News Rumours of ATI's MVP hit web

[The_Pope]

What are your views on multiple graphics card setups? I'm sure many would say "Sure, if only I could afford one" - do you see SLI as only for the wealthiest of gamers, or do you hold out hope of upgrading once the price comes down?


http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/05/06/ati_mvp_rumours

[riggs]

Sure, if only I could afford one

j/k

TBH, I'm not overly keen on the whole 'dual cards' thing. It's like the old 3DFX card (was it the Voodoo2?) - I know no-one that owned 2 of them. At the time it just seemed way too gimmicky, and to me it still does.

Granted, I don't know much about the hardware, how it works or what improvements are made, but the idea of increasing your GFX speeds by having two of the same item doesn't really seem like a step forward in terms of hardware development.
Why not just go for some kind if dual core GPU - sure, the card would be huge, but it'd probably cost less to the end user (unless they then produce dual-core, SLi cards...).


Mind you, the idea of using multiple cards might work well for us peeps that still don't have broadband - take x10 56k modems, connected to x10 telephone lines and use software to combine the speed...

[TMM]

Originally Posted by radiator

take x10 56k modems, connected to x10 telephone lines and use software to combine the speed...

and its still slow

[LoneArchon]

Originally Posted by radiator

Mind you, the idea of using multiple cards might work well for us peeps that still don't have broadband - take x10 56k modems, connected to x10 telephone lines and use software to combine the speed...

Good idea in some means but cost wise it would be at least 7x more than current broadband for 560/560 and that would be if good load balancing software is used
I will wait and see for this tech but it seem to one up sli by allowing diffrent brand and differnt models. It if work as good as sli it would be a great upgrade path for old PCI-e ATi cards

[The_Pope]

I know no-one that owned 2 of them. At the time it just seemed way too gimmicky, and to me it still does.

Wow - I find that really interesting. I guess it is because you are representing the wider, general public where the economics of such things are the #1 consideration. My memory of those days doesn't include anything about the "rarity" of a 24Mb SLI setup (2 x 12Mb cards) since I knew loads of people with them. Of course, all those people were invariably tech journos, who in some cases had not one pair but several(!)

Things haven't necessarily changed: anyone in the Real World own a X800 XT PE or 6800Ultra? Exactly - these cards, and you can include SLI in this, are there to create a halo effect on the rest of the range. Just like you drool all over a E55 AMG Merc but make do with a E200 (or C180) as a company car...