Borderland 2 PhysX with an AMD GPU

[0ostav0o]

Not sure if this is under the correct category but here goes.
tl;dr version: How well will maxed out physX run on an i5-4690k?(amd gpu).
Specific game in mind: Borderlands 2
Full story:
I am currently in the process of designing a new gaming rig (first time).
For the gpu, I am was debating whether to get the EVGA gtx 780 sc acx or the r9-290 vapor-x (290 not 290x)
I ended up going for the r9, as perfomance is more or less equal, it is cheaper, and the card looks real good imo. Now, I am not asking for recommendations on a gpu so please do not try to convince me to get something else, leave that for other threads asking for comparisons.
However, I have recently come upon physX. Now I know physX is not even implemented in most games, however Borderlands 2 (which is apparently physX heavy) is one of my favorites, and I will probably play through all my games again once I build the new pc. So my question is, will I be able to run physX maxed out on playable fps on a cpu+amd gpu, in comparison to running it on a gtx card?
*side note*-- I am a casual gamer, and am going more for the "eye-candy" than the 60-fps-stable-no-compromise. Considering that this is going to be a massive upgrade from a normal home-office pc, I probably wouldn't mind playing at around 30-40 fps, as long as it doesn't crash down to 5 when I play with friends, or get into big fight scenes.

Sorry for the long description, and thank you in advance!

 

[17seconds]

Too bad the PhysX aspect never entered into your original decision. So you might be out of luck with enabling PhysX on your CPU at any level above Medium settings. But you can try that out without any modifications or hassle. Borderlands 2 is pretty much the only PhysX game where the CPU can at least do a half decent job.

If you wanted to go to the next level, then it might be possible to try a hybrid PhysX setup (AMD graphics + Nvidia dedicated PhysX). Here's some info:

Hybrid PhysX:
http://physxinfo.com/wiki/Hybrid_PhysX

Borderlands 2 PhysX info:
http://physxinfo.com/news/9500/gpu-physx-in-borderlands-2/

Borderlands 2 PhysX benchmark roundup:
http://physxinfo.com/news/9653/borderlands-2-physx-benchmark-roundup/

 

[0ostav0o]

Too bad the PhysX aspect never entered into your original decision. So you might be out of luck with enabling PhysX on your CPU at any level above Medium settings. But you can try that out without any modifications or hassle. Borderlands 2 is pretty much the only PhysX game where the CPU can at least do a half decent job.

If you wanted to go to the next level, then it might be possible to try a hybrid PhysX setup (AMD graphics + Nvidia dedicated PhysX). Here's some info:

Hybrid PhysX:
http://physxinfo.com/wiki/Hybrid_PhysX

Borderlands 2 PhysX info:
http://physxinfo.com/news/9500/gpu-physx-in-borderlands-2/

Borderlands 2 PhysX benchmark roundup:
http://physxinfo.com/news/9653/borderlands-2-physx-benchmark-roundup/

Thank you for the answer
I haven't actually bought/built the pc yet. When I said "ended up going for" I meant decided on that part and designed my built around it, budget and color-scheme wise. The build is still highly subjective to change as I am only going to get everything around August. Problem is I currently highly prefer the amd card over the gtx one, but the physX thing is kind of bothering me. Is physX something that is taking off or does it seem to be staying quiet as it is currently? Because if its going to stay as an exclusive to only a few games, Ill probably just get the r9 and run physX on medium for Borderlands, since the difference between medium and high doesn't seem to be too steep.

 

[17seconds]

PhysX is likely going to continue to come out on a few games each year, and lately its been some pretty big titles: COD: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed IV, Batman: Arkham Origins. Upcoming titles include: Witcher 3, the new Batman, the new Borderlands, and then there's the possibility of a new Unreal Tournament, as I heard in a rumor. Sticking with the AMD card means that you'll be in the same situation, with PhysX-envy, when the new Borderlands comes out.

Here's my take on it: When faced with two card choices, one has PhysX, one doesn't have PhysX.... guess which one I want in my rig. Even if I don't use it, I want it just in case.

I also think that a true enthusiast wants to say that they can "Max Out" their game settings. Well if you have one setting that can only run at Medium, or worse, is grayed out and unavailable, then by definition that's not really maxing out your settings. I'm an enthusiast, and I want the best; I won't be running an AMD card any time soon. There's just too many compromises with AMD: no PhysX, more driver complaints, no tech like Adaptive VSync, TXAA, FXAA, HBAO+, etc. That's why their cards cost less, they just don't sell near as many as Nvidia does, and compromise is a big part of the reason why.

 

[smeezekitty]

Physx just adds clutter to the screen. Its a waste of time propagated by NVidia fanboys

But your CPU should be able to run low physx in any games that support CPU physx. Note you may need the NVidia software
physx driver