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SLI and Crossfire

James Bond

James Bond

Diamond Member
I'm slightly confused on the whole SLI vs Crossfire thing. I understand that nVidia moved on from AGP first, introducing PCI-e, which was incorperated on their newer SLI boards... but everything is a little shady in my head.

Could someone explain what SLI and Crossfire really are, and the differences?

I ask because I'm getting a new gaming computer thread here

But I'm a little unsure about everything.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 
PCIe is the next gen PCI slots. The PCI-e x16 port replaces AGP as the graphics port. There arent too many other components that use PCIe yet.
SLI is nvidia technology to run 2 gfx cards in parallel.
Crossfire is ATI tech to run 2 gfx cards in parallel. In some ways its better than SLI since your 2 cards dont need to be the same.
I cant remember if any review/benchmark showed that one was better than other in performance though.
So thats the general idea. I'm sure someone can go into more detail or answer any specific questions you have.
 
Click the Video tab at the top of the page to read articles and benchmarks.

You can also buy an nvidia 7950GX2 which is "sli on a single card" so it doesn't need a SLI motherboard.
 
Originally posted by: stogez
Crossfire is ATI tech to run 2 gfx cards in parallel. In some ways its better than SLI since your 2 cards dont need to be the same.
Click to expand...
More precisely, the two cards CANNOT be the same...you have to buy a Crossfire Master card, which then pairs with a standard Crossfire-ready card. And as far as I know, you can't mix GPU families for either solution (nVidia's website makes it perfectly clear, ATI's site probably has the exact info buried somewhere that you can't click to...).
 
Originally posted by: Slugbait
Originally posted by: stogez
Crossfire is ATI tech to run 2 gfx cards in parallel. In some ways its better than SLI since your 2 cards dont need to be the same.
Click to expand...
More precisely, the two cards CANNOT be the same...you have to buy a Crossfire Master card, which then pairs with a standard Crossfire-ready card. And as far as I know, you can't mix GPU families for either solution (nVidia's website makes it perfectly clear, ATI's site probably has the exact info buried somewhere that you can't click to...).
Click to expand...

That has changed with the introduction of X1950Pro. You don't need a master card anymore. Crossfire for X1950Pro works exactly like SLI now.
 
SLI connects inside ur case and Cross fire connects outside, from earlier info i also remember that Crossfire could crank up the AA / AF ratings where SLI couldn't hold it that high talkin 32x if i remember or somewehre around there..




Will G
 
Originally posted by: Baked
That has changed with the introduction of X1950Pro. You don't need a master card anymore. Crossfire for X1950Pro works exactly like SLI now.
Click to expand...
Dammit! I'm 9 days behind the times! I've lost my knowledge grip on the hardware edge! I remember one fateful day when I went out to lunch, and BAM!!...somebody released USB 2.0. I promised myself that would never happen again!

😉
 
Thanks for all of the replies!

So SLI and Crossfire are just technologies incorperated into the new motherboards which allow two video cards to work simultaneously. (Or that's what it sounds like).

I don't plan on getting two Vid Cards, I can't afford it. So if I plan on getting a Core2Duo E6600 with "some video card", would the whole Crossfire/Sli thing matter to me?
 
It might matter - you might want to buy what you can afford to today and leave the option of adding a second card down the road to boost your gameplay for not a lot of money.
 
Originally posted by: jleves
It might matter - you might want to buy what you can afford to today and leave the option of adding a second card down the road to boost your gameplay for not a lot of money.
Click to expand...

This is rarely a good idea because by the time you get around to adding that second card there will be a single card solution that is more powerful and have more features than the your two outdated SLI cards.
 
Ok.

If I buy a 775 Motherboard (Asus P5W?) with a E6600 and get a decent video card (X1950Pro?), will I be DX10 compatible?

And would that setup run well with upcoming games?
 
No it won't be dx10 compatible. However, it will play upcoming games well, but it won't be able to use the dx10 features that will be present from sometime next year (I assume early next year).
 
Originally posted by: Tizyler
Ok.

If I buy a 775 Motherboard (Asus P5W?) with a E6600 and get a decent video card (X1950Pro?), will I be DX10 compatible?

And would that setup run well with upcoming games?
Click to expand...

Depends what resolution you are gaming at. If you are gaming at 1680x1050 or higher then you will probably struggle in upcoming games; it won't be unplayable by any stretch, and you could always scale, but I find it quite unlikely that you will be able to play Crysis at 1680x1050 with any AA or AF and maintain decent frames on that card.

No you will not be DX10 compatible, you will need an 8800/R600 for that.
 
Originally posted by: Tizyler
If I buy a 775 Motherboard (Asus P5W?) with a E6600 and get a decent video card (X1950Pro?), will I be DX10 compatible?

And would that setup run well with upcoming games?
Click to expand...
I believe that the mobo will be compatible, but you will not be DX10 compatible...you need to buy a DX10 videocard. I believe the first ones on the block (R600 and G80?) should be released for the Xmas rush.

For most of the games in the next year, and many of them the year after, this setup will run very well. Most (or all?) games just released, and many in the pipe, are not DX10. For those games that are, Vista will fall back to using DX9 for your card...you simply will not be able to take advantage of features in the smattering of DX10 games to be released in the next year.
 
So what I may want to do is go ahead and get that hardware, and then upgrade to a DX10 video card in 6-12 months, using the same Motherboard.

That would work, correct? Advisable?
 
Originally posted by: Tizyler
So what I may want to do is go ahead and get that hardware, and then upgrade to a DX10 video card in 6-12 months, using the same Motherboard.

That would work, correct? Advisable?
Click to expand...

Yes, this was/is my plan as well.
 
Originally posted by: Tizyler
So what I may want to do is go ahead and get that hardware, and then upgrade to a DX10 video card in 6-12 months, using the same Motherboard.

That would work, correct? Advisable?
Click to expand...

... and be running Vista as your OS, which in itself may or may not be advisable.

Too many future variables at this stage. Either buy your hardware now, for your current needs, or hold off until the hardware/software meet your (DirectX 😕 ) hopes/needs.
 
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