once and put away title.

Too bad physx is basically rubbish, that in three years has managed to get about ten games using the gpu iteration of it, with only one that shows any merit.