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12/23/11

Alice 2 - Madnesss Returns Crossfire + PhysX achieved!

Here's how to do it! This will essentially hook your NVidia PhysX capable card up with your CrossFire system. and plugged it in.

Updated: Some new numbers, new info.
Updated: Batman: Arkham Asylum works, though there are no patchable dll's. It just works! GPU-Z confirmed about 22% GPU load in the beginning of the game.

You will need:

Windows 7 (Preferably 64bit)
Alice 2: Madness Returns installed
PhysX capable card, I took an old PNY GeForce 8800GT 512MB. Do not attach any monitor cabble.

PhysX_9.11.0621_SystemSoftware.msi
FluidMark (to confirm your setup)
Old GeForce drivers: 285.79-desktop-win7-winvista-64bit-international-beta.exe

NVIDIA GeForce driver 256 Hybrid PhysX mod [x86/x64] v1.05ff by Liandri / THETA

  1. Install GeForce drivers. Do custom installation, and uncheck PhysX. We are using a the latest version that actually work wich is 9.11.0621.
  2. Install PhysX 9.11.0621
  3. Install FluidMark (I was using 1.4.0)
  4. Run Hybrid-PhysX-mod-1.05ff.exe
  5. Run nvsvc-set-Manual.cmd (as Administrator)
  6. Run PhysX-HwSelection-set-GPU.cmd (as Administrator)
  7. Take (now patched) C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common\PhysXDevice.dll and copy to Fluidmark folder
  8. Run FluidMark and observe the checkbox for GPU PhysX has been unlocked. Check it, and run standard 1080 test and snicker. FluidMark will not utilize CrossFire, but Alice 2 will!
  9. Copy the same file to replace (remember to backup!) C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\Alice Madness Returns\Alice2\Binaries\Win32 . Unfortunately, Alice 2 is not 64bit.
  10. Run game! 
And I have two 6770 GDDR5's in CrossFire as well; Also I have unlocked 60 fps rate, and it seems to be stable around 60!

CPU-Z  logs about 53% 96 load on card 1 and 35% 76% load on card two.
I am running Phenom X4 @ 3000 w/default TurboCore 3400, 4GB 1066 RAM

Warning: Something is occasionaly causing this setup to bluescreen the nVidia driver; I don't know if it's the Hybrid patch; the fact that I am using a beta driver or  if it's AMD's fault. When the system goes back online I seem to have lost CrossFire capability and I have to disable the nVidia screen (if any) and unplug it; restart, then reinstall Catalyst. Confirm that the AMD display is #1 and primary display. Re-enable CrossFire, run Hybrid patch and scripts; good to go again. At this stage it is OK to plug in and use the nVidia display. (Nice to put CPU/GPU and other system monitors here and see that everything runs smoothly; this is pulling a good 400 watts on the PSU as well as stressing your entire rig..)

Game played in full HD with everything maxed. Also everything on card half maxed quality-wise. This will add a little more spice to the graphics! Especially fluids, clothing and particles.

 GPU-Z confirms it: (thats a PNY GeForce 8800GT 512MB)

GPU Load [%] Memory Controller Load [%] (Dedicated) [MB] (Dynamic) [MB]
          0                               0                              0                                0  
          0                               0                              0                                0  
          0                               0                              0                                0  
          0                               0                             32                               13  
          0                               0                             32                               13  
          0                               0                             32                               13  
          0                               0                             32                               13  
This goes on for a while, then:
          0                               0                             96                               77  
          0                               0                             96                               77  
          0                               0                             96                               77  
          0                               0                             96                               77  
          4                               0                             96                               77  
          4                               0                             96                               77  
          2                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                             96                               77  
          6                               0                            108                               77  
         16                               1                            108                               77  
         17                               0                            108                               77  
         14                               0                            108                               77  
         15                               0                            108                               77  
         23                               2                            108                               77  
         24                               2                            108                               77  
         23                               2                            108                               77  
         24                               2                            108                               77  
         22                               2                            108                               77  
         18                               1                            108                               77  
         18                               1                            108                               77  
         19                               1                            108                               77  
         19                               1                            108                               77  


And it goes on like this, up to 63 if I remember correctly, may have been more! I was enthusiastic about running Crysis 1 or 2 with this hack, but Crytek seems to use the PhysX software in CPU mode! I tried, but GPU-Z delivars no numbers.

Next project is hacking Batman: Arkhan City!

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