Hybrid-Crossfire

Until now, it was only possible to create a CrossFire configuration using dedicated ATI/AMD add-in graphics cards, but AMD is adding the integrated graphics chip of the 780G/V chipsets to the list of dual-GPU capable parts.

CrossFire with on-board graphics

The graphics cards in the device manager

The card that is paired with the 780V/G graphics unit has to support Hybrid CrossFire, narrowing down the selection to a handful of models. We conducted the Hybrid CrossFire tests using a Radeon HD3450, and out of interest, also installed a Radeon HD3850. However, the on-board GPU automatically deactivated itself, so it was no longer available to create a CrossFire combination.

ATI Radeon HD3450

When a hybrid-enabled graphics adapter is installed into a 780G/V system, the built-in GPU's HDMI/DVI and VGA connectors are disabled, meaning that the first display must be attached to the add-in card.

DVI and HDMI connectors on the Gigabyte board

Unlike all previous on-board graphics solutions, the integrated HD3200 is not deactivated when a (hybrid-enabled) add-in graphics card is installed, remaining active instead.

After Windows Vista or XP start up, the operating system recognizes the new dedicated graphics card and the integrated HD3200 GPU remains available in the system.

An unusual CrossFire team - on-board graphics paired with an add-in graphics card

The CrossFire option in the graphics driver does not differentiate between the hybrid solution and the conventional dual-card combination. With a simple click on the dual-GPU function, we activated the CrossFire combination, consisting of the on-board HD3200 and the dedicated Radeon HD3450.