10-4-09 Patch Re-Enables PhysX When ATI Card Is Present

An anonymous reader points us to a forum posting with the inevitable followup to NVIDIA's crippling of PhysX for users of any other display adapter. "Windows 7 allows two display drivers to be used at once — like in Windows XP. Therefore, it is possible to use an NVIDIA card for PhysX and ATI card for graphics rendering. Sadly, since the release of 186 graphics drivers, NVIDIA has decided to block this feature anytime a Non-NVIDIA GPU is present in the system. In addition, for some incomprehensible reasons, the latest version of PhysX System Software also prevents PPU cards from working if a Non-NVIDIA GPU is present. ... A forum member by the name of GenL has released an experimental beta patch [that] intercepts disable-PhysX-if-Radeon-is-present-code. So far, according to user comments the patch delivers successful results."

PhysX the nvidia technology ATi fans hate to love!

Well, it is here to stay. i don't see Havok making any headway.
-- and it is starting to look cool with Batman:AA

Yep, why do you think there is so much sour grapes in the forums about Batman at the moment? nvidia put in the hard yards, ATi sat back and the fanatics are whining their heads off.

well, they are saying the devs disable some things for ATi cards
- that is ridiculous .. physX *adds* to the experience; it doesn't take anything away from the game ... they just miss out and say the CPU *should* be able to do it

But then they are not terribly objective

Well, I would love to run PhysX to be able to see all this for myself.

it is beginning to look really cool; Mirror's Edge didn't have anything worthwhile; B:AA does

but you really need two Nvidia GPUs to appreciate it

Same thing with the AA argument. If it were left to the developers alone nobody would have gotten in game AA (the engine doesn't normally offer AA). nvidia got up off of their butt and worked with the developer to allow AA with their cards and the fanatics get all shitty about that. Why should nvidia have to do anything to benefit ATi users? Ati could have done the same thing, but they didn't.

Instead of ATi being called lazy, nvidia gets accused of hijacking the industry. Unbelievable.

lol, while nvidia may be speaking the truth but enough with all the "I completely believe nvidia sentiment".

Since we don't know the details of the TWIMTBP program, like if ati gets access to the game developer before the game gets released so as to implement AA it's hard to say that ATI is lazy. If Nvidia provides money to the game developers, it's natural to expect something in return like people do in the real life too. My guess is that they must get something out of that investment, like the developer can only talk to nvidia before the game is released (just a vague guess).

Then about disabling physX when ATI card is rendering 3D cards, they are just hurting their sales. enabling physX on ati rendering would allow them to get their cards into ATI owners rigs. Plus I don't believe that talk of they are not willing to iron out bugs of running such a config because anyone who is running such config knows that there could easily be conflicts from installing two display drivers in their system. If they are willing to take the risk and run a ATI Nvidia card combo, Nvidia just needs to put a disclaimer in their driver EULA that they are not responsible for any errors arising from such situations.

it is business .. that much is clear
- they don't plan to help *their direct competitor* ATi one bit and there is no reason in this wide cosmos why they should
- it is utter nonsense that they will sell more cards that make them any money as just about any used GeForce will do for PhysX; like a forty dollar 8600 series card

IF an ATi owner truly want to experience PhysX, then buy *2* Nvidia cards - or wait for ATi to get off their dead asses with Havok
- don't bastardize the experience with a mismatch half-ass'd attempt at it that will probably piss people off at Nvidia when it is not perfect