NVIDIA SLI to be available with upcoming Intel desktop computing platform

Monday 14th July 2008, 09:46:00 PM, written by Rys

NVIDIA has put ink to paper to seal a deal that'll see their nForce 200 logic be the backbone of SLI support on Intel's upcoming desktop computing platform.

Their new CPU architecture, codenamed Nehalem, is the star of that new platform, and it looks set to bring a new memory controller architecture and a healthy per-clock, per-core boost in basic processor performance to the table.  Gamers salivate, even this far from launch, so it's key for NVIDIA to get the "SLI will be supported" message out as soon as possible.

The nForce 200 approach to enabling SLI support is getting short shrift from many, though.  Its implemenation in Skulltrail and nForce 780i SLI hasn't set the world alight, with the PCIe 2.0 implementation coming under fire especially, along with heat output and power consumption concerns.

Industry partners seem happy enough, though, and any nForce 200-equipped X58 mainboard should support both SLI and Crossfire at the same time, unless NVIDIA decide to be particularly mean.  With Crossfire enjoying a renewed push in popularity because of the GPUs you can use with it now, boards that allow both multi-GPU technologies should be especially attractive in some quarters.

Those with an existing investment in SLI that look to take their GPUs to X58 and Nehalem should breathe a sigh of relief at least.

The announcement about support can be found at NVIDIA's website.

Discuss on the forums

Tagging

nvidia ± sli, nehalem, bloomfield, x58, charlie, loves, jen, hsun


Latest Thread Comments (70 total)
Posted by hoom on Tuesday, 15-Jul-08 08:05:38 UTC
Quote
our customers are experiencing exciting new ways to interact with their photos
Interacting with still images? Awwrite, I need that GT280 NOW :lol:Yes, I do realise they are referring to the upcoming GPU accelerated Photoshop, its just a poor use of words.

Posted by Thorburn on Tuesday, 15-Jul-08 13:43:17 UTC
Quoting ChrisRay
How can you disagree with something you have no experience with or documented data on? Are you aware of Broadcast which was built onto the Nforce 200 chipset? The entire purpose of this technology was too get rid of what you are talking about. Allowing the system memory and CPU to write to each GPU with 1 command. Its built into all Nforce 200 chipsets.

((Which the 780A/780I support so I wont be surprised if future intel chipsets have an Nforce 200 or a chipset like it)) Its an extremely efficient way of running all the GPUS at the same time without a need for alot of latency/CPU overhead.


Image: http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7589/01468367mh4.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=01468367mh4.jpg)
Okay, digging back a little way I know, but this clearly illustrates that people calling nForce 200 a PCIe switch are dead wrong.

It's more like a PCIe hub :runaway:

Posted by Jawed on Wednesday, 16-Jul-08 13:24:02 UTC
So, the conclusion appears to be that NVidia does not have a QPI licence and seemingly won't have one any time soon. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/20080714161823_Nvidia_to_Enable_SLI_on_Next_Gen_Intel_Platform_Fails_to_Get_License_to_Make_Chipsets.html
Quote
What is clear is that Nvidia could not get QPI license from Intel Corp [...]
Jawed

Posted by Morgoth the Dark Enemy on Wednesday, 16-Jul-08 14:11:40 UTC
Quoting hoom
Such as his signature :lol:

Anyway so I've been not keeping proper track of chipsets for a while, is ATI completely locked out of Intel chipsets too?
Yes they are.

Posted by INKster on Wednesday, 16-Jul-08 15:32:19 UTC
Quoting Jawed
So, the conclusion appears to be that NVidia does not have a QPI licence and seemingly won't have one any time soon.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/20080714161823_Nvidia_to_Enable_SLI_on_Next_Gen_Intel_Platform_Fails_to_Get_License_to_Make_Chipsets.html


Jawed
Not quite.
Digitimes says that mainstream LGA 1160 is a go (http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/MailHome.asp?datePublish=2008/7/15&pages=PD&seq=205) for Nvidia-designed chipsets.
The trouble of developing one for the high-end might not be worth it to them (and it would be difficult to achieve sufficiently differentiating performance in an QPI-enabled integrated memory controller architecture), or perhaps it would collide with their own strategy of downplaying the role of the CPU in modern high-end gaming.

Posted by Jawed on Wednesday, 16-Jul-08 18:01:31 UTC
Quoting INKster
Digitimes says that mainstream LGA 1160 is a go (http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/MailHome.asp?datePublish=2008/7/15&pages=PD&seq=205) for Nvidia-designed chipsets.
OK, seems like we're going to have to wait for the Analysts' conference call or a press release to get to the bottom of this... Jawed

Posted by ^M^ on Friday, 18-Jul-08 09:23:29 UTC
I thought KGA 1160 chipset were supposed to have a more cost friendly DMI interface for the chipset (and integrated PCI 16X to make without a northbridge) ?

Posted by bowman on Friday, 18-Jul-08 20:07:59 UTC
Quoting ^M^
I thought KGA 1160 chipset were supposed to have a more cost friendly DMI interface for the chipset (and integrated PCI 16X to make without a northbridge) ?
Yes.

That doesn't stop Nvidia from doing their own ***-tastic southbridge for it, or perhaps just renaming the PCH, adding the so-called 'SLI processors' to that one as well and market it as the 'less expensive CPU, more expensive GPU' 'balanced PC' solution they've been touting.

Posted by Fox5 on Saturday, 02-Aug-08 15:39:36 UTC
Quoting Arun
HybridPower's transfer scheme is based on the bizarre assumption that anyone sane would play a game with either vsync off or triple buffering on. I'm sorry, but you're supposed to play your games with vsync on and triple buffering off, and you should optimize your settings so that you remain below a given multiple of the minimum frametime as often as possible. Anything else is heresy, and I am deeply unhappy that technologies made with other approaches in mind are being encouraged *shrugs*.

Mind you, this is still substantially less heretic than the complete joke that is Hybrid SLI/CrossFire (the performance aspects, not the power ones). Long live the 3D industry, where naive reviewers and overly excited users who misunderstand the very basics of 3D Graphics are the only judges! And no, I'm not bitter. No, really. I swear. Maybe. With all due respect.
What's your problem with triple buffering? The increased latency? Isn't that somewhat counteracted by being able to run at say 50fps instead of 30fps?

Posted by Blazkowicz on Saturday, 02-Aug-08 17:38:47 UTC
vsync on double buffering is ideal but you can only reasonably use it on older games where the framerate is locked. Else the framerate always suddenly gets cut in half, then doubles again etc. ; I hate it, it's very jerky. I don't get how using something better is an heresy!for me it's vsync off with a refresh rate of 85Hz or higher. the 60Hz limitation of LCD is the heresy.


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