HD5970 and GT240 dedicated PhysX

[Nyt]

Hello

I've recently gotten my new HD5970 and am looking into getting a GT240 for PhysX . I've read a guide on how to do it : http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=174041&st=0

 

But I've got some questions about it.

1. To get the GT240 I would need two sets of drivers but do they conflict with each other ?

2. How would you be able to overclock either the HD5970 or GT240 since now the system has two cards ?

3. Will I have to set the GT240 in the first or second PCI-E slot since both mine are at X16 ?

4. Will the main system only allow me to see the GT240 if I have both connected ?

5. Will Catalyst Control Centre and Nvidia Control Panel both be visible or is it just one ?

6. Would the GT240 be able to have PhysX on high in games since with a dedicated PhysX gpu it allows the cpu threads to optimise PhysX ?

7. Would the latest drivers for Nvidia and ATI work ?

 

Any help would be appreciated

Edited August 15, 2010 by Nyt Ryda

[joel.monteiro]

1-not sure depends on the drivers u use.

2-u can overclock the 5970 and the GT240

3-i would put the GT240 in the second slot,cuz the 5970 is the main card.

4-if ur running windows 7 u can install both ati and nvidia drivers,and use both cards at the same time,ive seen some benches on tweak town with a 5970 4GB and a GTX480 for physx.

5-yea both will be visible.

6-people say that the 8800gt is suffient to run physx on high,so gt240 is more powerful so no probs there.

7-not sure.

[Speedway]

The latest ATI drivers will work just fine. But not the Nvidia drivers, you will need to use the 197.45, which are older. Nvidia came out with some kind of block when an ATI card is installed on all their latest drivers, and the work around was developed for the older 197.45 drivers. Also, you will be able to overclock both cards using afterburner, which if I remember correctly Nyt, you already use! Once you get everything setup following the directions on that sticky, which is really quite easy, everything will work pretty much just the same, only now you will have PhysX enabled and games that utilize it will take full advantage! But, you can see both cards in GPU-Z, CPU-Z, and Afterburner! Once you actually get the card and installed and everything setup, I think you will see it isn't a complicated setup at all, and you will be able to answer all of your own questions.

[JBags]

http://www.ngohq.com/graphic-cards/17706-hybrid-physx-mod-v1-03-v1-04ff.html

 

 

1- The nvidia and ati drivers should not conflict with one another, at least they dont with my system.

 

2- Both cards should still be overclockable, I am able to modify the clocks on both my 5770 and 9600gt in EVGA's Precision and MSI's Afterburner OC software.

 

3- The PCI-E slot doesn't really matter, just slip it into whatever slot is empty, as long as the ATi card is the main display, it'll function as desired.

 

4- The system should report both of them.

 

5- Both Catalyst and Nvidia control panel will be accessible

 

6- GT240 should have enough horsepower to run PhysX very well.

 

7- The latest version of the Hybrid PhysX mod, 1.04ff, works with the latest 256 series of nvidia drivers. See the link i provided above from the creator of the mod.

[Nyt]

It seems simple enough. But I have another few questions . Im planning to get the GT240 1gb DDR5 but I can get a GTS250 512mb DDR3 card. I dont know which one I should get since I dont want the PhysX card to heat up my HD5970 much and both cards vent into the case so the temps of the cards are important to me. Should I get the GT240 because of the 40nm fabrication and runs cooler and uses less power ? Is there much difference between the two when used for PhysX ?

[CowKing]

the GTS 250 will help a lot more in Physx than the GT240. that 850w PSU should be able to handle the GTS 250 just fine. Also, about the GTS250 heating up your HD 5970; it's going to happen with the GT240, but I wouldn't worry about that since you sig claims you have 11!!! case fans, so it should exhaust the heat pretty fast

[Nyt]

Yeah , I've got 4x120mm intakes on the side , 2x120mm on the radiator as intake , a 140mm in cd drive bays as extraction, a 200mm by HDD as intakes , 120mm at bottom blowing onto the gpu's and 2x120mm at the top as extraction. I also have an option of getting a GTX260 which vents air out the case but my biggest concern if I get that is that my 850 psu wont handle all the components with my oc'ed 5970. What do you think ? The GT240 seems to be cooler in reviews since it 40nm

[Jump4h]

Thank you for this thread. I had the identical problem; will try tomorrow to get physx to work.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Jump4h

[joel.monteiro]

yea it will handle.

[Nyt]

yea it will handle.

Do you think so ? My HD5970 oc'ed draws 400 watts then my oc'ed 1055T draws 200 watts then all the fans and HDD's and H50 pump draw power and then a GTX260 uses like 230 watts so that makes it 830 watts without the fans, etc . Also with the 260 it covers my southbridge and prevents my fans from blowing onto it so it will heat up . Im narrowing down the choice to the GT240 or GTS250

[CowKing]

Do you think so ? My HD5970 oc'ed draws 400 watts then my oc'ed 1055T draws 200 watts then all the fans and HDD's and H50 pump draw power and then a GTX260 uses like 230 watts so that makes it 830 watts without the fans, etc . Also with the 260 it covers my southbridge and prevents my fans from blowing onto it so it will heat up . Im narrowing down the choice to the GT240 or GTS250

the GTS 250 just seems more future proof to me. I mean Mafia 2 has incredible use of Physx, and really stresses any card with Physx on high, Who's to say that 3 years from now Physx will have evolved to where a GT240 is barely enough for medium?

Edited August 15, 2010 by CowKing

[joel.monteiro]

A GTX260 will be good,but its better to get the GTS250,it performs just below the 260,ur psu can handle the power even with a 260,cuz i seen some reviews that dual 5970s take almost 920w this is the whole system power,so a 260 can do too.