Dedicated Physics Processor, available now

[kumquatq3]

http://gear.ign.com/articles/697/697450p1.html

 

 

I highly recommend the videos. Pretty neat.

Edited March 23, 2006 by kumquatq3

[Bokishi]

Awesome and I want one.

 

EDIT: I told you about this a year ago

Edited March 23, 2006 by Bokishi

[alanschu]

Soon we will not have powerful CPUs, just a central hub that deals with all of the independent processors.

[Judge Hades]

So this is suppose to work concurrently with my CPU and video card? How would it improve on games like KotOR 2 or NWN 2, or even Planescape Torment?

[alanschu]

Likely not at all.

 

Just like how a 3D accelerator did nothing for Quake (until Carmack made GLQuake) when they first came out.

 

The game has to have code to take advantage of it.

[Judge Hades]

Okay, so its worthless unless some developer decides to use it then will only help out with giving us even more useless eye candy. Got it.

[alanschu]

Eye Candy?

 

I suspect it will be as worthless as 3D accelerators and high end sound cards.

 

 

EDIT: I didn't see you say NWN2 in there. It's much more likely that it will support it compared to the other two games you listed.

Edited March 23, 2006 by alanschu

[angshuman]

Soon we will not have powerful CPUs, just a central hub that deals with all of the independent processors.

Does anybody know exactly how unemployment insurance works? :ph34r:

[Judge Hades]

WAITAMINUTE!

 

I did say NWN 2.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Judge Hades

[alanschu]

Soon we will not have powerful CPUs, just a central hub that deals with all of the independent processors.

Does anybody know exactly how unemployment insurance works? :ph34r:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The central hub will point you to a processor that can answer that.

[Judge Hades]

This set up could work if all the satellite processors are compatible with the central hub, but would they need to be compatible with each other to work properly or only with the hub which governs the instruction protocols?

[kirottu]

Hmm...

 

Depends how soon this comes popular, but it could be strike against PS3 and XBOX 360.

[alanschu]

This set up could work if all the satellite processors are compatible with the central hub, but would they need to be compatible with each other to work properly or only with the hub which governs the instruction protocols?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I wouldn't think they'd need to be working well with each other. It's just offloading instructions off of the CPU. The Aegis card will perform all of the expensive physics calculations so the CPU won't have to. This leaves the CPU free to do other work (like AI).

[Bokishi]

Time for an AI card!

[Meshugger]

What's wrong with a CPU with several threads? No need for a central hub then: One handles the geometry, another handles the A.I. and another one handles the physics and so on...

[alanschu]

Well, that's pretty much what we have. Though a graphics chip (for example) has an advantage in that it is geared directly for graphics, and won't suffer from being a general purpose processor. It's entire purpose is to perform the intense vector calculations, and can benefit from the nature of graphics programming by gearing the chip on the graphics card to be particularly strong at it.

 

There can also be an advantage with respect to memory. The memory architecture of a main system is much more static. Graphics cards were able to implement DDR RAM, as well as widen the pipe (to 256 bit), as well as ramp up the speeds of the RAM, while system RAM has remainined relatively static. The graphics card also does not have to share its memory. This can be a double edged sword though, as unused video memory is not particularly usable (IIRC, I think Apple made a bit of a hack to get the graphics card to pick up some of the cycles for running Mac OS X, but I'm not 100% sure....it is not common though) by the rest of the system. Even then, it would lose much of its speed advantage as it would then have to go through the system bus (which may be fast enough with PCI-Express).

 

I think decentralizing the threads helps from a cost aspect as well. People on a budget can more easily mix and match parts.

 

Even with a multicore processor though, there's still something that brings the information together. The processors are just closer together :D

Edited March 23, 2006 by alanschu

[Shadowstrider]

I have seen AGEIA physics in action in a few games and haven't been thoroughly impressed. The City of... series of games use AGEIA, and the physics is pretty bad. After defeating an NPC they can tumble over, but sometimes they bend over and they look like they're dropping to give push-ups with their arms still supporting their torso.

 

Anyone have any examples of good physics with AGEIA? I know there aren't many games out using it. Anyone played Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends?

[kumquatq3]

Unreal Tournament 2007 (and, one assumes, all those games being made with that engine) and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter are some of those to announce support for this card.

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/697/697757p1.html

 

Other developers coding games specifically for the PhysX processor include:

 

Sigil Games' Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

Microsoft Game Studio's Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends

Black Element Entertainment's Alpha Prime

Metropolis Software's INFERNAL

 

This is just the beginning. AGEIA plans to be able to announce 100 games that will support the PhysX processor in the coming months.

 

 

My first thought was "cool"

 

then: "****, another couple hundred added to the cost of a new computer in the future"

Edited March 23, 2006 by kumquatq3

[SamuraiGaijin]

Not everyone with a PC NEEDS a CPU that can handle all that ... some people need CPU's that can provide maximum performance and add-in processors that can handle specific "grunt-work" ... which is why VGA's (and in the short future, Physics accelerators) will continue be popular among gamers (especially) and professionals (scientists, engineers, etc.) who need the extra CPU cycles to handle number-crunching other than graphics and physics.

 

Think "Twister" ... the premise was they couldn't simulate, so they had to measure ... now, maybe they could simulate (wouldn't make for much of movie, though). Could revolutionize all sorts of engineering fields (or at least make them more afforable) ... aerospace, auto, architecture, etc., etc.

 

Now, the possibilities for gaming are pretty amazing ... I don't know if current flight sims can accurately depict flying through turbulence ... this should make it possible. Also, flying a space sim through a constantly-changing asteroid field (think Empire Strikes Back) or a capital ship blowing up into a million pieces (instead of a handful of chunks) or realistically ricocheting bullets or shattering glass.

 

Of course, game designers will have to embrace the technology to make it marketable ... I look forward to that.

 

edit: hmm ... should have read page 2 ... I agree that using this amazing physics computing capability to more realistically simulate a dead enemy is a waste (cool, and probably satisfying, but a waste) ... make gameplay more realistic, yes - make violence more realistic ... not necessary.

Edited March 23, 2006 by SamuraiGaijin

[alanschu]

I have seen AGEIA physics in action in a few games and haven't been thoroughly impressed.  The City of... series of games use AGEIA, and the physics is pretty bad.  After defeating an NPC they can tumble over, but sometimes they bend over and they look like they're dropping to give push-ups with their arms still supporting their torso.

 

Anyone have any examples of good physics with AGEIA?  I know there aren't many games out using it.  Anyone played Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sounds to me like it'd be more the game code than the card itself.

[Blodhemn]

Hmm...

 

Depends how soon this comes popular, but it could be strike against PS3 and XBOX 360.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to what I've read, the PS3 will incorporate Ageia PhysX technology as well. Though it probably wont be as advanced.

[Shadowstrider]

Sounds to me like it'd be more the game code than the card itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not so sure. I have yet to play a game with AGEIA physics which really wowed me. It just seemed to be "okay, so enemies ragdoll less than realistically." You can't drag them, or even bump into them.

 

*Shrugs* It is possible that games aren't taking advantage of all its features, but that could be because the features themselves suck.

[metadigital]

Sounds to me like it'd be more the game code than the card itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not so sure. I have yet to play a game with AGEIA physics which really wowed me. It just seemed to be "okay, so enemies ragdoll less than realistically." You can't drag them, or even bump into them.

 

*Shrugs* It is possible that games aren't taking advantage of all its features, but that could be because the features themselves suck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I find it hard to believe that adding physics will make a game worse.

 

Must be poorly implemented, either with bad use of code, or poor hooks to programme with. I'd bet the former.

[WITHTEETH]

I'm very turned off by the price. Sound cards went up $30 pucks, video cards are now costing 4-5-600 at release, and now they want to come out with a $300 with 128Ram. Im ambilevant about the cause of these price hikes.

 

Nice gaming rigs are becoming for the super rich...

[metadigital]

Depends. A CPU now can cost over