SLi using AGP+PCIe

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Well HKEPC did it a while back with Xfire on the X700 series when the ULi boards were first testing, now OC Workbench does SLi with the 6600GT on the same board;

http://www.ocworkbench.com/2007/articles/SLI_using_PCIe_and_AGP_cards/g1.htm

Once again disproving the 'impossible'. :mrgreen:

Now only need to get X1650 and X1900 or GF7900 and GF800 working together. :twisted:

EDITed title to make is SEXIER, not many people seem interested in a pretty cool test, maybe it's how I worded it.

 

[pauldh]

I'd like to see a little more explanation as to just how they pulled that off.

I'd been wishing I could do that with the X1650XT's on my dual Sata 2. Already got the AGP and the PCI-e is $120 now. The will is there, just not at all seeing the way. :?

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Definitely it's a driver hack.

When HKEPC did it they had to use modified drivers, with early beta Crossfire support.

It'd be nice to read these site better than Babel-ese or Google-ish.

HKePC article;
http://www.hkepc.com/hwdb/m1695-uli-6.htm

 

[cleeve]

Nifty stuff.

Strange that the manufacturers claimed that it's PCIe that allows for dual-card configurations... but multiple cards were being used for specific applications in the Radeon 9700's, and before that with the voodoos.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Strange that the manufacturers claimed that it's PCIe that allows for dual-card configurations... but multiple cards were being used for specific applications in the Radeon 9700's, and before that with the voodoos.

Well it's not really PCIe so much as the ease of configuration with PCIe. The way AGP was configured it was tricky to have 2 agp ports competing for limited I/O traffic, and fighting over memory space. PCIe just made it much simpler, but I think they added official support to the AGP3.0/Universal spec, but it was never implemented.

There was alot of talk for things like MACs and Workstations for massive Multi-monitor displays (like 2 G400MMs), but nothing ever came of it.

There was a very large investigation into dual AGP when ATi started talking about their integrated + AGP MultiView enabling stuff, but I can't remember who wrtote/hosted the article. But the gist was that it was possible, just not practicle, especially for a such a small market (remember at the time it was more about SurroundView style gaming, not SLi/Xfire).

Even the SimFusion was 1 AGP and multi-PCI;

I have a picture somewhere of 4 card with 4 VPUs on it, my fav of E&S, but they no longer host it on their site, so I can't post it. BTW, E&S no longer makes card systems it looks like, it appears they are focusing primarily on Displays now, Laser projectors. Gotta get me one of them! :twisted: