GTX 260 as PhysX

[Ritz61190]

I just upgraded from a GTX 260 to a GTX 580, and I was just wondering if its worth plugging the GTX 260 into my computer and setting it as the PhysX card, and leaving the GTX 580 for purely graphics rendering?

 

[megamanx00]

Well it's not going to do your power bill any favors that's for sure. Even so, if you play any PhysX games you will certainly appreciate having a dedicated physX card leaving your GTX 580 to better handle max details.

 

[Ritz61190]

Also, I should note, I'm running a P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard from Asus. If I put two GPUs in, they'll be runnning at x8. Is this going to affect my graphics?

 

[wh3resmycar]

Also, I should note, I'm running a P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard from Asus. If I put two GPUs in, they'll be runnning at x8. Is this going to affect my graphics?

as far as physx games are concerned. you'd see more fluid/smoother gameplay (in theory) if you use a gtx580 + 260 for physx even if both are running @ 8x compared to a single gtx580 doing it's own physx acceleration sans the 260 @ 16x.

 

[nforce4max]

I have said this before do some benchmarks of the physx games and application that You personally use with and without the dedicated only then base your decision on what to use. Some games can see large improvements over a single card or two cards in sli when physx is dedicated to a card out side the normal rendering but only if the system can take the extra load. If there is nothing to hold it back and there are gains to be seen you will notice them. Physx is capped as to how much it can use of any card's resources and is not distributed across multiple cards in sli. It is one Cuda or Physx application to one gpu at a time. The physx is integrated in the engine of supported games and counts as a single app.

The physx load cap for just about any card thus observed is around 47%.

Power wise that gtx 260 will never hit full load in normal gaming when dedicated as a physx card so power shouldn't be an immediate issue.

 

[bystander]

One added benefit, if it applies to you, is that if you use 2 monitors for an extended desktop, the physX card can drive it. The reason this is more advantageous over plugging both into the same card, is that a single card cannot idle at low clock speeds in order to drive two monitors at once. This causes much higher temps when at the desktop.

 

[Ritz61190]

So to do benchmarks to test running x16 vs x8 and test PhysX running on GTX 580 or dedicated GTX 260, what programs do you guys recommend?

 

[nforce4max]

8x isn't a bottleneck. It is 4x that people should be concerned about.

 

[bystander]

So to do benchmarks to test running x16 vs x8 and test PhysX running on GTX 580 or dedicated GTX 260, what programs do you guys recommend?

You'd have to have a game that supports GPU accelerated PhysX. Do you have any?

Mass Effect, Maphia II, Batman AA, Metro 2033 (this uses so little, it's not a good choice), Sacred 2 are a few. There are about 20 in total. If you don't have these games, you won't see any difference.

 

[bruticus0]

One added benefit, if it applies to you, is that if you use 2 monitors for an extended desktop, the physX card can drive it. The reason this is more advantageous over plugging both into the same card, is that a single card cannot idle at low clock speeds in order to drive two monitors at once. This causes much higher temps when at the desktop.

I'm in the same situation as the OP. I've got a Gigabyte gtx 260 soc,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125294
and I've got a Gigabyte gtx 460 soc on the way.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125345
Are there any instructions on how to set up this GPU/Physix? I've got a Corsair 750W with the needed cables for a second card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
And the ugly MSI X58 Pro ATX board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130226

Currently have the 260 in the top slot. Could I just slap the 460 in the next slot, move my second monitor over to it and be done? Do I need the Sli ribbon?

I've seen the option in Nvidia's Control Panel to choose the Physix precessor. I assume that's where the 260 will show up if everything goes right.

I desperately need this second card to keep that load of 2 monitors off that first slot. I usually have to set the fan manually to keep it at temps I'm comfortable with. See, my IOH is right behind that dam card too in that first slot, and they're known to overheat very easily on this model board. I just recently learned what a strain two monitors puts on a gpu, so it's become a priority to fix. Thanks for reading this gibberish, and help would be appreciated.

 

[Ritz61190]

Best answer selected by Ritz61190.