[GPU Tool] PhysX FluidMark 1.2.0 Available with Multi-Core CPU Support

FluidMark 1.2.0 with multi-core CPU PhysX support


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The new version of Geeks3D’s PhysX FluidMark is out.

FluidMark is a fluid simulation benchmark based on NVIDIA PhysX engine. The fluid simulation uses the SPH or Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method where interparticle forces are considered (SPH requires more CPU or GPU horsepower!).

You can download PhysX FluidMark here:
Webmasters: hotlinking is not allowed, please use the post url as download link.
[download#136#image]

The main feature of this new version is the support of multi-core CPU. Actually multi-core CPU is a trendy way to tell that PhysX FluidMark is now multi-threaded. FluidMark has several threads: the main app thread (GUI), the rendering thread and one or several PhysX threads. PhysX threads are only created when Multi-core PhysX is checked. The support of multi-core CPU can be seen as a consequence of these two news: AMD and NVIDIA.

Actually there are two kind of threading when Multi-core PhysX is checked:

  • 1 – PhysX GPU: this is the default mode. In that case, only one PhysX thread is created for the physics simulation.
  • 2 – PhysX CPU (Force PhysX CPU checked): all PhysX simulation is done on the CPU. In that case, one or several PhysX threads are created according to the number of selected emitters.

The following screenshot shows the multi-core PhysX CPU in action: 120000 particles are simulated on a Core i7 960 with hyper-threading enabled (8 cores):

FluidMark - multi-core CPU PhysX in action


As you can see, multi-core CPU PhysX works fine 😉

I will publish in a next post the results for some GPUs and CPUs.

Don’t hesitate to post your scores for various settings in the comment section…

Other new things concern the particle rendering. In previous versions, particles were rendered using billboarded quads (4 vertices per particle). This technique works fine but is rather CPU greedy. So the modern alternative to these billboarded quads is the point sprite. With point sprite, there is only one vertex per particle, the billboarding technique allowing the quad to face the camera) being done by the GPU. Point sprites bring a significant increase of rendering speed. That’s why I added a Heavy PhysX checkbox. When checked, Heavy PhysX sets the particle emitter rate to 2000 particles/sec whereas by default, the rate is 500 particles/sec. The particle rate can be set in FluidMark configuration file (startup_options.xml).

FluidMark 1.2.0
Lava particles – F3

FluidMark 1.2.0
Simple point particles – F4

This version of FluidMark has been compiled with the latest PhysX SDK v2.8.3.21.

FluidMark fluid simulation is hardware accelerated for all GeForce 8, 9, GTX200 and GTX400 series with the latest graphics drivers. The graphics drivers for GeForce install the latest version of CUDA and PhysX runtimes. For all other cards that are not CUDA-compliant (GeForce 5/6/7 or Radeon for example) the PhysX engine runs in software mode. So if you can’t start the benchmark, be sure to have the latest PhysX runtimes.

FluidMark exploits OpenGL for graphic acceleration and requires an OpenGL 2.0 compliant graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 5 and and higher, AMD/ATI Radeon 9600+ and higher or a S3 Graphics Chrome 400/500 series with the latest graphics drivers.

OpenGL

PhysX FluidMark 1.2.0 changelog:

  • New: added support of multi-core CPUs (PhysX simulation is spread over several threads). New checkboxes are also available to control this feature.
  • New: added a checkbox to set the number of particles.
  • New: added a checkbox to force CPU PhysX.
  • New: added Heavy PhysX mode: to make modern systems with GPU PhysX happy
  • New: added point sprite based rendering for particles (keys F2, F3 and F4).
  • New: added keyboard-based camera control in stability test mode.
  • Change: compiled with NVIDIA PhysX SDK 2.8.3.21.
  • Change: updated with the latest version of ZoomGPU for graphics hardware detection.

Enjoy 😀

29 thoughts on “[GPU Tool] PhysX FluidMark 1.2.0 Available with Multi-Core CPU Support”

  1. Pingback: Nvidia disables PhysX when ATI card is present - Page 153

  2. Psolord

    COOOOL! At long long LONG last! 😛

    Thanks JEGX!

    My quick results on my stock Core i7 860 + 5850

    At 1920X1080, 7 emitters, multi core off, noAA, nopostFX

    PhysX 22, GraphX 22

    ============

    At 1920X1080, 7 emitters, multi core on, noAA, nopostFX

    PhysX 101, GraphX 101

    That is some awesome performance scaling!

  3. Leith Bade

    This benchmark makes me very happy -> the side effect of nearly a million 🙂 faces.

    Couple of suggestions:
    Add a CPU temperature monitor? Now that it maxes out your CPU this may be useful.

    Why do I not get 4 PhsyX threads on a 4 core CPU? I only get 80% CPU usage with 3 threads.

    When running in Async mode I get a frame of “stutter” about once every 2-3 secs.

    Also do you lock the threads to specific core swith SetThreadAffinity ?

    Results:
    On a AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE unlocked to 4 cores and OC’d to 3.2GHz, XFX ATI Radeon HD 5850 Black Edition:
    Settings:
    1280×1024, no AA, multicore cpu physx 3 cores, async mode, normal particle count

    Global: 291 points
    PhysX: 125
    GraphX: 1232

  4. Pingback: PhysX FluidMark 1.2.0 Available with Multi-Core CPU Support « GPUplanet

  5. WacKEDmaN

    heres my scores on a Q8200 (2.3Ghz) + GTX470

    ———————–
    multi-core:ON
    GPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 289
    Physx score 289
    graphx score 289
    ———————–
    multi-core:ON
    CPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 42
    Physx score 42
    graphx score 42
    ———————–
    multi-core:OFF
    GPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 236
    Physx score 236
    graphx score 236
    ———————–
    multi-core:OFF
    CPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 15
    Physx score 15
    graphx score 15
    ———————–

    @JeGX it seems that this (and furmark) are logging/uploading temp from my 2nd card (9400GT) which never has any load.

  6. WacKEDmaN

    one other thing…i cant enable Heavy Physx, the box is greyed out :/

  7. WacKEDmaN

    err ignore that last comment…found it..particle count needs to be unticked

  8. WacKEDmaN

    @JeGX, are the particles meant to disapear at all?…if i load up 10 emmiters at the default particle count (60000), once they hit about 30K they just disapear..i can see the same if i ramp up the particle count to 160K using 3 emitters, then the particles will disapear around the 130K mark :/

  9. WacKEDmaN

    some more scores with Async mode on
    ———————-
    multi-core:on
    GPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 326
    Physx score 284
    graphx score 567
    ———————-
    multi-core:on
    CPU physx
    3 emitters
    global score 132
    Physx score 38
    graphx score 668
    ———————

    and just for fun..
    multi-core:on async:on
    gpu physx
    -8 emitters-
    global score 307
    Physx score 272
    graphx score 508

  10. cmjohncheng

    i7 920@3.33, 5870 stock clock, GT220 Stockclock
    all default
    Multi-core PhysX : ON
    Async mode : ON
    emitters : 7

    Global Score : 307points
    PhysX: 153(25SPS)
    GraphX:1183(194FPS)

  11. Psolord

    @JegX

    Now the next step, is to create a program than enforces multi core CPU physx operation, in all games! 😛

  12. Pingback: [PhysX FluidMark] GPU PhysX is Fast But Has Limitations You Must Know - 3D Tech News, Pixel Hacking, Data Visualization and 3D Programming - Geeks3D.com

  13. Pingback: [PhysX FluidMark] How to Get you Multi-core CPU Busy at 100% ? - 3D Tech News, Pixel Hacking, Data Visualization and 3D Programming - Geeks3D.com

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  19. Pingback: FluidMark 1.2.0: CPU PhysX avec et sans Multi-Threading | JeGX's Infamous Lab

  20. Deceptor

    does anyone of you can access your Catalyst control panel after installing the physx mods?

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