ATi & nVidia: Hybrid PhysX mod

[Bikerdude]

Like other enthusiasts, since learning that Windows 7 can support both ATi and nVidia gfx cards installed in a Pc at the same time. I then wanted to use my ATi gfx card (for Graphics) + nVidia gfx card (for PhysX). But nVidia got wind of this and and blocked the use of physx when an ATi card was detected in the same system, in Forceware 186.xx and above... So, some enterprising programmers/hackers came up with a utility that bypass's nVidia's short sightedness. The following link is the most upto date with regard to getting this working - http://physxinfo.com/news/2789/hybri...-03-available/.

Update:
The Hybrid PhysX mod is now upto version 1.03 – this release supports 197.xx GPU drivers and lastest 09.10.0222 PhysX System Software.

1.03 – 21/04/2010:
- added support for fixing a timebomb, introduced in 196.75 and 197.xx drivers (gravity reverse + overall slowdown after a few seconds of PhysX processing)
- mod will now attempt to patch PhysX System Software files (helps to eliminate desktop extension requirement on Windows 7)
- mod will now disable “nvsvc” service autostart (helps to fix problems with fake displays)
- improved patching process (no more need to reboot in Safe Mode or terminate any process)
- improved patching logic (mod will no more try to patch non-existent files)
- improved accuracy of some patterns to avoid unnecessary patching

Download Link 1.03

My current config is a HD5870 (10.1) and a 8800GTS-512MB (196.34) and I have run 3Dmark vantage, fluid-mark, Batman demo and all confirm physx is enabled. The 8800GTS I have btw is the same as the 9800GTX which is the same as the GTS250, only a bit slower - good ol' nVidia up-to to their renaming schemes trying to confuse the public. My 3Dmark vantage score is just over 20k, see here...

And just reading the the original thread over at NgoHq it seems nVidia's lies know no bounds, as someone has shown that physx even works on series 7 based geforce cards.....

[Volitions Advocate]

Thanks Bikerdude!

I recently purchased an XFX 5870 XXX while I was waitng for my nvidia card to be fixed.

My 8800GT fried a couple months back. Asus said they coudln't fix it and gave me a new videocard that was as close as they could get to an 8800GT (i guess they dont make them anymore) So i have a brand new HD 5870 and a brand new GTS250 that is sitting in the box.

I wasn't sure if this was possible, now the question is whether or not you can run eyefinity with oen monitor plugged into the geforce?

[Muzman]

Wow. So I guess PhysX is just software now really. I wonder if this is technically illegal, since nVidia are pretty pleased with their PhysX exclusivity (I guess it's not unusual for software to be exclusive to certain hardware, but it seems really weird to be happening internally like this for some reason)

[Bikerdude]

I wasn't sure if this was possible, now the question is whether or not you can run eyefinity with oen monitor plugged into the geforce?

[update]
Its not possible, eyefinity only works on the ATi card.

[Volitions Advocate]

I'm pretty sure there is no way you could make it work.

As it is you have to have a monitor that has a display port, or get a DVI - DP adapter that is powered in order to get eyefinity running.

Nvidia really needs to lighten up. It's not as if we're trying to run physx on ati hardware. We're running it on Nvidia hardware. We're just not using the video part. *shrug*

[Bikerdude]

updated the 1st post with some other extra info.

[Bikerdude]

have updated the main post as I have tested the above config with the very latest drivers, Catalyst 10.1 & Forceware 196.34

[Bikerdude]

Ive updated the 1st post with some more info you lot should be aware of.

[Bikerdude]

Ive updated the 1st post with some more info you lot should be aware of.

added some more minor info to the main post. Additionally the chap who made the physx patcher/hack is working on an update to 1.03 up from 1.02 that will make it compatible with the very latest version of the the Forceware and physx sw.

[Bikerdude]

Physx mod currently does not work with the 197.** drivers. It appears Nvidia have written more checks into these later drivers which turns off GPU Physx processing after 30 seconds or so.

Uninstall all Nvidia software, and then re-install using 196.34 drivers. Apply the mod, check you can apply hardware Physx then install Physx SS 9.10.0222 after that.

[Bikerdude]

Physx mod currently does not work with the 197.** drivers. It appears Nvidia have written more checks into these later drivers which turns off GPU Physx processing after 30 seconds or so.

Update:
The Hybrid PhysX mod is now upto version 1.03 – this release supports 197.xx GPU drivers and lastest 09.10.0222 PhysX System Software.

1.03 – 21/04/2010:
- added support for fixing a timebomb, introduced in 196.75 and 197.xx drivers (gravity reverse + overall slowdown after a few seconds of PhysX processing)
- mod will now attempt to patch PhysX System Software files (helps to eliminate desktop extension requirement on Windows 7)
- mod will now disable “nvsvc” service autostart (helps to fix problems with fake displays)
- improved patching process (no more need to reboot in Safe Mode or terminate any process)
- improved patching logic (mod will no more try to patch non-existent files)
- improved accuracy of some patterns to avoid unnecessary patching

Download Link 1.03

[Albert]

And the point of this is?

Sorry, I'm just confused as to how one would conveniently have both a very good ATX card and a minimum requirement NVIDIA card, and would use them in conjunction with one another.

[Bikerdude]

Sorry, I'm just confused as to how one would conveniently have both a very good ATX card and a minimum requirement NVIDIA card, and would use them in conjunction with one another.

Albert, its all in the first post dude.

ATi cards dont support nVidia physx and a few games out there have support for it. So with the above mod its possible to have an ATi card as your primary gfx card (eg. HD4850) and nVidia card as your physx processor (eg. 9600GT) or in my case a HD5870 and 8800GTS_G92.

I've been able to play Batman and recently Metro2033 with physx enabled.

[Matthew]

I'm just confused as to how one would conveniently have both a very good ATX card and a minimum requirement NVIDIA card

Like I've had every time I've upgraded a computer, you mean?