BFG Ageia PCI PPU question

[PaulWuzHere]

I realize these things are a little old but my setup could benefit from some extra physx power in certain games.

My question is, how difficult would it be to get this card working with my HD 4850 crossfire setup on windows 7? And once I do in physx heavy titles, will I gain that much performance?

 

[CMH]

Lol.

I don't think you can get these firsthand anymore.

Performance on those cards were crap anyway, wonder if a PCI nVidia card can work as a better PPU?

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

but my setup could benefit from some extra physx power in certain games.

Not really.
I remember they were pretty expensive too.

 

[dividebyzero]

I think nvidia have just stopped official support for the AGEIA PPU, although if you're using AMD cards then you are better off using the last standalone driver that works with these cards
Download PhysX 8.09.04 WHQL and install in troubleshoot mode (right click WinXP mode?). After the driver installs, the PPU should be recognised.
I don't think you can load a newer version of the PhysX over the top of this older driver with AMD cards in your system.

If the card is sitting idle then you may as well make use of it, although as CMH has put forward you would gain better PhysX performance by using a PCI (or PCIe if you have a third available slot) nvidia card and a PhysX hack.

 

[CMH]

Much better worded.

Doesn't seem like there's any limitation to which card you can use to enable physx, although it seems like you do need to have an nvidia card to perform the PPU calculations. You can use that together with an ATI card for graphics.

That support isn't available officially from nVidia, but as a hack. Not sure if that hack will support Xfire.

Also, using Ageia PPU is NOT supported by nVidia, so like it or not, you're gonna need that hack.

 

[PaulWuzHere]

Thanks for the advice. Sadly My motherboard only has two pci-e 16x slots and a pci 9400gt is around $100 (ah... no)

I'm gonna try the PPU, if it works cool, if not. It'll be a good looking box next to the others.

If anyone else wants to try one, here it is. On sale for $15 http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BFGRPHYSX128P&cat=VCD

 

[PaulWuzHere]

Well, I got the card and after tinkering around with it for a while, I got it working under Windows 7. I haven't run a whole lot of tests but 3dMark Vantage got about a 700point increase and Borderlands seems to have more detail and slightly better performance.

 

[dividebyzero]

Sounds like some basically free performance...always the best kind.

 

[CMH]

Yep, thanks for the update.

Works without the hacked drivers?