ASUSTeK Computer said at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) it would launch add-in cards that would feature AGEIA’s PhysX processor. The products will boost performance of physics in certain next-generation computer games that support AGEIA’s technology.

AGEIA’s PhysX is the world’s first Physics Processing Unit (PPU), which offloads software physics processing from central processing units and graphics processing units to it. The architecture of the PhysX PPU is tailored for multi-threaded processing of vertexes, which allows game creators to develop detailed, soft and precise animation and simulation of movements, hair, clothing, liquids, fluids and other. Currently AGEIA PhysX is the world’s first and only dedicated physics processing unit, but the company expects more startups to offer similar technology.

Details of the agreement between AGEIA and ASUS will be announced at a later date, but the two companies have agreed in principle that ASUS will develop and market PPU boards with the AGEIA PhysX processor.

“Gamers using ASUS add-in boards with the AGEIA PhysX processor will experience unprecedented physics-based effects and environments in next-generation games,” the companies said in a joint statement.

ASUS products based on AGEIA PhysX processors are expected within 2005, coinciding with the release of popular game titles incorporating AGEIA physics technology. Pricing of such cards is yet unclear.