Physx dedicated 9800 GT in a PCIE 1.0(x16) @ x4

[JezEngland]

Hello,

Guess what I got for Christmas......................

9800 GT

I got it running PhysX in a PciE 1.0 (x16) slot @x4. Its the third x16 slot on the Maximus 3 Formula motherboard. The other 2 are populated with GTX 480's, each at the @x8 PciE 2.0 setting, because it is a P55, Intel i5 750 build. The i5 is OC'd to 3.7Ghz.

I did tests with & without APEX PhysX, at maximum graphic's settings, at 1920x1080 screen resolution and recorded the average frame rate result on the 2nd run for each configuration with the Mafia 2's benchmark, with 9 different GPU setups configured in the Nvidia Control Pannel.

I just realised the Nvidia 3D settings in the control pannel are higher than default. the 480 may be producing a lower frame rate.

Here are the results:

2 GTX 480 SLI-APEX PhysX off: I didn't bother finishing this run, the fps started out over 100/150

2 GTX 480 SLI+9800 GT for APEX PhysX @ medium setting: 62

2 GTX 480 SLI+9800 GT for APEX PhysX @ high setting: 46

1 GTX 480-APEX PhysX off: 64

1 GTX 480+1 9800 GT for APEX PhysX @ medium setting: 50

1 GTX 480+9800 GT for APEX PhysX @ high setting: 43 - 9800GT max GPU usage: 74%

1 GTX 480+1 GTX 480 for PhysX @ high setting: 47 - PhysX dedicated GTX 480 max GPU usage: 69%

1 GTX 480 also doing APEX PhysX @ medium setting: 43

1 GTX 480 also doing APEX PhysX @ high setting: 37

This is my conclusion:

Some thoughts: The 9800 GT's core clock is 600Mhz. The GTX 480's core clock is 700 Mhz. The 480 doing the APEX PhysX setup's average frame rate(47) is between 1 and 4 frames faster than the 9800 GT's setup(43/46), with APEX PhysX @ high setting. Core clock frequency must be(probably) a crucial factor for driving PhysX. The 9800GT could have more input for this benchmark because GPU usage results maxed at 74%, and the GTX 480 dedicated to PhysX max usage was 69%. I rekon a heavily overclocked 9800GT core frequency can put a better result, better than the stock 480? mm maby.

Nvidia drivers and game code updates will erm, always/sometimes(sometimes they make mistakes) improve results. The logic of scaling(or watever it's called) is crippled by Mafia 2's APEX PhysX. The decrease in performanc with APEX PhysX working is big. I think Mafia 2 runs PhysX when APEX PhysX is off, ? playing without APEX the long jackets movement looked the same

i dunno

PCIE 1.0 @ x4 could be making a small difference though I'm not convinced

In Metro 2033 the 9800 GT's usage averaged at 10% and max was 22% and overall performance is better.

So the mk1 VW Golf is faster than some of the updated Golf GT's

Thanks

 

[chudley]

Interesting results, question is....are you willing to heavily overclock your 9800 to test it out? What temps are you running at and with what cooling, oh and for the record I am jealous that you have the cards you have... wife got me a filofax for Christmas, nice but not what I REALLY wanted.

 

[JezEngland]

Interesting results, question is....are you willing to heavily overclock your 9800 to test it out? What temps are you running at and with what cooling, oh and for the record I am jealous that you have the cards you have... wife got me a filofax for Christmas, nice but not what I REALLY wanted.

Thanks,

funny.

I'll overclock it some-time, dunno when, maby tonight

. Its average loaded temps is 74-86 degrees, i think. It is an XFX card stock cooler. This is where we bought it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-GeForce...1_1?ie=UTF8&s=computers&qid=1293419180&sr=8-1 the build quality is excellent. it's sad that XFX stopped making Nvidia cards. i talked to the seller and learnt they have over 50 in stock. they are selling a low power version too, it's on amazon.

On the side of the card is a metal plate, it drops down and has an XFX logo to show off. it's fixed to the card with 2 screws, check they are tightened sufficiently as 1 of mine was loose. I fixed the metal plate to the underside of the card so there is more ventilation room between the card and the 480 above. The 480 heatsink is millimeters away from it. I got a fan aimed at the sides of the cards, angled away from the 480's fan. it helps.

 

[JezEngland]

 

[Redskins47]

Would a GTX280 be overkill as Physx card ? 480 or 580 as main card

 

[JezEngland]

Would a GTX280 be overkill as Physx card ? 480 or 580 as main card

Hello,

Maby it is with current games and Nvidia tech demo's lookin awesome means you might need better soon. the Mafia 2 results is strange because Nvidia states the 400 series PhysX processing power is 2/3 times better than the previouse generation. Software issue maby because for Mafia 2 it isn't 2/3 times better

?

If you have a gtx 280 or can get it for next to nothing, good, i think use it. gtx 460'll cost about as much as a gtx 280(new and second hand) and should deliver better

 

[Redskins47]

Hello,

Maby it is with current games and Nvidia tech demo's lookin awesome means you might need better soon. the Mafia 2 results is strange because Nvidia states the 400 series PhysX processing power is 2/3 times better than the previouse generation. Software issue maby because for Mafia 2 it aint 2/3 times better

?

If you have a gtx 280 or can get it for next to nothing, good, i think use it. gtx 460'll cost about as much as a gtx 280(new and second hand) and should deliver better

Thanks for the info mate, will defo consider it and sorry for Hijacking your thread

Cheers again

 

[sheldonleigh]

Hey there Thanks for the link to this info.

So I'm looking at what I can afford at the moment to do PhysX

The main card will be a GTX580 and the Physx card could be this GT430.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/...idiagt430fermiseries/novatech/nov-gt4301.html

I gather that that setup should work well enough together??

Would I be able to rack your brain on how to make it all happen??

Thanks again

 

[JezEngland]

rack my brain, no, hmm. i'll do that

I don't know what PhysX power the 430 has. Its designed for media computers, i mean for playing HD movies, basic editing or summin like that

you'd like a future proof card. get summin better

the Nvidia drivers have a control pannel, accessible in the OS. Right click on the desktop to find it. in there is the option to configure what the cards do. there is an option to dedicate a card to PhysX and auto select PhysX card

I've updated the 9800 GT review at the top, more info

 

[sheldonleigh]

rack my brain, no, hmm. i'll do that

I don't know what PhysX power the 430 has. Its designed for media computers, i mean for playing HD movies, basic editing or summin like that

you'd like a future proof card. get summin better

the Nvidia drivers have a control pannel, accessible in the OS. Right click on the desktop to find it. in there is the option to configure what the cards do. there is an option to dedicate a card to PhysX and auto select PhysX card

I've updated the 9800 GT review at the top, more info

Ok so... I'm looking at the cards I can afford today after the outlay on the full pc early this month. I think I'll end up waiting till after our wedding, then get a second GTX580. I am right in saying that going SLI will give a much bigger performance increase than getting a PhysX card?? The improvement from my old PC (Phenom IIx4 940 BE, 4GB Ram, ATI5870) will be enough to keep me occupied form the next few months. Oh and 3D.

Happy new year

 

[JezEngland]

the results with different games differs. we can see the APEX PhysX cripples frame rate

you have high expextations. HD, 3D + PhysX, Crank that **** up, that'll need a very high-spec OC'd PC and some crazy cooling I think

i dunno what results you'll get with the rig you describe, it'll be good though i think you'd be swithing off 3D or compensating else-where to give extra performance often. 3D cripples frame rate. Other games are less demanding on the PhysX. You could sell the old stuff. Try a 3rd card for PhysX

Games running V Sync'd is what we want. Nvidia's strong at this game

 

[bbcake009]

@X4 lane??? that card will run really shitty I think. If its going to run at all... my Physics slot is X8 w/ sli but I'm not running sli so my physics will still have a maximum full lane of X16 lane.... Wow i didn't know it can run on X4 what a supprised....

 

[JezEngland]

@X4 lane??? that card will run really shitty I think. If its going to run at all... my Physics slot is X8 w/ sli but I'm not running sli so my physics will still have a maximum full lane of X16 lane.... Wow i didn't know it can run on X4 what a supprised....

 

[Bungral]

If you happen to get a chance if it isn't toooo much bother could you try something out for me?

Quite simple really.. Run a single 480 with the 9800 running physx and then again with just a single 480 with no 9800 running physx and see what the framerate difference is?

If it is too much grief then not to worry

 

[JezEngland]

I did that and the results are in the list. 4th, 5th and 6th in the list

 

[Bungral]

Oooo sorry I forgot to mention that I meant on Metro 2022

 

[inesshell]

I got a fan aimed at the sides of the cards, angled away from the 480's fan. it helps.

i did that for my quad sli 480 setup.......the cards killed the 200 mm fan and fried the circuit board. When i smelt the burning, it was all to late