PPU (Physics processing unit)

[deicist]

Anyone heard anything about the new add on cards that are coming out soon? They take physics calculation away from your CPU using an API from Ageia. ASUS are the first to have a board in development.

Some info Here (http://www.ageia.com/technology.html)

Personally I can't see it taking off until Microsoft integrate the API into DirectX, which seems inevitable, however there's a few games coming out which use the API.... and Epic are planning to use it for the Unreal 3 engine.

[entropy]

Yeah, it'll take off big time. Now your processor really doesn't have all that much to worry about. What, AI, sending things to the right place, loading stuff... hardly anything. And if they're correct, this chip is wayyy better at physics than the CPU, and can do so much more. Finally everything will be interactive.

Personally, I'll get one if it's less than $100. But everyone will be implementing it once they see how poweful it is. It's also going to be something you can get installed on your PS3, which will definitely help its sales.

[GrayFox]

This will lead to water physics :)

[csimon]

but will it fold? :scratch:

[entropy]

Ooo, good point. I wonder if they could make a console for it. I'm sure that it'd be quite snappy at it, if it could... :scratch:

[entropy]

Bumpness.

They'll have a PPU board with AGEIA's chip on the market in the fourth quarter of this year, with 128MB of GDDR3 memory, for roughly $249 to $299

:bawling:

[csimon]

Ooo, good point. I wonder if they could make a console for it. I'm sure that it'd be quite snappy at it, if it could... :scratch:
Idunno maybe ...but at the rate they're making a console for the gpu it might be a long time. :fold: