Dedicated PhysX Cards

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I know we have a general discussion about graphics cards but I though a separate one about Dedicated PhysX cards maybe useful.
Adding a dedicated PhysX card is probably something I wouldn't go out of my way to do but since I have a spare 9600gt sitting on my desk doing nothing I decided to install it.

I'm still messing around with this thing trying to see if there's any noticeable performance gains. Just downloaded PhysX drivers from Nvidia then and I'll run 3D mark at some point.

Also just saw this card from nvidia www.evga.com/ which is a combination card that uses a GTX 275 for graphics and a GTS250 dedicated for PhysX.

03/11/2009

Melbourne The land of moist beginnings

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Skarteh

Ren-dog said: Did you enable physx in the nvidia control panel?
[I'm currently writing a guide on how to do this]

Yeah dude, I'm telling you the PhysX isn't the problem, it's that the drivers disable the ATi drivers for some ****in reason.

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

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Ren-dog

They should only disable the nvidia drivers not ati 0.o

You got some weird **** happening there man. @_@

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

Yeah it's like as soon as windows recognizes it bam, Windows basic and no GPU stuff. Not even the full driver install. It shouldn't be happening, 2 sep cards should work fine. Only way to get it back is uninstall drivers and disable it in Device Manager and reboot.

So yeak, maybe the slot next to my 5870 is made for CF/SLI only any the far one for sep cards or some whack crap like that.

Really pissed off because this working was the only reason I got the 5870.

07/06/2010

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Ren-dog

Well i have the guide up on my site/blog. i will get it up here latter.
ren-dog.webs.com/...

Thats quite strange skarteh, I cant think of anything to fix it :S

E~ i just went and bought that issue of PCPP (179) to read the physx article so i can see if they are doing it wrong :p

Reading now...

EE~ it seams to be ok... i will check their forums for that pack and see if it has the right gear.

BTW updated the guide on my blog.

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

Yeah it works dude, I used their files and got the virtual monitor and such going, and managed to get PhysX to appear in the NVIDIA CP but it wouldn't work properly because it killed my main card :P

Can't even start FluidMark when it does that, it requires OpenGL and because it nerfs my 5870 so much it doesn't have that or shader or anything required to run.

Basically it makes my card work like when you've fresh installed windows and have no GPU drivers, you can see the screen and all that but none of the cards features and functions are working yet. Thats what I get. So PhysX may be working but without my main card I can't test it :P

And this happens as SOON as the GTS250 is recognized by Windows so its pretty fail. It could be a setting in BIOS really, I should have a look in there. If not that then maybe a different slot. But I have a feeling changing my XFi slot will mean reinstalling sound drivers and I so cbf with that :P

So my endeavors will have to be postponed until I rob Chaz's computer [Shifty] or Micahs, he has the same single slotter. Its not like getting a 1GB XFX 4870 in place of a 512mb 8800GT is a bad deal considering the 4870 is 2 years younger than both :P so if Chaz doesn't want it for some reason, Micah sure will

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

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Ren-dog

Try reinstalling the ATi drivers? 10.5 are out ^_^

E~ not gonna dl the pcpp pack its 142mb :S

Best just to do it yourself so you get right drivers etc.

E~ thanks skarteh for putting me onto this.

Nvidia's latest beta drivers do not include the physx block!

Nvidia's Tom Petersen said: "A lot of you have been asking about PhysX and the 257.15 beta driver we posted on Monday. First off it is true that PhysX is enabled when running on NVIDIA GPUs when AMD GPUs are used in the same system. PhysX is a compelling technology that makes PC games great – I am not surprised our fans are eager for it. When using this beta driver no additional hacks are required to enable PhysX. While it was not intentional, due to the overwhelming positive response to the beta driver we have decided to leave the beta up with support enabled.

The fact remains that the investment to do a full QA cycle on this AMD/NVIDIA hybrid GPU configuration is beyond what NVIDIA can support at this time. The cost of maintaining AMD/NVIDIA hybrid configurations is larger than the development expense for PhysX, and I do expect that there are games and configurations where this type of system just won’t work. Therefore our WHQL certified drivers will continue to have this support disabled."

W7 64bit: www.nvidia.com/...
W7 32bit: www.nvidia.com/...

07/06/2010

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Doyl

oh balls, so only the beta drivers will have the block disabled.
They could just leave it off and have everyone that wants this amd/nvidia hybrid to fend for themselves.
It's not like they will have to do anything extra for it seeing as people are already doing the hack to get them to work anyway :/

07/06/2010

Perth - pew pew

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Skarteh

Yeah I have the 64-bit on my computer so I'll host them on my webspace if need be.

And yeah I've reinstalled both ATi and NVIDIA drivers probably over 10 times each.

**** it I'm gonna move my sound card, if it still doesn't work I'll probably get my money back if I can. If it does work, I'll go buy a single slot GPU.

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

Kudos: 28,110

Ren-dog

Or we could just be happy with the brand new beta drivers for now, and hope they continue to leave the block out of future beta drivers. =D

Skarteh said: **** it I'm gonna move my sound card, if it still doesn't work I'll probably get my money back if I can. If it does work, I'll go buy a single slot GPU.

Good luck Skarteh!

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

Ah... I just swapped slots but this time I actually read them. Turns out slot 2 is not next to slot 3. Mine is like this:

PCI-E1
PCI-1
PCI-E3
PCI-2
PCI-E2
PCI-3

[Facepalm]
I swear DFI make slots in the wrong place just to **** with me. The RAM was the opposite to what every mother board I've ever used has been and they've split the goddam PCI-E slots. Can you even buy a bridge that long? I know why they would have done it, they're nuts about cooling so it would be so the cards aren't jammed together unless you have 3 of them and therefore give you better cooling. But seriously. My balls!

Anyway I forgot to plug the 6-Pin in so its not working and I have to shut it all down AGAIN but yeah, pretty confident it will work this time.

Or me = [Rage]

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

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Ren-dog

Poor skarteh... needs a hug :p

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

That is a no go yet again [Rage]

Only tried the BETA drivers so uninstalled them, reinstalled CCC now, will try the PCPP pack this time around. If that doesn't work **** NVIDIA and **** PhysX!

EDIT: ****s sake, exactly the same thing.

Its that part in the driver installation when your screen flicks off and back on, when it comes back on Aero is disabled and basically so is my whole ATi card. I got PhysX and all the dual monitor crap working, enabled PhysX then reinstalled my ATi drivers to get that working again. Now the 5870 is working the 250 is set to PhysX but when I run FluidMark its "Software PhysX"

And I bet you if I reboot, my ATi card will yet again get disabled.

There just seems to be no way for this to work on my motherboard...

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

Kudos: 96,310

Skarteh

Ok this is just plain not going to work. Even with PhysX enabled, no program can use it. Refuses to use the second card!

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

Kudos: 28,110

Ren-dog

i think you need to quit while your ahead, sell the 5870 and gt250 then buy a 480 if you want it that bad :S

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

You are pretty much spot on to where I am right now. I am considering taking both back (if MSY will let me) and swapping them for a 480. I will then borrow Chaz's 9800GT just to see if it works at all even with an NVIDIA card, and if it does I'll go back and buy a 9800GT. Big ask though.

07/06/2010

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Kudos: 28,110

Ren-dog

Worth a try. if you didnt mutilate that 250 to much :S

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

Nah its in perfect condition as is all the packaging for both.

EDIT: Sent an email to MSY asking about the trade. To be honest if they don't do it, I'll probably never go back there. I've spent thousands there and I'm only exchanging it for a card worth more than both being returned put together. So they'll still be making a profit.

EDIT: Hey maybe its the 10.5 drivers:

His Aero is also turned off. He doesn't have the PhysX bit in the 257.11 drivers either so it must be different. I'll try that again and see if I can do the same.

EDIT: -_-
I can get it working the same as him. But thats NO Aero and I can't even watch AVI files..

07/06/2010

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Kudos: 28,110

Ren-dog

Well unless it is the ATi drivers, i dun have a clue :/

Cause ive had it working before...

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

10.4 works 10.5 doesn't. All this time its been because I've only used the latest ATi drivers.

07/06/2010

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Kudos: 96,310

Skarteh

Got an average of 58fps using same settings as Guyver except 1920x1200 so its pretty close to the performance he is getting now thank ****.

This was an absolute fail-cannon. I'm still gonna get a GTX480 if MSY will accept my return.

EDIT: Whups double post fail.

07/06/2010

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Ren-dog

Oh well. thanks for the info Skarteh you have helped lots of people :)

07/06/2010

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Skarteh

Yes, my advice: get a GTX480 ;)

07/06/2010

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Guyver

Skarteh said: Yes, my advice: get a GTX480

Told ya! :p

07/06/2010

Melbourne The land of moist beginnings

Kudos: 96,310

Skarteh

Guyver said:
Skarteh said: Yes, my advice: get a GTX480

Told ya!

My foot has a date with your nuts [Shifty]

07/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

Kudos: 96,310

Skarteh

OMFG I hate PhysX! Look at the ****ing difference I got with a GT240 compared to the GTS250:
I got this:
FPS: min=36 max=544 avg=135 <-GT240
FPS: min=126 max=550 avg=171 <-GTS250

I actually PAID to downgrade to that card! Jesus christ I'm so pissed off about this! First MSY try and charge me $89 to return the 5870 so I say no, then they want to charge me $10 for that pile of crap GTS250 and I go along with it because its literally useless to me with that fan noise it makes, and that means I'm actually paying another $13 extra for a slower card after the refund! So I've paid $13 for a card that gets 90 minimum FPS lower than the old one.

Seriously. Wish I never bought this thing. I've a good mind to take this one back, pay the $10 and never go to MSY again.

09/06/2010

Melbourne, Victoria | Walk with me in hell

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