Reddit User Pairs GeForce RTX 3050 with RTX 5090 To Support PhysX

Expert Verified By

Are we back to using a dedicated PhysX card in games ?

Story Highlight
  • The GeForce RTX 50 series no longer supports 32-bit CUDA, which means it doesn’t support PhysX acceleration.
  • Games like Mirrors Edge show a drastic performance drop on the RTX 5090 compared to older GPUs like the GTX 980 Ti.
  • A Reddit user paired an RTX 3050 with a 5090 to enable PhysX acceleration, significantly boosting performance in older games.

A few days ago, the RTX 50 series removed support for 32-bit CUDA, which meant that PhysX games would no longer be supported. Although you may still play some games, the performance is significantly below what you expect.

Why it matters: The removal of PhysX support in the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series directly impacts gamers who enjoy older titles that rely on this technology.

There used to be PhysX acceleration cards. However, NVIDIA bought this company and incorporated PhysX technology into their GeForce lineup. That said, the absence of PhysX on graphics cards, such as the GeForce RTX 5090, is a significant issue.

Since its launch in early 2015, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti has outperformed the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Mirrors Edge provides one such example: when physics kicks in, the RTX 5090 suffers greatly.

In rasterization, the GeForce RTX 5090 provides nearly twice the performance of the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. However, when the glass cracks and physics kicks in, we can observe that Mirrors Edge is essentially unplayable, with the GeForce RTX 5090 achieving 6 FPS compared to 120 FPS on the GTX 980 Ti.  

A Reddit user named jerubedo claims that he bought a GeForce RTX 3050 to pair with his GeForce RTX 5090 and speed up PhysX. The goal was to observe what would happen if older games were played using the PhysX physics acceleration technology.

As expected, the combo has significantly boosted performance. With the RTX 3050 installed, the Mafia 2 Classic ran at 157.1 FPS instead of 28.8 FPS with the RTX 5090. Batman Arkham Asylum went from running at 61 FPS to 390 FPS.

This makes it obvious that the RTX 50 series is a major step backward if you want to play older games that require PhysX.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Upcoming Assassin’s Creed Games To Heavily Focus On Parkour As Director Admits Shadows Missed The Mark

Assassin's Creed Shadows associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois claims that Shadows and other RPG-era games missed the mark with parkour.

PS5 Dominates Black Friday Week, Accounts For 62% Total Sales In The UK And 47% In The US

Sony's PS5 has taken full advantage of the Black Friday week sale, as Xbox and Nintendo had a much smaller cut in comparison.

Mystery Star Wars Game Could Be Knights Of The Old Republic Remake, Teases Insider

Fans think the secret Star Wars reveal is about Knights of the Old Republic as Kurakasis revealed that the project's title has the same name.

Phantom Blade Zero Finally Getting A Release Date At The Game Awards 2025

The Game Awards has confirmed that Phantom Blade Zero will finally be getting a release date at the event. It is rumored for a 2026 release.

A Remake Of Original Tomb Raider Reportedly Being Announced At The Game Awards

An insider claims that The Game Awards 2025 event will also include an announcement for a remake of the original Tomb Raider.