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Warmonger/Conclusion
The last PhysX app we’re testing is Netdevil’s FPS Warmonger. Warmonger uses PhysX extensively, besides Cell Factor: Revolution, it was the first full game that was truly designed from the ground up for the PhysX physics processing unit. Let’s see how this game runs with GPU vs. PPU vs. CPU-based PhysX:
Like UT3, running PhysX on the CPU severely hampers Warmonger performance. The GeForce cards are capped at around 15-16 fps, while the Radeon boards managed to hit frame rates in the 19 fps range. As expected, the PPU and GPU perform significantly better. PPU-based PhysX actually runs very close to the GPU-based PhysX cards. In the case of the GeForce 8800 GT, the PPU only trails the GPU by 12%. With its extra stream processors and higher clocks the 9800 GTX is able to pull away slightly further, 16%.
Conclusion
For hardware that’s over two years old, AGEIA’s PhysX card was able to put up a much stronger showing than we expected, but it still wasn’t able to match the performance of today’s GeForce 8800 GT and 9800 GTX cards. In UT3 for instance the 8800 GT was 16% faster than the PPU (the closest example was Warmonger at 12%). And keep in mind that the GeForce cards we tested were running a mixture of 3D and PhysX, while the PPU is dedicated solely to PhysX calculations. In the original PhysX performance article we saw some pretty nice gains in Warmonger and UT3 when one GeForce 9600 GT card was devoted entirely to running PhysX.
Based on all this, we stand by the conclusions we drew in our original GeForce PhysX performance article. With PhysX cards selling for $120-$125 on TigerDirect and Newegg it just doesn’t make sense to purchase a dedicated PhysX card when you can buy a GeForce 8800 GT for the same amount of money. You’ll get better performance and a card that can be used for more than just PhysX.
Ultimately though we’re still waiting for more engaging PhysX content to be released. PhysX is a nice little bonus worth checking out if you already own a GeForce 8 or better GPU with 256MB of graphics memory, but as it stands now it isn’t compelling enough to make Radeon 4800 card owners jealous in our opinion.
Considering NVIDIA’s strong developer relations, it’s possible that in time this could change. Now that PhysX is supported by millions of GeForce boards, developers may consider taking a second look at the technology. It remains to be seen when or even if that will happen though.
Batman: Arkham City PC Review Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s smash-hit action game Batman: Arkham Asylum. As the name suggests, you will be reprising your role as the Caped Crusader and going against an even larger 'prison' filled with Gotham's criminals and villains. A textbook example on how to do a proper sequel, Arkham City takes what worked in the original, excised or improved upon what didn’t, and elevated everything to an even greater scope. The PC version suffered from a few months of delay, but in that time, Rocksteady worked closely to NVIDIA to implement some familiar technologies from the last game, such as PhysX and 3D Vision, along with new DirectX 11 optimizations. But how well was the whole package executed? Read on to find out!
Saints Row: The Third PC Review Saints Row is one of most unique series of games to build upon the open-world action template forged by Grand Theft Auto, and has met with plenty of critical and commercial success since it began on consoles back in 2006. This latest iteration, titled Saints Row: The Third promises the most outlandish fun and freedom of customization of them all, and in a much more PC-friendly package than its predecessor. Does it live up to those expectations and, more importantly, is it worth the price of admission? Find out in Will's latest review!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda Softworks’ latest offering in their series of epic fantasy RPGs, as well as one of the most highly-anticipated PC titles of 2011. As the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, prepare to take the fight to the mythical beasts that have returned to the realm after centuries of slumber, all the while exploring a huge and highly-detailed open world.
The PC version of the game promises enhanced graphical fidelity, standard RPG trimmings such as hotkeys and quick-save, as well as unbridled mod support, something we’ll all be thankful for once they release that SDK. Skyrim has already sold millions of copies and set records for play-time on Steam... Find out why in today's review, which happens to be one of the biggest and most in-depth articles on the subject out there!
L.A. Noire Complete Edition PC Review L.A. Noire, as the name clearly states, is a video game built on the tropes of one of the greatest periods of American cinema: film noir. Developed by the now defunct Australian developer Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, this title has been out on consoles for a full six months before finally making its way to the PC. This “Complete Edition” of the game features improved graphics, keyboard/mouse controls, and every bit of previously-released DLC for free. But was it truly worth the wait? Read on and find out!
Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E Performance Review
Today marks the launch date for Intel’s Sandy Bridge-E line of processors, a new family of high-end Core i7 products based on the LGA 2011 platform. This new socket is poised to replace the existing LGA 1366 specification used by the more powerful Nehalem and Westmere parts from the past couple years, specifically Bloomfield and Gulftown, the Core i7-9xx+ line of CPUs.
With 6 cores, 15MB of cache, and support for quad-channel DDR3-1600 memory, the Core i7-3960X sounds like quite a catch. Want to know more about it and how it performs? Read on!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 Review
The self-appointed "most anticipated game in history" launched worldwide this past Tuesday. Why, it's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, of course (of course), what else? Unsurprisingly, the military FPS debate between this and Battlefield 3 rages on, but now that both have been released, surely we can take a look and objectively evaluate them both? Luke's taken the Xbox version of MW3 for a spin this week, so to find out what he thinks of it in today's review!
Stronghold 3 Review
The latest sequel in the long-running real-time strategy franchise from FireFly Studios, Stronghold 3 is all about building your dream castle and defending it against sieging enemies. Almost exactly one decade after the first game was released, this new title promises a return to the classic and well-received gameplay that has been strayed so far from in more recent iterations. Does it live up to those expectations? Will (AKA Synchronous Failure) tells us all about it in his first official FiringSquad review, so read on!
Battlefield 3 PC Review - Single-player Impressions
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Orcs Must Die! PC Review Orcs Must Die! is the first release from an independent developer named Robot Entertainment. Fans of classic real-time strategy games may have heard that name before, as the outfit is comprised of many veterans from Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires series.
Equal parts action and strategy, this is a tower defense game that not only puts you in command, but on the front lines of combat, as well. Slaughter thousands of orcs, ogres and other vile creatures of fantasy that invade your fortresses through 24 levels of the story-based campaign. With high levels of replayability thanks to its scoring and leaderboard functionality, multiple difficulty levels, and various styles of play, it sounds a steal at only $15. Does it deliver on all that’s promised, though? Read on and find out!
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