New version of Hybrid PhysX mod was released today by GenL – yet another round of confrontation between Hybrid PhysX community and NVIDIA.

Release Notes:

1.05ff – 26/10/2011:
- added support for fixing new limitations introduced in 285.xx drivers and PhysX System Software 9.11.0621
- mod will now delete all application 3D settings profiles from NVIDIA Control Panel (prevents problems with known PhysX games)
- updated old patterns

As revealed in latest interview, NVIDIA still has no plans to support AMD + NV PhysX systems officially, but admits modified drivers as opportunity for users to achieve desired result.

For download, FAQ and installation instructions please refer to Hybrid PhysX thread at NGOHQ

GenL has released new 1.04ff version of Hybrid PhysX mod – now it works with 257.21 GeForce drivers and newer.

Update: Hybrid PhysX mod 1.05ff is available

Description:

This mod will enable hardware PhysX support for NVIDIA GPU, when non-NVIDIA GPU is used as a primary display device.

• intended only for WDDM 1.1 OS (Windows 7) and NT5 WDM OS (Windows XP/2003).
• only for multi-vendor multi-GPU configurations.

1.04ff – 29/06/2010:

• removed support for fixing GeForce driver binaries as current 256 series don’t need this (dropped support of all older 19x series drivers)
• added support for fixing a new limitation in PhysX System Software, introduced in 9.10.0223 (aka 9.10.0528/9.10.0529)
• added extra optional command line files (nvsvc and PhysX related)
• removed most of gfx/sfx stuff (the mod is now tiny and no more requires 96dpi mode)

You can download Hybrid PhysX mod 1.04ff from our server (not available, use NGOHQ instead)

Q: Why do we need both v1.03 and v1.04ff, which should I use?
A: If you are not going to use anything older than 257.21 – forget about v1.03 and use v1.04ff. The mod v1.03 is intended for old 19x series and 9.10.0222 (+older) PhysX SS.

If you update any component from the [old] 19x.xx and/or 9.10.0222 (+older) to [newer] 256 series and/or 9.10.0223 (+newer) – you should apply the mod v1.04ff afterwards. The mod v1.04ff will not help with 19x series GeForce driver.

For download, FAQ and installation instructions please refer to Hybrid PhysX thread at NGOHQ

Update: 1.04ff mod works with 258.69 Beta; 258.96 Beta/WHQL; 259.09; 259.31; 259.32; 259.47 WHQL; 260.63 Beta; 260.89 Beta/WHQL; 260.93 Beta; 260.99 WHQL; 261.00 Beta GPU drivers and 9.10.0224; 9.10.0512; 9.10.0513; 9.10.0514 PhysX System Software

KitGuru website has brought us news that Manju Hedge, former CUDA and PhysX Solutions Vice President (previously – CEO and co-founder of Ageia) has left NVIDIA to join AMD.

Our own sources at NVIDIA are indicating  – this information is truthful.

However, according to our data, Manju departure won’t affect PhysX (he hasn’t been working on PhysX for over a year) or CUDA development process in NVIDIA, and his new roll in AMD won’t be connected to game physics related projects (instead, Manju is going to be involved in ISV recruitment).

Update: Pursuant to latest press-release, Manju Hedge will lead AMD Fusion Experience Program.

Update #2: from X-bit Labs article

In particular, [Manju Hedge] will manage the developer relations teams that help independent software developers (ISVs) to implement program code optimized for heterogeneous multi-core microprocessors.

We want to thanks Manju Hedge for awesome work on PhysX front and wish him best of luck with this new assignment !

Pretty decent article emerges on TweakTown recently – it contains benchmarks of monstrous Hybrid PhysX system with Sapphire HD 5970 TOXIC card for graphics and GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 480 for PhysX calculations, coupled with Core i7-980 @4.2 GHz CPU and 6 GB of RAM.

Update: Another article from TweakTown. HD 5970 and HD 5870 with GTX 465, GTX 285 and GTX 260 as PhysX cards.

Hardly many people can afford such system, but at least, it is interesting read.

GenL has finally updated Hybrid PhysX mod to version 1.03 – this release supports 197.xx GPU drivers and lastest 09.10.0222 PhysX System Software.

UPDATE: New Hybrid PhysX Mod 1.04ff available.  For 257.21 and newer GeForce drivers.

DESCRIPTION:
This mod will enable hardware PhysX support for NVIDIA GPU, when non-NVIDIA GPU is used as a primary display device.
- intended only for WDDM 1.1 OS (Windows 7) and NT5 WDM OS (Windows XP/2003).
- only for multi-vendor multi-GPU configurations.

VERSION HISTORY:

1.03 – 21/04/2010:
- added support for fixing a timebomb, introduced in 196.75 and 197.xx drivers (gravity reverse + overall slowdown after a few seconds of PhysX processing)
- mod will now attempt to patch PhysX System Software files (helps to eliminate desktop extension requirement on Windows 7)
- mod will now disable “nvsvc” service autostart (helps to fix problems with fake displays)
- improved patching process (no more need to reboot in Safe Mode or terminate any process)
- improved patching logic (mod will no more try to patch non-existent files)
- improved accuracy of some patterns to avoid unnecessary patching

You can download Hybrid PhysX Mod 1.03 from our server (not available, use NGOHQ instead) *

Q: Is there a virus/trojan/malware inside? My security software thinks so.
A: Your security software can make mistakes and thus is unreliable, just like any other security software. There are no such thing here.

Update #2: 257.21 WHQL GeForce Driver and 9.10.0223 PhysX System Software are not working with 1.03 mod.

No need to use Hybrid PhysX mod with BETA 257.15 GeForce Driver.

Update: situation regarding Trojan alert. Aqusations by HardOCP. Responce from NGOHQ.

For download, installation guide and FAQ please refer to NGOHQ or our previous collection of links.

Use commentaries to this article or thread at NGOHQ forums to report errors/positive results.

* PhysXinfo is not responcible for any harm this file can cause to your system. Use it for your own risk.

Decent article called “AMD and NVIDIA butt heads over physics” emerges on Atomic MPC website yesterday.

Richard Huddy, AMD’s Worldwide Developer Relations Manager, Ashu Rege, Nvidia’s Senior Director of Content and Technology, and Nadeem Mohammad, Nvidia’s Director of Product Management and PhysX, are speaking out against physics engines support strategies of their rival companies. During discussion, Bullet physics SDK is opposed to PhysX SDK.

Apart from slight pro-AMD tone and some factial mistakes in engines descriptions, it’s interesting read. Conclusion we are complitely agreed with:

Whether or not Bullet takes off remains to be seen, but the next few years will certainly be an interesting challenge for both companies.

However, as we’ve already took a view at AMD and PhysX relationship history, future of that AMD-promoted GPU Bullet and it’s implementation in games (not Bullet SDK itself) isn’t looking so bright and clear for us.

In recent interview to Xbit Labs, Ashutosh Rege, the worldwide director of developer technology at Nvidia, denies accusations of bribing game developers for implementation of GPU PhysX, stated by AMD.

Such claims were given by Richard Huddy, AMD’s senior manager of developer relations, in his interview to THINQ.co.uk website:

“What I’ve seen with physics, or PhysX rather, is that Nvidia create a marketing deal with a title, and then as part of that marketing deal, they have the right to go in and implement PhysX in the game.”

Following responce from Nvidia Ashutosh Rege

“There could be no deal under which we would cash somebody in for using PhysX“

“What we do when we add GPU PhysX engagement with the developer is that in no shape or form we do anything harmful for the rest of the platforms, those that do not support GPU PhysX. It is just an additive value to our GeForce customers and eventually it boosts game experience on the PC”

Source: Xbitlabs.com

Update: additional commentaries from Nadeem Mohammed, Director of PhysX Product Management:

Once PhysX is selected and the developer plans to have a PC version, we will work closely with them to provide whatever engineering and technical assistance to make the PC version as good as it can be – and hopefully that includes pushing the edge on special PhysX effects which may require GPU acceleration for best performance.

We will “invest” our time, energy, expertise and technology to make good games into great PC titles – if that’s what AMD is talking about then sure they are right!

Source: PCGamesHardware.com

Recent provoking claims by AMD regarding GPU PhysX and all hype around Open Physics Initiative are causing me some Deja Vu feeling.

Why ? Because, actually, hardware accelerated PhysX was criticized by AMD/ATI throughout it’s lifespan (more or less). Let’s take a retrospective look at escalation of the conflict:

In June 2006, just after Ageia PPU launch, ATI unveils their GPU physics processing conception called “Boundless Gaming” (also known as Asymmetric Physics Processing) based on Havok FX engine (technology was supported by Nvidia as well).

X1900 XT GPU was promised to deliver over 9x performance of a PhysX PPU card and games augmented with Havok FX physics were supposed to come out in 2007.

Result ? Havok FX died with Intel aquisition of Havok company, no games were released, 16 titles with Ageia PPU support from hardware PhysX side.

To be honest, AMD was threating PhysX enough politely those times, even considering to buy whole Ageia company:

Richard Huddy saying, “we’ve had that discussion, yes. It’s a discussion that goes round every three months – someone turns to me and says “why don’t we buy Ageia?”

Things started to get worse when Nvidia bought Ageia with all patents, personell, software and hardware developments. GPU PhysX was buried alive by AMD beforehand

“There is no plan for closed and proprietary standards like PhysX,” said [Godfrey] Cheng “As we have emphasized with our support for OpenCL and DX11, closed and proprietary standards will die.”

To support its position, AMD comes to GDC 2009 with GPU accelerated Havok demonstrations, this time with promises to port it to OpenCL platform.

Result ? 7 complitely new titles with GPU PhysX support in 2009, no games with OpenCL Havok, but “PhysX will become irrelevant” claims again and hollow “Accelerated physics processing” label to HD4xxx GPU series feature set.

Meanwhile, whole year passed since than, and now new Open Physics strategy is on the GDC 2010 scene, accompanied by more intensive GPU PhysX abuse

And where is GPU Havok now ?! Following Havok FX in it’s way to oblivion, I guess.

So, why do you think, readers – will this hardware accelerated Bullet & DMM duet took up this time, or it’ll end like other AMD’s attempts to settle on GPU physics field for past 4 years ? Are they really planning to bring peace and unity to developers absolutely disinterestedly, while Nvidia is using GPU PhysX to make money ?

User Containforum, known for his detailed video guide for Hybrid PhysX systems, has published another video – it describes somewhat tricky way to bypass Catalyst Control Center and extended display incompatibility, brought with recent 10.2 Catalyst drivers.

Moreover, after you’ll apply this fix you’ll will be able to use dedicated Nvidia GPU for PhysX – without necessity to extend display. Yep, mouse cursor won’t jump off the screen now.

PhysX FluidMark is popular benchmarking application, that is often used to test stability and performance of GPU PhysX configurations. It performs PhysX SDK based SPH Fluids particle simulation, which can be calculated on CPU or compatible Nvidia GPU, however, only one CPU core can be used in first case.

After all those “Multi-Core CPU Support Is Disabled in PhysX” claims by AMD and following hype, JeGX (FluidMark developer) decided to leverage multi-threading capabilities of PhysX SDK and augment FluidMark with actual multi-core CPU support.

According to short preview, published today – task was successful.

As you may see, updated version of FluidMark, running on JeGX dev. machine with ATI Radeon HD 5770 GPU, is fully utilizing both cores of AMD X2 3800+ CPU.

Update: JeGX revealed another screenshot from upcoming FluidMark with multi-core PhysX support, running on all four cores of quad core Intel Core 2 Extreme X9650 CPU.

Previous version of multi-core FluidMark was able to load only dual-core CPU, but this, updated one – can utilize  quad-core or even n-core CPU.

Update #2: And now – FluidMark running on 16 CPU Cores.