Ageia PhysX 100M Processor

Okay, I am closer than ever to buying an M1730, but I believe I have one last thing to inquire about. After I select my GPU (I chose dual 8800M GTX - may be relevant to my inquiry), my next option is for a PhysX card, the Ageia PhysX 100M Processor. The only thing I think I know about PhysX processing is that it adds more realistic effects (?) to compatible games. Beyond that, I really don't know what this thing is or what it does. It would be a $75 addition. I was just going to get it simply because it sounded neat. But would it be wasted on a system that already utilizes two GPUs like the 8800M GTX? Am I really going to notice a difference in future games with the Ageia card? Do you think it's worth $75?

I know there has been plenty of mention of this card on these forums already, but I wasn't able to salvage the information that I really wanted. So, thanks for reading. I really appreciate the help and input I've gotten here so far. Quite a forum.

 

ditch the phys card, the gpu handles the physics just fine, plus only a small amount of games actually use ageia phys cards

 

What he said

 

As mentioned above, the PhysX card is almost useless nowadays as Nvidia has actually incorporated the physics processing technology into their own video cards since they acquired Ageia.

 

Awesome, thank you guys. Just saved $75.

 

(not to mention some battery life, perhaps)

 

Typically, physx is integrated in 9m series only so if ur selecting 8m series then u will not be able to enjoy those 3-4 ageia physx enabled games and future proof with physx enabled games.

 

What spradhan has posted is wrong.

Ignore him and go with the right advice from everyone else.

 

Yup! 10CHARS!

 

Typically, PhysX is integrated in the 180 series and above drivers, so if your selecting any GPU that is CUDA enabled (8 Series and newer) then you will be able to enjoy those few PhysX games and future proof enabled games.

 

Well aren't you nice.

 

Well, I think the nos far outnumber the yesses here in regards to whether or not it's valuable, but, at any rate, I ordered the system yesterday sans Ageia processor.

 

too bad, i had a dell xps m1730 with ageia physics last year.
w/o ageia, m1730 aint worth nothing but another i dont know nothing about gaming but fps machine.

 

And with Ageia, it's just another "I know even less about computers" machine.

CUDA benefits can be argued -- dedicated Ageia cards cannot, they're worthless.

 

If it was that worthless then why would nvidia bought ageia company paying millions?

 

They wanted an exclusive on a technology line that would compete with their upcoming (At the time) plans for CUDA. People have shown that it's possible to force PhysX enabled on ATI GPUs and get identical framerates and effects. It's a sham.

 

Hardly a sham. The nVidia PhysX api is simply designed to run on programmable shaders, which both nVidia and ATI have. There will be more and more emphasis on accurate physics in most of the major upcoming games, and nVidia will have the step up when running these games.

 

Maybe, but I still think it's not worth paying more than a pittance for an additional hardware upgrade that currently serves little purpose and has been reported on these forums to have compatibility problems and drain unnecessary power for little return.

 

In the beginning sales, physx was included in price but just not its optional so its good for guys who are planning to take M17 now as they dont have to pay for card what they dont need.

 

spradhan01, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I wasn't in the best mood, and there was no need to take it out on you.

 

because the GPU nowadays are handling the PhysX.

 

From NVIDIA's PhysX FAQ:

" Which NVIDIA GeForce GPUs will support PhysX and when will GPU PhysX be ready?
NVIDIA will deploy PhysX on CUDA-enabled GPUs later this year. The exact models and availability will be announced in the near future. Please click here for more information on CUDA ZONE."

So, I checked out their list of CUDA-enabled GPU products here.

If you'll notice, virtually every card from the 8, 9, 100, and 200 series is listed. But not the 8800M GTX. The desktop 8800 GTX is. The mobile 9800M GTX is. The mobile 8800M GTS is. But not the 8800M GTX. Does this mean it doesn't process PhysX? I find that rather shocking, if so, considering all the other GPUs that made the list. However, if you direct your attention to the top of the list, it reads,

"GeForce 8, 9, 100, 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB of local graphics memory. For example:"

So, these could be "examples" in the list which might explain some exclusions. Does anyone know for sure whether or not the 8800M GTX is PhysX-capable?

 

Here are a couple of links that indicate the 8800M GTX is, indeed, CUDA-enabled.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187&Itemid=38

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=60716&st=0&p=339536&#entry339536