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**Guide: Enable ATI + Nvidia PhysX on Single monitor**

78K views 119 replies 52 participants last post by  Simond88 
#1 ·
Hi all! I decided to do my own guide for enabling PhysX with an ATI primary card. I know there are a bunch of guides out there already, but I think this would be helpful for people who need the extra details, and are using a single monitor.

How to enable ATI primary + Nvidia PhysX on single monitor:

12/23/2009

What you need:
- Windows XP or 7 OS (I'm not sure with Vista, haven't tried nor seen it yet - I'm using Win 7 Ultimate 64bit)
- Any Nvidia Geforce 8 series and above (recommended: 8800GT or higher)
- DVI to VGA adapter (this comes free with most GPUs)
- 3 pcs 68 ohms 1W resistors
- Existing ATI Driver (I had the official ATI 9.12, not the hotfix one)
- Nvidia 195.XX Driver or later (I used 195.62)
- Nvidia PhysX 9.09.1112 Driver or later (optional - no need if already have an older version)
- PhysX patch/mod/crack (1.02) (The old PhysX patch/crack v1.01 won't work with Nvidia 195.XX drivers)

1. Plug in your Nvidia gpu to be used as a dedicated PhysX.


2. Make yourself a dummy vga to be plugged into your Nvidia GPU. This is needed to fool your gpu into thinking it's running on another monitor. Here are a few guides: link1, link2.

Here's how I did mine:



3a. Boot to windows and install: Nvidia drivers, do not reboot yet.
-it's ok if windows 7 automatically detects your drivers, just install on top of it w/ the new Nvidia driver.
-no need to uninstall existing ATI driver

Optional 3b. Install Nvidia PhysX if you don't have it yet. If you have it already, it's ok not to install OR you can install the new one on top of the old one - doesn't matter

4. Run "msconfig" and choose to boot into safe mode

5. Once in safe mode, apply the PhysX patch. Choose the "cake" option (no need to check backup).

6. Boot into normal mode, go to desktop, right click and go to screen resolution.

7. Once there, you'll see 2 monitors. 1 - your current monitor, 2 - Generic Non-PnP Monitor (from your dummy VGA).

Click detect and you'll see 2 grey imaginary monitors.

Choose one and from the Display drop-down select "available display output on [nvida video card]", leave resolution and orientation as is. Then choose "try connect anyway on vga" and Apply. On the Multiple displays drop-down, select "extend desktop to this display".

In the end it should look something like this:


7a. **USEFUL TIP:
If you're tired of having your mouse pointer suddenly disappear as it goes to the extended monitor, you can try moving some of the extended monitors to the top right corner of your main display... to do so in Windows 7..
a. go to desktop
b. right click > screen resolution
c. now drag the 2nd and 3rd monitor to the top right corner of your main display
d. DONE! now your mouse won't go over the edges of your main display.. except for the top right corner (which the mouse rarely goes to anyway) It should look like this:



8. Go to Nvidia control panel> 3D settings> Set PhysX configuration> Enabled


9. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done


To check if PhysX is really enabled, download Fluidmark v1.1.1 and upon running, you should see "Hardware PhysX".



3Dmark Vantage score before PhysX card


With PhysX card


to Grunion, Pandemahaos and a bunch of others in my original thread for helping me out

Games using PhysX:
From Nvidia site, From wikipedia

Other guides I used:
link 1, link 2, link 3, link 4

Updates: Added step 7a (1/19/2010)
 
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11
#5 ·
I wonder if making the dummy plug is the same as folding.


So that means WinXP users (32 bit) wouldn't have to make the plug, simply extend the desktop and you're done.

And hands is right, I think you can use all the way up to 185.xx drivers.
 
#6 ·
Nice guide! Had a chance to play some PhysX games yet?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SupahSpankeh View Post
Rad, +1 for sure. I thought there was a way to do it in pure software though? Didn't someone had the physx?
You can do software PhysX, but you have a horrible performance hit. I mean it pretty much makes games unplayable. The GPU PhysX is far superior in performance probably due to it being coded to run on a GPU. There are games like Crysis that have their own physics engines that use CPU, but it's different code and designed to run on the CPU.
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mark076h View Post
Awesome guide, I posted about it on GamePhys http://www.gamephys.com/2009/12/23/g...ingle-monitor/
Thanks! Hopefully it'll help a lot of people


Quote:

Originally Posted by SupahSpankeh View Post
Rad, +1 for sure. I thought there was a way to do it in pure software though? Didn't someone had the physx?
Thanks! Yup, you can run PhysX thru the CPU. Previously I tried running PhysX on during Batman without a PhysX card and I got 19-20 fps during PhysX intensive areas... it was really slow

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRHANDS View Post
If you want to avoid using patches and cracks and installing more things, just download a 181 nvidia driver.

I've been using 181.22 for physx with my 9600GSO. Works flawlessly.
http://techpowerup.com/downloads/Drivers/NVIDIA/old/
Yeah there are older versions, but since I'm getting this just now, I wanted to install the latest stuff


Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackOmega View Post
I wonder if making the dummy plug is the same as folding.


So that means WinXP users (32 bit) wouldn't have to make the plug, simply extend the desktop and you're done.

And hands is right, I think you can use all the way up to 185.xx drivers.
YUP, it's the same as folding! I tried not putting any plug on the Nvidia GPU but the Nvidia control panel won't run, says I don't have anything hooked up to the Nvidia GPU, so the dummy plug is really necessary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pandemahaos View Post
Nice guide! Had a chance to play some PhysX games yet?
Yes I have!!! I can finally see some mist and fog when playing batman! I can also see paper gliding about when I punch it. Ohhh yeah!!!

 
#9 ·
I have a 5970, and would like to use an older nvidia card for physX, I gave my gtx295 to a close friend who seems to love it and I dont feel like taking it back from him. I noticed quite a bit of difference using physX in games that supported it, mostly with NFS Shift and DragonAge Origins. Can someone tell me what is the cheapest nvidia card that can be used with this method, as I want physX, but don't want to spend anymore money, ($615) was a bit much for me but I couldn't resist as it was onsale, and available. Or should I try buying an used, original Ageia 128mb 1x card??
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by roteplex View Post
I have a 5970, and would like to use an older nvidia card for physX, I gave my gtx295 to a close friend who seems to love it and I dont feel like taking it back from him. I noticed quite a bit of difference using physX in games that supported it, mostly with NFS Shift and DragonAge Origins. Can someone tell me what is the cheapest nvidia card that can be used with this method, as I want physX, but don't want to spend anymore money, ($615) was a bit much for me but I couldn't resist as it was onsale, and available. Or should I try buying an used, original Ageia 128mb 1x card??
I don't think Dragon Age supports PhysX. As far as I know, it runs fine with ATI cards (I could max it out with my old 4850 with constant 60fps dipping to 38 fps in the denerim market area).

It's is recommended that you get a decently powerful Nvidia GPU if you want it to be used as a dedicated PhysX card without affecting your current FPS. I think an Nvidia 9800GTX+ or GTS 250 will be great alongside your ATI 5970. If you're on a limited budget, a 9800GT (rebranded 8800GT) will also be a good minimum starting point. If you have more cash, go up from there
 
#11 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by roteplex View Post
I have a 5970, and would like to use an older nvidia card for physX, I gave my gtx295 to a close friend who seems to love it and I dont feel like taking it back from him. I noticed quite a bit of difference using physX in games that supported it, mostly with NFS Shift and DragonAge Origins. Can someone tell me what is the cheapest nvidia card that can be used with this method, as I want physX, but don't want to spend anymore money, ($615) was a bit much for me but I couldn't resist as it was onsale, and available. Or should I try buying an used, original Ageia 128mb 1x card??
What pipnasty said. You need a Nvidia 8series or newer. I am not sure if this mod will work with an Ageia card. If you had one laying around it wouldn't hurt to try it. You can probably find an inexpensive 8800 used in the for sale section here on OCN.
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by nuniksais View Post
would an 8500GT be good enough for physx?
You might want to double check that card. I was reading another post today and he said he could not enable PhysX on that card. Go through your Nvidia setings and see if you can activate it or use GPU-Z that will tell you.
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by nuniksais View Post
too bad my mobo's only got 1 pci-e.

OT:

i know this is OT but i really need to know this one.

What was the dock on the top of the screen at the OP's screenies?
That's from Stardock Object Dock Plus


Quote:

Originally Posted by nuniksais View Post
would an 8500GT be good enough for physx?
I don't think it will be enough. The 8500GT is a weak card.. but I suppose if you only plan to play on low to medium settings it will do.
 
#16 ·
Can you confirm that this does work for XP? I currently have both video drivers working, but GPU-Z shows PhysX disabled, although Nvidia Control Panel shows it as active.
 
#17 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by xxbassplayerxx View Post
Can you confirm that this does work for XP? I currently have both video drivers working, but GPU-Z shows PhysX disabled, although Nvidia Control Panel shows it as active.
Sorry but I cannot confirm since I'm using Windows 7 64bit. But according to the PhysX patch (v1.02), it's supposed to be working for Windows XP. Are you using 32bit or 64bit XP? I think it'll work with the 32bit, but not the 64bit

Try running Fluidmark v1.1.1 to see if it's "hardware physX".
 
#18 ·
For some reason, every time I tried to load the program, it would fail...

HMM!

Tried a reinstall and an older version.

 
#19 ·
I never tried the older version, only the v1.1.1. Try downloading it here. Maybe the file you downloaded wasn't complete.
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by xDuBz View Post
lawl.. i think they patched it already or something?..

pipnasty u pinoy? tpc?
that I am
 
#23 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by gex80 View Post
Ok I have an 8800GT and my 4870. Is there a way I can do this without sticking stuff inside the vga/dvi ports? And will i get a performance gain in 7 64 bit?
yeah you can, if you have another monitor you can attach to the nvidia card. i don't so I had to use a dummy plug.

you will not get any performance gain by running a dedicated physX card... but you'll just get a high score in 3dmark vantage and be able to run "hardware" physX in PhysX capable games like mirror's edge, batman AA, etc.
 
#24 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by pipnasty View Post
yeah you can, if you have another monitor you can attach to the nvidia card. i don't so I had to use a dummy plug.

you will not get any performance gain by running a dedicated physX card... but you'll just get a high score in 3dmark vantage and be able to run "hardware" physX in PhysX capable games like mirror's edge, batman AA, etc.
So either way I just wasted my time installing m 8800gt just now because I don't have a second monitor? But i do have physx games
 
#25 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by gex80 View Post
So either way I just wasted my time installing m 8800gt just now because I don't have a second monitor? But i do have physx games
step 2 of the guide is to make a dummy vga plug. if you don't have that or a 2nd monitor to plug in your nvidia card, the nvidia control panel will not show up, thus you cannot force it to run.. in short, yes you have wasted your time
 
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