The last, existing and upcoming of multi-GPU technology

We take a look at multi-GPU technological innovation from AMD and Nvidia

Multi-GPU technological innovation has come a lengthy way in the last few decades, to the factor where it's now a genuine use of a second GPU, instead of being a terrible spend of rubber and shaders.

In the before time though, the lengthy, lengthy ago - well the beginning Noughties - multi-GPU technological innovation was almost overlooked. If you remember, 3dfx had presented the unique SLI (scan-line interleave) technological innovation in 1998 with its Voodoo 2 cards, which was eventually left on the display as Nvidia grabbed the components of the design organization.

The natural goblins did go back and intoduce it in 2004, though, relabeled as the scalable weblink program. ATI followed fit the following season and presented its own multi-GPU technical, CrossFire.

Neither of these technological innovation were really value the price, the attempt or the energy. Absolutely aside from the point that twin-GPU systems were a discomfort in the posterior to set up, demanding certain mother board chipsets and sometimes particular expert cards (in the situation of ATI), they hardly ever provided beneficial efficiency increases.

Sometimes - and in a few unusual situations this is still real - including in an additional GPU puzzled application and individuals so much that the efficiency results lowered into opposite and you finished up with more slowly shape prices.

Double dose

Kudos then to the two big GPU companies for persisting in creating the technological innovation, despite almost international derision. Now we've lastly hit some time where putting a second GPU into the scenario will very much provide you with the preferred bending efficiency we've always desired from such a installation.

There are still restrictions, though, such as Nvidia asking for a top quality for certification SLI program on motherboards (now that it no more creates chipsets itself). The key restrictions though are on what design cards can be used together in a multi-GPU range. ATI's master/slave origins aside, it was important to have the identical video greeting cards in a installation to have any possibility of it operating.

On the Nvidia part, elements have modified a little to the factor where now it just has to be the same GPU, and real company's badges, such as Asus or MSI no more have any keeping on SLI's performance. Which indicates you can now several up a number of GTX 460s but not a GTX 460 and GTX 465, as they're different components completely.

The scenario is different on the AMD part, though. Instead of just connecting up similar cards, you can CrossFire any greeting cards within the same GPU household. So all the Cayman-powered HD 69xx cards, for example, can be used in the same program.

An exciting side-effect of this is that sometimes mature GPUs get raised from the dead in following decades. For example, the HD 5770 and HD 5750's Juniper GPU was reintroduced in the HD 6770 and HD 6750, so you can mix and go with these cards with impunity.

This has occurred on the Nvidia part before, with the 9800GTX+ and the relabeled GTS 250 actually being basically the same greeting cards, and so were able to be used in SLI together.

Islands apart?

It's unlikely that we're going to see the same factor occurring with the next technology of style.

AMD has said that it is going to proceed the lower-end South Isle cards together with the new The southeast part of Isle technology, instead of rebranding the HD 66xx sequence and below as HD 76xx (See reverse web page, top). But if you do see a HD 76xx greeting cards in the outrageous you can bet it will CrossFire gladly with a corresponding HD 66xx greeting cards.

The new HD 7000 sequence cards will adhere to the same CrossFire interface contour, with the HD 7950 and HD 7970 operating gladly together in the same program. AMD does say though that for the best possible climbing similar cards is always the best way to go.

The same goes for the lower-end HD 7770 cards; though their little sibling, the HD 7750, actually does not have a CrossFire plug in the referrals style. We don't yet know whether add-in panel (AIB) companies will create their own PCB styles with that plug provided, but if there's a need you can bet companies Pearl and HIS will take a lengthy difficult look at it.

Open approach

At this low-end though it's unlikely individuals are going to want to CrossFire cards below the HD 7770; there basically isn't the efficiency come back. For the cash you'd invest on two HD 7750s you could buy a excellent individual greeting cards. But AMD's more start strategy to multi-GPU technological innovation is excellent for the individual.

If you'd grabbed a HD 6870 a while back and desired a efficiency increase, being able to fall in a £99 HD 6850 creates good economical feeling. And this start strategy isn't just restricted to the cards themselves. AMD has guaranteed that the choice is there for everyone, provided that they have a second x16 PCIe position on their mother board.

While Nvidia only allows certain certified forums to have its SLI technical, AMD has propagate its technological innovation around liberally. When you're creating new device, or looking to substitute the design range in an current rig, we would usually say that no matter the efficiency advantages, you would be better off selecting the best single video card you can manage rather than selecting two less expensive cards from the off.

There are still issues concerns between certain game titles and multi-GPU systems, so 1 greeting cards rig is usually going to be more constant. But with the best individual GPU you can manage you can always add in a second greeting cards later frame. And if you're on the AMD part you may even be able to couple it with a quicker greeting cards as costs fall eventually, without the mobo interface problems that encompass SLI.