High end multi-GPU solutions

I was just sufring around the net.. and have found this nice article which is about 8 months old, comparing Ati's Radeon X1950XTX vs. 7900GTX tested in single mode and in both Crossfire/SLI setup. It's nice to see how even older Nvidia 7xxx series performand well over Ati's X1950XTX.

I'll try to find more benchmarks if I can where it should show how much X1950XTX is performing against Nvidia 88xx GTS/GTX Series!

So be sure to enjoy this and read the whole article.. I know I did

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Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GS 256MB SLI - for gamers on a budget

The entry-level section of the mainstream market, or more directly the $100-$110 price point, is a very important one for the video card market. Many gamers view a C-note as the starting point for any video card purchase, just as many OEM vendors like this range for gaming-equipped systems. NVIDIA certainly recognizes this fact, and after releasing the powerful GeForce 7600 GT card, followed that up with its lower-clocked GeForce 7600 GS cousin. This bridged the gap between the high and low ends of the mainstream market, and gave NVIDIA a GeForce 7 Series card for virtually any budget.

The GeForce 7600 GS is based on the 90nm G73 core, which is the same basic chip that powers GeForce 7600 GT. This GPU took over for the popular GeForce 6600-based cards, and brought a GeForce 7-level feature set into the mainstream graphics market. The GeForce 7600 GS GPU features the same base specifications as the GeForce 7600 GT, which offers 12 pixel pipes, 12 texture units, 12 pixel shaders, and 5 vertex pipelines. The memory architecture is also shared between the two cards, and features a 128-bit link to 256MB of GDDR2. Other standard features of the GeForce 7600 GS include NVIDIA SLI, CineFX 4.0, Intellisample 4.0, UltraShadow II, and PureVideo
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NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX/GTS' Killer Bug - just April Fools day joke :-)

Hope you haven't took this seriously yesterday! It was just a joke :-))



Ever since NVIDIA released their revolutionary GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS graphics cards, users have been complaining about the poor Vista driver support and how these expensive cards have failed to improve their performance in games. That may now come to pass, in a manner of speaking.

An NVIDIA engineer, who wishes to remain anonymous, has just clued us in on the whole deal. This engineer claims that while allegations of poor gaming performance are correct, the reason is not really poor drivers. Brace yourselves for the truth.

Right after the G80 was taped out, NVIDIA discovered a bug in the vertex shader that causes the GPU to generate slightly incorrect geometry transformation data. The difference was minimal enough to escape attention but it was significant enough to render a scene incorrectly.
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ASUS M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition Motherboard

Microsoft's recent release of the new Vista Operating System has changed the software and hardware landscape in ways that are just now becoming apparent. Motherboards with integrated graphics have become almost passe, as the requirements for the Vista Premium OS are high. The vast majority of CPUs on the market today are Dual-Core or more. Memory requirements for applications are fast overcoming the 1GB level. Manufacturers have to work harder and harder on drivers as the XP model has completely changed.

NVIDIA is one of the leading companies on the computer market today. With 2006 revenue exceeding 3 Billion USD, NVIDIA has diversified itself from being the video card chipmaker to entering into handheld, console, motherboard chipsets and more. ASUS manufactures motherboards based upon NVIDIA chipsets among other chipsets. One of the most popular ASUS motherboards over the last year has been the M2N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard. ASUS has recently updated the motherboard to better serve the Vista customers in the form of the ASUS M2N32-SLI which is on the test bench today.

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DDR2 Memory: Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP) - The SLI Memory BIOS

This article is a bit older (about 10 months), but I think it's definately a good material to read to all fo you SLI fan out there..

What Enhanced Performance Profiles Mean To You
NVIDIA announced the results of a collaborative memory development effort called Enhanced Performance Profiles, or EPP. EPP is going to change the way many computer users will use memory as it will allow for advanced performance memory settings to be built into high performance memory DIMMs for higher levels of overall PC system performance.

All DDR2 Unbuffered DIMM modules are required to include a Serial Presence Detect (SPD) EEPROM to allow them to be properly recognized by target systems. The contents of the SPD are defined by the JEDEC council. While the JEDEC SPD definitions have been used very effectively, they are not sufficiently comprehensive for overclocking applications. In such applications there are many parameters that are modified, and no provision exists in the JEDEC SPD specification to allow the system to make these changes automatically. NVIDIA has been able to take advantage of the unused area in the SPD and instersted usable data that will improve performance and increase the ease of use for many users.
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Nvidia lets more partners to make motherboards - EVGA, XFX, BFG and Colorfull to makes i680i LR / 680i

Nvidia had a great success with its Nforce 680i chipset. It is a buggy one but what can we do when the EVGA motherboard is the best memory overclocker we ever had in our hands. DFI board based on RD600 chipset never seen the light of the day and we never got an alternative.

Nforce 680i SLI remains the best SLI motherboard for Core 2 Duo, Quad and extreme beating the Intel 975 / 965 by quite a margin. We will see does the upcoming P35 has any fighting chance. Design by Nvidia program will involve a few partners including EVGA, XFX, BFG and Colorfull and it means that Nvidia engineers created all hardware, software, driver and bioses for the boards.
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First desktop motherboard supported by LinuxBIOS: GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4

The GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4 is the first-ever desktop motherboardsupported by a Free & Open Source BIOS, thanks to AMD engineer Yinghai Lu who released GPL-licensed code last month. This state-of-the-artmotherboard is based on the NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI chipset and AMD'slatest Socket AM2.
This motherboard can be obtained today from many retail and onlinestores and the source code for the BIOS can be downloaded from the LinuxBIOS SVN server.
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Nforce 650I SLI - 680I LT SLI - 680 SLI review benchmark and overclocking

NVIDIA is historically known for its graphics card, this company also developed for several years chipsets. Since the first chipset nForce dedicated to Athlon processors, division chipsets of NVIDIA made big jump,.
In the beginning, the chipsets nForce were exclusively dedicated for AMD processors . Nvidia succeeded in taking INTEL license in 2005 , which allowed them to propose chipsets compatible with intel processors . The chipsets nForce for INTEL processors do not have for the moment big success as those intended for AMD platform . It should be noted that the first nForce 4 for INTEL was a full disaster, ( is was not fully compatible with intel processors ), whereas nForce 590i SLI corrected the situation , but as u already know this chipset was coupled with the arrival of Core 2 Duo and this chipset showed poor overclocking potential for such processor .
In order to correct this situation, NVIDIA released the nForce 680i, chipset launched at the end of 2006. This chipset as u already know has various problems with Serial-ATA, but this was corrected later , the price of motherboards was very high ( about 300 euros ).

This article is a must-have for everyone because of directly compares nforce 650/680 with Intel's 965/975 chipsets

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Alienware Area-51 7500 Gaming System

Today in the hothardware labs, we have the Alienware Area-51 7500, which features Alienware's signature, unique aesthetics and some of the most powerful hardware available today.
The Area-51 7500 can be configured to be one hell of a gaming system, one that most of us can only dream about. The Cyborg Green-colored monster (this system is BIG and HEAVY) that we received was shipped in a black box with Alienware logos on it.

What would a high-end PC be without the latest and greatest video cards? It wouldn't be much to brag about, right? Well, no worries here. The picture below highlights the presence of not one but two NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX video cards in SLI mode. It doesn't get much later and greater than that right now. Considering the size of those cards, it's a good thing the Alienware P2 chassis is an extended ATX case. You can see that the cards actually go beyond the motherboard.

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Ultimate Overclocked PC only needs 500W power supply

First INQpressions Overclocked Kentsfield, Nforce 680i, dual Nvidia 8800GTX SLI, Evercool water cooler
UNTIL AMD'S QuadFather is out in numbers (and, for many apps, even after that), Intel Kentsfield or officially, Core 2 Extreme QX6700, rules the roost in the PC desktop space. Combine it with the performance driven Nvidia Nforce 680i based mainboard and dual 8800GTX cards running in SLI, say 2GB of Corsair, OCZ or Geil low-latency high bandwidth memory at DDR2 1066 levels, add the usual hard disks, DVD and, well, cool the CPU with some watery stuff so that it doesn't get really hot when fragging enemy soldiers or compressing those HD DVDs and you have the ultimate Xmas 2006 PC present.

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Important message regarding memory and the EVGA 680i motherboard

NVIDIA has investigated end user reports of high performance DIMM failures on the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based platforms. During this process we have been in close contact with DIMM manufacturers and the DRAM manufacturers they rely on to understand the failure scenario. By working with our community, we believe that the observed failure is a breakdown of the silicon in the DRAM caused by the prolonged application of 2.4V on the voltage rails of the DIMMs.

NVIDIA’s own internal testing has observed this failure on multiple motherboards using different chipsets (both NVIDIA and non-NVIDIA chipsets). This issue is not directly related to motherboards using the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP or other chipsets.

If you are using this type of memory and are experiencing this issue, NVIDIA recommends contacting your memory manufacturer or system manufacturer for additional information and warranty information.

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Rock SLI Xtreme SL Pro laptop reviewed

Close your eyes and picture two 7950GTX graphics cards, an SLI motherboard, a dual core AMD processor, RAID SATA hard disks, 20" widescreen TFT and DVD writer, then squeeze all that into a laptop - you'll probably be thinking we're crazy... well rock has done just that!

Just a quick note, I wanted to add more of text and pictures of this laptop to my blog, but it seems that folks from Driverheaven are paranoid, and have copy-protected everythink on their web (from paragraphs to pictures). So there's isn't an easy way to include most of text or pictures. So head over there and read all about it
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Inno3D I-Chill introduces Passive Cooling solution with AC Accelero S2M S1M

Hong Kong 5th March, 2007 Press release – Inno3D® i-Chill series are excited to introduce noiseless passive cooling solutions with Arctic Cooling Accelero S2M (2pipes) for mainstream, and S1M (4pipes) for high-end NVIDIA® 7 series graphics cards design. It effectively helps remove heat from the graphics card and silently keeps all the components cool.
The Accelero S2M & S1M features a copper base and heatpipes that extend directly from the GPU centre to provide the ultimate heat conductivity and larger surface area. Heat from the GPU can rapidly reach through the Aluminum fins that extend beyond the height of the graphics card. The Aluminum fins are specially designed to allow air flow pass through easily and remove heat efficiently.
The AC Accelero S2M & S1M heatpipe design is highly efficient for heat transfer and is filled with liquid material that vaporizes the heat from one side of the pipes to the other. The vaporized liquid is then cooled and liquidated again.
For soundless gaming answers i-Chill Accelero S2M & S1M is now built with zero dB passive cooling solutions and ready for double the performance with SLI technology. For more information, visit
Inno3D press release
Reivew of Inno3D GeForce 7900GS 256MB IChiLL Accelero S1M Graphics Card at Tweaktown

These look like a great graphic cards! And quietness while they work, ah... it must be every hardcore gamer dream! I'm just wondering how come there isn't any GeForce 88xx cards with this cooling solution? But that chip is relatively new, so I'm sure that Inno3D will make something in the near future.

But currently there's one contest sponsored by Inno3d, and I wouldn't mind if I win one 8800GTS, even without I-Chill cooler :-)

Gigabyte n680-SLI DQ6 Overclocking Fun - Dry Ice/VapoChill

This is translated text, so you shouldn't mind some errors in syntax of this text..

Gigabyte still widened its range by proposing this time in a variation of its range DQ6 to knowing the chipset I680 of nvidia. Come to directly compete with chipset INTEL 975X or the chipset of AMD the RD600, the firm taïwanaise leave heavy artillery, by proposing a relatively interesting chart of share its design, these options, its cooling and its bios out of reinforced concrete. Es what the part hidden of the iceberg to knowing these real provisions with the overclocking are indeed founded, it is what we will check some lower lines... good reading with all.

Gigabyte puts quad in its product and that this sees, compatible Quad-core, Prêt for Quad SLI (7950GX2 SLI), Quad-triple phase of food improving the stability of your overclocking and making it possible to push the performances of the chart, Quad Gigabyte LAN, making it possible to create a mini network for the house to see carrying out a LAN party:D. Then comes Quad bios, option aiming at avoiding the flashages missed like finding the best adjustment for your overclocking, and to finish Quad eSATA 2 is also with the program of this mother chart faggot of options.

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EVGA 680i LT SLI: NVIDIA's 680i Cost Reduced

Since Anandtech's first look at the 680i SLI chipset back in November we have been impressed with its performance and overall features. What was even more impressive was the fact that the chipset debuted on a motherboard that was designed by NVIDIA and built for NVIDIA's launch partners. This launch basically followed the path of the successful AM2 590SLI introduction except this time NVIDIA introduced and marketed the only board available with the 680i SLI chipset through a select number of partners. Although the 680i SLI motherboard was a reference design, it catered to the computer enthusiasts with a long list of features and a BIOS specifically aimed at the overclocking community.

It was several weeks before a motherboard manufacturer would offer a competing 680i solution. ASUS was the first non-reference board partner to offer competition to NVIDIA's reference design and it would take a few months before the likes of abit and Gigabyte were able to respond with their internal designs. We are still waiting on DFI's version to come to market and other motherboard manufacturers such as ECS and Biostar decided it was in their best interest to offer the reference board design that is built by Foxconn. The majority of NVIDIA's motherboard reference partners are actually heavily involved in the distribution of their graphics solutions with EVGA being the focal point of NVIDIA's reference program at this time.

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