Nvidia's RTX 5090 struggles with older games, but this user discovered a costly solution.

      Fans of PhysX on 32-bit CUDA are reluctant to abandon its functionality with the RTX 5090 GPU. Gamers have gotten creative by connecting additional compatible GPUs to the already pricey graphics card to restore PhysX features in their gaming systems.

      Recently, Nvidia announced that it would cease support for the legacy GPU-accelerated physics simulation technology, PhysX, on its newer graphics cards. This means that many beloved older games will struggle to be compatible with the RTX 5090 GPU and newer models regarding detailed simulation and rendering. In the absence of PhysX support, legacy games exhibit significantly reduced frame rates and fail to properly render numerous particle effects, such as moving smoke, cloth, liquids, and shattering glass.

      Tom’s Hardware previously highlighted the possibility of maintaining PhysX support on a PC equipped with an RTX 50 series GPU and beyond by combining it with an RTX 40 series or older graphics card, activating the older card through the Nvidia control panel only when needed. This method was exemplified by Reddit user, jerubedo, who acquired an RTX 3050 to work alongside an RTX 5090 GPU. The enthusiast shared their findings on the Nvidia forum.

      The gamer evaluated the performance of the two GPUs across various legacy games, including Mafia II Classic, Batman Arkham, Borderlands 2, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and Mirror’s Edge, revealing mixed results. Overall, the results indicated that PhysX performance on the RTX 5090 GPU was lacking without assistance from the RTX 3050.

      The standalone RTX 5090 produced markedly low frame rates. For Borderlands 2, the user found that PhysX would not function at all. In contrast, when utilizing the RTX 3050 alongside the RTX 5090, the frame rates increased considerably, and effect support improved. Regarding Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the gamer noted that the frame rates were fairly consistent between the two configurations, at around 62fps.

      However, there was a stark contrast in performance for other titles. The Redditor reported that Mirror’s Edge achieved a frame rate of just 12fps without the RTX 3050, with the game stalling for 49 seconds during a glass shattering sequence. Conversely, the combination of the RTX 5090 and RTX 3050 achieved a frame rate of 171fps.

      It is important to note that the RTX 5090 is priced around $2,000, representing a significant investment for a computing component. Its limited availability coupled with high demand makes the removal of long-valued functionalities by Nvidia even more disappointing. While the idea of purchasing an additional GPU to restore PhysX support is intriguing, not every enthusiast is willing to take this route, especially when they expect their costly components to operate seamlessly.

      Commentators on the Digital Foundry podcast remarked that without PhysX or a dedicated GPU, the RTX 5090 has effectively lost backward compatibility with older games. They mentioned that without legacy support, the rendering responsibilities previously handled by PhysX are now shifted to the CPU, which does not perform as effectively. Despite hopes for CPU support to advance to match the decades-old PhysX technology, they found this not to be the case, making the discontinuation of this technology particularly disappointing for many. Furthermore, the team indicated that there are no apparent PhysX alternatives in development, suggesting that hardware setups like jerubedo’s may be the only way for fans to maintain the high-quality rendering they desire.