ATI SLI

[imported_Noob]

When Alienware showed off it's X2 MB at E3. I think they said that they co-developed it with Intel (can't view the video for some reason) Here is the link:

http://www.alienware.com/alx_pages/main_content.aspx

And here is an article to back it up:

http://dotnet.org.za/craig/archive/2004/10/06/4505.aspx

It says that the X2 MB is based on tech from a future Intel MB. And I think that Intel is still partners with ATI. So there should be an ATI SLI MB eventually.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Were not sure ATI claims to be developing an SLI type solution. Nvidia is also parteners with Intel now so its hard to say.

SLI by rights is 3DFX's tech but Nvidia bought them so it is by rights theirs. ATI is supposedly coming out with something similiar though. SLI Intel board was released today IIRC. MAde by Gigabyte... ill have to find it again.

-Kevin

 

[imported_Noob]

I didn't know that Nvidia did that. If Nvidia is smart, they won't sell the rights to ATI.

 

[EightySix Four]

ATI is said to have something similiar but requiring no physical connector between the cards

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Noob
I didn't know that Nvidia did that. If Nvidia is smart, they won't sell the rights to ATI.

they wont, ATI will develop their own method without infringement on nvidia's patents. ATI already has a multichip proccess, remember the RAGE FUry MAXX?

 

[imported_Noob]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: Noob
I didn't know that Nvidia did that. If Nvidia is smart, they won't sell the rights to ATI.

they wont, ATI will develop their own method without infringement on nvidia's patents. ATI already has a multichip proccess, remember the RAGE FUry MAXX?

Nope. I wasn't into computers at that time. All I know is that Rage was the line of cards before the Radeons. I will see what it's about.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Were not sure ATI claims to be developing an SLI type solution. Nvidia is also parteners with Intel now so its hard to say.

SLI by rights is 3DFX's tech but Nvidia bought them so it is by rights theirs. ATI is supposedly coming out with something similiar though. SLI Intel board was released today IIRC. MAde by Gigabyte... ill have to find it again.

-Kevin

The only part of what nVidia purchased from 3Dfx that they are using is the name "SLI". The actual tech behind current SLI is not what 3Dfx developed. If nVidia owned some sort of rights to the concept of using multiple video cards to split up the workload, do you think that they wouldn't have stopped Alienware from developing X2?

What ever it is that ATi comes out with, you can bet it won't be called "SLI". Maybe "XLI XT" or "XX800 XT", they seem to like the "X" this year.

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: crazySOB297
ATI is said to have something similiar but requiring no physical connector between the cards

That's cool. But the clip isn't a big deal either.

 

[imported_Noob]

Originally posted by: nitromullet

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Were not sure ATI claims to be developing an SLI type solution. Nvidia is also parteners with Intel now so its hard to say.

SLI by rights is 3DFX's tech but Nvidia bought them so it is by rights theirs. ATI is supposedly coming out with something similiar though. SLI Intel board was released today IIRC. MAde by Gigabyte... ill have to find it again.

-Kevin

The only part of what nVidia purchased from 3Dfx that they are using is the name "SLI". The actual tech behind current SLI is not what 3Dfx developed. If nVidia owned some sort of rights to the concept of using multiple video cards to split up the workload, do you think that they wouldn't have stopped Alienware from developing X2?

What ever it is that ATi comes out with, you can bet it won't be called "SLI". Maybe "XLI XT" or "XX800 XT", they seem to like the "X" this year.

Nvidia probably would have. It also depends on when they bought #DFX out (if they did)it out. It could have bought after the X2 was developed. Plus Alienware seems to be very good partners with Nvidia. Alienware no longer seels ATI cards with there mobile or ALX systems (even ALX systems not SLI based).

Only the vanilla Area 51 and Aurora have the option for an ATI card.

 

[OnEMoReTrY]

ATI have named their SLI solution to AMR for now (ATI Mutli Rendering)

 

[imported_Noob]

Originally posted by: OnEMoReTrY
ATI have named their SLI solution to AMR for now (ATI Mutli Rendering)

Is there any rumour on when it will be released?

 

[mwmorph]

not yet i dont think.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Were not sure ATI claims to be developing an SLI type solution. Nvidia is also parteners with Intel now so its hard to say.

SLI by rights is 3DFX's tech but Nvidia bought them so it is by rights theirs. ATI is supposedly coming out with something similiar though. SLI Intel board was released today IIRC. MAde by Gigabyte... ill have to find it again.

-Kevin

ATI will have SLI - called AMR - by Q2 this year.


ATI's SLI to work without connector

ATI'S WAY OF doing SLI called AMR (ATI Multi Rendering) will work differently from Nvidia's now world famous SLI. ATI will make its SLI work without a small printed circuit board (PCB) to interconnect the cards.

SLI uses two PCIe graphic ports and in the case of Nforce 4, works at PCIe 8X for each card and renders your picture with both cards. For this operation Nvidia SLI needs a special interconnection between two graphic cards. It?s a small cable or PCB that transfers up to four GB per second from one card to another. For this operation, coordination is crucial as one card needs to know what the other card is doing.

ATI found a way to make its SLI work without this interconnection. In ATI's case, whenever it makes its SLI ready, you will just plug two graphic cards in motherboard powered with ATI chipset and it will all work without interconnection PCB or cable.

The upcoming chipset will have hardware support for dual graphic card rendering mode. It will be all done through the chipset and we guess that it will be wired in the new RS482 and RX482 chipsets. All the communication between two cards will be done through motherboard or chipset wires.

ATI is working hard to catch up with Nvidia in the SLI game, and it will try to make its chipset and drivers ready for launch as soon as possible. This is expected sometime in Q2 2005.

now you know
:roll:

 

[Gunnman]

ATI has announced that they are planing on SLI comming around Summer 2005

 

[Drayvn]

Supposedly the X850 series can do AMR, i read somewhere...

 

[RobotOfHatred]

I wonder, will any SLI compatibel board work with this (mainly the NF4 series) or will you have to get a specific ATI board?

Which companies MAKE ATI boards anyways?

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: Drayvn
Supposedly the X850 series can do AMR, i read somewhere...

What do you mean by AMR. Audio/Modem Riser or something else. (Im guessing something else )

-Kevin

 

[RobotOfHatred]

Read the post your in...

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: RobotOfHatred
I wonder, will any SLI compatibel board work with this (mainly the NF4 series) or will you have to get a specific ATI board?

Which companies MAKE ATI boards anyways?

Actually, I thought ATI was going to be making their own boards now. With onboard dx9 graphics.

 

[ZobarStyl]

In ATI's case, whenever it makes its SLI ready, you will just plug two graphic cards in motherboard powered with ATI chipset and it will all work without interconnection PCB or cable.

That's the clencher right there; you may not need the small PCB to connect them, but you have to use the ATi chipset powered board. While I think ATi will have nice chipsets, at least eventually, the NForce chipsets have a lot of people hooked and it will be a lot harder to sell people on both ATi's SLI and their chipset.

 

[RobotOfHatred]

Originally posted by: malak

Originally posted by: RobotOfHatred
I wonder, will any SLI compatibel board work with this (mainly the NF4 series) or will you have to get a specific ATI board?

Which companies MAKE ATI boards anyways?

Actually, I thought ATI was going to be making their own boards now. With onboard dx9 graphics.

If they did, It wouldnt be very smart, since you cant really upgrade ur mobo every time you want a new vid card...

Then Again, I might have misunderstood what youu said.. so Ill shutup now...

 

[Drayvn]

From what ive read about the ATi boards, they are top notch, definitly on par with the nForce boards in terms of performance, as well as features. Tho these were on Intel platforms.

Gamingphreek, lol read the thread man, it says it somewhere in the beginning...

RobotOfHatred, i think he meant that these boards that have Dx9 gpus would be better served on the budget market, as most of those ppl wont be buying graphics cards, but the DX9 onboard gpu would be able to run quite a few games at reasonable fps's

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: Drayvn
From what ive read about the ATi boards, they are top notch, definitly on par with the nForce boards in terms of performance, as well as features. Tho these were on Intel platforms.

Gamingphreek, lol read the thread man, it says it somewhere in the beginning...

RobotOfHatred, i think he meant that these boards that have Dx9 gpus would be better served on the budget market, as most of those ppl wont be buying graphics cards, but the DX9 onboard gpu would be able to run quite a few games at reasonable fps's

Ah i see

As for the ATI boards well although they are reviewed good they have no backing from manufacturers. Manf are content with what they have no and have no desire to change.

-Kevin

 

[Jeff7181]

Isn't it incorrect to call ATI's method "SLI?" Since SLI = Scalable Link Interface... referring to the connection made between the cars with that little connector? If I read things correctly, ATI's will not use such a connector, the communication between the two GPU's will be ALL on the PCI-Express bus.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Isn't it incorrect to call ATI's method "SLI?" Since SLI = Scalable Link Interface... referring to the connection made between the cars with that little connector? If I read things correctly, ATI's will not use such a connector, the communication between the two GPU's will be ALL on the PCI-Express bus.

ATI's SLI to work without connector

ATI'S WAY OF doing SLI called AMR (ATI Multi Rendering) will work differently from Nvidia's now world famous SLI. ATI will make its SLI work without a small printed circuit board (PCB) to interconnect the cards.

SLI uses two PCIe graphic ports and in the case of Nforce 4, works at PCIe 8X for each card and renders your picture with both cards. For this operation Nvidia SLI needs a special interconnection between two graphic cards. It?s a small cable or PCB that transfers up to four GB per second from one card to another. For this operation, coordination is crucial as one card needs to know what the other card is doing.

ATI found a way to make its SLI work without this interconnection. In ATI's case, whenever it makes its SLI ready, you will just plug two graphic cards in motherboard powered with ATI chipset and it will all work without interconnection PCB or cable.

The upcoming chipset will have hardware support for dual graphic card rendering mode. It will be all done through the chipset and we guess that it will be wired in the new RS482 and RX482 chipsets. All the communication between two cards will be done through motherboard or chipset wires.

ATI is working hard to catch up with Nvidia in the SLI game, and it will try to make its chipset and drivers ready for launch as soon as possible. This is expected sometime in Q2 2005.

edit: doesn't ANYONE read?
this is the SECOND time i posted this.
:roll: