Ageia PhysX Physics Card

MiDri

I want to hear what you guys think about this card, and the technoligy/theory behind it.

I personaly do not like the idea and the way Ageia has released their SDK to developers concerns me, all games currently using the PPU's API require the PPU to be installed to use the higher phsyics setings... I would like to see how a duel core processor handles the setings as aposed to a slow PCI card.

MiDri

So... I just got done playing around in Cell Factor (The demo that Ageia released to show off what the PPU can do) and I am not impressed -- I avraged about 10fps in game on my crapy Radeon 9800 Athlon XP 3200 machine. Odly enough, when the FPS seemed to slow down ATI tray tools was reporting 10 fps still (So I think the engine might actully just slow down when the phsyics are being done)

Needless to say I think the whole PPU thing is a sham, a well orcistrated sham.

Any one that wants to play cell factor with out a Ageia PPU can download it at any of the gaming file websites, it is the Cell Factor Tech Demo. Add EnablePhysX=false to the end of the shortcut to enable playing with out PPU.

row

i just read maximum pc's review of the card today, and it's pretty much as you claim MiDri. although i can't quote the article (it's at home, i'm at work ) the reviewer noted what physically occured to the enviornment during three seperate scenario's in the course of "intense" game play, comparing the physics with the ageia physx card installed and uninstalled......i believe the rating given by the magazine was a "6" .

most game dev's aren't willing to to write code for hardware that no one has (yet)....and maybe worse, with the advent of pci-e many mb's are now down to one pci slot......so we can choose between our new audigy xfi card or a physics card that doesn't quite measure up yet

MiDri

Wait untill sound cards go PCI-E will be interesting to see how big they make those cards when most of the time they only have access to a PCI-E X1... thats not much to support those cards weight lol.

electrickrypt

note: CRAPY 9800
Probably the reason you got 10fps?

This card isnt made to be installed on low-end machines. If you have a powerful PC that runs all games like water.... why not get the physX chip to improve physX hence thats the only thing you have left to upgrade. You cant install the chip on a low end machine and expect it to improve your fps OR physx. Itl just add more debri while your card STILL cant handle that, decreasing your frame rate.

It has potential, but it is just way too early. Ageia seems to be in a rush to make money... not good. Though, eventually, we will all need one of these just like the dedicated sound and video cards. It WILL evolve.

Dedicated sound, video, && physics... sounds like another dimension in gaming, like a 3rd dimension. ... . Go to the 4th dimension and you're in virtual reality. (some random theories) But I also cant help to think of how fast the processors are improving.

The_Neon_Cowboy

Ageia PhysX a year ago- great idea at the advertised price since then it doubled (200%)
and a year later both ati and nvidia have more cost effective soultions more BANG
for your buck...

We've alredy had threads argueing this how many must we have?