COMPUTEX: The GPU/NIC Combo Card Revealed

By Kevin Parrish
published

A prototype combines Bigfoot's Killer NIC with TUL's ATI Radeon HD 5000 graphics card.

Bigfoot Networks, the company behind the "Killer" line of gaming network cards, is currently showcasing a rather unique PCI Express hybrid at Computex 2010 in Taipei. In conjunction with TUL Corporation, the device combines Bigfoot's Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card technology with TUL's PowerColor-branded ATI Radeon HD 5000 graphics card. The result is a "best of breed" Gaming Combo Card that's deemed as the first of its kind.

"The Gaming Combo Card taps into massive parallel processing power on the GPU to deliver unrivaled visual quality and gaming performance supporting Microsoft DirectX 11 technology," Bigfoot said. "Using Killer Game Networking DNA technology, the card also classifies network traffic and separates game data for priority treatment, while reducing freezing, stuttering and other symptoms of lag. The Gaming Combo Card is a one card, one slot solution that is plug-and-play ready to give consumers a competitive online gaming edge."

It will be interesting to see how this card performs given that the NIC and GPU are using the same PCI Express bus. However, the prototype card provides two DVI ports, an HDMI output prt, and a gigabit Ethernet jack. Currently there's no indication of pricing, however it was suggested that this combination will be cheaper than purchasing the NIC and GPU separately. As for availability, the combo card may actually appear in a matter of months, however that's not set in stone.

Kevin Parrish
36 Comments Comment from the forums
  • XD_dued
    Uh...No. I'll stick to integrated and 5850 thanks :)
    Reply
  • figgus
    Next inventions by Bigfoot: a fridge and powered subwoofer combo, a cell phone umbrella, and a toaster that warms your bathwater while you are in it!
    Reply
  • someguynamedmatt
    I'll be honest, I never really saw the point behind 'gaming' NICs. I mean, maybe if it was the only thing between you and direct access to the internet, then maybe. But you've got the ISP, several converter boxes, and hundreds of miles of old copper wire to go through. Isn't the onboard NIC good enough? And even if you have a rig good enough to need that little bit of extra speed from a faster NIC, wouldn't you have the cash to buy an actual graphics card with, anyway?... :D
    Reply
  • tharkis842
    Yah, that's what we need, an NIC fighting with my video card for dominance. Instead of network lag we'll have to deal with a drop in frame rate.
    Reply
  • rockstone1
    That looks awesome for anyone who does a lot of Lan. I wonder what the performance will be.
    Reply
  • chickenhoagie
    XD_duedUh...No. I'll stick to integrated and 5850 thanksas will I
    Reply
  • i think you lot missed the point, the card analyzes network traffic and gives priority to game data over lets say torrent data, yes it would add a slight overhead but if handled correctly and in hardware rather via software it might actually boost network performance if you like to multitask and game at the same time
    Reply
  • Amazing great idea. Will bring multiplayer games to a new level.
    Reply
  • nforce4max
    i much rather have the Lucid Hydra combo instead and slap it in with my two 9800gt 1gb editions in the middle slot on my xfx 780i.
    Reply
  • Parsian
    this is like adding oranges with apples... how did they even conceive this?
    Reply