Nvidia’s SLI May Disappear

[sucko_the_clown]

This is taken from x-bit labs:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20080222132030_Nvidia_s_SLI_May_Disappear_or_SLI_P olicy_May_Be_Changed_If_Nvidia_Fails_to_License_In tel_s_Next_Gen_Processor_Bus.html

Looks like nvidia may have to change its licensing policy. This would be great for guys like me who have mobos w/ 2x PCI-e slots with an Intel chipset. I may eventually be able to run two cards in SLI mode.

[Amuro]

I think Nvidia will stop making chipsets for Intel when Nehalem comes out.

[amk21]

I think Nvidia will stop making chipsets for Intel when Nehalem comes out.
Why do you think so?

[InqWoN1776]

I'm not saying it's a good thing that Nvidia doesn't open SLI to other chipset vendors but it sucks that Intel can bully like this. I would call this a monopolistic practice. I wish AMD was more competitive right now.

[Amuro]

Why do you think so?
Becasue Nehalem's gonna have two platforms, one doesn't have a northbridge, and the other one does, not to mention the new Quick Path Interconnect tech Intel will be using to replace the FSB. It's gonna make things very complicated for nvidia.

[sucko_the_clown]

I'm not saying it's a good thing that Nvidia doesn't open SLI to other chipset vendors but it sucks that Intel can bully like this. I would call this a monopolistic practice. I wish AMD was more competitive right now.

um... You mean the way nvidia is bullying intel? It is nvidia that won't give support for SLI on Intel chipsets. Intel really didn't have much choice.

[Amaury]

that's correct. Nvidia is competing with Intel in the motherboard chipset business. They would be giving this part of their business away to intel.

[InqWoN1776]

You're right Nvidia wasn't playing fair but Intel never has. The size of these companies are different. Nvidia had to make chipsets for Intel processors because the incoming core2's were going to outperform AMD's parts. It would have been a failure on nv's part not to make chipsets for them. Intel almost always has more reliable and better performing chipsets then third-parties. When Intel allows others to make chipsets that equal theirs then Intel has a right to complain. I think it was Nvidia trying to give consumers a reason to choose their chipsets because they know Intel isn't going let them fairly compete. It isn't right for SLI to be exclusive. They could have made it available to Intel and give them a license the same way Intel does with their technology which would have been satirical.

[walterman]

Excellent article :)

As a lot of users here, i like to have freedom, when i'm choosing the parts that i want to use to build my rig.

[LordJuanlo]

Great news, now they should allow SLI on Intel platforms or make only AMD chipsets. I guess they have no choice, and it's best for us consumers, now we are free to choose.

[sucko_the_clown]

Excellent article :)

As a lot of users here, i like to have freedom, when i'm choosing the parts that i want to use to build my rig.

If Nvidia puts out a driver that would enable SLI on non-Nvidia chipsets, I would buy a second 8800 GTS (G92) in a heartbeat.

[Toss3]

Well, this isn't bad for the market at all and might help amd get back on its feet if all goes well(which it won't). So let's say that nvidia stops producing chipsets for intel processors, and refuses to give intel the rights to sli. That would mean that Amd-based systems would be the only ones supporting it.
Now let's say amd gets the bright idea of refusing to let intel use crossfire as well, with a similar license to nvidia's - that would mean that amd would be the only company on the market with chipsets supporting multi-gpu setups. So consumers wanting the best gaming systems would have to go with amd, which would make them get back on their feet and once again be able to compete with both nvidia and intel. :afro: And with the new gpu for physics thing on the way multiple gpus in one system will pretty soon become commonplace and a new industry standard, making amd even better off.

[Vik1dk]

If Nvidia puts out a driver that would enable SLI on non-Nvidia chipsets, I would buy a second 8800 GTS (G92) in a heartbeat.
+1

[ephmrl]

If Nvidia puts out a driver that would enable SLI on non-Nvidia chipsets, I would buy a second 8800 GTS (G92) in a heartbeat.

They're going to fight that as long as they can, for the simple reason that they're end game is to be the next intel. That is why they are making people buy their chipsets for sli. Quite simply, they would like nothing more than to accelerate the GPU being the most important component in a computing platform, and relegate intel to the spot that via, sis, and frankly amd are stuck in - just lucky if they get a fraction of the market that the leading supplier has. :)

I don't know if nvidia is going to do it, but certainly intel isn't going down without a fight, which is why each will try to hold on to any advantages (i.e. exclusive licences to IP) they can. After all, they're learning from amd's mistakes. Hypertransport being free hasn't really helped AMD get out of their hole has it? ;) I'm not saying CSI will displace HT in anyway, but intel won't make it free out of the false hope that mass adoption by the industry will somehow help their core business...

It is somewhat amusing that people are picking sides in this competition, and labeling the other as playing "unfair". They are all peas in a pod after all, be they green, green, or blue :p.

[walterman]

If Nvidia puts out a driver that would enable SLI on non-Nvidia chipsets, I would buy a second 8800 GTS (G92) in a heartbeat.

QFT !

[Nanosuitguy]

If Nvidia puts out a driver that would enable SLI on non-Nvidia chipsets, I would buy a second 8800 GTS (G92) in a heartbeat.
how can that be possible? Just like that, over a frigging driver?

Also, it is true that SLI may disappear? Or does the title lie?

[rhink]

Well, this isn't bad for the market at all and might help amd get back on its feet if all goes well(which it won't).

The SLI market is so small it's not going to "help get AMD back on its feet". In fact, the desktop market is shrinking as well. The markets that will get AMD back on its feet are servers and laptops.

[slaWter]

This is great! I hope Intel won't license CSI to nV! We need SLI on Intel chipsets, nV crapset aren't highend products!

[Toss3]

The SLI market is so small it's not going to "help get AMD back on its feet". In fact, the desktop market is shrinking as well. The markets that will get AMD back on its feet are servers and laptops.
It's small now but growing... :bleh: physics on a gpu should lead to a significant raise in the number of multi-gpu systems. :) And I know this alone wouldn't help them much, but some, possibly enough to help them develop a new processor that would be better than the intel counterpart! Heh I'm just speculating and hoping for amd's sake... and ours....

[sucko_the_clown]

how can that be possible? Just like that, over a frigging driver?

Also, it is true that SLI may disappear? Or does the title lie?

Actually, the driver hack has already been done before (modded 85.96 driver):

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=106212

[slaWter]

I was using 2 7900GTX on a 975X back in the day. Best SLI experience ever!

[walterman]

This is great! I hope Intel won't license CSI to nV! We need SLI on Intel chipsets, nV crapset aren't highend products!

I was using 2 7900GTX on a 975X back in the day. Best SLI experience ever!

QFT ! :D

[rhink]

It's small now but growing... :bleh: physics on a gpu should lead to a significant raise in the number of multi-gpu systems. :) And I know this alone wouldn't help them much, but some, possibly enough to help them develop a new processor that would be better than the intel counterpart! Heh I'm just speculating and hoping for amd's sake... and ours....

The desktop market is shrinking, and will probably continue to shrink for years to come. The trend is against big, monolithic, high powered machines and towards ubiquitous computing, thin and light, iphones, laptops, tivo's, that sort of thing. The growth markets are servers and low power processors. Desktops will continue to improve, but mostly because you can use a chip that's primarily intended for servers and workstations in a home desktop, too. For the last couple of generations, Intel and AMD's flagship products have been primarily aimed at the server market.... Athlon 64's, Barcelona's (if they ever get them working right!), Core 2's...

And physics on a GPU isn't going to do jack without software support. Gamers are a high visibility market, but not a big one. It won't make or break Intel or AMD. It's a market that helped nvidia get started, but they've had to focus on other markets to get where they are, too (The Riva 128 was a success not because they focused primarily on the gamer..... but because they didn't)