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Difference between revisions of "Glossary:PhysX"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(merged details from Enable PhysX With Primary Radeon GPU and Ageia PhysX; rewrote some details)
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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.  
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'''Key points'''
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{{ii}} Used by many games for [[Wikipedia:Physics engine|physics]] effects.
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{{--}} Hardware processing and some physics effects are restricted to Nvidia graphics cards.
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{{--}} CPU PhysX for non-Nvidia owners is poorly optimized and can incur a performance hit.
  
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==Hardware==
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==Latest version==
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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.  
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For recent games install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software]. For older games (2007 and earlier) install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software].
  
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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]].
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If you are using an Nvidia graphics card some PhysX versions are already included.
  
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==Games Require Older Driver==
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==PhysX v2.5.2 compatibility==
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See [[Ageia PhysX (Driver)]]. This method is only recommended if your game is known to need the Ageia version of Physx.
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{{--}} The [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software] does not include v2.5.2; the only game known to need this version is [[Infernal]] but there may be others.
  
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==Obtaining Latest Version==
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{{Fixbox|1=
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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.]
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{{Fixbox/fix|Merge PhysX v2.5.2 files}}
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# Uninstall your existing PhysX software.
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# Install the PhysX version included with the game.
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# Back up <code>C:\Program Files (x86)\AGEIA Technologies\v2.5.2</code>
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# Install the [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software] and [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software].
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# Restore the v2.5.2 backup to <code>C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Engine\v2.5.2</code>
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}}
  
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==Secondary PhysX card with an AMD/ATI video card==
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{{--}} Nvidia only allows a secondary Nvidia card to be used for PhysX if the primary card is also an Nvidia card.
  
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==References==
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=== Requirements ===
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<references/>
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* Windows 7 or Windows XP/Windows 2003 (Windows Vista will not work)
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[[Category:Graphics Settings]]
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* AMD/ATI GPU used for your primary display
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* NVIDIA GPU that can support Hardware PhysX (series 8 and newer, with a minimum of 32 cores and 25 6 MB of video memory)
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=== Installation steps ===
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{{Fixbox|1=
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{{Fixbox/fix|Install necessary files|ref=<ref>[http://www.ngohq.com/graphic-cards/17706-hybrid-physx-mod-v1-03-v1-05ff.html Hybrid PhysX mod v1.03 / v1.05ff]</ref>}}
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# Install the GeForce driver 256 package. If needed install the latest [http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html NVIDIA PhysX System Software].
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# Use the [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.
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# Windows XP/Server 2003: Extend the display assigned to NVIDIA GPU. Or make sure it is extended already.
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# Optional: Use command line files to set a desired configuration.
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}}
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=== Notes ===
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# If you update PhysX System Software after using the mod, you should use it again to patch the updated PhysX files.
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# It is safe to use the mod several times - all needed files will be patched only once.
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# If you still have problems with fake displays and desktop extension, try to delete a fake display and create it again.
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# To let the mod correctly patch all needed files on x64 versions of Windows XP/Windows 2003, install KB942589 hotfix first.
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{{References}}
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[[Category:Hack]]
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[[Category:Guide]]

Revision as of 03:10, 8 August 2013

Key points

Used by many games for physics effects.
Hardware processing and some physics effects are restricted to Nvidia graphics cards.
CPU PhysX for non-Nvidia owners is poorly optimized and can incur a performance hit.

Latest version

For recent games install the NVIDIA PhysX System Software. For older games (2007 and earlier) install the NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software.

If you are using an Nvidia graphics card some PhysX versions are already included.

PhysX v2.5.2 compatibility

The NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software does not include v2.5.2; the only game known to need this version is Infernal but there may be others.
Instructions

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.

Requirements

  • Windows 7 or Windows XP/Windows 2003 (Windows Vista will not work)
  • AMD/ATI GPU used for your primary display
  • NVIDIA GPU that can support Hardware PhysX (series 8 and newer, with a minimum of 32 cores and 25 6 MB of video memory)

Installation steps

Instructions

Notes

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


References