Hybrid Crossfire Questions

[Shankovich]

Alright, so I don't have too much money atm to get a decent card, so I settled 40$ to an HD 4350 to get some strain off my CPU. I'm running off an AMD Athalon II 245 with 2 gigs of Kingston 800 MHz (2 1 gig cards on ganged mode).

Now, this is the first time I've gotten an AMD card, so I've been familiarizing myself with catalyst (I was with a 6600 GT for a long time). My mobo is a Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H with a 4200 HD integrated. I'm about to install windows 7 and I'd really like to know exactly how crossfire works since I'm seeing many ways it can work. I wouldn't mind it if both of them could work together or if I could switch them (I really don't know how it works). That, and which driver do you install? The one for the card, or the integrated?

I'd really appreciate any help and information . I'll have to stick with this until ATi's new chip sets come out these next few months

 

[shadow187]

The HD4350 is basically the HD4200 with overclockability, and something to do with video processing. You sort of wasted $40. I'd recommend returning that and getting an HD4650 for $50.

Hybrid crossfire is the method of switching to your onboard-GPU when your dedicated card isn't under load. Uses less power this way.

 

[Shankovich]

Actually, I noticed a few significant increases in some areas. As I said, its just to take strain off the CPU. The 4650 is around 70$ up here in Canada.

 

[jyjjy]

not so
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161303

 

[shadow187]

jyjjy: saving my ass every other post.

 

[Shankovich]

hmm...I'm not in the position to online shop....mind you I built this rig 2 months ago. But ya...I went everywhere and didn't find a 4650 for that price.

 

[Shankovich]

Ok I've just installed everything in Windows 7 and I've set up everything for Hybrid Crossfire...but I don't have the crossfire tab in the CCC...anyone?

 

[jyjjy]

http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/ati-hybrid-graphics/Pages/ati-hybrid-graphics.aspx
Based on ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology, ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ takes the gaming experience on a mainstream Windows Vista® PC2 to the next level. When combining an AMD 780 Chipset with an integrated GPU and a discrete ATI Radeon™ HD 3400 Series2 or ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3400 Series GPU, ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ combines the GPU performance and delivers high-quality gaming images onto a single display.

 

[topper743]

I just went through this myself. As stated above about the 3400 gpu and also the 2400 gpu are the only video cards that will hybrid crossfire. It makes no sense to my as to why AMD/ATI didn't continue this capability past these gpus. In fact I feel that the public is somewhat led on, it is very hard to find out much about which equipment will work. Who would buy a hd 34xx gpu now Feb 2010 better to just buy a better VC? I got a Asus M4A785-M MB with the 4200 IGP. I thought that this would be enough for a HTPC. After actually using it I felt that the 4200 was lacking and thought a 4350 in xfire would be just the thing. I actually had a tech from Asus tell me this would work. I did not and will not. May I suggest a HD 5450 much faster, fan less, DX11 support and about the same price. Of course depending on your desired application. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131339

 

[jyjjy]

In fact I feel that the public is somewhat led on, it is very hard to find out much about which equipment will work.

How is it hard to find out? You type hybrid crossfire in google. The first link is wiki which states it clearly in the first paragraph the second is the link I quoted.

 

[Shankovich]

I assumed the official site would be more...informative.

Well this sucks lol. In any case, I'll probably be picking up something around the 5770 in the next few months. Perhaps ATi will continue the crossfire compatibility in their next CCC update. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[jyjjy]

I doubt it. It was a decent idea for laptops but it was always mostly pointless for desktops.

 

[notty22]

Microsoft in a blog entry stated their position was not to support hybrid crossfire in Windows 7.
Hybrid SLI and CrossFire unstable, says Microsoft
http://www.bit-tech.net/custompc/news/605145/hybrid-sli-and-crossfire-unstable-says-microsoft.html

 

[jyjjy]

This looks promising;
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/02/09/1627231/NVIDIA-Shows-Off-Optimus-Switchable-Graphics-For-Notebooks

 

[topper743]

jyjjy

"How is it hard to find out? You type hybrid crossfire in google. The first link is wiki which states it clearly in the first paragraph the second is the link I quoted."

I read that and before you posted the link here. You will notice the date of that posting in wiki. A 785 chip set supports crossfire and according the single post you sighted hybrid crossfire. The Asus HD 4350 I purchased supports crossfire and in the tech info and marketing info. An Asus tech support rep specifically told me that this motherboard and gpu combination would support hybrid crossfire. Also it is quite natural to assume that those components would do the hybrid thing, the motherboard definitely does and why would anyone want to put two 4350s together? The public the would naturally assume that which is what I did. I do confess my own stupidity that I didn't know for an absolute certainty that the function was what I desired. But when you read info that points to a conclusion the the product maker of both products tells you so one would tend to believe them. I could provide you several other info sites that would lead one to believe the the hybrid crossfire option was available under current cards under the vista OS. So you fly in here and site a years old Wikipedia post and pose the snide question "how hard is it"? You have five posts in this one thread, none of them even tried to answer the OP's question. Not one of your five messages answers the question nor tries to as to whether the 4200 IGP and the VC the the OP wants to use will Hybrid Crossfire. So what is your point exactly and why are you posting? Since you are not trying to answer a question what is your function here? Drama?

 

[jyjjy]

wtf
My second post clearly answered the question. I'm sorry if someone at ASUS lied to you but that doesn't change that a simple googling provides the relevant info rather easily from obvious sources like the ATI website and wikipedia.

 

[topper743]

Again. Other posters answered the OPs question you did not. You posted part of a Wikipedia article from years ago, which by the way is not the final arbiter of truth on this subject. The OP wants to use a HD 4350 with a Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H, where did you answer a straight yes or no that this is possible. Nowhere.

Also "wtf" is not really appropriate for these forums. Make a cogent, helpful and thoughtful post to assist the OP or don't post.

 

[jyjjy]

God, what is your problem?
No, no one answered the question before I did and I quoted and linked to the ATI site itself. What I quoted was the basic description of what hybrid crossfire is. It listed both the chipset and the cards that can use it. I'm sorry if you feel I should have boiled it down to a yes or no but I figured other people can READ. Obviously in doing so I was entirely unhelpful, incomprehensible and thoughtless. You've shown me the light and I would like to thank you.