Physics Processing Unit - Gaming Future
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So what does the future hold for the PPU? Well when games come out that utilize it, it should become quite popular. Soon after, it should be incorporated into other hardware like the video cards. Soon we will have dual core processors. Games could very easily use a 2nd or 3rd core as a PPU. Once these CPU’s become available, the market for the PPU will decline. Why spend $300 for something that the processor can handle?
The new Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 will not have any PPU built in. They will use extra processors to handle physics. The Playstation 3 has the Cell processor, which is made up of many processors that can work together. One may take AI, one may take physics, and there really isn’t a market for the PPU. The same holds true for the Xbox 360, it has multiple processors so it can dedicate one or more to the physics of a game.
The PPU does have one thing going for it; it was designed to do physics, where the processor is a general processing unit. The PPU should do a better job then a processor, but only time will tell. The GPU can never be replaced by processors, as their design is so specialized and powerful that a processor could not handle its work.
The PPU is a great idea for a product. If it was built a few years earlier, then it would have flown off the shelf for years. But with multiple core processors on the horizon, the whole dedicated PPU will have a lot to prove compared to using another CPU, but the special design may save it.
Conclusion
A physics processing unit is certainly something I’m looking foreword to for gaming. Along with allowing developers to utilize more physics in games, it should fix the tank vs. shrub problem that has been found in many games. The PhysX will be the first PPU to hit the market and is expected on shelves before the end of the year. It will be priced near $300, which is a little steep for an optional piece of hardware.
The PPU should have its time as a worth while add on, but in the long run may fall to the multiple processor systems, or get integrated into other hardware. I would recommend holding off on the PPU until games support it and if there is no dual processor solution coming soon, then I would recommend picking one up.
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