“A small tweak utility to enable/disable GeForce PhysX and switch to CPU PhysX.
Matuus, our in-house Guru3D NVHardpage programmer stumbled into the same issue I had as well. The NVIDIA PhysX driver once install will activate itself on the GPU, and can not be disabled.
Required: Windows Vista 32-bit, GeForce G80/G92/GT200 and NV PhysX drivers
This little NV PhysX Tweaker tool will allow you to actually choose to enable or disable the PhysX driver over the GPU and if preferred, the CPU. Very simple, yet very handy.”
Basically, people were complaining that Nvidia is "cheating" with their new drivers in which PhysX is enabled for 3DMark Vantage. This allows scores between Nvidia and ATI cards to be compared more evenly when using that benchmark.
I don't know if it is cheating but having PhysX and no other physics API built into a benchmarking program should have never been done in the first place.
cheating? thats a bit harsh, basically its a benchmark pissing contest eh?
It's considered cheating since the GPU is helping in CPU test, thus producing higher total score.
If you look at the 3DMark Vantage Driver Approval Policy [PDF], section 3.5 clearly states, "Based on the specification and design of the CPU tests, GPU make, type or driver version may not have a significant effect on the results of either of the CPU tests as indicated in Section 7.3 of the 3DMark Vantage specification and whitepaper." When you run a CPU test on a GPU, it clearly violates the rules.
- Nvidia cheats on 3DMark with 177.39 drivers - The INQUIRER