Can’t run PhysX and ATI

[Salamndar]

Good day all,
I currently optained an old yet still functioning Geforece 8600GTS card. I have 2 4870X2 card in a crossfireX setup and wanted to run the 8600GTS as a PhysX Processing card.
I’m using Windows 7 64 + Catalyst 9.12 + Forceware 185.85 + PhysX pack 9.09.
What ever I do it won’t run.
I first installed the ATI cards and Drivers, then the geforce and drivers, the only way to make the PhysX run is to force the display connected to the geforce to be the primary display, I have one monitor connected to the ATIs and one to the Geforce.
What should I do next?

[SoulsCollective]

nVidia has disabled PhysX when a non-nVidia GPU is detected. You need to download and install the hacked PhysX pack to restore functionality - a quick search of these forums should lead you to the right thread.j

[Salamndar]

Thx M8, I found it and it is now working.
But I think the 8600GTS is just to little for the task, which single slot card is best for the task?

[TJ TRICHEESE]

9800gt

[SoulsCollective]

Specifically, I'd recommend the 9800GT "Green" edition, which is single-slot and low-power - indeed it draws all the power it requires through the PCI-E slot, no need for a PCI-E power connector.

[Salamndar]

The 8600GTS gave me 2000 Points in 3Dmark Van. only!
I should check the market tomorrow and see what's available there.
What about the GT240 and 220 ?

[LedHed]

an 8600 should easily be able to handle PhysX, upgrading to a 9800 for PhysX only is a huge waste. The difference will be minuscule at best.

[SoulsCollective]

Not at all. An 8600GTS has a little over 120 gigaflops worth of theoretical shader processing power, whereas a 9800GT has something like 504 gigaflops. A 9800GT is a far better card for running PhysX.

[LedHed]

PhysX does not require a 9800GT a 8600 can do it just fine with less power and less heat.

[zanzabar]

PhysX does not require a 9800GT a 8600 can do it just fine with less power and less heat.

the low clocked 9800 eco is about the same draw as the 8600 at a similar price, and it dosnt have the bad solder so it wont die like an 8600 will do

[SoulsCollective]

PhysX does not require a 9800GT a 8600 can do it just fine with less power and less heat.

Not at all.

A test rig with an 8600GTS draws somewhere around 150W at idle, and about 200W under 3D load. The same system with a 9800GT Green/Eco draws around 140W at idle, and about 190W at load.

As for comparative PhysX performance, I suggest you look up a few reviews and have a gander at some benchmarks. An 8600 is quite a slow card, and really belongs somewhere in the top bracket of low-end cards rather than in the mid-range where nVidia has slotted it. The very low shader count (32 scalar units) means performance when running PhysX is very, very low for the power-draw and heat output of the card. As the OP has noted, it really doesn't do a good job, and will struggle with even low PhysX. A 9800GT, on the other hand, has I believe somewhere around 116 scalar units (don't have exact figures to hand), and will run high PhysX effects smoothly while drawing less power than that 8600GTS.

Personally I don't buy into this whole nVidia proprietary locked-down , but if the OP wants to run PhysX effects smoothly they're going to need to get a new card - an 8600GTS is simply not powerful enough to do the job.

[zanzabar]

thats a systems usage a budget gou dose not use 150W idle

[SoulsCollective]

thats a systems usage a budget gou dose not use 150W idle

Correct. Edited for clarity.

[Salamndar]

I do not care about being Green or ECO or whatever, I just want performance as much as possible for what I can pay.

I just got myself a sparkle 9800GT "green" for a reasonably good price.

Going to install it today and try some 3Dmark Van. then buy some games that support PhysX, what games do you recommend, I own Unreal 3 which I think the only game in my library that supports it.

[zanzabar]

batman AA is the best game with physX and only game that ive seen that has a useful application of physX

[SoulsCollective]

A full list of games that use PhysX can be found on the nZone website.

[LedHed]

batman AA is the best game with physX and only game that ive seen that has a useful application of physX

even then it's just bells and whistles (nothing that changed game play and honestly I like the PhysX in Mirrors Edge better), I'm starting to wonder if PhysX is ever going to become what NVIDIA claims.

[Salamndar]

I think PhysX is really promising and Nvidia is not doing the right thing to push it forward.

By the way, the 9800GT I got was DOA and to my luck it was also out of stock in the shop, so I was offered GT240 or GTS250, I picked the GTS250 for extra 40$ over the 9800GT.

I just ran 3Dmark and got 32500 points, that's 4000 Points over non physX and 2000 points over 8600GT.

[LedHed]

you don't enable PhysX with 3DMark it skews the CPU score severely.

[Mad1723]

even then it's just bells and whistles (nothing that changed game play and honestly I like the PhysX in Mirrors Edge better), I'm starting to wonder if PhysX is ever going to become what NVIDIA claims.

They can't because it would simply create a gap between Nvidia and ATI users, which game developpers don't want for the simple reason that ATI is quickly gaining market shares and that would destroy their chances of selling it. If it used OpenCL or any other non proprietary format, then it would be possible. Developpers will not put anything game changing unless they can get the 2 major GPU makers to get into it with a common technique. Bad Company 2 will use CPUs to do the physics for this simple reason.

[texasreefer]

Well, i've been waiting for this discussion b/c that is precisely my problem with Vantage. BTW in the past I would try to disable physx and it would give me a score of 0 points, so that's why ATI ers have been looking for a physx solution to run Vantage (LedHed).

I was thinking of getting a gtx 210 for this purpose....considering it is 49.99 on Evga site, and the 9800 gt is still at a steady 100+ USD.

What do you guys think?

[zanzabar]

Well, i've been waiting for this discussion b/c that is precisely my problem with Vantage. BTW in the past I would try to disable physx and it would give me a score of 0 points, so that's why ATI ers have been looking for a physx solution to run Vantage (LedHed).

I was thinking of getting a gtx 210 for this purpose....considering it is 49.99 on Evga site, and the 9800 gt is still at a steady 100+ USD.

What do you guys think?

u dont disable physX u disable gpu acceleration in the physX driver

[texasreefer]

ohhh ok, well i have'nt got that far, as I have not got a physx card. I had a dedicated physx card, but it got fried when my loop was compromised b/c my fiancee failed to turn on the pump one morning when she started surfing ebay. The card is dead and I have'nt had the chance to get a good physx card.

Would a gtx 210 be as good or better than a 9800gt (considering the 9800 is still more expensive)?

[RAW-Raptor22]

I do not care about being Green or ECO or whatever, I just want performance as much as possible for what I can pay.

I just got myself a sparkle 9800GT "green" for a reasonably good price.

Going to install it today and try some 3Dmark Van. then buy some games that support PhysX, what games do you recommend, I own Unreal 3 which I think the only game in my library that supports it.

Mirror's Edge.

$5 on steam btw.

[zanzabar]

ohhh ok, well i have'nt got that far, as I have not got a physx card. I had a dedicated physx card, but it got fried when my loop was compromised b/c my fiancee failed to turn on the pump one morning when she started surfing ebay. The card is dead and I have'nt had the chance to get a good physx card.

Would a gtx 210 be as good or better than a 9800gt (considering the 9800 is still more expensive)?

no, u really need a g92. any will do even the 8800gt 256mb. and u dont really get the whole physX thing, i havnt sen anything that makes games better that u need the gpgpu for