Yes, all that dynamic clothing and particle effects are cool, but actuall performance of Mafia II with APEX PhysX effects set on “Medium” or “High” isn’t very fascinating – even GTX 480 users may met some annoying fps drops and lags. Fortunately, there is a way to tweak APEX content a little.

Note: Interested in how exactly APEX Framework is being used ? Visit Mafia II GPU PhysX profile page for additional information.

Important: Mafia II may have some issue with PhysX System Software installation. If you experiencing major slowdowns, reinstall it using 9.10.0512_SystemSoftware package from \Steam\steamapps\common\mafia ii – public demo\3rd folder.

You also may wanna try new 9.10.0513 PhysX drivers

Most performance is devoured by APEX Clothing module (why ? because it is running on CPU, not on GPU), that is responcible for realistic clothing simulation on main and several NPC characters.

Update: tweaking APEX Particles effects

Update #2: following tweaks will work with final version of Mafia II

If you can live without flowing Vito trenchcoat and woman’s skirts, you can simply follow the path

\Steam\steamapps\common\mafia ii( – public demo)\edit\APEX

and delete (don’t forget to backup) directory named as

Cloth

This will remove  certain APEX assets, and character clothing will revert to static skinned mesh (like with APEX set to “Off“), but all particle effects will stay !

Result ? No more realistic cloth, but huge fps increase. 70 average fps vs 25 fps without this trick (APEX set to High, single GTX470 is used, GPU PhysX enabled).

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If you haven’t played Mafia II demo, and still wondering what are differences between APEX PhysX effects setting, we have prepared a small video, showcasing several APEX settings using built-in benchmark.

Update: Tweaking PhysX in Mafia II – huge fps increase without noticable difference.

Update #2: comparison PhysX videos for final version, covering APEX Clothing and APEX Particles modules usage in details.

As you may notice, when APEX is set to “High” – a lot of dynamic particles (impact debris, chunks from explosions, smoke) are added, and simulated clothing for characters as well. Detailed effects description is available here.

Unfortunately, this one is not even close our usual detailed comparison videos, so – our apologies.

Full scale APEX Effects comparison is planned only after Mafia II release.

While you are waiting for Mafia II Demo, planned to be released just in a few hours, you can read the preview of APEX/PhysX content, prepared by Techgage in their “Taking a Look at Mafia II and its PhysX Use” article.

Demo includes “Benchmark” mode, and that’s how it’s look like:

Update: Our PhysX Comparison video using built-in benchmark. In addition, APEX comparison and showcase videos roundup.

Update #2: Tweaking PhysX in Mafia II – huge fps increase without noticable difference.

Update #3: Mafia II Demo – PhysX Benchmarks roundup

Update #4: Mafia II GPU PhysX profile – comparison video, screens and other additional info.

APEX/PhysX Features:

• Physically simulated clothing for main character and additional characters
  • Custom wind simulation that creates a more dynamic movement of clothing as the characters walk around and interact with the environment.
  • Force fields from explosions and interact with clothing, making those explosive moments even more immersive
• Up to 3,000 unique particles on screen at any given time (10,000 at High settings).
• Particle effects including dynamic collision, mass and kinetic simulation, and force fields from explosions that move and displace particles along its path.
  • Destruction particle debris from cement, wood, glass, dirt, and more
  • Weapon impact that creates dynamic smoke and kinetic persistent particles
  • Garbage moves and exists in the world of Empire Bay and reacts to effects like force fields and character interactions
  • Tire burnout while driving produces dynamic smoke and particles including fluid movement simulation and particle velocity and trajectory
• Character clothing on all character models is rendered entirely on the GPU when using a dedicated PhysX card which can be anything from a GT 240 to a GTX 480.

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For those of you who are still playing with old Nvidia PhysX Fluid Demo (version 1.0.0.9, released in 2008 with first PowerPack) Nvidia has prepared a new, slightly updated variant – PhysX Fluid Demo ver. 1.0.1.3.

Release notes:

• Allocate only 64MB of VRAM heap instead of 128MB
• Adjusted text output to not conflict with the PhysX Visual Indicator
• Added option to toggle the display of all text (in screen space) on/off.

You can download PhysX Fluid Demo ver. 1.0.1.3. from here (19 mb)

Alternative download from physxfiles.com (direct links won't work)

Supersonic Rocket Sled – DX11 and PhysX technology demo from Nvidia is finally available for download (221 mb). Unfortunately, you won’t be able to run it until you have GTX 400 Series GPU.

You can download Supersonic Sled demo from here

Apart from Supersonic Rocket Sled demo all of you are probably familar already, for GF100 launch Nvidia has prepared another technical PhysX demo, called Raging Rapids Ride, with boat riding down a montain river – maybe not so impressive in graphics aspect, but with intensive and complex real-time fluid simulation.

It using PhysX SDK based objects with custom hybrid water simulation, utilizing both heightfield fluid solver and particle simulation.  Boat behaviour is a little choppy, escpecially when it collides with waterside surface, but water simulation looks very impressive.

Update: You can download Raging Rapids Ride demo here

Grid based shallow water flowing pass a terrain with high slope is automatically turned into particle waterfall, and than – back to heightfield water (thus, two different fluid solvers are used simultaneously).

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Official trailer of Rocket Sled demo (also known as Supersonic Sled), with detailed DX 11 and PhysX features description, emerges on YouTube recently.

Firstly shown on CES 2010, Rocket Sled is supposed to demonstrate both graphics and physics computing capabilities of new GF100 (Fermi) GPUs.

If you are interested in more in-depth technical details behind this demo, you can watch this video or read this article.

Today NDA relative to new Nvidia GF100 (Fermi) GPU was partially lifted , and major websites have already published their technological previews of new architecture (without game benchmarks yet). Certain details on GF100 PhysX potentiality and PhysX Technology were stated accordingly, and here is our sum overview:

GF100 Preview by GURU 3D specifies GF100 physics computing capabilities – 2x times faster then GT200 arhitecture in Dark Void, and up to 3x in PhysX Fluid simulation.

“NVIDIA GF100 Architecture and Feature Preview” article by hothardware.com adds new details on Supersonic Sled demo.

The Supersonic Sled Demo uses GPU particles systems for smoke, dust, and fireballs, PhysX physical models for rigid bodies and joints, which are partially processed on the CPU, tessellation is used for the terrain, and image processing is used for the motion blur effect.

Particles are strewn about and objects like a shack, bridge, and rock ledge crumble as the sled jets by. Hundreds of thousands to a million particles can be on the screen at any given time, all being managed by the GPU.

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PC demo version of Dark Void emerges on the net recently. It’s just resembles console demo – 20 min of jetpack fun, ufo hijacking and some firefight on foot.

However, despite of fact that Dark Void is augmented with hardware accelerated PhysX support, this particular demo does not contain any GPU PhysX content (confirmed by Nvidia).

You can download PC demo (1.02 GB) of Dark Void via  FileFront | Fileplanet | WorthPlaying