Difference between revisions of "Glossary:PhysX"

Revision as of 11:02, 17 March 2022

Key points

Used by many games for physics effects.

Hardware acceleration is possible through Nvidia graphics cards in supported games.

Latest version

For recent games install the NVIDIA PhysX System Software. For older games (~2008 and earlier, using versions 2.7.2 or <2.7.1) install the NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software.

If you are using an Nvidia graphics card some PhysX versions may be already included with the drivers.

PhysX v2.5.2 compatibility

The NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software does not include v2.5.2; this is known to affect Infernal and The Void but there may be other affected games.

Download missing DLLs^{[citation needed]}
Install the NVIDIA PhysX System Software. Install the NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software. Install the AGEIA PhysX Engine v2.5.2. The game should now start up and play.

Secondary PhysX card with an AMD/ATI video card

Nvidia only allows a secondary Nvidia card to be used for PhysX if the primary card is also an Nvidia card, or since 372.70 if a monitor is reported attached to it.^[1]

Requirements:

Windows 7 or Windows XP/Windows 2003 (Windows Vista will not work)
AMD/ATI GPU used for your primary display
NVIDIA GPU that support hardware accelerated PhysX (series 8 and newer, with a minimum of 32 cores and 256 MB of video memory)

Install necessary files^[2]

Install the GeForce driver 256 package. If needed install the latest NVIDIA PhysX System Software.
Use the Hybrid PhysX mod to patch all needed files and registry values automatically.
Windows XP/Server 2003: Extend the display assigned to NVIDIA GPU. Or make sure it is extended already.
Optional: Use command line files to set a desired configuration.

Notes

If you update PhysX System Software after using the mod, you should use it again to patch the updated PhysX files.
It is safe to use the mod several times - all needed files will be patched only once.
If you still have problems with fake displays and desktop extension, try to delete a fake display and create it again.
To let the mod correctly patch all needed files on x64 versions of Windows XP/Windows 2003, install KB942589 hotfix first.

Issues fixed

"The program cannot start because PhysXLoader.dll is missing from your computer" error at launch

Install latest versions of the PhysX System Software

Games prefer private own libraries to system ones

This only applies to pre-2.8.4 PhysX games^[3]

Kill local hack^[4]

Open regedit
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\AGEIA Technologies
Delete the enableLocalPhysXCore binary data value (and EpicLocalDLLHack, if present)
On Windows Vista and newer also run from an elevated command prompt: reg flags "HKLM\SOFTWARE\AGEIA Technologies" set DONT_VIRTUALIZE /reg:32

Notes

If for some reason you need to run the game as admin (or your user account runs with admin privileges always enabled), also see Shoddy coded applications mess system-wide registry setting.

Delete/move/rename `PhysXCore.dll`, usually found in game executable directory

References

↑ Hybrid GPU-pairing is finally "legal" (aka Hybrid PhysX reloaded)
↑ Hybrid PhysX - PhysX Wiki (retrieved)
↑ The Evolution of PhysX System Software | PhysXInfo.com (retrieved)
↑ PhsyX, Mirror's Edge, and You - Steam Users' Forums (retrieved)

[1] Hybrid GPU-pairing is finally "legal" (aka Hybrid PhysX reloaded)

[2] Hybrid PhysX - PhysX Wiki (retrieved)

[3] The Evolution of PhysX System Software | PhysXInfo.com (retrieved)

[4] PhsyX, Mirror's Edge, and You - Steam Users' Forums (retrieved)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-PhysX is a video/performance option that is becoming increasingly available in PC games. It is a special form of physics processing, aiming the make more realistic particle and physics effects available in games. The company responsible for Physx was purchased by Nvidia in 2008, and since then has been featured prominently in Nvidia sponsored games.
+{{Infobox non-game
+|cover        = Nvidia PhysX logo.png
+|developers   =
+{{Infobox game/row/developer|Nvidia Corporation}}
+|release dates =
+|winehq       =
+|wikipedia    = PhysX
+}}
-==Hardware==
+'''Key points'''
-Originally, Physx acceleration required the use of a special PPU card, but these have been depreciated and are no longer made. Since the purchase by Nvidia, Physx calculations can be performed by CUDA-ready GeForce graphics cards (series 8 and newer, with a minimum of 32 cores and 256MB of video memory<ref>http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_faq.html</ref>. AMD cards cannot be used to perform Physx calculations, but some games allow use of the CPU to perform these calculations. The CPU code is less optimized and less streamlined then the same code for Nvidia based cards, meaning that users without an NVidia card will see performance hits with Physx enabled.
+{{ii}} Used by many games for [[Wikipedia:Physics engine|physics]] effects.
+{{ii}} Hardware acceleration is possible through Nvidia graphics cards in supported games.
-Nvidia limits Physx calculations to the CPU if the primary GPU is an AMD chip, even if there is a secondary Nvidia GPU installed. There are ways to [[Enable PhysX With Primary Radeon GPU]].
+==Latest version==
+For recent games install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software]. For older games (~2008 and earlier, using versions 2.7.2 or <2.7.1) install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software].
-==Games Require Older Driver==
+If you are using an Nvidia graphics card some PhysX versions may be already included with the drivers.
-See [[Ageia PhysX (Driver)]]. This method is only recommended if your game is known to need the Ageia version of Physx.
-==Obtaining Latest Version==
+==PhysX v2.5.2 compatibility==
-Nvidia GPU drivers usually feature the latest Physx drivers that are available at the time of release, but the latest Physx drivers can be downloaded [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html here.]
+{{--}} The [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software] does not include v2.5.2; this is known to affect [[Infernal]] and [[The Void]] but there may be other affected games.
-<references/>
+{{Fixbox|description=Download missing DLLs|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix=
-[[Category:Graphics Settings]]
+# Install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software].
+# Install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software].
+# Install the [http://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/512-ageia-physx-engine/ AGEIA PhysX Engine v2.5.2].
+# The game should now start up and play.
+}}
+==Secondary PhysX card with an AMD/ATI video card==
+{{--}} Nvidia only allows a secondary Nvidia card to be used for PhysX if the primary card is also an Nvidia card, or since 372.70 if a monitor is reported attached to it.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180128133210/http://physxinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=367.msg1668 Hybrid GPU-pairing is finally "legal" (aka Hybrid PhysX reloaded)]</ref>
+{{ii}} Requirements:
+:* Windows 7 or Windows XP/Windows 2003 (Windows Vista will not work)
+:* AMD/ATI GPU used for your primary display
+:* NVIDIA GPU that support hardware accelerated PhysX (series 8 and newer, with a minimum of 32 cores and 256 MB of video memory)
+{{Fixbox|description=Install necessary files|ref=<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191019070903/http://physxinfo.com/wiki/Hybrid_PhysX Hybrid PhysX - PhysX Wiki] (retrieved)</ref>|fix=
+# Install the GeForce driver 256 package. If needed install the latest [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software].
+# Use the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170215045653/http://www.ngohq.com/graphic-cards/17706-hybrid-physx-mod-v1-03-v1-05ff.html Hybrid PhysX mod] to patch all needed files and registry values automatically.
+# Windows XP/Server 2003: Extend the display assigned to NVIDIA GPU. Or make sure it is extended already.
+# Optional: Use command line files to set a desired configuration.
+'''Notes'''
+* If you update PhysX System Software after using the mod, you should use it again to patch the updated PhysX files.
+* It is safe to use the mod several times - all needed files will be patched only once.
+* If you still have problems with fake displays and desktop extension, try to delete a fake display and create it again.
+* To let the mod correctly patch all needed files on x64 versions of Windows XP/Windows 2003, install KB942589 hotfix first.
+}}
+==Issues fixed==
+==="The program cannot start because PhysXLoader.dll is missing from your computer" error at launch===
+{{Fixbox|description=Install [[#Latest version|latest versions]] of the PhysX System Software}}
+===Games prefer private own libraries to system ones===
+{{ii}} This only applies to pre-2.8.4 PhysX games<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130822160924/http://physxinfo.com/news/9702/the-evolution-of-physx-system-software/ The Evolution of PhysX System Software | PhysXInfo.com] (retrieved)</ref>
+{{Fixbox|description=Kill local hack|ref=<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20170518141257/http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786523&page=3#post21432065 PhsyX, Mirror's Edge, and You - Steam Users' Forums] (retrieved)</ref>|fix=
+# Open [[regedit]]
+# Navigate to <code>{{p|hklm}}\SOFTWARE\{{p|wow64}}\AGEIA Technologies</code>
+# Delete the <code>enableLocalPhysXCore</code> binary data value (and <code>EpicLocalDLLHack</code>, if present)
+# On Windows Vista and newer also run from an elevated [[command prompt]]: <code>reg flags "HKLM\SOFTWARE\AGEIA Technologies" set DONT_VIRTUALIZE /reg:32</code>
+'''Notes'''
+{{ii}} If for some reason you need to run the game as admin (or your user account runs with admin privileges always enabled), also see ''[[Microsoft Windows#Shoddy coded applications mess system-wide registry setting|Shoddy coded applications mess system-wide registry setting]]''.
+}}
+{{Fixbox|description=Delete/move/rename <code>PhysXCore.dll</code>, usually found in game executable directory}}
+{{References}}
+[[Category:Hack]]
+[[Category:Guide]]

PhysX
Developers

	Nvidia Corporation