Physics Processing Units Arriving

[washuplushie]

neat idea but fuck now we have ANOTHER piece of computer parts to spend over $300 on. this is why consoles are so popular.

[FightingChance]

Here's an interesting idea; let the video card do the physics. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia...21130932.html



I think I like this solution more.

[feiyang]

No need to bash that PPU card. It's a luxury to have. If u got the money to toss around, go ahead, support the company.

But the rest of us would rather spend that money on extra CPUs for both applications and games.This is a better deal if u ask me.

[hahnchen]

You'd be a fool not to get one?! Wow have they got you sold tonjohn.



I'm not a big fan of Unreal. The only game I see on the list that I would definitely get is KARMA, because the Quantic Dream guys absolutely kick ass.



The PhysX card does not support Havoc physics. Unless the Source, Doom/Megatexture, cryengine etc decide to use Novodex then I'm not getting one. Maybe when Duke Nukem Forever comes out eh? I mean, CSNation's awesome intelliText advertising tells me they have Duke Nukem Forever IN STOCK!! Go asinine false advertising.

[tonjohn]

thepingofdeath wrote..

The whole concept is stupid, IMO. In an age where dual-core is becoming the norm, game developers that support this tech would do well to also allow you to put the processes that would end up on the PPU on a separate core, since 99% of all PC games are still single-threaded.

The thing is that a single PPU can do substantially more physics calculations than any CPU coming out in the next year or two.

FightingChance wrote..

Here's an interesting idea; let the video card do the physics. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia...21130932.html



I think I like this solution more.

Havok FX and nVidia's "approach is smoke and mirrors: pretty, shiny, and ineffectual. The kind of thing you want to do in demos, but not in games. Ageia claims to do it 'right' out of the box, and I think this will pay off in a much greater way for the average gamer."

Read: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30434

feiyang wrote..

But the rest of us would rather spend that money on extra CPUs for both applications and games.This is a better deal if u ask me.

Dual-core CPUs are quickly becoming mainstream and therefore are no longer luxury items.

Since the quality of onboard sound is perfect for a majority of people, what you would have spent on a sound card, you should spend on a PhysX card.

hahnchen wrote..

You'd be a fool not to get one?! Wow have they got you sold tonjohn.

I bet thats what people said to the first supporters of the first 3D video card and then look at how things turned out.

The PhysX card does not support Havoc physics. Unless the Source, Doom/Megatexture, cryengine etc decide to use Novodex then I'm not getting one.

The cryengine2 uses the novadex engine. So if you want to get maximum enjoyment from Crysis, I suggest you pick up a PPU.

[hahnchen]

I bet thats what people said to the first supporters of the first 3D video card and then look at how things turned out.

It's also what people said to the Betamax guys.

[farmer brown]

There better be a huuuuuuuuuuuuge difference in games for this to be worth $300.

[tspoon1066]

The argument for putting physics on a separate CPU core is just daft. A specially designed PPU will be able to handle much more in the way of realistic physics. Case in point: CPUs vs GPUs, You see GPUs with clock rates of 300mhz pushing out polygons that a 3ghz cpu would never be able to dream of because it is designed specifically for the task. Once PPUs are more commonplace, you should see the price going down to that of cheap graphics cards (I would assume, the tech can't be that sophisticated).

[Zips]

tspoon1066 wrote..

The argument for putting physics on a separate CPU core is just daft. A specially designed PPU will be able to handle much more in the way of realistic physics. Case in point: CPUs vs GPUs, You see GPUs with clock rates of 300mhz pushing out polygons that a 3ghz cpu would never be able to dream of because it is designed specifically for the task. Once PPUs are more commonplace, you should see the price going down to that of cheap graphics cards (I would assume, the tech can't be that sophisticated).

They are saying that PPU cards won't require many upgrades (in terms of having to buy a new card every 6 months or whatever). Instead, it can be kept up to date with mere firmware updates, sort of like how a sound card can last for years now, so will PPU cards. Good stuff there.



And guys, for those of you with about $10,000 to burn, you can always just buy a Dell.

[Sava]

Sounds like this is the next step of development in PC gaming technology.



I'm not about to rush to the store to buy one today... but maybe after at least one game I play supports this hardware. I'd also have to think about whether or not it would be worth it or not. I've been wanting fully (or partially) interactive (destructable) environments for a long time. It seems this technology is going to be somewhat of a revolution, similar to what 3D video cards did for gaming.



I'm relishing the thought... and the possibilities of where this could lead.



And consoles? Why is anyone talking about consoles? HAHAHA! Why drive a Geo Metro when you can drive a Ferrari? Pffffft.

[FightingChance]

Sava wrote..

...



And consoles? Why is anyone talking about consoles? HAHAHA! Why drive a Geo Metro when you can drive a Ferrari? Pffffft.

Can you afford a Ferrari? Can we all afford a Ferrari?

[3unknown3]

I don't see this being sucessful in the marketplace. If you think about it, almost all computer parts like video cards and sound cards have other uses besides games. What are you going to do with a physics card besides playing a game? And let's say a physics card did become commonplace, many companies are going to start making them, but there will be no standard, resulting in a big heaping pile of incompatibilities; you'd need a standard api like opengl or directx, but Microsoft DOES support this company, so we might see something like this incorporated in directX.

[Vlux]

Neat, I love interactivity. Replay values in a game is a must in my book.

[:.:.:]

Zips wrote..

They are saying that PPU cards won't require many upgrades (in terms of having to buy a new card every 6 months or whatever). Instead, it can be kept up to date with mere firmware updates, sort of like how a sound card can last for years now, so will PPU cards. Good stuff there.

Yeah but that's not a guarantee especially if some form of competition comes along and tries to compete with AGEIA don't you think? Maybe with time it'll eventually end up being just like the graphics card market with different levels of physics cards at different prices. Who knows? Only RZE does :|

[Splatula]

Onboard sound is like eating a steaming bowl of cat turds.



It still uses CPU cycles and it is still subject to noise from the other components on your motherboard. An add-on card will cost you under $80, will sound better and add 10-30fps to your games (because your CPU doesn't have to do the thinking for it)



That said...

Not everyone uses or needs a GeForce or Radeon card. (or a great sound card either) What a person uses their system for, and what they can afford drives their buying.



Gamers buy great hardware because they need it. Ma and Pa kettle buy crapass hardware because they can't afford or recognize the good stuff when they see it.



Games drive the market for hardware period. Sound, Video, motherboards and CPUs are all marketed towards multiple segments.



You have the budget segment:

Onboard sound and video, semprons and celerons with onboard sound. Sub $600 machine stuff.



The midrange or semi enthusiast:

Half decent add-on sound, midrange video cards, Athlon 64/Pentium 4s and low-end dualies.



Hi-end and enthusiast:

Dual core-CPUs, decent video cards, add-in sound like the X-Fi.



Everyone wants the hi-end stuff, but usually settle for the next best thing. Check out the Valve hardware survey results. People are still driving junkboxes that they paid top dollar for a few years back.

While Ageia still has many hurdles to jump before they trickle down past the hi-end, by the time you see them in the midrange the bugs will be worked out and they will actually be worth buying.



This is the 3DFX/Diamond Monster 3D all over again. When that first 3dfx card came out, it was expensive, but it changed 3D acceleration forever. Games actually looked pretty. We still have dumbasses who don't think games should be pretty, but anything to increase the immersive experience is worth it in the long run.