ATI's Answer to SLI: Crossfire - Page 2

Joose · 07-June-05, 07:40 PM

This quote is from the Bit-Tech article...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bit-Tech


	Many of you will realise that the Radeon X800 Vanilla video card only has twelve pixel pipelines enabled inside its R430 GPU, much like the Radeon X800 Pro. This is where CrossFire gets clever. Either the software, or the hardware itself, detects that you are using a video card with fewer pipelines, and adjusts the CrossFire Edition card so that it is of identical specification to the slowest card in the configuration. Despite the GPUs being on different manufacturing processes, and with the cards also likely to have differing memory specifications, ATI say that there are no problems running an X800 XT PE in the same motherboard as an X800 CrossFire Edition. Finally, the cards do not have to be from the same vendor either, so you could buy a Sapphire CrossFire card, and already own a Club3D Radeon X800 XL, for example.

oh...and lookie here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bit-tech


	It is important to note that using a 128MB Radeon X800, or a 128MB Radeon X800 CrossFire Edition in conjunction with a 256MB part will result in the card with more memory disabling part of its memory footprint in order to make the two cards work together in tandem.

seems like mis-matched memory will be supported after all.

Directly from the ATI site:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATI Crossfire FAQ


	CrossFire requires a CrossFire Edition graphics card and a compatible standard Radeon (CrossFire Ready) graphics card from the same series. The RadeonÃ‚Â® X850 CrossFire Edition card can be paired with any PCI Express Radeon X850 graphics card (Radeon X850 PRO, Radeon X850 XT or Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition) from ATI or any of its partners including cards previously sold. The Radeon X800 CrossFire Edition cards can be paired with any PCI Express Radeon X800 graphics card (Radeon X800, Radeon X800 PRO, Radeon X800 XL, Radeon X800 XT or Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition) from ATI or any of its partners including the All-In-Wonder X800 and other previously released cards. Because of the backwards compatibility of the platform, there are already almost a million people who are CrossFire Ready.

It's right there from the horse's mouth; any existing x800 PCI-e card will work with the x800 x-fire, and any existing x850 PCI-e part will work with the x850 x-fire. Looks like [H] hasn't done their homework...again.

TYCOON · 07-June-05, 07:56 PM

Wow, now I wish I was working...well...hmm. Im going out to get one *prints off resumes*

No joke...Im seriously going out to drop some off.

Joose · 07-June-05, 08:19 PM

I sent an email to Kyle about their mis-informing their readership. Take a look:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me


	In your ATI Crossfire article, you say the following: Ã‚â€œThere are only two criteria that must be met and be identical between the CrossFire Edition card and your regular Radeon X800 or X850 series video card to work properly. You must have the same amount of frame buffer memory between both cards, so if you have a 128MB video card get the X800 128MB CrossFire Edition, if you have a 256MB card get the 256MB X800 or X850 CrossFire Edition. You must also achieve parity with the number of pixel pipelines, so all the Radeon X 850 series have 16 pixel-pipelines, and as such, the Radeon X850 CrossFire Edition has 16 pixel-pipelines.Ã‚â€ This is blatantly WRONG. The ATI site mentions that a 12-pipeline card can be coupled with the 16-pipeline master without incident; the master will disable 4 of its pipelines to accommodate the slave card. The same goes with the memory, too. The only criteria that must be identical, is the part must be PCI-e, and from the same family as the master card. X800 slave (from any series) for the X800 CrossFire, and X850 slave (from any series) for the X850 CrossFire. ThatÃ‚â€™s it. In the interest of honesty, I would suggest you tell the whole truth, instead of misleading your readership. Sincerely, Joel Hluszko

Let's see if he amends his article.

Bane · 07-June-05, 09:07 PM

Meh, hopefully when i build a new computer again (in 2 years maybe) i'll figure out which is better

Then again, they'll prolly have something even more powerful out.

Cpt.Planet · 09-June-05, 02:34 PM

Found this earlier today. It it is true I am gonna go with the DFI board woo hoo. http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx...ar1=230&var2=0

Highperf15 · 09-June-05, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cpt.Planet


	Found this earlier today. It it is true I am gonna go with the DFI board woo hoo. http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx...ar1=230&var2=0

Man, that 3DMark05 score looked sweet...........my next board too......sigh

Cpt.Planet · 09-June-05, 02:46 PM

Yea that is an awesome looking score. Ima start ordering parts over the next few weeks.

Nerdz · 09-June-05, 03:45 PM

That thing..looks freaken godly...

ITS HUGE...

hmm can 2 master crossfires be used together?

cpjlam · 09-June-05, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spectrum


	Will motherboards support Crossfire and SLI or just one of them? That would really limit choices down the line.

It certainly wouldn't be likely to be either an ATI or Nvidia chipset that'd do it if ever.

Joose · 09-June-05, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpjlam


	It certainly wouldn't be likely to be either an ATI or Nvidia chipset that'd do it if ever.

Check the second paragraph of post #19 in this thread...

cpjlam · 09-June-05, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimp joose


	Check the second paragraph of post #19 in this thread...

Yep, I was a little too fast to jump on the keyboard. I just noticed it and also found a couple additional articles on the topic at anandtech.

*edit*

Just browsing through the description on it, it would seem that the ATI solution has far less dependence upon attributes provided by the motherboard relative to the Nvidia solution.

Joose · 09-June-05, 04:41 PM

yeah; it looks like ATI's learned from nV's mistakes...

TCG_Modder · 09-June-05, 04:56 PM

close, but not even a score of 10k with 2 x800 ATI cards?

hell a single X850PE can hit 8k, its pretty bad that 2 x800's cant kick its ass. maybe im too de-sentinized(sp) from seeing all these high scores from people who OC with water and phase, that im just not too impressed with a score of less than 10k when running 2 cards in SLI( or whatever).

With just my single XFX 6800GT i can pull off a score of 6k. i doubt i will get much higher, but im still working out timing bugs in my memory. i see people here in our own 3dmark05 post that have hit 12k in 3d05. i guess i was expecting something more on that lvl of performance.. not under 10k performance.

from what i have seen.. if you want high end performance from a crossfire, SLI setup.. you have to go with Nvidia. for single card performance, go with ATI.. as long as it is a highend card. so, pretty much, stick with Nvidia.

Cpt.Planet · 09-June-05, 05:13 PM

Quote:

07-June-05, 07:56 PM	#22 (permalink)
TYCOON Apex Tech God Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SCHOOLLLSSS Posts: 4,728	Wow, now I wish I was working...well...hmm. Im going out to get one prints off resumes No joke...Im seriously going out to drop some off. __________________ AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2.7GHz DFI LanParty SLI-D 2GBs PC3200 @ PC3500 // 2.5-3-3-6 EVGA 7950GT 512MB @ Stock Audigy 2 ZS 36Gb Raptor (os) 2x300Gb WD SATA 16MB CACHE (storage) 450Watt OCZ modstream Coolermaster Wavemaster

07-June-05, 09:07 PM	#24 (permalink)
Bane Apex Tech Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: California Posts: 553	Meh, hopefully when i build a new computer again (in 2 years maybe) i'll figure out which is better Then again, they'll prolly have something even more powerful out. __________________ Antec NeoPower 480W P4 2.66 Ghz 533 Mhz FSB Asus P4S800D-X 2x Corsair CMX512-3200C2PT PNY Nvidia 6800GT SB Audigy 2 Platinum Maxtor 200GB WD Caviar SE 120GB

09-June-05, 02:34 PM	#25 (permalink)
Cpt.Planet That's Mr. Freeze to you! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,300	Found this earlier today. It it is true I am gonna go with the DFI board woo hoo. http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx...ar1=230&var2=0 __________________ 5.1ghz QX6700 5.255ghz X6800

09-June-05, 02:46 PM	#27 (permalink)
Cpt.Planet That's Mr. Freeze to you! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,300	Yea that is an awesome looking score. Ima start ordering parts over the next few weeks. __________________ 5.1ghz QX6700 5.255ghz X6800

09-June-05, 03:45 PM	#28 (permalink)
Nerdz Sir Knight of Spamalot Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Water-hoe-Bury, CT Posts: 6,587	That thing..looks freaken godly... ITS HUGE... hmm can 2 master crossfires be used together? __________________ I still fold "No amount of Experimentation can Prove Me right, It only takes one to prove me Wrong"-Albert Einstein

09-June-05, 04:41 PM	#32 (permalink)
Joose Joosey Join Date: May 2003 Location: Milton, Ontario Posts: 5,537	yeah; it looks like ATI's learned from nV's mistakes... __________________ Joose - joosy since 1975 Cheap, Good, Fast - You can only have two out of three.

09-June-05, 04:56 PM	#33 (permalink)
TCG_Modder Apex Tech Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 560	close, but not even a score of 10k with 2 x800 ATI cards? hell a single X850PE can hit 8k, its pretty bad that 2 x800's cant kick its ass. maybe im too de-sentinized(sp) from seeing all these high scores from people who OC with water and phase, that im just not too impressed with a score of less than 10k when running 2 cards in SLI( or whatever). With just my single XFX 6800GT i can pull off a score of 6k. i doubt i will get much higher, but im still working out timing bugs in my memory. i see people here in our own 3dmark05 post that have hit 12k in 3d05. i guess i was expecting something more on that lvl of performance.. not under 10k performance. from what i have seen.. if you want high end performance from a crossfire, SLI setup.. you have to go with Nvidia. for single card performance, go with ATI.. as long as it is a highend card. so, pretty much, stick with Nvidia. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Main Rig~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Asus P5K Deluxe 0404 Bios~Intel Q6600 - SLACR Stepping~ATI 4870 and ATI 4850~SILVERSTONE Zeus 650W~OCZ Reaper PC2 6400 4x1gig~Danger Den TDX, BIP, DD12V-D5~