Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (
More info?)
On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 19:58:40 -0400, "First of One" <daxinfx@yahoo.com>
wrote:
>
>> Really ? And what does a physics chip have to communicate DIRECTLY to
>> the video card ?
>
>The physics output has to go somewhere, right?
Yes, back to the primary CPU, of course -- just as it would if the
physics computation was executed on the second core of a dual-core GPU
( or a SPE, in the case of PS3 ), except that the dedicated AGEIA
hardware would execute faster.
>All the geometry transform is
>still done by the video card.
Sure, after it has been told where to place the 'objects' by the
CPU/physics algorithms.
>In fact, the more the game depends on
>programmable shaders, the worse the I/O impact. All the talk about geometry
>instancing and hardware flow control means the video card has to manage its
>communication with the physics card.
>
>> Yuk, and it sacrifices the parallel and serial ports for zero
>> benefit.. The current Asus A8N-SLI Premium passive solution is much
>> better than this hack.
>
>The current A8N SLI passive solution leads to nowhere. It connects the
>voltage regulator heat sink with the chipset heat sink, but relies on "bleed
>air" from the CPU fan to cool everything.
>
Actually from the case fan ( which is far more useful and effective
than Abit's noisy, junk OTES )
>> And poor old Abit is having a teeny weeny
>> financial problem at the moment anyway. Seems as if they have
>> concentrated too much on gimmicks like "Fatal1ty", OTES, uGuru etc,
>> and not listened to their customers. I have been a faithful Abit
>> customer for years from BH6 to IC7-G with nary a break. My next
>> motherboard purchases will NOT be Abit.
>
>Abit, DFI, these brands have no OEM sales, so their marketshares are almost
>negligible compared to the giants like Asus, ECS, and MSI. All it takes is
>for a few enthusiasts to fart the wrong way and Abit's financials are the
>gutter. Making a desirable product isn't enough. Chaintech was smart to exit
>the M/B business.
>
>And Fatal1ty isn't all a gimmick. The Fatal1ty X800XL is the first retail
>card with factory-backed overvoltage adjustments, the key to successful
>overclocks.
>
Huh ?? <<Factory-backed>> overvoltage adjustments ?? What's the
difference between that and the normal overvoltage adjustments on
enthusiast boards ?
More Abit weasel-words like OTES, uGURU etc... ?
>> > However, you STILL need a fan in the case to whisk the heat out
>>
>> Sure, of course. Preferably 2.
>
>Which partially negates the benefit of a passive (and expensive) heat-pipe
>solution. Sure, the fans are bigger, but noiseless they aint.
Ah, but chip-set fans are notoriously unreliable, which is the primary
reason for the move to passive MB cooling - mostly a function of heat
and consequent lack of bearing-lubrication. And
a 120mm 1500RPM case fan is a lot less noisy than a 25mm 6000RPM
whiner.
John Lewis