Using Zotac GT430 PCI Card

[ronaldobrazil]

I have a Zotac GT 580 in my computer as a primary graphic card. I have a three monitor setup to get the wide screen view in the game. To get proper effects of PhysX, I installed Zotac GT 430 in my computer. I have been playing Mafia II on my computer and I think that having a dedicated graphic card for PhysX will take off the load from graphic card for this part. But the thing I am worried about is that Zotac GT430 and Zotac GT 580 are totally different graphic cards. So are there any chances of bottlenecks being created in performance of these graphic cads.

[Haben]

I think that having a dedicated graphic card just for PhysX is not so appropriate. I mean, you will just have to put whole lot of money and resources just to get a small effect which isn’t even much needed. There are only few games available in market which actually needs PhysX to run properly. Rather I’d say that the game can run fine even without PhysX properly. So I think that instead of having dedicated graphic card for PhysX, you could have just brought the graphic card which would have given much better power to play games in higher graphic settings.

[Dixie-R]

The PhysX processor in the graphic card works in such a manner that you don’t need another graphic card for it. Even the Zotac GT 580 which was present in the computer would have done the work. Also the games aren’t so developed that they will need full strength of the PhysX feature in it. Even the graphic cads that don’t have the PhysX feature can render the same effects efficiently though not 100% accurate, but at least you will get the results right enough for you to make believe. Having a dedicated graphic card for PhysX is not as practical as it seems, it’s just a secondary feature which doesn’t affect the game much.

[Omanand]

The problem with two completely different graphic cards will occur only when the bandwidths of these two graphic cards will not match properly. For example, if one graphic card gives bandwidth of 150 MB/s and other one gives lesser than this, then it might create problem sometimes. But there is a least chance of happening so as the motherboard quickly adjusts the graphic card’s performance accordingly. But even to reduce the chances of this thing happening, I’d say that you should have a good PSU in your computer. This problem happens mostly because of fluctuation in supply of power in the computer.

[BonnieT]

Having two graphic cards of different series to be used in a single computer will lead to some minor problems like page tearing or micro stuttering. By page tearing I mean that there might be some major difference in the bandwidth of the two graphic cards in your computer and you will notice that few frames of the game or whatever that is using graphic card being delayed. For example, in a game, you will see some part of the graphics with an offset of few millimeters. It will delay a big chunk of the screen to give a bad effect. These problems can be solved by activating the VSync for the graphic card. It will manage the bandwidth and rendering process of graphic card very well.

[KumaraVel]

You can try overclocking Zotac GT 430 so that its performance is enhanced and it comes closer to the performance of Zotac GT 580. I think this will be the appropriate way to keep the two graphic cards performing properly in collaboration of each other without creating the problems like bottlenecks or so on. I think having second graphic card too as Zotac GT 580 would have been more appropriate as it would have given a great boost to the primary graphic card. Also wouldn’t have had any fears of these graphic cards not working properly together in pair.