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Q: What is it?
A: The PPU, also called PhysX, is an add-in card developed by a company called AGEIA and soon to be manufactured by BFG. It allows more realistic games by performing advanced physics calculations in real-time.
Q: PPU, GPU, CPU? Me confused!
A: In keeping with the rhyming theme:
A PPU does physics, object's motions and paths
A CPU does logistics, locomotion, and math
A GPU does polygons, and everything you see
And I speak to you in hopes of clearing up the mystery!
Q: Exactly what enhancments will I see in future games if I have one of these cards?
A: There are several advantages. The first is more active bodies - movable, deformable objects in the game. Whereas a CPU can only do about 500 of these, a PPU can do thousands. More active bodies means more shrapnel in explosions, a destructable environment. The second stage of development, which we most likely will not see until the next generation of PPUs, is advanced physics calculations such as velocity, force, and stopping power. For example, with a second-gen PPU in your system and a game that supports it, a bullet could be shot through a wall. Depending on the material and thickness of the wall, mass and speed of the bullet, and distance to the player behind the wall whom the bullet will hit, the PPU will decide whether the bullet will have enough force left to either A. Inflict a superficial wound and stun the player for a few seconds, B. Cause damage to the player, or C. Kill the player.
Q: Wow! That sounds awesome, when will we see games like this?
A: Not anytime soon. Games with that sort of detailed physics would require a PPU to play. Therefore developers will not create games like that until the PPU becomes popular enough that the game creator can assume most gamers will have one. The first games will be PPU-optional and will only increase the amount of acitve bodies.
Q: So what's this thing look like in action?
A: Here are some demo videos of the PPU: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1034714
Q: When can I buy this card?
A: It is already being sold with OEM systems from builders such as Dell and Alienware. It will be released as a standalone card sometime in May and will be manufactured by BFG.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: Around $250 - $300 for the first version.
Q: That's expensive, do I really have to buy one?
A: No, not yet. The first games created for it will most likely simply use the GPU for physics processing if your system doesn't have a PPU (something I will explain below). Eventually, however, games will begin to put a PPU in the system requirements, and then you will have to buy one. Hopefully prices will be lower by then.
Q: Can't you just use a dual-core CPU to do physics?
A: No. A dual-core CPU will could maybe do 500 more objects. This is nothing compared to the 5000 or so of the PPU.
Q: What about this NVIDIA/Havok physics thing I keep hearing about?
A: NVIDIA has partnered with the makers of the Havok engine to allow for physics processing to be done on the GPU. This will provide roughly the same benefit of a PPU, but at the disadvantage of less graphics performance, and the physics will only be visual and won't affect the environment. With this, someone who doesn't want to buy a PPU but is willing to sacrifice some GPU performance can still play physics-enabled games. ATI may also be offering the same thing on their future GPUs.
Q: Could I utillize the second GPU in an SLI setup to do physics processing?
A: Yes, but keep in mind that if you dedicate 1 GPU in an SLI setup to physics, you will only have 1 GPU doing the actual graphics. If you already have SLI, it would be a good idea to dedicate one of them to phyics if you wanted to play physics-enabled games but didn't want to buy a PPU. If you don't have SLI, however, it would be cheaper to buy a PPU than to buy a second GPU for physics.
Q: Can I put my old 6800 alongside my shiny new 7900GTX and have it do physics?
A: That would be a great thing to have and would probably be used by many people, so I would hope NVIDIA will allow this. We won't be sure, however, until NVIDIA or ATI officially release drivers that support GPU physics processing.
UPDATE: jebo_4jc has informed me that ATI has said that it will allow R520 cards to do physics alongside R580 cards. NVIDIA, however, will require identical cards in SLI.
Q: What does it look like when I use a GPU to do physics processing?
A: Mostly the same as the PPU, although it's only visual and can't affect the environment, like a soldier getting hit by shrapnel, for example. Here are some demo videos from NVIDIA and ATI: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1034977
Q: If I buy a game designed for use with a PPU, can I use a second GPU to do the physics processing?
A: Most likely not. However, a game could in theory have the option using multiple physics API's, so it is possible.
Q: Will Ageia's PPU be able to handle game-play physics (physics that affect the environment) as well as effects physics (physics that only add more particles to the visual part of the game)?
A: Yes, although the first games released using Ageia's PhysX will likely use the PPU just for effects physics. This will allow games to run on systems without a PPU, minus the PPU-enhanced effects. Games that require a PPU to play are still in early developement. To see a demo of a game that will use Ageia's PPU to accelerate both effects and gameplay physics, have a look at Cell Factor.
Q: Will a GPU physics solution be able to do both gameplay and effects physics?
A: No, this is a common misconception. A GPU can only do effects physics, meaning that it will not affect the environment with things like flying shrapnel. You will see the shrapnel, but it won't be able to hit players, go through wall, deform the terrain...etc.
Q: If I buy a PPU in May, will it make my games any different?
A: No. Games have to be specially programmed to take advantage of the PPU. Only a small handful of these exist now, and they don't use it to it's full potential. A list of these can be found at the "list of titles" below. Some developers, however, may choose to release a patch for their current games which would allow them to take advantage of the PPU.
Q: Can it be overclocked?
A: We don't know for sure yet, but there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to overclock it. However, in the beginning there won't be any reason to overclock it, becuase games won't take full advantage of it at first.
Q: What will the PPU market turn out to be like?
A: It's anyone's guess. It could become like the video card market, with good/better/best models available, and games would have "physics options" that could be turned down to alliow someone with an older PPU to play the game. Or, it could end up like the sound card market. Necessary for gaming, but not much to it rather than buy the card and you're good. Only time will tell how essential this card will become to gamers.
Q: If AGEIA is the only one developing a PPU, won't that mean prices will go up because of no competition?
A: No, because AGEIA is competing with NVIDIA and Havok, who are trying to push physics processing on the GPU. Because the PPU seems right now to have more potential for sucess, it will probably end up coming out on top. In that case, NVIDIA and ATI may try putting PPUs on their graphics cards, or developing a PPU of their own. If this happens, Microsoft will almost certainly be the one to step in and create a standard for physics processing, kind of like DirectX for graphics. With a standard to follow, the doors will be open for multiple companies to begin cometing in the PPU market.
Q: Will any game using the AGEIA PhysX Engine be able to take advantage of the PPU?
A: Only games using version 2.3 of the PhysX engine or newer will work with the PPU. 2.4 is the current version. Games such as “Bet on Solder” which uses version 2.2 will receive a patch soon, others may follow.
Q: Are we going to have physics technologies from different companies that aren't compatible with each other?
A: Don't worry, Microsoft (who else?) is stepping in to create a common physics API, much like they've done with DirectX (and Windows, MS Office, Visual Basic, and speech recognition). This will prevent the terrible situation of having some games work with one prodcut and other games work with another.
Q: I see that 3dmark06 has the AGEIA logo on it; will a PPU increase my score?
A: At the moment it will make no difference. This could be because it uses a version of the engine older than 2.3 (files in the directory have version numbers removed…
or perhaps it is set to only use the CPU since they are “CPU tests”.
Q: Where can I get more information?
A: Here: www.ageia.com You can also find demo videos here showing what the PPU can do.
Q: What games will use it?
A: You can find a list here .
Q: Will [insert numberic prefix here]-core kill the PPU?
A: No, CPU cores are not as powerful as the PPU. It's possible that we may end up using excess cores for physics, but unlikely it will ever match the PPU's performance.
Q: Will [insert person's name who you want to make fun of here] kill the PPU?
A: Depends on the person.
Q: Will [insert competing company name here] kill the PPU?
A: That we won't know for sure until the format war is over. Right now, there's no clear winner for physics.
Q: Will [insert some other thing here] kill the___
A: click click click BANG!!!
Someone requested a PPU FAQ so I made one. Anyone with anything else to add or if you find an error in my post please post it. It may seem out of order now, but I will sort it out after everyone is done adding to it.
Credits:
pj-schmidt
GotNoRice
Low Roller
jebo_4jc
Terra
Me (HOCP4ME)
A: The PPU, also called PhysX, is an add-in card developed by a company called AGEIA and soon to be manufactured by BFG. It allows more realistic games by performing advanced physics calculations in real-time.
Q: PPU, GPU, CPU? Me confused!
A: In keeping with the rhyming theme:
A PPU does physics, object's motions and paths
A CPU does logistics, locomotion, and math
A GPU does polygons, and everything you see
And I speak to you in hopes of clearing up the mystery!
Q: Exactly what enhancments will I see in future games if I have one of these cards?
A: There are several advantages. The first is more active bodies - movable, deformable objects in the game. Whereas a CPU can only do about 500 of these, a PPU can do thousands. More active bodies means more shrapnel in explosions, a destructable environment. The second stage of development, which we most likely will not see until the next generation of PPUs, is advanced physics calculations such as velocity, force, and stopping power. For example, with a second-gen PPU in your system and a game that supports it, a bullet could be shot through a wall. Depending on the material and thickness of the wall, mass and speed of the bullet, and distance to the player behind the wall whom the bullet will hit, the PPU will decide whether the bullet will have enough force left to either A. Inflict a superficial wound and stun the player for a few seconds, B. Cause damage to the player, or C. Kill the player.
Q: Wow! That sounds awesome, when will we see games like this?
A: Not anytime soon. Games with that sort of detailed physics would require a PPU to play. Therefore developers will not create games like that until the PPU becomes popular enough that the game creator can assume most gamers will have one. The first games will be PPU-optional and will only increase the amount of acitve bodies.
Q: So what's this thing look like in action?
A: Here are some demo videos of the PPU: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1034714
Q: When can I buy this card?
A: It is already being sold with OEM systems from builders such as Dell and Alienware. It will be released as a standalone card sometime in May and will be manufactured by BFG.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: Around $250 - $300 for the first version.
Q: That's expensive, do I really have to buy one?
A: No, not yet. The first games created for it will most likely simply use the GPU for physics processing if your system doesn't have a PPU (something I will explain below). Eventually, however, games will begin to put a PPU in the system requirements, and then you will have to buy one. Hopefully prices will be lower by then.
Q: Can't you just use a dual-core CPU to do physics?
A: No. A dual-core CPU will could maybe do 500 more objects. This is nothing compared to the 5000 or so of the PPU.
Q: What about this NVIDIA/Havok physics thing I keep hearing about?
A: NVIDIA has partnered with the makers of the Havok engine to allow for physics processing to be done on the GPU. This will provide roughly the same benefit of a PPU, but at the disadvantage of less graphics performance, and the physics will only be visual and won't affect the environment. With this, someone who doesn't want to buy a PPU but is willing to sacrifice some GPU performance can still play physics-enabled games. ATI may also be offering the same thing on their future GPUs.
Q: Could I utillize the second GPU in an SLI setup to do physics processing?
A: Yes, but keep in mind that if you dedicate 1 GPU in an SLI setup to physics, you will only have 1 GPU doing the actual graphics. If you already have SLI, it would be a good idea to dedicate one of them to phyics if you wanted to play physics-enabled games but didn't want to buy a PPU. If you don't have SLI, however, it would be cheaper to buy a PPU than to buy a second GPU for physics.
Q: Can I put my old 6800 alongside my shiny new 7900GTX and have it do physics?
A: That would be a great thing to have and would probably be used by many people, so I would hope NVIDIA will allow this. We won't be sure, however, until NVIDIA or ATI officially release drivers that support GPU physics processing.
UPDATE: jebo_4jc has informed me that ATI has said that it will allow R520 cards to do physics alongside R580 cards. NVIDIA, however, will require identical cards in SLI.
Q: What does it look like when I use a GPU to do physics processing?
A: Mostly the same as the PPU, although it's only visual and can't affect the environment, like a soldier getting hit by shrapnel, for example. Here are some demo videos from NVIDIA and ATI: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1034977
Q: If I buy a game designed for use with a PPU, can I use a second GPU to do the physics processing?
A: Most likely not. However, a game could in theory have the option using multiple physics API's, so it is possible.
Q: Will Ageia's PPU be able to handle game-play physics (physics that affect the environment) as well as effects physics (physics that only add more particles to the visual part of the game)?
A: Yes, although the first games released using Ageia's PhysX will likely use the PPU just for effects physics. This will allow games to run on systems without a PPU, minus the PPU-enhanced effects. Games that require a PPU to play are still in early developement. To see a demo of a game that will use Ageia's PPU to accelerate both effects and gameplay physics, have a look at Cell Factor.
Q: Will a GPU physics solution be able to do both gameplay and effects physics?
A: No, this is a common misconception. A GPU can only do effects physics, meaning that it will not affect the environment with things like flying shrapnel. You will see the shrapnel, but it won't be able to hit players, go through wall, deform the terrain...etc.
Q: If I buy a PPU in May, will it make my games any different?
A: No. Games have to be specially programmed to take advantage of the PPU. Only a small handful of these exist now, and they don't use it to it's full potential. A list of these can be found at the "list of titles" below. Some developers, however, may choose to release a patch for their current games which would allow them to take advantage of the PPU.
Q: Can it be overclocked?
A: We don't know for sure yet, but there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to overclock it. However, in the beginning there won't be any reason to overclock it, becuase games won't take full advantage of it at first.
Q: What will the PPU market turn out to be like?
A: It's anyone's guess. It could become like the video card market, with good/better/best models available, and games would have "physics options" that could be turned down to alliow someone with an older PPU to play the game. Or, it could end up like the sound card market. Necessary for gaming, but not much to it rather than buy the card and you're good. Only time will tell how essential this card will become to gamers.
Q: If AGEIA is the only one developing a PPU, won't that mean prices will go up because of no competition?
A: No, because AGEIA is competing with NVIDIA and Havok, who are trying to push physics processing on the GPU. Because the PPU seems right now to have more potential for sucess, it will probably end up coming out on top. In that case, NVIDIA and ATI may try putting PPUs on their graphics cards, or developing a PPU of their own. If this happens, Microsoft will almost certainly be the one to step in and create a standard for physics processing, kind of like DirectX for graphics. With a standard to follow, the doors will be open for multiple companies to begin cometing in the PPU market.
Q: Will any game using the AGEIA PhysX Engine be able to take advantage of the PPU?
A: Only games using version 2.3 of the PhysX engine or newer will work with the PPU. 2.4 is the current version. Games such as “Bet on Solder” which uses version 2.2 will receive a patch soon, others may follow.
Q: Are we going to have physics technologies from different companies that aren't compatible with each other?
A: Don't worry, Microsoft (who else?) is stepping in to create a common physics API, much like they've done with DirectX (and Windows, MS Office, Visual Basic, and speech recognition). This will prevent the terrible situation of having some games work with one prodcut and other games work with another.
Q: I see that 3dmark06 has the AGEIA logo on it; will a PPU increase my score?
A: At the moment it will make no difference. This could be because it uses a version of the engine older than 2.3 (files in the directory have version numbers removed…
or perhaps it is set to only use the CPU since they are “CPU tests”.Q: Where can I get more information?
A: Here: www.ageia.com You can also find demo videos here showing what the PPU can do.
Q: What games will use it?
A: You can find a list here .
Q: Will [insert numberic prefix here]-core kill the PPU?
A: No, CPU cores are not as powerful as the PPU. It's possible that we may end up using excess cores for physics, but unlikely it will ever match the PPU's performance.
Q: Will [insert person's name who you want to make fun of here] kill the PPU?
A: Depends on the person.
Q: Will [insert competing company name here] kill the PPU?
A: That we won't know for sure until the format war is over. Right now, there's no clear winner for physics.
Q: Will [insert some other thing here] kill the___
A: click click click BANG!!!
Someone requested a PPU FAQ so I made one. Anyone with anything else to add or if you find an error in my post please post it. It may seem out of order now, but I will sort it out after everyone is done adding to it.
Credits:
pj-schmidt
GotNoRice
Low Roller
jebo_4jc
Terra
Me (HOCP4ME)
