Beyond3D's GT200 GPU and Architecture Analysis

Note that those are slides provided by NVidia. Obviously, no AA enabled in any test. A custom UT3 demo as well, as other tests show far higher framerates.

Also, how optimal do you think the PhysX CPU implementation is?

 

Is there a document describing the effect? I briefly looked at their web site and didn't see it.

Thanks.

 

Not that I know of. One of the most obvious geometry shader effects is when Medusa turns the guy into stone. The stone geometry is clearly generated overtop the other geometry.

Chris

 

Semi off-topic, but is the Medusa demo D3D10 or is it done in OpenGL like most nVidia demos?

 

DX10

 

So... how is that CUDA article coming along?

 

Wtf is going on here. I smell something fishy. I don't think FM will be too happy with the GPU helping out in a CPU test... the tests were specifically designed in order to isolate the CPU.

 

I saw references to progress being made internally. Probably not today, tho it sounds like its at the polishing stage.

 

Well cpu test 2 is designed to measure physics performance. You could say it's of secondary importance if that's run on the cpu or gpu. Of course it doesn't look fair if nvidia gets to accelerate this on the gpu and amd not due to the physics API used. Seems to be the fault of futuremark though rather than nvidia - maybe havok would have been a better choice...
btw I find the hd movide transcode performance graph hilarious. You can clearly see the score going from 1.2Ghz dual-core to 3Ghz quad-core only improves with clock frequency, not core count. My best guess is it's only single-threaded on the cpu, so a properly optimized version would probably be 4 times as fast on the quad-core cpu...

 

Wow, if Nvidia can release drivers for older cards then they definitely have a winner on their hands.

US

 

Jade Raymond

 

Although I'm not too excited about another 3DMark-War brewing in the distance, the currently mentioned drivers 177.39 should actually work pretty well on all G8x/G9x GPUs so far (tested for real only on 8800 GTS/512).

That said, I'd rather see some other applications being accelerated than some version of 3DMark.

 

Try UT3?

Remember that you need to update PhysX too.

Carsten, one other thing. Do you know if PhysX works with XP and Vista, or is it just Vista?

I got a GTS 512 and will d/l the driver.

US

 

GeForce Release 177

Version: 177.35
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Operating System: Windows XP, Windows XP Media Center Edition

* WHQL-certified for Windows XP
* Adds support for GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs.
* Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology* on DirectX 9 and OpenGL.
* Adds beta support Folding@home distributing computing application.
* Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.
* Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, and known compatibility issues.
* Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Note: 3-way SLI technology and Hybrid SLI technology are only supported on Windows Vista.

Download: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_177.35_whql.html

--------------------------

Version: 177.35
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Operating System: Windows Vista 64-bit

* WHQL-certified for Windows Vista
* Adds support for GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs.
* Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI Technology with GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs.
* Adds support for CUDA™ Technology.
* Adds beta support Folding@home distributing computing application.
* Supports HybridPower, a Hybrid SLI Technology, on the following GPUs and motherboards:
o GeForce GTX 280 GPU
o GeForce GTX 260 GPU
o nForce 780a SLI motherboards
o nForce 750a SLI motherboards
* Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.
* Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, and known compatibility issues.
* Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Download: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_177.35_whql.html

--------------------------

Version: 177.35
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Operating System: Windows Vista 32-bit

* WHQL-certified for Windows Vista
* Adds support for GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs.
* Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI Technology with GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs.
* Adds support for CUDA™ Technology.
* Adds beta support Folding@home distributing computing application.
* Supports HybridPower, a Hybrid SLI Technology, on the following GPUs and motherboards:
o GeForce GTX 280 GPU
o GeForce GTX 260 GPU
o nForce 780a SLI motherboards
o nForce 750a SLI motherboards
* Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.
* Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, and known compatibility issues.
* Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Download: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_177.35_whql.html

-------------------------

And get this too

Ageia | NVIDIA PhysX System driver 8.04.25

Version: 8.04.25
Publisher: NVIDIA / Ageia
Date added: 2008-06-21 05:28:37

Download Ageia NVIDIA PhysX System Software WHQ, this update is compatible with AGEIA PhysX processors and software runtimes.


* Supports only AGEIA PhysX processors and software runtimes
* Does NOT include NVIDIA GPU PhysX Support
* Supports the following PhysX runtime engines: 2.8.1, 2.8.0, 2.7.4, 2.7.3, 2.7.2, 2.7.1, 2.7.0, 2.6.4, 2.6.3, 2.6.2, 2.6.1, 2.6.0, 2.5.1, 2.5.0, 2.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.0, 2.3.3, 2.3.2, 2.3.1
* Includes the latest PhysX runtimes used in the latest game titles
* Resolves some re-installation issues seen previously when running Microsoft Windows VISTA
* Updated demo applications
* Updated WHQL certified driver version 1.1.1.15 for AGEIA PPU - for both mobile and desktop processors

This driver Supports all AGEIA PhysX Processors, this is not the GeForce PhysX version.

Download: Ageia | NVIDIA PhysX System driver 8.04.25 download from Guru3D.com


Just noticed this

US

 

PhysX support is only implemented on the 200 series and the 9800GTX/+ so far I think.

Its planned for the rest of G8x/G9x though.

 

It will work on all G92 cards with a modified driver. The G80 I'm not so sure about yet. Most of this is a question of time/QA.

Chris

 

You can modify the INF.file to get it working on G92 based cards.

 

So it works on all DX10 display adapters

 

I see no reason updating to those drivers. I will when they are released for G80 proper, beta or WHQL.

 

Seems like you'Ve found out yourself. Me, I had just tried Vista so far.