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REPORT ANALYSIS
After a fair bit of testing, the results are in. Let’s look back to our first thesis question: “will adding a second graphics card, set to process PhysX solely, increase our gaming performance in both theoretical and practical (real world) scenarios?”. Our results answer this questions with a definite maybe. We say that with all sincerity as the theoretical tests, such as FireStrike, there is a huge difference favouring against using a dedicated PhysX card. However, when we look to the the gaming scene, we see certain games, such as GTA V, who benefit immensely from the dedicated card, but we also see games that are built along side Nvidia PhysX, Witcher 3 and Batman Arkham Asylum, which don’t necessarily see any overall performance increase from the dedicated PhysX card.
However, we did notice one blatant point that needed to be mentioned about the dedicated PhysX card. In almost every test we conducted, the minimum FPS recorded was higher with the dedicated PhysX card, than it was with the GTX 980 process graphics and PhysX by itself. While at times, this increase is that of 1 FPS, it is still an increase.
This brings us to our second question that started this adventure: “will the performance be worth the added expense? Or worth keeping the card rather than selling it?”. This is another ambiguous answer, as for some games the dedicated PhysX processor proved to be very beneficial, however in other scenarios, not so much.
If we are to take a step back as a whole to look at whether or not you should take your old graphics card and utilize it as a dedicated PhysX processor, the answer lies in your hands. Our recommendation is to try this, it’s simple. Try it, take your old card, dedicate it to process PhysX alongside your shiny new graphics card and go play all your favourite games. While doing so, load up FRAPS and monitor your FPS. If you find that the games you play show an increase in performance as a whole with the dedicated PhysX processor, then the answer is simple. However, if you find the the older graphics card shows minimal or no increase in performance, then you are probably better off selling the card.
Have a different opinion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Is….is this article a joke? Only ONE of the games tested use Physx, so of course there won’t be any benefit to the others (that ONE is Arkham Asylum). I will admit I’m surprised at the results there.
Why not run a test using Arkham Knight, which runs like two completely different games depending on if you have a dedicated card? Or Hawken, which is free, if your issue is cost?
And before you say “Witcher 3 has it!”, that game only supports it via CPU, so it doesn’t use a dedicated card even if you have one. Here’s a handy reference that took me 4 seconds to find:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_with_hardware-accelerated_PhysX_support
The purpose of this article is show how using a spare graphics card as a dedicated PhysX processor will affect performance.
We used a variety of games, some older, some newer, some Nvidia PhysX enabled, some not. This was to show how using that spare card may affect performance.
The games we chose are apart of our regular game testing suite, with the exception of Batman Arkham Asylum, which differs from Batman Arkham Knight because it was created with the intention of having a PPU process PhysX as well as a GPU.
Yes, we know Witcher 3 is “CPU Only” when it comes to PhysX, but it’s an example of how the dedicated card is not beneficial to Witcher 3 performance, thus confirming that the game is best played with the CPU to process PhysX.
The article’s intention is not to compare PhysX-enabled games, but to simply show how setting your older graphics card to solely process PhysX can affect different games.
For example – look at GTA V, a game with no intention of PhysX when being created, yet it had a higher average FPS with the dedicated PhysX processor. Something we didn’t expect to see in the slightest.
We appreciate your comments, and possibly in the future we could look at only comparing PhysX enabled games and the difference in their performance.
The article’s title should be “How Does Having a Dedicated Physx Card Affect Games That Don’t Use It?”, then. Your title implies that you’re using the card for its intended purpose, which you clearly aren’t.
Well done Chris. I have been debating on whether using my old card for physx was worth the power consumption. Seeing how few games it makes a difference on is definitely a factor to be considered.
I love these guys with a little bit of computer knowledge suddenly come out with their own interpretation of what they have googled on their website with out having real experience with the subject..I agree with J.C.
Who so ever thinks there are a few titles that use phsx, please check this out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_with_hardware-accelerated_PhysX_support