An Interesting Idea

[kaellinn18]

We've had video cards dedicated to processing enhanced graphics for a long time now. Recently, I've been watching a lot of discussion around this board pertaining to fluid dynamics, air dynamics, "manipulative" physics and so on. All of these are extremely processor intensive and would drag framerates to a screeching halt if implemented with the current hardware structure.

So, how long do you think (if ever) it will be until we see a "physics card" in our computers?

This could be an actual card that you plug into your PCI express (or whatever new standard) slot, or it may be an additional integrated slot/processor on your motherboard.

Personally, I think this would be a really neat idea, as it would streamline physics calculations through hardware as well as free up CPU cycles for other calculations. This could have a tremendous impact for games like HL2. We would be able to have actual air/fluid dynamics as well as other real world physics without using "short cuts." Think about the possibilities for puzzles and solutions! Anyway, I thought this would be a pretty interesting topic for discussion. What do you all think?

 

[sublidieminal]

GPU with built in processor? I think that would hurt my pocket book.. but yeah thats a good thought. I only wonder how much expenses to make them would be.

 

[Yellonet]

GPU with built in processor? I think that would hurt my pocket book.. but yeah thats a good thought. I only wonder how much expenses to make them would be.

Well, a GPU is a processor, it's just called a GPU because it's dedicated to graphics calculations.


- Yellonet

 

[burnzie]

Hardly the right forum but food for thought none the less.

 

[kaellinn18]

GPU with built in processor? I think that would hurt my pocket book.. but yeah thats a good thought. I only wonder how much expenses to make them would be.

The GPU and physics card would not necessarily have to be physically on the same fiberboard, but that is an interesting idea as well. Although, the heat from that thing would probably warm your house for the winter. I was thinking more along the lines of a separate slot somewhere which would interact probably with both the graphics card and main processor. I'm not a hardware guy, but it sounds like it would be feasable. Is there an engineer in the house?

 

[Paintballer]

Then everyone would be forced to shell out a couple hundred bucks at least, just to be able to play new games, they would have to upgrade more often, etc... Thats the point of getting faster processors They can do more at once.

 

[kaellinn18]

Hardly the right forum but food for thought none the less.

I stuck it in here because of the ramifications it could have for games like HL2. There have been a lot of discussions on the various physics involved in the game, and I merely meant this thread to be an extension of those various discussions. If a mod feels the need to move it however, I will not argue.

 

[Yellonet]

A physics card.. hmm... it's hard to imagine... but then there were 3d-cards . I would rather guess that dual processor systems will become more common (along with programs that can utilize them)and then one cpu could handle the advanced physics and the other one the rest.


- Yellonet

 

[kaellinn18]

Then everyone would be forced to shell out a couple hundred bucks at least, just to be able to play new games, they would have to upgrade more often, etc... Thats the point of getting faster processors They can do more at once.

People are already doing that with video cards. They're more than willing to shell out the cash for their hobby. I don't think advances would be made as quickly with these cards as with graphics to require many major upgrades.

 

[WhiteBoy]

I think making a separate Processor for simply calculating physics would do nothing but add something else for us to upgrade. Soon enough, we will have 10, 15ghz processors, for the same price as the 3.4s now, and they will satisfy our gaming needs.

 

[kaellinn18]

A physics card.. hmm... it's hard to imagine... but then there were 3d-cards . I would rather guess that dual processor systems will become more common (along with programs that can utilize them)and then one cpu could handle the advanced physics and the other one the rest.


- Yellonet

That is also a big possibility, but the advantage of a physics card would be that it would be able to streamline physics calculations in hardware rather than doing regular calculations like a regular processor. Entire formulas would be implemented in hardware to make the processing time that much quicker.

 

[Bigcheese]

well you would have to have a standered physic lang. which is where PSCL comes in. if they all used that then having a dedicated card would be doable.

 

[burnzie]

I stuck it in here because of the ramifications it could have for games like HL2. There have been a lot of discussions on the various physics involved in the game, and I merely meant this thread to be an extension of those various discussions. If a mod feels the need to move it however, I will not argue.

Yeah i suppose so.

it'd be yet another peice of hardware to upgrade so offen. but i could see it happening.

edit: i guess they did move it

 

[Inanimate]

There is already a processor in a GFX card. It´s not a CPU, it´s called GPU.. that is a CPU sort of speak.. x800 radeon cards have a GPU on 400mhz atm.. that´s how "fast" the card is..

/D

 

[Yellonet]

I think making a separate Processor for simply calculating physics would do nothing but add something else for us to upgrade. Soon enough, we will have 10, 15ghz processors, for the same price as the 3.4s now, and they will satisfy our gaming needs.

No, they wont. The games will always be ahead of the hardware.
At least the somewhat affordable hardware


- Yellonet

 

[Element Alpha]

I don't think it's a bad concept. We could have a slot or two to use different processors with. I like it.

Having specialized processors is always better than using your cpu. When specialized they can be arranged to excell in their area of expertise (wich also means they completely suck at other calculations). Think of sets of instructions, memory functions, pipelines, branch prediction, etc ... it could be customized to work best for this or that feature in a game. I'd also like an A.I. chip with the same thought. Maybe it sounds stupid today, but I'm sure one they we'll have A.I. chips that are very complicated (if 'they' don't have 'em already).

 

[Yellonet]

That is also a big possibility, but the advantage of a physics card would be that it would be able to streamline physics calculations in hardware rather than doing regular calculations like a regular processor. Entire formulas would be implemented in hardware to make the processing time that much quicker.

Yes, but wouldn't it be hard to come up with some standard for physics? Maybe, maybe not.


- Yellonet

 

[kaellinn18]

I don't think it's a bad concept. We could have a slot or two to use different processors with. I like it.

Having specialized processors is always better than using your cpu. When specialized they can be arranged to excell in their area of expertise (wich also means they completely suck at other calculations). Think of sets of instructions, memory functions, pipelines, branch prediction, etc ... it could be customized to work best for this or that feature in a game. I'd also like an A.I. chip with the same thought. Maybe it sounds stupid today, but I'm sure one they we'll have A.I. chips that are very complicated (if 'they' don't have 'em already).

That's another interesting idea. Yeah, you could have specialized chips for everything from physics to AI to graphics to VR (when it ever comes to that). Heck, at some point we may be able to fit all of these things on one board.

 

[kaellinn18]

Yes, but wouldn't it be hard to come up with some standard for physics? Maybe, maybe not.


- Yellonet

You mean a standard I/O interface?

 

[kaellinn18]

Ancient Thread Now Valid!

Check it out: http://www.ageia.com/products/physx.html

 

[TCfromBN]

:O Mabe Ageia got their idea from this very thread! Is it even possible that the guys here at hl2.net came up with something productive?!

 

[bryanf445]

this is one of the very rare moments where an old recovered thread is appropriate

 

[hungryduck]

oh man, I was about to post to this guy that DUH these cards are already out.
But then I looked at the date of the post

 

[Top Secret]

Awesome revival.