Ageia PhysX review (Videos added)

[dfloyd]

Originally posted by: McArra
I like it a lot. But I think this is not the Ageia time, I believe the Ageia time is to come when new gen video cards arrive. Cell Factor demo was so impresive, but my 7900GT (520/1500) couldn't play it maxed out, it would run at 3fps, there are so many objects. Anyway fluids, cloths and explossions where superb. Today I'll try to upload a video for the review for everybody to see it in real action

So whats the point of Ageia? I thought it was a Physics Accelerator, if it does not accelerate enough for even the very first games being released for it, then whats the point of having one?

Not a mean reply friend, I just dont get it. It was my understanding that it was the Physics Accelerator that would offload the physics calculations so the video card would not have to do them. The way your conclusions sounds, it doesnt sound like the Physics Accelerator is doing anything. Why? Because you turn on Physics and get more particles, but nothing is offloaded.

Your own conclusion would seem to report this. Graw does not need a more powerful video card than as many that are out run it fine without extra physics turned on. But if you turn them on then framerate drops. The only conclusion imo is that if the Ageia card is doing anything its certainly not doing enough. Call it a S3 Virge in the days of the X1900XTX's. Needs more beef to be at all viable as it cant even make the very first games out for it playable, thats like creating a racecar that goes a hundred miles per hour when the track it has to race on requires two hundred.

 

[T2k]

It's been concluded zillion times that GRAW is a very bad example for AGEIA... I expect CellFactor to be another quick-patch solutions - as {H} wrote in their editorial, AGEIA needs a killer app... and that's it, gamers would buy it immediately. However it's not the question of 'acceleration' or anything similar - power should be there, I think, the probelm is that everybody wants to accelerate effects only which is just ridiculous.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: dfloyd

Originally posted by: McArra
I like it a lot. But I think this is not the Ageia time, I believe the Ageia time is to come when new gen video cards arrive. Cell Factor demo was so impresive, but my 7900GT (520/1500) couldn't play it maxed out, it would run at 3fps, there are so many objects. Anyway fluids, cloths and explossions where superb. Today I'll try to upload a video for the review for everybody to see it in real action

So whats the point of Ageia? I thought it was a Physics Accelerator, if it does not accelerate enough for even the very first games being released for it, then whats the point of having one?

Not a mean reply friend, I just dont get it. It was my understanding that it was the Physics Accelerator that would offload the physics calculations so the video card would not have to do them. The way your conclusions sounds, it doesnt sound like the Physics Accelerator is doing anything. Why? Because you turn on Physics and get more particles, but nothing is offloaded.

Your own conclusion would seem to report this. Graw does not need a more powerful video card than as many that are out run it fine without extra physics turned on. But if you turn them on then framerate drops. The only conclusion imo is that if the Ageia card is doing anything its certainly not doing enough. Call it a S3 Virge in the days of the X1900XTX's. Needs more beef to be at all viable as it cant even make the very first games out for it playable, thats like creating a racecar that goes a hundred miles per hour when the track it has to race on requires two hundred.

It gives it better effects. The problem is that the particles it generates, and the fluids, and the cloths, must be rendered in the GPU, so it loads the GPU in that way. You see new particles, their way is calculated by the PPU, the interaction with the envinronment also, but then that particles must be draw. That's where the PPU takes stress. With the exact same amount of effects the GPU takes no extra load and the Ageia would perform better than the traditional CPU+GPU combo


EDIT: Sorry for my bad English, I'm tired now, I must sleep

 

[sbuckler]

So you think it's your physics card doing cell factor?

I don't have one but try setting "EnablePhysX=false" and then taking the card out. Run cell factor and see if you can see any difference

 

[dfloyd]

You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

 

[sbuckler]

You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

 

[T2k]

Originally posted by: dfloyd
You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

Not really true - newsflash: use "enablephysx=false" in the shortcut...

 

[T2k]

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

I have one too - that's why I canceled my GRAW preorder. I tried CF only once - after Nth times of reinstalling everything it finally started - and I don't think CF is the 'killer app' etiher AGEIA needs so badly.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

It soesn't work for me with enablephisX=false

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: dfloyd
You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

Its coming out for 360, itll make money.

 

[apoppin]

from what i can see, it is useful exciting new tech that is just not yet ready for PrimeTime.

Hopefully, within a couple of years it will be . . . about the time i do my Big upgrade.

Without a doubt, it needs a killer app to become mainstream . . . except for demos they take years to complete

edit: i really do appreciate you early adopters that support this - and report to us!
:thumbsup:

i think it will get better as mature drivers are written for it

 

[poohbear]

Ageia has got to do something about the price, it's just absurd. In canada, it costs almost the same as a 7900gt ($399cdn vs $415 for the 7900gt). the choice is so far beyond obvious that anyone who chooses it over a 7900gt needs to lay off the crack.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: poohbear
Ageia has got to do something about the price, it's just absurd. In canada, it costs almost the same as a 7900gt ($399cdn vs $415 for the 7900gt). the choice is so far beyond obvious that anyone who chooses it over a 7900gt needs to lay off the crack.

isn't it the same with all new technology?

and the people who buy it now have really nice systems
[i hope]

i sure know i wouldn't stick it in my aging system

 

[T2k]

Originally posted by: apoppin
from what i can see, it is useful exciting new tech that is just not yet ready for PrimeTime.

Hopefully, within a couple of years it will be . . . about the time i do my Big upgrade.

Without a doubt, it needs a killer app to become mainstream . . . except for demos they take years to complete

edit: i really do appreciate you early adopters that support this - and report to us!
:thumbsup:

i think it will get better as mature drivers are written for it

I really hope it won't take years but rather 1-2 months...

 

[T9D]

I used to be excited for this card. But not really anymore. I'll keep an eye on it though.

But they showed demos (videos) that were made months back comparing the physX card to what a CPU can do. And the CPU did run it but just really choppy. Well what if the demo or a game was totally optimized for that extra CPU core? Would be a lot better. And now with Core 2 Duo coming out which is even up to 40 percent faster I can see the second core being able to probably handle all the physics that the physX could do if it was optimized to do so. And even if it was a little behind still what about quad core? How about dedicating two cores just for the physics? I'd imagine two cores from these new processors having no problem doing anything that was done on those demos and games if it was written for the cores.

What we really need is more apples to apples way of comparing. Perhaps when we get microsofts new directphysics we'll see more of that and much more physics being written for CPU's. I just wouldn't rule out CPU's now with whats on the horizon.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: tk109
I used to be excited for this card. But not really anymore. I'll keep an eye on it though.

But they showed demos (videos) that were made months back comparing the physX card to what a CPU can do. And the CPU did run it but just really choppy. Well what if the demo or a game was totally optimized for that extra CPU core? Would be a lot better. And now with Core 2 Duo coming out which is even up to 40 percent faster I can see the second core being able to probably handle all the physics that the physX could do if it was optimized to do so. And even if it was a little behind still what about quad core? How about dedicating two cores just for the physics? I'd imagine two cores from these new processors having no problem doing anything that was done on those demos and games if it was written for the cores.

What we really need is more apples to apples way of comparing. Perhaps when we get microsofts new directphysics we'll see more of that and much more physics being written for CPU's. I just wouldn't rule out CPU's now with whats on the horizon.

I think you are completely ignoring the memory bandwidth issues.

 

[dfloyd]

Originally posted by: T2k

Originally posted by: dfloyd
You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

Not really true - newsflash: use "enablephysx=false" in the shortcut...

Ahh sorry for misinfo, was just posting what I had read and what was stated on the Ageia website. Might try it out now that I can actually try it

 

[StrangerGuy]

Originally posted by: dfloyd
You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

Greatest business decision ever for a game company. Way to go for targeting 0.001% of gamers out there! :disgust:

 

[stardrek]

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

It soesn't work for me with enablephisX=false

You spelled physx wrong...enablephysx=false

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy

Originally posted by: dfloyd
You cant, Cell Factor REQUIRES the card.

http://www.ageia.com/physx_in_action/cellfactor.html

Bad bad move imo, way too limited of an audience to make much money at this day and time.

Greatest business decision ever for a game company. Way to go for targeting 0.001% of gamers out there! :disgust:

RTFT

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: stardrek

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

It soesn't work for me with enablephisX=false

You spelled physx wrong...enablephysx=false

Yep LOL, it doesn't work anyway

 

[biostud]

For multi-player games that can utilize PhysX 90% of the maps will probably not use it, and 10% will require a PhysX card. This way hardcore users will get something special for their physX hardware creating and "normal" users will still play the game. The hardcore users will then create an "elite" and slowly more of the normal users want to play these über maps, and the physX community will grow, specially with falling prices on the card.


But for that to happen physX still need the killer app and killer maps.

 

[McArra]

Videos added on the las page of the review

 

[T2k]

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: stardrek

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

It soesn't work for me with enablephisX=false

You spelled physx wrong...enablephysx=false

Yep LOL, it doesn't work anyway

Do you have Physx drivers installed?

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: T2k

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: stardrek

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: sbuckler
You think? Here's the experience of someone who has one:

check out end of thread on:
http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

It soesn't work for me with enablephisX=false

You spelled physx wrong...enablephysx=false

Yep LOL, it doesn't work anyway

Do you have Physx drivers installed?

I have the Ageia