Physics

[Videoslave]

Alright well I was just thinking about it and I was wondering.
ATI and nvidia are pushing graphics cards to do physics it sounds sweet right now but will we actually need to have a physics calucating card in the far futuer and or graphics cards will just own these ppu?
I think that there will be a point were graphics and physics will be soo deamding that the gpu will not be able to pump out the physics in games so you'll need to have anthor card.
Or mabey with speailised drivers the GPU will be able to blance them out this will put Agiea's pockets cleaned out if ATI and nvidia could proudce better phyics.


What do you guys say?

[marvinmatthew]

At the moment, the processor handles a games phyics, not the GPU.

I'm guessing that in the next few years that we will have processors powerfull enough to remove the need for an independent PPU.

[Anlushac11]

I think Physics cardds are best for performance in current and probably next gen machine. After that anyone's guess.

At this point in time I support PPU's because it is getting the game developers to add physics which will add another level of realism and immersion.

ATI and Nvidia's Physics approach gets results that look good but have no bearing on your character. They dont do collision detection. If your character causes a bunch of rocks to fall on oyu you see and hear the effects but your chracter feels nothing.

But the PPU cards also support collisions so with a PPU the rocks could harm or kill your character.

It will take a year or two to catch on but I foresee lots of good things in the long run.

Microsoft has said they intend to do a Physics Processing Unit SDK for DX10 but it wont be out til after Vista, probably around DX 10.2

BTW since its a related topic thought you might find this amusing

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35068

Nvidia spices up demos with Ageia Physx

Digital Life 2006 It seems

By Burt Carver: Friday 13 October 2006, 12:18

AT THE NVIDIA booth here in New York, they are showing off several technologies, but the newest introduction is the 7950Go.

Using the same core as the desktop chip, the laptop part, which was in a Dell XPS system, runs games extremely well.

The representative at the kiosk was unable to say whether it was at the same clock as the desktop part.

When asked whether they were showing any physics acceleration demos, the Nvidians indicated that they were not doing any physics at this show.

I was able to grab a shot of a computer humming away on their booth, however, and I may have found the 'sekret sauce' behind their physics acceleration.

Nvidia physics brought to you by Ageia?!

[FN_lewrbm69]

well the PPU that is out on the market works but games are not at the point of drtail yet, even with a GPU u dont need to buy a PPU you can buy 2 GPUs and set one up to do PPU work ATI has set that up so now if u have the cash u can use a a 1 and 1 set up with 2 PCIe ware 1 is video and 1 is PPU insted of a Crossfire making 1 GPU, and thay have worked it out so u can do with 3 ATi pcie cards a Crossfire with 2 and the 3rd one u cans set as a PPU

[Anlushac11]

Originally Posted by FN_lewrbm69

well the PPU that is out on the market works but games are not at the point of drtail yet, even with a GPU u dont need to buy a PPU you can buy 2 GPUs and set one up to do PPU work ATI has set that up so now if u have the cash u can use a a 1 and 1 set up with 2 PCIe ware 1 is video and 1 is PPU insted of a Crossfire making 1 GPU, and thay have worked it out so u can do with 3 ATi pcie cards a Crossfire with 2 and the 3rd one u cans set as a PPU

The ATI and Nvidia setups that were demoed earier this year didnt model collision detection. They look good but had no substance.

I think we will have to wait for a game such at Unreal Tournament 2007, which is designed from the start with the PPU in mind, to debut so we can see what the diffference really is.

[Flakpanzer]

Originally Posted by marvinmatthew

At the moment, the processor handles a games phyics, not the GPU.

I'm guessing that in the next few years that we will have processors powerfull enough to remove the need for an independent PPU.

If I recall correctly, GPU's do to an extent as well. Its not near as much as the CPU, but they do aid in the physics processing (which is why physics intensive, graphically lacking games tend to run like crap even on mid-high range CPU's)

If not then I misread something. I do know that either way, the technology is definitely a big thing right now, the concept of including physics processing power into GPU's.