So, does the 7950GX2 count as a single card solution?

[Polish3d]

Yes, no, or qualify it

 

[CP5670]

I would say no, because it still has the same vsync problems as an SLI setup as far as I know.

 

[Exsomnis]

How anyone can call two PCBs slapped together a "single card" solution is beyond me.

 

[lopri]

You should add a 3rd answer: "somewhere in the middle"
It's still an SLI solution in the sense that it Scales via PCI-E between the two GPUs. But at least it doesn't require an SLI chipset. It looks like a BIOS update is all it needs.

 

[Exsomnis]

If it had two cores on one PCB, it would be a single card solution. The fact is that it's two 512MB 7900 GOs stuck together with clever marketing.

 

[Shadowmage]

When's the last time you needed a BIOS update to upgrade to a new gfx card?

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Shadowmage
When's the last time you needed a BIOS update to upgrade to a new gfx card?

I had to for my G400 back in the day.

Anyways it is a single slot solution, that counts as a single card in my book.

 

[SexyK]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: Shadowmage
When's the last time you needed a BIOS update to upgrade to a new gfx card?

I had to for my G400 back in the day.

Anyways it is a single slot solution, that counts as a single card in my book.

I agree, plus, it doesnt require anything beyond a single PCIe x16 slot and requires less power than a 7900GTX... I'd definitely call it a single card. What's the justification for not?

 

[Munky]

Somewhere in the middle. It runs off a single pcie slot, and does not require an SLI board, but in every other respect it's still 2 cards slapped together. But then again, the Asus dual 7800gt card only used one physical board, but it required an SLI mobo, so does that one count as 1 card? And if someone slaps 4 cards together onto a single pcie slot, will that count as a single card too? The line gets blurry...

 

[JAG87]

Yes, to me its a single card solution because you only have to buy 1 of them. The fact remains it does not use the fastest GPU, it has to use 2 slower ones to beat the fastest one, so its not the fastest single card to my eyes. Even if it had 2 GPUs on 1 PCB, I still would not consider it the fastest single card. Overall I would say the fastest single card is the X1900XTX, and the 7950GX2 falls between a 7900 GT and a 7900 GTX. In fact if you look at its clocks thats exactly where it falls. The reason it comes with 2 GPUs instead of one is because thats what your paying for (~twice as much as a 7900 GT)

 

[LittleNemoNES]

If it were faster than 7900 GTX SLI I'd be all over it. But as it stands, My crossfire setup is perfectly fine.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: munky
Somewhere in the middle. It runs off a single pcie slot, and does not require an SLI board, but in every other respect it's still 2 cards slapped together. But then again, the Asus dual 7800gt card only used one physical board, but it required an SLI mobo, so does that one count as 1 card? And if someone slaps 4 cards together onto a single pcie slot, will that count as a single card too? The line gets blurry...

If somebody can slap 4 PCBs into a single slot, I would give it to them on effort alone

 

[rbV5]

Looks like a single card solution to me, you can't seperate "them" from what I can see. Obviously it will create all kinds of arguments about "fair" competition from other single card solutions, but that doesn't make it a muti-"card" solution at all. It uses a single PCIe slot...its a single "card" IMO.

 

[CP5670]

I personally don't really care much about the card's actual physical properties. I will just consider it a single card if it provides the same gaming experience as a comparably fast single card, which is usually not the case due to the SLI vsync issues in most games.

 

[AkumaX]

It's a single PCI-E slot solution

 

[lopri]

Yah it gets a little blurry, and contrary to an argument we often hear "Instead of developing a new core, lazy NV just slaps more and more GPUs to compete", this can be actually used for an example of ATI's incompetence. You know, from the beginning, PCI Express has been inherently scalable. See what I'm trying to say? Even without their own core logic, ATI could have done this, too. PCI-Express doesn't necessarily pass data on the motherboards only. Now, we will see NV's pseudo-SLI cards will run on Intel/ATI's chipsets.. Had ATI thought of something like this, it'd have been such a brilliant counter to NV's SLI marketing. But oh well.. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda.. And apparently "just slapping more and more GPUs" isn't that easy.

Don't get me wrong I believe ATI has very, very competent (even better than NV's) engineers and their hardware is, with a few shortcomings which often get exaggerated by.. well, its competitor, marvelous and creative. I wish they hire better programmers, and more than anything, get rid of the current management/marketing team. It starts worrying me that NV is getting more and more aggressive, and thanks to ATI's idiotic headquarter NV's decision gets approved by market/critics over and over again. Come on, ATI shareholders! Change ATI's management and development plan teams!

 

[Genx87]

ATI is stuck in a position where their GPU is nearly twice the size of the G71. Thus slapping two GPUs into a single slot configuration would be costly, probably to the point they would need to have it much more expensive than nvidia's solution.

 

[Polish3d]

I agree with that lopri.

From comparing the X1900XTX to my GTX7800 I am really blown away by the piece of hardware that it is. I was always disappointed in my GTX which I originally paid 600 for when it first came out... the XTX is really an impressive piece of equipment with greater modifiability (if thats a word) but with poorer drivers (more or less).

I love fast hardware and always wanted a card that would hit 100fps in BF2 with all options on at 1680x1050. (weird I know but) The XTX typically stays at between 90-130fps which occasional dips into the 70s during busier times and will hit the 200fps ceiling I put in with gamelock.fps 200

Overall the X1900 is the first card that has actually surpassed my expectations

 

[hemmy]

Um it doesn't really matter, it fits in 1 PCIe slot, so it is essentially 1 card, 2 pcbs

 

[rbV5]

Is it much different than AMD64 X2? Single CPU/Dual Core. How about cards with different combined components? AIW cards, tuner + graphics = single card solution. Sound card with firewire, or even the old modem/soundcards = still single "card" solutions.

I don't see how its even a question when it is obviously a single card. Performance or feature issues have nothing to do with what it physically "is", and it "is" physically one, single, card.

 

[Munky]

I have a feeling Ati will do something like this too. Which isnt necesarily a good thing, because I always prefer a single fast gpu over 2 slower ones. It may be in the form of 2 x1900gt cards slapped together, but I dont think they're technologically ready to release something like that and not have it perform like a rushed effort. I'd much rather see them tweak the r580 design some more, maybe move to the 80nm process, and adopt a beefier and quieter cooling solution. If they could release a 750mhz r580 with a cooler similar to the 7900gtx, I'd prefer that option. Oh, and hopefully with wider availability than a gtx512.

 

[Keysplayr]

Well, how many slots does it need? And it seems to only take up one extra PCI (if any) slot. So, I think the "battle" here is going to be, "Should we count it by PCB's? or should we count only the number of slots required to run the card?"

I vote slots. Because you can add a second one in another slot.

 

[fierydemise]

I vote we declare it a 1.5 card solution

 

[beggerking]

Yes. Since it doesn't require a SLI or CrossFire MB..so its not exactly 2 GTX's slapped together.

Ati could have done the same, but they'd have to somehow find a way to lower 1900xt's temperature by half...

 

[redbox]

Originally posted by: munky
I have a feeling Ati will do something like this too. Which isnt necesarily a good thing, because I always prefer a single fast gpu over 2 slower ones. It may be in the form of 2 x1900gt cards slapped together, but I dont think they're technologically ready to release something like that and not have it perform like a rushed effort. I'd much rather see them tweak the r580 design some more, maybe move to the 80nm process, and adopt a beefier and quieter cooling solution. If they could release a 750mhz r580 with a cooler similar to the 7900gtx, I'd prefer that option. Oh, and hopefully with wider availability than a gtx512.

OHHHHHHHHHH yes yes I would like!