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254 Comments
- cgjamj, on 02/15/2008, -1/+146This is pretty cool. I'm all for added features via software updates free of charge. I would have expected them to release updated versions of the 8800 series cards that feature this, so hats off to them for taking this route. Although, I'm not sure how much it would help with current games. I read a pretty good review of the Ageia phyisx card a while back and it showed that the benefits did not justify the $200 cost of the card - even with a game that was described as being enhanced for Ageia PhysX support. But if it's free, no loss. Hopefully developer support will increase once nVidia makes this happen.
- usacomp2k3, on 02/15/2008, -4/+108Well that'll definitely help it be enjoyed by the masses.
- DFENS, on 02/15/2008, -0/+91I'm just happy that PhysX might finally get the developer support it's sorely needed since it's inception.
- digiwand, on 02/15/2008, -1/+90It's causing all kinds of Havoc! ;)
- ScornForSega, on 02/15/2008, -2/+70I wonder what the performance hit is going to look like when PhysX is enabled.
- doubleshot, on 02/15/2008, -0/+64Looks like Nvidia might be reaping returns on this acquisition sooner than I thought.
- colonelpanic, on 02/15/2008, -1/+55thank you for not dicking me over, Nvidia.
- pastaq, on 02/15/2008, -0/+48FTA:
"Huang revealed that Nvidia's strategy is to take the PhysX engine and port it onto CUDA. For those not in the know, CUDA stands for Compute Unified Device Architecture, and it's a C-like application programming interface Nvidia developed to let programmers write general-purpose applications that can run on GPUs. All of Nvidia's existing GeForce 8 graphics processors already support CUDA, and Huang confirmed that the cards will be able to run PhysX."
Its just math. - ours, on 02/15/2008, -0/+39Aegia = stream processor
Geforce 8 = stream processor
Easy as changing their SDK to compile to something GeForce 8 understands and make the drivers to work with it. Voilà! - Deejster, on 02/15/2008, -0/+33Congratulations to nvidia for working to offer this to *existing* customers! They could easily have used it as a way to encourage people to upgrade their 88xx cards to a newer model - but instead have admirably chosen the long term benefit of customer satisfaction.
It's this approach that means I will choose nvidia next time, and keep recommending them to others. - childprey, on 02/15/2008, -2/+34What's AMD's options look like in response?
- GliTCH82, on 02/15/2008, -0/+29I'd rather see both of them still competing with each other, because if one of them is taken down the other will slack off for a few years and milk the market (translation: us).
- dotspot, on 02/15/2008, -0/+28Clients happiness just raised
- shredswithpiks, on 02/15/2008, -0/+27I'd rather not see nVidia taken down :(
they've been releasing very solid product and I'm very happy with them at the moment. - RadonPL, on 02/15/2008, -5/+28And people who use Linux!
- hadak, on 02/15/2008, -0/+22I'm SO glad I didn't buy a PhysX card like I was going to!
- themastersb, on 02/15/2008, -1/+22Sweet. My 8 series card just got better.
- combatchuck, on 02/15/2008, -0/+20I honestly think AMD bought ATI to compete with Intel in the embedded arena. I'm not too sure they even care about this.
- iofthestorm, on 02/15/2008, -5/+24Too bad Intel bought Havok, but maybe this will lead to some sort of Intel-AMD unholy alliance to take down nVigia.
- Quadrille, on 02/15/2008, -0/+18Well, free stuff. I'm not complaining.
- harajukukei, on 02/15/2008, -2/+19you dont need accelerated physics to play minesweeper.
- webcrumb, on 02/15/2008, -0/+16And you just can't hide it?
- Rodex123, on 02/15/2008, -0/+16This has made my 8800 GTS one of the best purchases I've ever made, couldn't be any happier right now.
- wafflez, on 02/16/2008, -0/+15that's a step down for some games =(
- kronix2, on 02/16/2008, -2/+16"8 series card"? Sounds like somebody doesn't want to admit they have an 8300 GS...
- logicalnoise, on 02/15/2008, -2/+16I only have a 8600 but hell yeah that's pretty cool.
- LordVance, on 02/15/2008, -0/+12I'm with Glitch on this one, it sucks enough that we only have 2 major graphics card producers competing, and 2 major cpu producers. Knock out any one of the four and it sucks balls for the consumer :(
- chris9902, on 02/15/2008, -0/+12Unreal 3 supports it. Loads of games will use or are using that engine.
I don't understand why you're being so negative. It's a good thing to have better physics support. Nobody wants another PCI card so having it on the GPU sounds like a great solution. - inactive, on 02/15/2008, -6/+18Why do you need PhysX on a Mac, when there aren't even any games for you to play?
- norman619, on 02/15/2008, -3/+15I thought the ATI drivers said that pretty well on their own...
- SirZRX, on 02/15/2008, -3/+15who cares about mac users?
- Scynet, on 02/15/2008, -0/+12Umm, physics?
- kent1146, on 02/15/2008, -0/+11Well, part of the reason that PhysX is so sparsely supported is because nobody had the hardware (the PhysX card), so developers didn't bother developing against it. Now that nvidia is taking over the PhysX technology, I'm sure that will change.
And besides... it's a FREE upgrade. FREE features. And still you bitch sarcastically? - AzraeI, on 02/15/2008, -2/+13GPUs are better at physics calculations than CPUs
- TheSnuffster, on 02/15/2008, -1/+11Dugg up for being the first person i've seen on teh interwebz to write voila correctly (and not say wah-la.)
- i4mt3hwin, on 02/15/2008, -1/+11To answer some questions, dedicated PhysX hardware will always be faster than doing it on the GPU. Also, CUDA works by stealing some of the shaders from graphics processing, if the program is written for CUDA, you can expect a drop in graphics processing power in return for a boost in physics power. In most games, it's graphics that's the bottleneck, not physics, so doing this will lower your framerate by quite a bit.
That being said, I'm sure nvidia will improve upon the technology for their next series, maybe even creating a dedicated processor on the GPU PCB specifically for physics. - davidrools, on 02/15/2008, -0/+10a) license physX technology from nVidia
b) develop their own physics engine that is compatible without infringing on any IP
c) ignore physics processing and have their marketing tell people they don't need it
I'm guessing they'll do (c), but it'll be funny if they eventually do offer physics acceleration after saying it was unnecessary! - CrackyJSquirrel, on 02/15/2008, -2/+12I have always been an nVidia fan. To me they have always seemed more customer friendly and willing to appease their fans. EVGA, is my favorite manufacturer of nVidia products, best upgrade/return policies out there.
- dshPls, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9Same here, but my 8600 dies on Crysis already, I doubt this will make anything look cooler...
- Dylson, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9I see what you did there.
- MasterRex, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9How soon you (norman619) forget that the ATi 9xxx series that pretty much kicked off the age of modern PC gaming with much more impressive drivers and benchmarks than anything nVidia could throw its way (at the time).
- Vindicoth, on 02/15/2008, -0/+8
* Bet On Soldier: Blackout Saigon
* Bet On Soldier: Blood Of Sahara
* CellFactor
* City Of Villains
* Fallen Earth (due for release 2008)
* Infernal
* Medal of Honor: Airborne
* Rail Simulator
* Silverfall
* Shadowgrounds Survivor
* Stoked Rider: Alaska Alien
* Switchball
* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
* Two Worlds
* Unreal Tournament 3
* Warmonger Operation: Downtown Destruction
2 games.. yeah.
The Unreal 3 Engine uses it so look forward to any game using the Unreal 3 Engine to take advantage of PhysX in some way. You don't have to have hardware support to take advantage of PhysX, but you do have to have hardware if you plan on viewing massive amounts of objects interacting, which is what the future holds. - Scynet, on 02/15/2008, -0/+8Or you could just use a single high-end graphics card like 99,7 % of players. Sure, the PC field offers the chance to buy a "bad-ass" rig for insane amount of cash unlike consoles, but it doesn't mean you have to, just like you don't have to own a Lamborghini to drive.
If you can't help but feel inferior for not owning the best system out there, it's a problem with your mind, not the PC. - nonymous666, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7Graphics. Do you think it can put out the same FPS if it has to now do physics, too?
- stargatesteve, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7WTF do you think better physics are for? more realistically bouncing icons on the OSX doc?
- whyufail, on 02/15/2008, -2/+9This is better news than DX10 support, more useful as well sadly.
- Tapewormz, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7All of their 8 series GPU are supported. If you can download the nvidia driver from their site, I'm sure it your card will benefit. From what that article says, it looks like you fall under the umbrella of the 8 series.
- stargatesteve, on 02/15/2008, -2/+9FYI, your CPU can't do more than one thing at a time, but you can mutitask. how does that work? google it.
- KMartSheriff, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7Seriously. Nvidia = +10 points into awesomeness.
- inactive, on 02/16/2008, -0/+7Dream on. OSX can't even do crossfire or SLI.
Apple has a habbit of pissing off developers so developers don't even bother. -
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