View Full Version : Lucid Hydra 200 in 30 days
Heinz68
09-23-09, 11:49 AM
Lucid Hydra 200: Vendor Agnostic Multi-GPU, Available in 30 Days
A year ago Lucid announced the Hydra 100: a physical chip that could enable hardware multi-GPU without any pesky SLI/Crossfire software, game profiles or anything like that.
At a high level what Lucid's technology does is intercept OpenGL/DirectX commands from the CPU to the GPU and load balance them across any number of GPUs. The final buffers are read back by the Lucid chip and sent to primary GPU for display.
The technology sounds flawless. You don't need to worry about game profiles or driver support, you just add more GPUs and they should be perfectly load balanced. Even more impressive is Lucid's claim that you can mix and match GPUs of different performance levels. For example you could put a GeForce GTX 285 and a GeForce 9800 GTX in parallel and the two would be perfectly load balanced by Lucid's hardware; you'd get a real speedup. Eventually, Lucid will also enable multi-GPU configurations from different vendors (e.g. one NVIDIA GPU + one AMD GPU).
Read more and many pictures at AnandTech (http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3646)
EDIT
The part about "multi-GPU configurations from different vendors (e.g. one NVIDIA GPU + one AMD GPU).", was always hard for me to believe.
If true I wonder which vendor will disable it their drivers first.
|MaguS|
09-23-09, 12:08 PM
I wonder how well it balances performance and how much improvement we would see when going SLi with it rather then through Nvidia's driver system.
AdamK47
09-23-09, 12:11 PM
Too good to be true? Yes, I think so.
Maverick123w
09-23-09, 12:16 PM
The amount of issues this is going to have will make the early days of sli/xfire look great. I do love the concept though.
DansFace
09-23-09, 02:48 PM
Lucid Hydra 100 didn't even go retail...
how do we know this will?
Lucid Hydra 100 didn't even go retail...
how do we know this will?
Because MSI already announced that their high-end P55 motherboard is going to have one.
CaptNKILL
09-23-09, 07:24 PM
I'm very interested to see the performance numbers from this.
Anandtech's experience basically just said "at least we know it works".
Heinz68
09-24-09, 10:31 AM
PC Perspective talks with Lucid about HYDRA
Video interview (http://vimeo.com/6700209) and product demo on MSI Bing Bang production motherboard.
Sounds like the multi vendor configuration which I said in the OP was always hard for me to believe might be not available immediately but the product is going to be updated quarterly.
I wish they showed the the frame rates with single and and two cards to compare the performance.
Heinz68
10-12-09, 02:33 AM
[MSI Big Bang P55 Motherboard Unveiled
MSI today in conjunction with THX and Creative announced its new Big Bang gaming motherboard, the first ever to implement THX TruStudio PC with Creative EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 audio technology.
Big Bang features QuantumWave audio processing, combining THX TruStudio PC with Creative EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 to deliver the most powerful and realistic gaming audio performance available from any motherboard.
THX TruStudio PC provides groundbreaking PC audio technologies, the result of collaborative research and development from Creative and THX. Together, these technologies deliver the fullest audio experience for music, movies and games, while remaining true to the intention of the artists who created it.........
Big Bang Fuzion
The Big Bang Fuzion motherboard features a powerful Lucid HYDRA engine, which was designed to support different Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) within a single system. This provides the first viable alternative to offerings from current graphics card vendors that offer identical multi-GPU specific solutions. Big Bang utilizes a 100 percent Hi-C Cap server grade capacitor for enhanced stability in extreme gaming conditions. The official launch date is October 29th, 2009.
Read more at CoolComputing (http://www.coolcomputing.com/article.php?sid=3258)
MSI Press Release (http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=newsdesc&news_no=868) confirms the official launch date is October 29th, 2009
Lets see the benchmarks, compared to Crossfire and SLI.
CaptNKILL
10-12-09, 02:51 AM
MSI Press Release (http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=newsdesc&news_no=868) confirms the official launch date is October 29th, 2009
Lets see the benchmarks.
Bring it on.
Hopefully we'll see some good reviews on launch day.
Heinz68
10-12-09, 04:57 AM
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
No, it's not about Fermi, at least not yet.
Heinz68
10-12-09, 06:00 AM
Lucid HYDRA 200 Details With AMD, Lucid & NVIDIA
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/382/lucidhydratestsystem.jpg (http://img240.imageshack.us/i/lucidhydratestsystem.jpg/)
LegitReviews (http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1093/2/) closed door demo plus,
Q&A With LUCID
Q&A With AMD
Q&A With NVIDIA
Lucid HYDRA whitepaper (http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/1093/whitepaper.pdf).
Lucid gave us a chance to try out PC Game titles F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and Bioshock to see what the future of scalable graphics looks like with the Hydra 200. We must admit that we were fairly impressed with what we saw as the technology appeared to be working without any issues on these two game titles.
lol i wonder if nvidia will find a way to block it with there drivers.
lol i wonder if nvidia will find a way to block it with there drivers.
I don't really see how if it is done in the hardware and not the software. I'm very interested to see how this plays out. It would be fantastic if it does truly work the way they say it can. Imagine no more games where some run in SLI/Crossfire and some run slower than a single GPU. No more of that would be truly awesome. Can't wait to see it up against SLI and Crossfire.
as long as i can make some use out of my 4870 when i replace it with a 5870 2gb...hate to c the 4870 just rust away...atleast nvidia has the option to make it a phyx card with its lower end cards.
Heinz68
10-17-09, 02:49 AM
AMD Responds to Lucid Hydra Claims ExtremeTech (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2354256,00.asp)
We received a response from AMD with regards to our recent story, "Lucid Hydra 200: Multi-GPU Made Simple?", about Lucid's new Hydra 200 chip, which may allow PC owners to obtain multiple-GPU performance with graphics cards that use different GPUs, or even that blend Nvidia and ATI technologies.
AMD and Nvidia have expressed skepticism about Lucid's claims, and AMD Public Relations Manager Jay Marsden contacted us to issue the following statement:
AMD's goal with CrossFireX is to is to deliver the best graphics performance possible and give gamers the ultimate upgrade path. We have added countless software and hardware innovations to CrossFireX technology over the years to ensure that we deliver performance in spades. To say CrossFireX is old is plain wrong, it would be like calling Radeon old.
Multi-GPU technology is a key focus for AMD.
We are on the cutting edge with our solutions today and we continue to invest R&D in this area to ensure that we deliver the best solutions in the long run.
We are in favor of solutions that improve the user experience and we have not seen that from Lucid. It's up to them to show the world that their technology works as they say it does.
We're excited to see for ourselves whether the Lucid Hydra 200 delivers what it promises—we'll post the results here as soon as we have them.
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
AMD Responds to Lucid Hydra Claims ExtremeTech (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2354256,00.asp)
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
I think i'm also a bit skeptical about it. I'm sure both ATI and Nvidia have poured huge amounts of money into there multi-GPU technology. For this to come along and make them both obsolete. It just sounds a little to good to be true.
I really do hope though that it is a resounding success. It's what we all really want is to be able to double out performance with 2 cards instead of the average 15 to 40 percentage.
Redeemed
10-17-09, 04:16 AM
I think i'm also a bit skeptical about it. I'm sure both ATI and Nvidia have poured huge amounts of money into there multi-GPU technology. For this to come along and make them both obsolete. It just sounds a little to good to be true.
I really do hope though that it is a resounding success. It's what we all really want is to be able to double out performance with 2 cards instead of the average 15 to 40 percentage.
I don't think Lucid will survive without getting bought up. I reference Ageia.
This technology is great- do the load balancing with hardware rather than all in software. In fact, it *is* just what we need.
I can see a few scenarios panning out here...
*.) AMD purchases Lucid. They use this technology to boost their multi-gpu scaling, be it for the X2 cards and traditional CrossFire. AMD creates a contract with nVidia, much like AMD has with Intel in regards to x86, allowing nVidia to develop hardware functioning just as Lucid's Hydra does.
*.) Same as above, only it's nVidia purchasing Lucid. Although nVidia probably wouldn't create a contract with AMD unless forced to. By not creating a contract nVidia can essentially squeeze AMD out of the discreet market by enough to render them no-longer a threat. This could give nVidia a near-monopoly on the GPU market though, so it might not be allow, and thus nVidia might be forced to create a contract with AMD.
*.) Intel, the unlikely candidate that they may seem, purchases Lucid. They could incorporate this with their chipsets... only charging AMD and nVidia now. AMD wants to allow their GPUs to work in Intel boards in CrossFire? Gotta' pay to use the Hydra. Same for nVidia. This could have an incredibly negative impact on the chipset sales for both AMD and nVidia, however. So it also might not be allowed.
*.) Last option I see, and now that I've thought about it more, this seems the most likely. Lucid does not get purchased. Instead, they actually deliver a product that offers exactly what they promised. Seeing this as a threat to their chipset divisions, AMD and nVidia purchase license to have the Hydra chip integrated with their CrossFire and SLi chipsets. This because the norm- all nVidia SLi and AMD CrossFire based motherboards utilize the Hydra chip. For discrete boards (SLi only, or CrossFire only) AMD and nVidia would owe Hydra nothing, obviously.
Either way around, I also hope this technology catches on and becomes a success. I remember my first SLi setup- was with dual 7600GTs and a s754 A64 3700. The CPU was uber-oc'd, but I averaged about 80% performance increase over just a single 7600GT. In fact, there were limited scenarios where I got over a 100% increase. That, of course, indicates a driver issue where a single card was not performing at peak capacity- but still, my first experience with SLi was a great one.
Needless to say, I've yet to experience that level of scaling. It came close with my dual 9600GTs and PhenomX4 9600BE. But didn't quite match my initial experience.
It'd be nice to have a platform where you're guaranteed near 100% increase across the board. No if's, and's or but's. And no need to worry about drivers getting in the way. Also, it'd be nice to say, purchase one top end card (GTX380 for example). Then the next year purchase the GTX480- and run both in tandem, each card performing at 100%, instead of the faster card operating equal to the slower card.
That's my 2 cents. :D
Heinz68
10-17-09, 04:55 AM
I don't think AMD or NVIDIA are in position to buy anything. Intel already invested money in LucidLogix Technologies (http://www.lucidlogix.com/) so they can buy it if needed.
I don't think there is going to be any licensing fee for the graphic cards vendors if Intel buys it.
The motherboard vendors will include the chip (if any good) and take care off the licensing.
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
v3rninater
10-17-09, 10:34 AM
This looks very intriguing, especially that you can mix and match cards, even ATI and Nvid. I hope it makes a huge mark on the gaming community, also, I hope it's better then SLI, so Nvidia can stop slacking on SLI drivers and really make some good drivers.
Anything like this I welcome because it's a push that these dumb greedy corporations need.
This looks very intriguing, especially that you can mix and match cards, even ATI and Nvid. I hope it makes a huge mark on the gaming community, also, I hope it's better then SLI, so Nvidia can stop slacking on SLI drivers and really make some good drivers.
Anything like this I welcome because it's a push that these dumb greedy corporations need.
You have the mark of the Devil :p
CaptNKILL
10-20-09, 03:42 AM
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
No, it's not about Fermi, at least not yet.
22 hours left on that timer...
I wonder what they'll reveal?
Heinz68
10-20-09, 04:04 AM
22 hours left on that timer...
I wonder what they'll reveal?
Now it's the 9 days clock counter.
The product should be out on October 29, 2009 and hopefully many reviews.
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
22 hours left on that timer...
I wonder what they'll reveal?
How do we know what it is though. There are no links to anything, or names for that matter.
Heinz68
10-20-09, 04:57 AM
It is about MSI Big Bang P55 Motherboard with Lucid HYDRA 200 chip on board. To be officially released on 29 October, 2009. All this thread is about it.
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/382/lucidhydratestsystem.jpg (http://img240.imageshack.us/i/lucidhydratestsystem.jpg/)
COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION GAMING POWER (http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/)
The above counter is about days and hours before release.
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