Update on Release 256 PhysX Support

By Tom Petersen on May 28 2010 in Software
21 Comments 21 Comments

A lot of you have been asking about PhysX and the 257.15 beta driver we posted on Monday. First off it is true that PhysX is enabled when running on NVIDIA GPUs when AMD GPUs are used in the same system. PhysX is a compelling technology that makes PC games great – I am not surprised our fans are eager for it. When using this beta driver no additional hacks are required to enable PhysX. While it was not intentional, due to the overwhelming positive response to the beta driver we have decided to leave the beta up with support enabled.

The fact remains that the investment to do a full QA cycle on this AMD/NVIDIA hybrid GPU configuration is beyond what NVIDIA can support at this time. The cost of maintaining AMD/NVIDIA hybrid configurations is larger than the development expense for PhysX, and I do expect that there are games and configurations where this type of system just won’t work. Please, don’t call me :>. Therefore our WHQL certified drivers will continue to have this support disabled.

Tagged: Beta, Driver, Drivers, PhysX

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http://hotmail.com NV Fan

Anyway PhysX is NV’s exclusive intellectual property, it’s the right thing for NV to remove “that” kind of support, I think.
http://physxinfo.com Zogrim

“The cost of maintaining AMD/NVIDIA hybrid configurations is larger than the development expense for PhysX”
So, you actually not against Hybrid PhysX, but can not enable it officially because of QA expense, right ?
Why when are continuously fighting it (there is already three versions of Hybrid PhysX mod) with all that reverse gravity timebombs and stuff ?
Zogrim
PhysXInfo.com
http://www.geeks3d.com JeGX

Why not let the Hybrid PhysX officially enabled and clearly say that NVIDIA offers a support on configurations that have only NVIDIA cards? That would be simpler and I’m sure there will have many forums where owners of hybrid physx config will find help if necessary. GPU PhysX is cool so don’t lock it.
sowk

Nvidia, I would like to thank you for allowing this driver release. Having been with your company for many many years from the TNT all the way to the GTX 285 in SLI w/ 8800gt for physx, I have seen great things from your company. Physx is an amazing technology and I really want to keep at least one GTX285 for physx support. I did go to dual ATI 5970′s for the moment, and Im sure I will be back again within a short period of time. I just want you to know that I hope you continue to allow hybrid physx in future beta drivers if need be, even if you would not support questions from ati users. We can understand that, but please don’t stop us from using our video cards/physx cards that we had purchased from working altogether. I would be even willing to buy a gtx480 if I knew physx would work, supported or not. I know many many others are also will to purchase cards for physx only. And I’m sure you have seen or read this many times on the different computer forums.
Still wishing you all the success in the world.
- Anthony
Aydin

smart move
http://www.benchzone.com BenchZowner

You guys need to pull yourselves together and use your brain ( the one in the upper part of the human body ).
Disabling this “feature” in the WHQL and next beta releases is a step back.
You’re making 2 mistakes in a single move, losing money and potential customers.
Leave the Hybrid PhysX enabled and add a disclaimer in the downloads page ( Hybrid PhysX is not officially supported, if you’re having issues you’re on your own, we won’t respond to Hybrid PhysX related inquiries”.
It’s that simple.
SityiSXT

I agree with BenchZowner: leave the drivers unlocked, add to the EULA that there’s no support for hybrid PhysX, put a similar note on the download page and you will have many happy customers. Acually because of this I’m going to buy an nV card and put it next to my Radeon. Although I could use the driver mod, but this way it would be easier…
Ed6

Does this mean that future Beta drivers may be also unlocked like this ?
ie, Use at your own risk ?
(would be cool if you did)
Ed6
GenL

Sorry my manners and my english, if you find them bad…
“there are games and configurations where this type of system just won’t work”
Games? Maybe. Type of systems? No. Every single system will be able to handle this kind of configs. All that is needed: 2 PCI-E slots, a GeForce GPU which can handle PhysX by itself, and enough power from PSU. That’s all.
A full QA cycle? Sorry guys, but no one asked for this. It works, and always should work out-of-the-box due to WDDM 1.1. You don’t need to support it – Windows does support it, all you were asked for is to NOT BLOCK it.
Seriously, “not blocking” means: just leave it as is, delete all related VendorID checks, and those gravity tricks. Just act like there is no such thing as “non-NVIDIA GPU + NVIDIA GPU”, and everyone will be happy. Do nothing to block it, nor to limit it, nor to support it. It will stay supported without your efforts.
Come on guys, physics processing has nothing to do with 3d rendering, nothing changed since Ageia times. It has nothing to do with your intellectual property.
Users do use *your* GPUs to process *your* PhysX, what’s so wrong about this? Why make them use my dirty hacks?
GenL
xDee xDee/DLPatague

It’s exactly what GenL says. Obviously everything works fine with the beta release, so what is the problem? Just keep doing this same thing for future drivers and NOT put the BLOCKADE in the drivers! So very simple!
You should realize that you would sell more GPUs if people were able to couple them up either with another Nvidia GPU or with an ATI GPU. Have you not seen the people running hybrids with an ATI 5970 and a Nvidia GTX 480? Do you not see the countless people running ATI GPUs with 9800 GTs/GTS 240s/GTS 250s/GTS 260s etc…? Currently I myself am Running 2 ATI Radeon 5850s in CrossfireX with an Nvidia GTS 250.
The sales of your higher end cards wouldn’t be effected. I bet this would help you clear the shelves of previous generation GPUs, like ones stated above, that would otherwise never have been sold.
I believe if you wanted to see PhysX in more games in the future, and have more developers support it, it be beneficial not to block hybrids.
genetix

Just have to agree with above statements to leave it enabled. It makes absolute no sense for NVIDIA to disable the physics acceleration. At least leave it open on some beta’s won’t harm sales actually probably increase sales.
I just came from techpowerup forums there’s a lot of people saying ‘because this driver now they want an NVIDIA card’ and confusion is only what card is enough where that’s pretty near 100% ideal way to indeed get rid of “old” otherwise unsold products with people who wouldn’t otherwise buy them.
Also high-end GPUs will be on a lot of people from NVIDIA simply because of this reason as NVIDIA has absolutely incredible driver support most best 50 against 1 if we look on competition bugs.
http://www.geeks3d.com JeGX

Yep, enabling Hybrid PhysX in beta drivers is a good idea.
anthony256

With NVIDIA losing sales to ATI… this is a smart move.
I don’t understand how it’s a bug – I mean, it should be locked away 24/7. How does that code (which should stay untouched) get changed to even allow this in the first place.
It was done to drum up positive marketing and I think it works.
Kudos.
Charles X

I have a nvidia gts250, and I really think it’s a good graphic card ; nevertheless, I think nvidia should really let ati users buy a nvidia card only for physx ; the choice might be given to the users! If one day, I decide to get an ati card, I will probably have my reasons. Forbiding the use of physx is not a solution to keep people using nvidia products…
http://www.glop.org/ Laurent Raufaste

Go on NVidia, let Physx die. DirectCompute and OpenCL are enough for everybody. I don’t want to depend on you for my physics or my 3D.
WacKEDmaN

i find it funny that nvidia is spending all this money on putting in “blocks” and “timebombs” into their drivers, yet they dont want to spend it on QA..
leave the drivers alone, dont officially support hybrid…this is what your customers want….LISTEN!
gunmonkey80

Dumb business tactics.
They claim not to support hybrid configurations, and yet they support the blockaiding codes.
HybridWins

Fail. You should leave the ability enabled and just make it very clear that hybrid systems void all help/support of PhysX. A few people have said this already. Listen. The community will simply hack the ability to enable it again and hate Nvidia a little more.
fingerbob69

So, just to be clear; I can now go out and buy a gts240, slot it in under my 4890, download the 257 beta and I will have PhsyX enabled in those games that support it? But on the understanding there is no tech support from Nvidia?
If so well done Nvidia, it seems you do actually want to sell gpu’s to the masses!
Rey

@fingerbob69: You can do that, but when the WHQL version comes out you’ll have to wait for GenL’s hack again (not knowing how long it will take him to come up with it if Nvidia goes nuts again and implements a new block/timebomb) to use it.
@Nvidia: I agree with others here – you claim you don’t have enough resources to do QA for ATI/NV combinations (which is understandable, so why not just let it work unsupported?) yet there are obviously enough resources left to implement blocks and gravity timebombs?!
http://profile.typepad.com/pellett1 pellett

так можно ATI5970 + NVIDEA470???? c 257.15 betta?