So, with all the talk of PPU's, and GPU's trying to be PPU's...

[TheRyuu]

I got a question, if a person has a dual core processor (like an Opty or X2), can't the second core handle all of the physics calculations instead of having to push it to the GPU or even an independent PPU?
(I mean wouldn't a 2.8ghz Opty do better than the PPU that Aegia is making?)

OR, are the physics calculations just SO complex that it NEEDS its own dedicated processor (PPU) with some special pipeline of calculating to to the calculations?

You would think that some games would actually want to start taking advantage of dual core processors (which SOME do), and offloading physics to the second core would be a good way to do it, right? (not that I'm saying they don't do it, just that theres like only 3 games that use SMP).

Now, I know I'm going to get some response saying "but the mainstream segment has no dual core chips" or "the average person dons't have a dual core processor", well fvck the average person.
I want the maximum potential of my PC to be released, and if game developers dont start programming for the 1% of the market that has a dual core processor...

/rant

 

[BassBomb]

thats exactrly what i was thinkin my friend

throw aan A64 letsay 3000+? with some GDDR3 and wouldnt it rock

 

[Chocolate Pi]

A PPU should be at least 30 times faster, by AGEIA's more realistic figures.

This is like saying we shouldn't need a dedicated GPU when we have second CPU cores. Quality > Quantity.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Chocolate Pi
A PPU should be at least 30 times faster, by AGEIA's more realistic figures.

This is like saying we shouldn't need a dedicated GPU when we have second CPU cores. Quality > Quantity.

Exactly

 

[SniperGuy]

A PPU is built for that specfic purpose, that of taking strain off of your video card. Your video card is there to process video. Your processor is there to run other things.

 

[Kakumba]

hmmm, while a designated PPU would undoubtedly offer increased performance due to its being optimized for in-game physics calculations, I feel that programmers should allow for the 2nd core to either be utilized the same as the first, or allow it to perform physics calculations as a PPU. I simply dont want to spend that much cash on a new card every 2 years, to go with my new graphics card, and then a new CPU every 3 years or so. thats just too much money damnit. Also, they need to work on implementation. If I buy an SLI setup, and I want a PPU, I want the choice of using one of my GPUs as a PPU (as seems to be suggested), run it in "normal" SLI, or buy an ADDITIONAL discrete PPU.

/rant.

 

[BassBomb]

well why cant they just use cpu processors, on a card.. with dedicated memory, reprogrammed to become ppu's?

 

[biostud]

Basically the "true" multicore game engines just hasn't reached market yet. Once they do both core should have something to do, and will probably increase the amount of physics compaired to a single core, but the PhysX will be able to deliver 30 times more than the 2nd core.

 

[framerateuk]

I dont see the problem people have with these PPU's. Im quite excited to see what they can produce, and how theyll step up the realism in games.

I agree that dual cores arent being used by games very well yet, but the PPU will be able to delivery so much more than the CPU. Like other people have pointed out, no-one complains that their dual core isnt doing the graphics work it should, everyone expects to have a seperate GPU for that, so why not the same for physics. If anything, for full realism (which we're nowhere near yet) a PPU would need to be immensly powerful, and the GPU equally powerfull to display what the PPU is doing.

 

[framerateuk]

Originally posted by: SniperGuy
A PPU is built for that specfic purpose, that of taking strain off of your video card. Your video card is there to process video. Your processor is there to run other things.

That not entirely true. The strain is being taken off the CPU as its the cpu which currently does the physics calculations in games. If anything, your graphics card will be under more strain trying to keep up with all the extra information that the PPU is generating. Do you really expect a graphics card to render a game with 10 barrels that cant more at the same speed of 100 barrels that have just been hit by a grenade and are all flying off in the appropriate direction?

PPU's will be great, if you graphics card can keep up!