SLi / PhysX Question

[cm123]

If have system that is NOT SLi chipset, ie say Intel X38 or X48 - if you put the GTX 280 in and load drivers, at later time add GTS 8800 512, even though the chipset no supports Sli, can you use the 8800 as PhysX?

If so, anyone here doing this? Does it really work without problems...



If I may ask one more question then, so is card like 8800 GTS 512 better at PhysX or the Hardware add-in PCI card for performance and image quality?

 

[Keysplayr]

You do not need SLI support to run a dedicated PhysX GPU. All you need is more than one PCI-e slot.

 

[cm123]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
You do not need SLI support to run a dedicated PhysX GPU. All you need is more than one PCI-e slot.

Thanks Keys!

Great news to know - very strong selling point for everyone with Intel chipsets that upgraded to GTX 280/260 and have 8800 Series sitting around and want to try PhysX


If I may ask one more question then, so is card like 8800 GTS 512 better at PhysX or the Hardware add-in PCI card for performance and image quality?

 

[aka1nas]

An 8800GT should already be faster than the original PhysX card.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
An 8800GT should already be faster than the original PhysX card.

It is. Very much so.

 

[roid450]

i have a GTX260 and a 9600GT SC, i did what OP did but noticed no difference in UT3 and GRAW2, like some others told me in my thread, the current PhysX is not hardcore enough to really need a dedicated GPU.

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: roid450
i have a GTX260 and a 9600GT SC, i did what OP did but noticed no difference in UT3 and GRAW2, like some others told me in my thread, the current PhysX is not hardcore enough to really need a dedicated GPU.

You won't notice much if any difference in those games unless you are playing the PhysX-heavy maps(Ageia Island for GRAW2, CTF-Tornado and one other one for UT3.). The regular maps for both games are pretty light on PhysX effects so that CPU-based PhysX can keep up.

Future PhysX-capable games should have more control over how detailed you would like the Physics to be(i.e. with sliders in the option screen). One thing Ageia was working on before they were acquired was some sort of LOD type framework for PhysX, so that developers would have an easier time with PhysX scaling effects and not have to create multiple versions of everything to support multiple levels of physics detail.

 

[GZFant]

Quick question about old hardware.

A8N SLi Deluxe with a 7900GT:
Am I able to run another card, say 8800GT and use 7900GT for physX or is that hardware too old?

 

[BlueAcolyte]

No, that can work fine.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: GZFant
Quick question about old hardware.

A8N SLi Deluxe with a 7900GT:
Am I able to run another card, say 8800GT and use 7900GT for physX or is that hardware too old?

PhysX is only supported on unified shader architectures. In other words, any 8 series and above Nvidia GeForce cards. So, no good with the 7900GT.

 

[MTDEW]

So, should i bother holding onto an 8800GT for Physx?
Or is it just not gonna be supported enough to worry about any time soon?

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
So, should i bother holding onto an 8800GT for Physx?
Or is it just not gonna be supported enough to worry about any time soon?

January '09 will be the first full fledged PhysX Title called Mirrors Edge. It's likely that more games will start to flow into the market soon afterward. So, keeping your 8800GTS512 purely for PhysX crunching is entirely up to you. Is Mirrors Edge a game you would play? Do you like Football games? Backbreaker is due out soon. Another PhysX title.

It's hard to say. If it's no skin off your back to hold onto the 8800, then why not? If you need to sell the card, then the GTX280 could handle the PhysX on it's own too. I have found, in recent demos for PhysX which include UT3, Warmonger, Ghost Recon, that having a dedicated PhysX card averaged about a 25-30% performance improvement over having one card do both rendering and PhysX. Different games will vary, but that is the average as I experienced it.

Hope this helped.

 

[MTDEW]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: MTDEW
So, should i bother holding onto an 8800GT for Physx?
Or is it just not gonna be supported enough to worry about any time soon?

January '09 will be the first full fledged PhysX Title called Mirrors Edge. It's likely that more games will start to flow into the market soon afterward. So, keeping your 8800GTS512 purely for PhysX crunching is entirely up to you. Is Mirrors Edge a game you would play? Do you like Football games? Backbreaker is due out soon. Another PhysX title.

It's hard to say. If it's no skin off your back to hold onto the 8800, then why not? If you need to sell the card, then the GTX280 could handle the PhysX on it's own too. I have found, in recent demos for PhysX which include UT3, Warmonger, Ghost Recon, that having a dedicated PhysX card averaged about a 25-30% performance improvement over having one card do both rendering and PhysX. Different games will vary, but that is the average as I experienced it.

Hope this helped.

LOL
I sold my two 8800GTS 512mb cards to buy a GTX280 on these very forums.

I still have a 512mb 8800GT left.
So i guess i'll hang onto that in case i need it.

THNX for the info.

 

[Keysplayr]

NP. :thumbsup:

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
So, should i bother holding onto an 8800GT for Physx?
Or is it just not gonna be supported enough to worry about any time soon?

why don't you try running the physX demos and most demanding maps in UT3 = both with and without your 8800GT

i am looking forward to doing the same thing with my GTX280 and my 8800GTX

 

[MTDEW]

Good idea apoppin
i'll give those demos a shot once im setup.