SLI / CrossFire FAQs - Page 17
Tags:
- Product
- Nvidia
- Crossfire
- SLI
-
Graphics
-
Graphics Cards
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
dogman_1234
January 19, 2011 5:56:45 PM
CraigHarrison
January 24, 2011 6:07:15 AM
Related resources
- SLI / CrossFire FAQs - Forum
- CrossFire FAQs - Forum
- crossfire-faqs - Forum
- Sli/ Crossfire or single GPU ? - Tech Support
- GTX 970 SLI vs R9 290 CROSSFIRE - Tech Support
sss_56
January 27, 2011 4:00:11 AM
i should never have bought a mb with igp; my thought was to go igp and later add only one card just to help improve upon the board graphics; The ad says:
"ATI Hybrid Graphics allows you to combine the performance of the HD4290 integrated GPU with an applicable ATI Radeon graphics card to bring enhanced gaming performance, productivity and power efficiency."
simply put, would one of you guys say which single and "applicable" card this would be? I play games like f.e.a.r, far cry and halo and i do some movie making and also watch movies.
thanks
"ATI Hybrid Graphics allows you to combine the performance of the HD4290 integrated GPU with an applicable ATI Radeon graphics card to bring enhanced gaming performance, productivity and power efficiency."
simply put, would one of you guys say which single and "applicable" card this would be? I play games like f.e.a.r, far cry and halo and i do some movie making and also watch movies.
thanks
-
Reply to sss_56
dogman_1234
January 27, 2011 9:19:58 PM
sss_56
January 28, 2011 8:21:00 AM
my asus mb specs say:
"ATI HYBRID GRAPHICS TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
Based on ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, ATI Hybrid Graphics allows you to combine the performance of the HD4290 integrated GPU with an applicable ATI Radeon graphics card to bring enhanced gaming performance, productivity and power efficiency."
What are my options for an "applicable ATI Radeon graphics card" to get the most out of this feature? i am hearing conflicting statements about this; please help.
thanks
"ATI HYBRID GRAPHICS TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
Based on ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, ATI Hybrid Graphics allows you to combine the performance of the HD4290 integrated GPU with an applicable ATI Radeon graphics card to bring enhanced gaming performance, productivity and power efficiency."
What are my options for an "applicable ATI Radeon graphics card" to get the most out of this feature? i am hearing conflicting statements about this; please help.
thanks
-
Reply to sss_56
sss_56
January 28, 2011 8:25:40 AM
ss_56
January 29, 2011 5:27:28 PM
dogman_1234
January 29, 2011 8:14:27 PM
residentdean
January 30, 2011 12:46:43 AM
douipastor
February 5, 2011 3:20:19 AM
-
Reply to douipastor
dogman_1234
February 5, 2011 4:36:12 AM
douipastor said:
Yay! The answer to all of my questions, together in one well written thread! Google just kept giving me "I think that'll work, but you should look it up" answers. From now on, Tom's hardware is definitely going to be my first stop for computer questions. Thanks, thanks and more thanks!!I'm happy it helped you
Actually I remember the day when I started to write this topic.There were lots of questions in the forums about SLI/CF and lots of different answers;therefore,I decided to write something that helps everyone know SLI/CF better and answers their question.
-
Reply to Maziar
dogman_1234
February 5, 2011 6:15:53 AM
dogman_1234
February 5, 2011 6:34:50 AM
s9y143
February 5, 2011 6:52:02 AM
that was very informative... it would b btr if you add those boars also which support hybrid SLI.. i have Asus P7h55-v does it support hybrid sli?? i have i3 540 now dont have any GPU planing to buy gtx460 will my MB give any Hybrid sli advantage with that card gtx460??... and now without gpu?? ... and how can i enable this function ??? as i dont have GPU now so this will b helpfull if i3Gpu sli s with IGpu of MB
-
Reply to s9y143
Milkym0o
February 12, 2011 4:00:32 AM
Maziar, could we get a few quick fire FAQ's about the different configurations of SLI/Crossfire in terms of the PCI-E connections.
A lot of people ask about x4 x16 and if it's a good idea, it would be good if the answer and reason for that is here.
Could you also give some explanation that x8 x8 is only a 4% or so drop in performance compared to x16 x16 and so unless you're wanting to triple SLI or Crossfire then it doesn't make financial sense to get a x16 x16 capable setup based purely on this predication.
I think this would help a lot of people before they shoot off a post.
A lot of people ask about x4 x16 and if it's a good idea, it would be good if the answer and reason for that is here.
Could you also give some explanation that x8 x8 is only a 4% or so drop in performance compared to x16 x16 and so unless you're wanting to triple SLI or Crossfire then it doesn't make financial sense to get a x16 x16 capable setup based purely on this predication.
I think this would help a lot of people before they shoot off a post.
-
Reply to Griffolion
Yes,that's a very common question.I've talked about it in the first page
" note about Motherboards
Some Motherboards support Multi-GPU Technology at Dual x16 mode, some support it at Dual x8 mode and some support it at x16x4 mode Etc, what are the differences?
Well for getting the best performance out of Multi-GPU cards,you need a Motherboard that supports Multi-GPU at dual(Or more) 16x mode like Nvidia 790i ULTRA SLI, Nvidia790i SLI, Nvidia 780i SLI, Nvidia 680i( As i said, NVIDIA 790i ULTRA SLI ,790i SLI ,780i SLI and 680i SLI support 3-Way SLI too(Nvidia 680i LT SLI chipset has 2 PCI-E 16x slot which supports 2-way SLI only.),Nvidia 590i SLI, Nvidia nForce4 SLI 16x, ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200,Intel X38,X48 and X58.
Dual 8x is a very good configuration too,it doesn't have alot of difference(performance wise) with Dual 16x and its cheaper too.
Chipests like Intel P55*,Intel P45 Nvidia 750i SLI, Nvidia 650i SLI,NVIDIA 570i SLI, NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, ATI Radeon Xpress 200, Intel 975x and ONLY few Intel P35 boards(Like ASUS BLITZ FORMULA and ASUS BLITZ EXTREME) support Multi-GPU at dual x8 mode.
However,there are some expections too,for example EVGA has a 750i Motherboard(The model of it is
EVGA 750i SLI FTW)Which supports SLI at dual x16 mode unlike many 750i Motherboards which support SLI at dual x8 mode.
The last one is x16x4, this one is the weakest and doesn't perform very good compared to dual x8 or dual x16,so i won't recommend it for Multi-GPU configuration. Intel P35 and P965 chipsets support Multi-GPU at x16x4 mode.
However,the statement above is true with PCI-E 1.0 cards,because PCI-E 2.0 cards are different.And if you use 2(or more) PCI-E 2.0 cards in multiGPU mode and at x16x4 speed,they will perform close to dual x8/x16 mode.
Here is a good review which compares CrossFire performance between dual x16,dual x8 and x16x4
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-pci-expre... "
" note about Motherboards
Some Motherboards support Multi-GPU Technology at Dual x16 mode, some support it at Dual x8 mode and some support it at x16x4 mode Etc, what are the differences?
Well for getting the best performance out of Multi-GPU cards,you need a Motherboard that supports Multi-GPU at dual(Or more) 16x mode like Nvidia 790i ULTRA SLI, Nvidia790i SLI, Nvidia 780i SLI, Nvidia 680i( As i said, NVIDIA 790i ULTRA SLI ,790i SLI ,780i SLI and 680i SLI support 3-Way SLI too(Nvidia 680i LT SLI chipset has 2 PCI-E 16x slot which supports 2-way SLI only.),Nvidia 590i SLI, Nvidia nForce4 SLI 16x, ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200,Intel X38,X48 and X58.
Dual 8x is a very good configuration too,it doesn't have alot of difference(performance wise) with Dual 16x and its cheaper too.
Chipests like Intel P55*,Intel P45 Nvidia 750i SLI, Nvidia 650i SLI,NVIDIA 570i SLI, NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, ATI Radeon Xpress 200, Intel 975x and ONLY few Intel P35 boards(Like ASUS BLITZ FORMULA and ASUS BLITZ EXTREME) support Multi-GPU at dual x8 mode.
However,there are some expections too,for example EVGA has a 750i Motherboard(The model of it is
EVGA 750i SLI FTW)Which supports SLI at dual x16 mode unlike many 750i Motherboards which support SLI at dual x8 mode.
The last one is x16x4, this one is the weakest and doesn't perform very good compared to dual x8 or dual x16,so i won't recommend it for Multi-GPU configuration. Intel P35 and P965 chipsets support Multi-GPU at x16x4 mode.
However,the statement above is true with PCI-E 1.0 cards,because PCI-E 2.0 cards are different.And if you use 2(or more) PCI-E 2.0 cards in multiGPU mode and at x16x4 speed,they will perform close to dual x8/x16 mode.
Here is a good review which compares CrossFire performance between dual x16,dual x8 and x16x4
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-pci-expre... "
-
Reply to Maziar
armageddon528
March 8, 2011 7:48:59 AM
I now have 2 HD4870: First is Palit 4870 512mb; Second is Mac 4870 512mb.
I can not make them work in CrossFire mode!
What I have already done:
Flashed BIOS of Mac 4870 on XFX 4870.
Flashed BIOS of MotherBoard (i10 and 9)
Installed NEW Second Windows- Win7 x86 (First one is Win7 x64)
Installed fresh drivers from ati.amd.com website
Connect them with ONE CrossFire bridge (do not have second one)
Connect Power cables to both videocards
In Catalyst Control Centre (CCC) I put check on "Enable CrossFire"
Tested in 3 different games (Counter Strike Source, Call of Duty Black Ops, Star Craft II) and in AMD monitor I saw only ONE videocard load (and heat up), second one was just working at 0% load...
Maybe Mac 4870 does not support CrossFire with Hardware limits rather than Software (BIOS)?
I can not make them work in CrossFire mode!
What I have already done:
Flashed BIOS of Mac 4870 on XFX 4870.
Flashed BIOS of MotherBoard (i10 and 9)
Installed NEW Second Windows- Win7 x86 (First one is Win7 x64)
Installed fresh drivers from ati.amd.com website
Connect them with ONE CrossFire bridge (do not have second one)
Connect Power cables to both videocards
In Catalyst Control Centre (CCC) I put check on "Enable CrossFire"
Tested in 3 different games (Counter Strike Source, Call of Duty Black Ops, Star Craft II) and in AMD monitor I saw only ONE videocard load (and heat up), second one was just working at 0% load...
Maybe Mac 4870 does not support CrossFire with Hardware limits rather than Software (BIOS)?
-
Reply to armageddon528
It seems that the PC 4870 card won't work with the Mac's 4870 because it requires Apple BIOS
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1165623
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1165623
-
Reply to Maziar
armageddon528
March 8, 2011 11:21:21 AM
fusk
March 11, 2011 12:31:39 AM
Correct link to psu compatibility regarding crossfire
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/products/certified/Pages/c...
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/products/certified/Pages/c...
-
Reply to fusk
I think it would be good to state, that SLI and Crossfire configurations suffer from micro shuttering (or something like that), wich is higher in AMD systems, giving crossfire more chance of a sudden FPS drop. It does happen with both SLI and Crossfire, its just better in SLI, and as far as i know, its due to drivers.
Wich can be a good reason to go a single card. It seems its less common nowdays thou (nvidia 400 generation and ati 5000 and up.).
Wich can be a good reason to go a single card. It seems its less common nowdays thou (nvidia 400 generation and ati 5000 and up.).
-
Reply to cats_Paw
dogman_1234
April 6, 2011 1:37:09 PM
Toine1
April 6, 2011 7:32:36 PM
What happens if the cards have different amount of memory?
For ATI cards;
One of the cards will raise/lower its clock speeds to reach the other card's speeds.
Could somebody change amount into speed!!!
Now my question: what if you are Crossfire a 1Gb HD4890 and a 2Gb HD4890, what Vram will be available 2Gb or just 1Gb.
For ATI cards;
One of the cards will raise/lower its clock speeds to reach the other card's speeds.
Could somebody change amount into speed!!!
Now my question: what if you are Crossfire a 1Gb HD4890 and a 2Gb HD4890, what Vram will be available 2Gb or just 1Gb.
-
Reply to Toine1
Done,thanks for the tip,I don't know why I wrote "memory" there
As for your question,It's already been answered in the FAQ
"Do SLI or CrossFire double the memory ?
This is one the questions that many people make mistake understanding it .
The answer is NO , SLI or CrossFire doesnt double the memory , You have a 512MB card , adding another card wont make your memory 1GB, it still will be 512MB,so both cards will use 512MB of RAMs but the memory won't double.
Another example :
A game needs 512MB card to run at maximum settings , and you have a 256MB card , and you think if you add another 256MB card , your memory will be 512MB and thats not true.
You may see this mistake in many sites."
As for your question,It's already been answered in the FAQ
"Do SLI or CrossFire double the memory ?
This is one the questions that many people make mistake understanding it .
The answer is NO , SLI or CrossFire doesnt double the memory , You have a 512MB card , adding another card wont make your memory 1GB, it still will be 512MB,so both cards will use 512MB of RAMs but the memory won't double.
Another example :
A game needs 512MB card to run at maximum settings , and you have a 256MB card , and you think if you add another 256MB card , your memory will be 512MB and thats not true.
You may see this mistake in many sites."
-
Reply to Maziar
Toine1
April 9, 2011 5:29:07 AM
dogman_1234
April 9, 2011 3:43:36 PM
shadstarn
April 13, 2011 11:10:25 AM
i installed new 2 hd6870 cards and a 750 w psu and connected these with bridge and in most games it runs slower then with one card .. how can that be? what is wrong with my setup and do you have any ideas?
also my psu has plugs for pci express 3 and 4 and i do not know what it means and how to connect using those plugs.. i connect using normal plugsa
this is my motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
i tried the game metro and it dos not improve much in that game
but in stalker clear sky and stalker prypriat it goes slightly slower with two cards then one and i actually red somewhere those games do support crossfire
what is wrong w my setup? do i need to do something in bios? should i reinstall drivers?
i red that two 6870 should kick ass compared to only one .. i had a site showing its spremacy over most ocnfigurations before it but yet i do not get any significant boost?
also my psu has plugs for pci express 3 and 4 and i do not know what it means and how to connect using those plugs.. i connect using normal plugsa
this is my motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
i tried the game metro and it dos not improve much in that game
but in stalker clear sky and stalker prypriat it goes slightly slower with two cards then one and i actually red somewhere those games do support crossfire
what is wrong w my setup? do i need to do something in bios? should i reinstall drivers?
i red that two 6870 should kick ass compared to only one .. i had a site showing its spremacy over most ocnfigurations before it but yet i do not get any significant boost?
-
Reply to shadstarn
dogman_1234
April 13, 2011 1:37:48 PM
dogman_1234
April 13, 2011 6:03:30 PM
dogman_1234
April 14, 2011 10:11:18 PM
dogman_1234
April 15, 2011 1:33:52 PM
shadstarn
April 20, 2011 3:29:24 PM
- First
- Previous
- 17 / 24
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- … More pages
- Next
- Newest
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17 / 24
- 18
- 19
- 10
- 20
Related resources
- Solvedradeon r9 280x crossfire vs gtx 770 sli solution
- SolvedAny Crossfire/SLI gpu's worth 140-180? solution
- SolvedCrossfire SLI Help? solution
- SolvedSLI/Crossfire and dual monitors solution
- SolvedSLI and Crossfire Complications solution
- SolvedRadeon R9 290 crossfire, gtx 770 sli or gtx 780 ti solution
- SolvedGTX 770 SLI or R9 280X Crossfire? solution
- Solved280x crossfire vs 770 sli or 780 ti solution
- SolvedTo Upgrade or not ... GTX 680 SLI --> AMD R9 290 Crossfire solution
- SolvedMSI 770 4GB SLI vs Asus DCII R9 290 Crossfire? solution
- SolvedWill using a second video card help performance (non crossfire sli)? solution
- SolvedGTX Titan Black 4 way SLI (vs) AMD 295x2 Crossfire? solution
- Solvedh440 crossfire/sli airflow? solution
- SolvedMotherboards that are good for crossfire or sli solution
- SolvedWhat is better, SLI Or Crossfire? solution
- More resources
Read discussions in other Graphics & Displays categories
!