The physics card's aren't going to be a bargain. I bet over $200 for initial release. Are they putting these things in traditional PCI slots? I think I'd feel cooler if I could make use of a PCIe x1 slot.
Actuall $200-$300 for a physics card doesn't seem that bad IMO.
That's assuming that they won't be obsolete as quickly as it seems like graphics cards are getting these days. If by the next game released 6 months later you need a new PPU, then yeah that'd be ridiculous, but honestly I don't think that's gonna happen.....perhaps that's simply wishful thinking though
FghtinIrshNvrDi - as far as I've heard, they were going to use the PCI-E 4x slot......or at the very minimum PXI-E 1x slot like you're thinking.
HOWEVER.......looking at the position of those two slots I'd be kind of screwed. Theres no room in the slow below my graphics card (hel
l not sure if that's the 1x or 4x, probably1x though) because of my water block and whatnot, and there's no room in the slot ABOVE the card because of the pins that go through the card to hold the water block on. If it were to fit in the top slot I could remedy the situation by putting my graphics card in the bottom slot, but if it goes in the bottom slot, it looks like I'm screwed =/
Seems a lot of people hated the idea of a physics card, but IMO I'm really looking forward to it. Yes it's another component you gotta buy, but technically, if physics is taken off the CPU and the GPU, then your current hardware would be almost be like getting a 'boost' and made to be less obsolete. Of course then developers would counter by making graphics more intense, but basically a 6800Ultra or something would be able to handle far more demanding graphics with physics duties taken off.
Perhaps they can somehow even make patches for somewhat earlier games like Oblivion (by the time a PPU comes out, it'll be out for a while) that'll enable a PPU to work with the game......thus before hand say you could only run 1024x768 with 2xAA, maybe now you can do 1280x1024 with 4x AA........just an example obviously.