Will Multi-VPU require an ATI motherboard chipset?

[Geo]

If you have heard any rumors surrounding ATI's upcoming "RD480" motherboard chipset, you will know that it supports dual PCI-Express video cards from ATI.

That's a rather ominous choice of wording.

Oh, come on, you don't seriously expect NVidia SLI'd boards to work in a non SLI-chipset mobo, do you?!!!!

Jawed

"Expect" is such a hard word. I think upstream I talked about some of the factors that come into these things, particularly when they are newish.

Otoh, Dave hinted in the other thread that he expected ATI boards would work in NV chipset SLI mobos. So why can't the reverse be true?

Are you raising technical objections or short-sighted greed ones?

 

[Jawed]

Greed of course!

Jawed

 

[Geo]

Greed of course!

Jawed

A very real possibility. And if one side goes tit the other would probably go tat.

Pariticularly early on, when the business model is still proving itself and recouping the R&D. Thing is, what are their respective visions long-term for this niche? If this area grows to be a significant percentage of the total market, don't you think the mobo makers and system builders of the world will start raising hell with both of them? When there is a bigger pie, everyone eats well, and "pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered."

Who has the bigger incentive to go "tit" first? I would think if one side or the other has the whip hand performance-wise on the next releases, the temptation will be strong at this stage to make easy mobo money to recoup their R&D from the guys who just can't stand to not have bragging rights at whatever cost.

 

[Jawed]

I fully expect ATI not to play the game. They could, I'm sure, but I just don't think that's their style. Naive I know: but I expect ATI to make MVP carefree...

I also can't see NVidia doing things in chipset drivers to stop MVP working in NF mobos. But I see NVidia's "we want everything in an SLI configuration to be certified" as within the bounds of acceptability for enthusiasts. It restricts options but it provides a backstop of sorts.

ATI will prolly get schtick over combinations of MVP/mobos that don't work and the same old "ATI drivers suck" mantra will get a new twist. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Just as long as we're not forced to use multi-card graphics...

Jawed

 

[Geo]

Well, ATI has had the advantage of being able to buy NF boards off the shelf and test them. Probably this means we would have heard by now if NV had a poison-pill in there to stop ATI multicards. It would raise a ruckus if they were to retroactively put one in now.

 

[neliz]

Someone spanked HardOCP!

the picture and the post have been removed!

 

[MuFu]

Eh, no they're both still there.

 

[neliz]

Eh, no they're both still there.

I'm know, I'm a retard..

they did move the post to below yesterdays..

but then again.. I'm lacking sleep..

 

[MuFu]

Eh, no they're both still there.

I'm know, I'm a retard..

Easy. Don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[neliz]

Eh, no they're both still there.

I'm know, I'm a retard..

Easy. Don't be too hard on yourself.

I'm working 13 hours a day for the last two weeks, excluding travel time, Playing games, shopping with the misses etc.
I'm lucky if I catch 5 hours of sleep at nights and my head feels like I've been just run over by a hummer..

I wouldn't even care if someone bit my legs of right now..

just, don't take my arms.. i plan on using them...

 

[neliz]

It has been "confirmed" by theInq

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22846

 

[neliz]

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33810845&page=2

I've checked the intel website, looks like it's two PCI express 16x slots are not compatible with SLI.

Looks like SOME hardware sites are getting dual slots for review (those that don't have r520s) and some sites are getting those with 1 slot (i.e. toms hardware) the sites that are supposed to have the r520 under nda...

 

[LVSeminole]

Dont know if you guys have seen this yet...

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD0xMTY1

Its info on ATI's MVP(AMR). Seems a "Master" card(not the credit card. lol) and a "slave" card is needed. ATI has enabled current R42x derived cards to "slave" mode I believe. Anyway, its a good read, and pretty good info.

LVS

 

[trinibwoy]

Why is Hexus implying that the NV40 is the direct competitor to the R520?

 

[Geo]

Why is Hexus implying that the NV40 is the direct competitor to the R520?

Are they? I didn't get that. I got that X850 would compete against 6800GT in SLI (according to them). Maybe they know something about when we'll see G70 that we don't know?

 

[LVSeminole]

They are probably saying that, in the assumption that ATI's R520 will be released before G70 is released.

LVS

 

[trinibwoy]

Probably. But they won't exactly be competing. ATI will just have a card that is out of reach of anything Nvidia has. Unless ATI drops prices on the R480 line but I doubt they'll be selling the X850XT PE at 6800GT prices.

ATi R520 is set set to be placed in direct competition with NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra (fastest card to fastest card). This could make the NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT product’s life rather difficult as it will be head-2-head with ATI RADEON X850 XT (R480).

 

[Charmaka]

Looks like they mean exactly what they say - if you say "fastest ATI card vs fastest nVidia card" you get R520 vs NV40

 

[trinibwoy]

Looks like they mean exactly what they say - if you say "fastest ATI card vs fastest nVidia card" you get R520 vs NV40

True but when you say 'competing' you're usually talking about price brackets or performance. The R520 and NV40 will neither be in the same price or performance range.

 

[Charmaka]

True. Do you want to tell Hexus that or should I?