SLI / CrossFire FAQs
SLI / CrossFire FAQs
Hello everyone I have seen many people making mistakes about MultiGPU technology or have difficulties understanding; therefore,I decided to write a guide that helps you understand it better. So,let's start! What is SLI? NVIDIA SLI is a platform that allows you to scale graphics performance by combining multiple NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system. What is Nvidia Hybrid SLI? From Hothardware.com: NVIDIA's Hybrid SLI technology gives users the ability to pair an IGP, or mGPU (motherboard GPU), with a discreet graphics card, or cards, for two new modes of operation. NVIDIA calls these new modes Hybrid Power and GeForce Boost. GeForce Boost does what its name suggests. By coupling the motherboard's integrated GPU with a discreet graphics card, the 3D rendering workload is shared between the two GPUs for a boost in performance. Currently, GeForce Boost is only supported by GeForce 8400 GS and 8500 GT discreet cards, as for the IGP, only the next-gen nForce 700a series of chipsets due to arrive this quarter will be supported initially. What is CrossFire? CrossFire is a high-performance PC Gaming Platform technology that enables multiple ATI Radeon graphics cards and a CrossFire-ready motherboard in a single computer to increase graphics quality and performance. What is CrossFireX(Quad CrossFire)? From Techreport.com: CrossFireX is, quite simply, an extension of the CrossFire dual-GPU feature to three and four GPUs. Here's the chart from AMD's website regarding which cards can you use in crossfire,motherboard support and more. 3XXX to 5xxx Family 5XXX to 7XXX Family R7 and R9 Family(Thanks for the link damric) What is AMD Hybrid CrossFire? Hybrid CrossFire allows integrated graphics and low-end discrete graphics to be used in CrossFire mode. Overall,both Hybrid CrossFire and Hybrid SLI are mainly for power savings and aren't a good solution for gaming and 3D performance(overall). Can you use SLI on a CrossFire board or CrossFire on a SLI board? Well, in general, the answer is NO;however,there are some methods(like driver hacks) that allows you to do this. Caution:There is no guarantee that this driver hacks work,so do it at your own risk! With the release of Core "i" CPUs,Intel announced chipsets(P55,X58,Z68,etc.) that allow users to use CrossFire and SLI on the same motherbard.(However,still some of them only support either SLI or CrossFire) But the newer chipsets like Z77,X79 etc. usually support both SLI and CrossFire.And it's safe the say the future models will be the same;supporting both SLI and CrossFire. Do the cards have to be same model? For "Most" Nvidia cards the answer is yes,but there are some exceptions too,such as pairing a GTS 250 with a 9800GTX+,which can only be done if both cards have the same amount of memory. (It's possible because GTS 250 is actually a re-badged 9800GTX+) But again there are some cards like 9800GT and 8800GT which have the same specifications but in general you can't pair them in SLI.(Some users have reported that by flashing a 8800GT's BIOS to a 9800GT's BIOS,you can do it,but its risky and not recommended.) But for AMD/ATI cards,It's different. For older models like X1900 cards,you have to use the same/master card in order to run them in CrossFire mode. But for HD 2xxx cards and up,there are no master cards so you simply can use 2(or more) (same)cards in Crossfire. So the general answer is yes,with some exceptions.So it's recommended to use the same cards for best results. You can find more information regarding matching cards in SLI/Crossfire at the end of this guide. What about the memory? Can you use 7800GTX 256MB with it's 512MB version? For Nvidia cards,the general answer is no. http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ask_mmm013.html "Another misconception is that the GeForce 7800 GTX (256MB) graphics cards and the GeForce 78000 GTX 512 graphics cards can be paired together. Since these graphics cards use different GPUs, they unfortunately CAN'T be paired together. Always refer the Learn More or Build sections of SLIZone." So,you generally can't pair a 7800GTX 256 with 7800GTX 512 or GTX 460 768MB with its 1GB version unless you use some 3rd party applications(which isn't recommended). However,if you manage to run these cards in SLI,then the model,with higher amount of RAM,will reduce it's RAM to match the other card. For ATI cards,it's different. As an example,you can Crossfire HD 5870 2GB with it's 1GB version (but again the 2GB version lowers it's memory to 1GB) So,generally,,it's recommended to use 2(or more than 2) identical cards with the same amount of memory. What about brands? Brands don't matter,as long as they're the same card with the same memory/speeds. What happens if the cards have different speed For ATI cards; One of the cards will raise/lower its clock speeds to reach the other card's speeds. For Nvidia cards; Well it "was" like ATI with older drivers, but with new drivers its quite different.If you use 2(or more) Nvidia cards with different clock speeds in SLI mode,none of them will change their clocks and they will perform at their default clock speed. Again,that's why I usually recommend using the same cards in multiGPU modes. A Very important note about bridges It's been frequently asked whether to use 1 or 2 SLI/Crossfire bridges. The answer is that it will work with 1 bridge without any problems but I recommend using both bridges because: 1_You will never lose either of these bridges. 2_Some users have reported a minimal(not noticeable) performance increase. 3_With the release of the 10XX series from Nvidia both bridges can have a noticeable gain in performance. Nvidia now has what they call an HB SLI Bridge that uses both sets of contacts the card. Do SLI or CrossFire always improve performance? Not always. There are some games that don't benefit from either SLI or CrossFire or require a patch in order to fully utilize both cards. For example,Flight simulator X doesn't benefit from either SLI or CrossFire;on the other hand,BattleField 4 benefits from this technologies.It depends on the game to be honest. This link has some great comparisons between single and multiGPU configurations in numerous games What are SLI and CrossFire certified Motherboards? For Crossfire and SLI certified boards, please check the motherboard makers website. It is a selling feature and will be listed. SLI certified motherboards: http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technolo...therboards AMD recommended Motherboards: http://support.amd.com/en-us/recommended/motherboards Is my system memory important?? No,your computer's RAM isn't at all related to the cards you are using,just make sure it's compatible with the motherboard and CPU. What are the power requirements for SLI or CrossFire? For every configuration,the power requirement is different. Nvidia cards: http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html AMD/ATI cards: http://sites.amd.com/us/game/products/ce...plies.aspx There are some compatible models that aren't listed so always check with the manufacturers website at first. Is it really necessary to use SLI or CrossFire? It all comes down to 2 factors: 1)The games that you play 2)The resolutions that you play at As mentioned,there are some games that don't benefit from either SLI or Crossfire;also both SLI/Crossfire really shine when you play "at least on" 1080p,even on this resolution,a single powerful card can handle everything fine. Is it better to get 2 mid-range cards or 1 high-end card? It really depends on you.I "personally" prefer a single high-end card rather than 2 mid-range cards because usually,the single card produces less heat and has less power consumption but it may cost more too. So it all comes down to personal preference and budget. Do SLI or CrossFire double the memory? No.Adding another card with more memory doesn't double the overall memory of your cards. Which is better, SLI or CrossFire? It again comes to personal preference and the games that you play. There are some specific games that scale better under SLI and vice-versa. A note about Motherboards For 2-way SLI,motherboards either support CrossFire at dual x16,dual x8 or x16x4 speeds. The first will give you the best performance. Dual x8 is also good and performs on par with dual x16 in most games. But x16x4 is kinda different. On PCI-E 1.0 boards/cards,there is a huge difference between x16x4 and dual x16(and 8x). On PCI-E 2.0/3,0 boards/cards;however,the performance gap isn't as high.(The performance is notable in some games though,especially on high resolutions) Generally, recommend dual x16 or dual x8 for MultiGPU setups. Here is a good article which compares CrossFire performance between dual x16,dual x8 and x16x4 List of NVIDIA and AMD/ATI MultiGPU compatible Graphic Cards: (All of them are PCI-EXPRESS cards,AGP cards don't support any kind of multiGPU setups) NVIDIA cards(Desktop models) Geforce TITAN Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN Xp NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN X Pascal NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN X NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN Z NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN BLACK NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX TITAN Geforce RTX 20 - NVLink (SLI-Ready) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080ti Geforce GTX 10 Family: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080ti NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Geforce GTX 900 Family: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980ti NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Geforce GTX 700 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780Ti NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 760 Geforce GTX 600 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 680 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 660 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 660ti NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 650ti BOOST (must be the boost model, normal 650/650ti's are NOT SLI ready) Geforce GTX 500 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 590(1 PCB*) NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 570 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560Ti NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 550Ti NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 DDR3 Geforce 400 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 480 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 470 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 465 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 460 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTS 450 Geforce 200 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 295 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 285 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 280 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 275 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 260 Core 216(You can pair it with the Core 192 version.) NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 260 Core 192 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 250(You can pair it with 9800GTX+ in SLI configuration,however make sure that both cards have the same amount of memory) Geforce 100 Family: GeForce GTS 150 GeForce GT 130 GeForce GT 120 Geforce 9 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GX2 (2 PCB's) NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GTX+(You can pair it with a Nvidia 9800GTX in SLI configuration,but it's recommended to use the 9800GTX+ card in the first PCI-E 16x slot.) NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 9600GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 9600GSO NVIDIA GEFORCE 9500GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 9400GT Geforce 8 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800ULTRA NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GTS 512 NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GTS 640 NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GTS 320 NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800GS NVIDIA GEFORCE 8600GTS NVIDIA GEFORCE 8600GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 8500GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 8400GS Geforce 7 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 7950GX2 (2 PCB's) NVIDIA GEFORCE 7900GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 7950GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 7900GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 7900GS NVIDIA GEFORCE 7800GTX 512 NVIDIA GEFORCE 7800GTX 256 NVIDIA GEFORCE 7800GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 7600GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 7600GS NVIDIA GEFORCE 7300GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 7300GS NVIDIA GEFORCE 7300LE Geforce 6 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800ULTRA NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800GS NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800 NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800LE NVIDIA GEFORCE 6600GT NVIDIA GEFORCE 6600 NVIDIA GEFORCE 6600LE NVIDIA cards(Notebook models) Geforce 900M Family: GeForce GTX 980M GeForce GTX 970M GeForce GTX 965M Geforce 800M Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 880M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 870M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 860M Geforce 700M Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 765M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 760M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 750M Geforce 600M and MX Family: GeForce GTX 680MX GeForce GTX 660M GeForce GTX 670MX GeForce GTX 675MX GeForce GTX 670M GeForce GTX 675M Geforce 500M Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 570M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560M Geforce 400M Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 485M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 480M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 470M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 460M Geforce 200M Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 280M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 260M Geforce 100M series: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTS 160M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTS 150M NVIDIA GEFORCE GTS 130M Geforce 9 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800MGTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800MGT NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800MGTS Geforce 8 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800MGTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 8700MGT NVIDIA GEFORCE 8600MGT Geforce 7 Family: NVIDIA GEFORCE 7950GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 7900GTX NVIDIA GEFORCE 7800GTX AMD cards(Desktop models) AMD Radeon RX Family: AMD RX 580 AMD RX 570 AMD RX 560 AMD RX 540(OEM) AMD RX 480 AMD RX 470 AMD RX 460 AMD Radeon R9 Family: AMD R9 295X2 AMD R9 290X AMD R9 290 AMD R9 280X AMD R9 280 AMD R9 270X AMD R9 270 AMD Radeon R7 Family: AMD R7 265 AMD R7 260X AMD R7 260 AMD R7 250X AMD R7 250 AMD R7 240 AMD HD 7xxx Family: AMD HD 7970 AMDI HD 7950 AMD HD 7870 AMD HD 7850 AMD HD 7770 AMD HD 7750 AMD HD 6xxx Family: AMD HD 6990(1 PCB) AMD HD 6970 AMD HD 6950 AMD HD 6870 AMD HD 6850 AMD HD 6670 AMD HD 6570 AMD HD 5xxx Family: AMD HD 5970 AMD HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 edition(Can be used in CrossFire with the non-Eyefinity 6 version) AMD HD 5870 AMD HD 5850 AMD HD 5830 AMD HD 5770 AMD HD 5750 AMD HD 5670 AMD HD 5570 AMD HD 5550 AMD HD 5450 AMD HD 4xxx Family: AMD HD 4890 AMD HD 4870X2(1 PCB) AMD HD 4870 AMD HD 4850 AMD HD 4830 AMD HD 4770 AMD HD 4750 AMD HD 4670 AMD HD 4650 AMD HD 4550 AMD HD 4350 AMDHD 3xxx Family: AMD HD 3870X2(Read the extra information about HD 5970,its the same for HD 3870X2) AMD HD3870 AMD HD 3850 AMD HD 3830 AMD HD 3650 AMD HD 3470 AMD HD 3450 AMD HD 2xxx Family: AMD HD 2900XT AMD HD 2900PRO AMD HD 2900GT AMD HD 2600XT AMD HD 2600 PRO AMD HD 2400XT AMD HD 2400 PRO AMD X19xx Family: AMD X1950XTX AMD X1950PRO AMD X1900XTX AMD X1900XT AMD X1900GT(Unlike X1900XT and 1900XTX which require a Master card to run in CrossFire,this card can be paired with another X1900GT card) AMD X1xxx Family: AMD X1800XT AMD X1800GTO AMD X1800XL AMD X1650 PRO AMD X1650XT AMD X1600XT AMD X1600PRO AMD X1550 AMD X1300XT AMD X1300PRO AMD X1300 AMD X850 Family: AMD X850XT-PE AMD X850XT AMD X850 PRO AMD Cards(Notebook models). Out of date. AMD HD 6xxx Family: AMD HD 6970M AMD HD 5xx Family: AMD HD 5870M AMD HD 4xxx Family: AMD HD 4870M AMD HD 3xxx Family: AMD HD 3870M * PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board, its the hard "plastic-like" colored part in a graphics card/motherboard. So,I hope reading this guide helps you understand MultiGPU technology better.I've kept this topic opened so that you can ask your questions and post your suggestions about the it. Special thanks to emp,4745454b,alias_the_?jester and MouseMonkey and NukeMaster for helping making this guide.
Nothing new to add, just a reminder that it's really useful for those who are unsure about the topic. I recommend giving it a try but with a better title, such as "READ THIS before asking about MultiGPU technology." Also, it's generally not worth the effort to get dual cards instead of a single high-end one, though it still works well.
Thanks EMP, unfortunately I can only perform a quick edit. When I try to modify this message, it tells me I’m not allowed to change the topic name. Still, I did edit the text, thank you.
P.S., I’m aware of SLI or CrossFire, but I noticed some mistakes or questions from others, so I thought it was worth explaining.
Thanks again.
Maizar, I've noticed many discussions about SLI and CF where participants lack basic understanding. I hope this helps reduce the amount of misinformation shared.
It seems ignorance often stems from missing helpful resources, so I’m hoping this post gains enough attention.
Another idea—consider changing the subject to "teen porn" and I promise the traffic will spike.
People are quite predictable.
For more useful advice and tips, click here.
you need to inform the person who created this thread so it stays relevant.
To stranger stranger, while I generally understand your point.
The main issue is that although it seems reasonable in theory, these questions are mostly asked by newcomers who aren’t familiar with stickys. Also, it would be better if the search function actually functioned properly instead of displaying every topic searched—even ones I posted just to test—being removed from results.
To Go Oman
Being ignorant of the facts and being ignorant are different things, and often people mix them up. I’ve seen many arguments get confused until someone realizes what’s really going on (it’s hard to explain on a forum, but I get the idea). But I still believe what they thought they knew was correct.
The internet is a treasure trove of information, but it takes time for the valuable parts to stand out.
I’ve experienced this myself and will likely repeat it again, as long as a reliable source consistently proves itself trustworthy. Some people just can’t see the point.
Mactronix
Thank you a lot for the detailed feedback.
I have two 8800GTS 320 SC units in SLI and they perform excellently.
Additionally, it may boost the highest possible frames per second, but it will also raise your lowest frame rate, leading to significantly improved gameplay compared to just increasing the maximum frames. (unless the max is below 30 or so)