Official Nvidia SLI Support for Intel Chipsets Coming?

[Kunaak]

However, industry sources have indicated that Nvidia will soon announce that it will allow support of its SLI technology on Intel's chipset platforms, with the two companies already having met to discuss the partnership.

full story here.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20060727PR213.html

good to hear that Intel and Nvidia are already in talks to make this happen.
lets just hope they make it happen, and it doesn't take a year to get. :D

[nn_step]

this will be interesting

[grimREEFER]

for 975, 965, or both?

[Kunaak]

for 975, 965, or both?

honestly, I have no idea.

my best guess, would be, full support for whatever intels top of the line chipset is, at that moment.... and mixed support for lower end chipsets, to somehow push people who want SLI to get the "better" boards.

honestly though... I only know what I read there. I got the same information you do.

[Kanavit]

haha, intel only did this , because of the ATI / AMD merger. also , nVidia is quick to accept the offer because of the fact that ATI will have access to AMD fabs and make onboard video chipsets for mobile and pc desktop market. which kinda puts nVidia in a bind situation. However, i still think that nVidia has no choice but to accept the deal and make chipsets for both AMD and intel. Just to survive as a business.

[mdzcpa]

I don't care why, I'm just glad its happening:)

Since its nothing but a driver tweak, I bet we'll see it sooner rather than later. I'd love to get my second 7950GX2 running on the bad axe:banana:

[J-Mag]

Nice I am glad to hear this. I wonder if it is because Nvidia knows its 590 intel chipset is craptacular. Either that or it was a jab @ the AMD ATI merger.

[guess2098]

i wanna see some "offical intel sli driver" from nvidia XD
it is not hard for them to make a intel sli driver i believe

[gr8golf]

I don't care why, I'm just glad its happening:)

Since its nothing but a driver tweak, I bet we'll see it sooner rather than later. I'd love to get my second 7950GX2 running on the bad axe:banana:

You just have them lying around Mike? Do you have an NVidia tree in the backyard or something? :D

[selder]

i wanna see some "offical intel sli driver" from nvidia XD
it is not hard for them to make a intel sli driver i believe

Indeed, I don't understand what Intel and Nvidia need to discuss? Nvidia just has to remove (or adapt) the check Forceware drivers do to discover what chipset they're on .... Intel doesn't even have to change anything on their motherboards ...

Maybe we'll see some PCIe 32line motherboards soon, instead of the 16lines Intel has now. But that has nearly zero impact on performance, but adds to the e-penis factor...

[grimREEFER]

all the boards with dual x16's come with an sli bridge of some type, right?

[selder]

I wouldn't know ....

I know that my P5WD2 (Intel i955X chipset) had a flexible one, and it doesn't even had official SLi compatibility ... My P5WD2-E and P5W DH don't have an SLi bridge ...

[mdzcpa]

You just have them lying around Mike? Do you have an NVidia tree in the backyard or something? :D

I wish!! No, I sprung for a GX2 when the prices dropped thinking I could manage a hacked driver. I got close a few times to getting it to work, but I had odd BSODs from time to time so I gave up. I was going to sell the GX2 but I've been holding on hoping to get quad sli to work.

[Kunaak]

Indeed, I don't understand what Intel and Nvidia need to discuss? Nvidia just has to remove (or adapt) the check Forceware drivers do to discover what chipset they're on .... Intel doesn't even have to change anything on their motherboards ...

its not about technology, its about money.
liscensing and such.
how much will Nvidia get, for every Intel board sold, how likely is it that intel users will opt for SLI, at what point is Nvidia expections too high, or Intels too low....

things like that.
details, all money.

[Shpoon]

I know this is the wrong place...but didn't want a new thread. Is there a performance loss using a Nvidia card on a ati board rather than a NF board? (even the most minimal?)

To the topic...sweeeeeeeet.

[perkam]

Nice...hopefully drivers from Nvidia's end will support this change.

Perkam

[syne_24]

thats good to hear.. i think nvidia has better vendors anyway and with the partnership with intel; the possibility is endless. Looks like Q3 of 2006 everybody swap partners :)

[zabomb4163]

nvidia gets to sell 2x as many video cards. thats got to be a major + for them

[Sol]

Is it going to start with the mobile sector?

nVidia authorizes Intel for Centrino + SLi (http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?tid=639535&starttime=0&endtime=0)

According to HKEPC, the sales manager of Intel in China has confirmed SLI support for the centrino - Sonoma platform.

"Although i945GM/PM haven’t got dual PCI-E x8/x16 interface, it’s possible to make SLi form PCI-E x16 + x4 interface by the build-in PCI-E lanes of its south bridge. The i945GM/PM SLi function indeed is available in the official release of Forceware 91.31, although the product is no ready yet. For more information about whether i975X will be authorized to give SLi support, Vincent said the company is looking for more chance to cooperate, but nothing is confirmed yet."

[Micutzu]

for 975, 965, or both?

It's just a matter of drivers, wichever chipset supports CF will also support SLI; so 975 will, 965 won't.

[grimREEFER]

It's just a matter of drivers, wichever chipset supports CF will also support SLI; so 975 will, 965 won't.
u can get sli to work on high end 965 boards though

[Anemone]

Nvidia should have done this a while ago. Seriously they stand to sell more video cards and reap a bunch of $$ off of it. What would they pay by losing a few 590 sales? Not nearly as much as they'd make selling more cards, I'd bet. NF5 offers some features that may still attract and is the only 16x x2 solution for SLI. But honestly the attraction of SLI is that it works plain and simple if you have the right slots and the right cards. Or at least that is what the attraction SHOULD be.

Faster they get this done the better off they'll be. Makes them look better too. Let's hope it works out soon.

[SoF]

haha, intel only did this , because of the ATI / AMD merger. also , nVidia is quick to accept the offer because of the fact that ATI will have access to AMD fabs and make onboard video chipsets for mobile and pc desktop market. which kinda puts nVidia in a bind situation. However, i still think that nVidia has no choice but to accept the deal and make chipsets for both AMD and intel. Just to survive as a business.

Wouldn't sign this but sounds very plausible to me as well ;)
They have to do this step ASAP to not loose ground under their feet.
We'll have a lot of happy intel sli users soon :woot:

[XS Janus]

I read on one of the review sites that nvidia DOES support SLi on 975X from the 9x.xx drivers on. But it is not official, and those boards don't come with a SLi bridge. But whoever should get one from another board would make this work on official drivers:confused:

Is there any truth to it, or were they just confused with some modded drivers:confused:

[NiCKE^]

Do they got proof for it?

[Shpoon]

I know this is the wrong place...but didn't want a new thread. Is there a performance loss using a Nvidia card on a ati board rather than a NF board (and vice versa)? (even the most minimal?)


Sorry for the nublet question, I honestly have never knoen...

[FischOderAal]

for 975, 965, or both?

don't think that SLI on 965 would make any fun... the second x16 has only 4 Lanes, this should have a big affect on the performance. furthermore, not all of the 965 Mainboards do have a x16 Slot. so the validation of the 965 wouldn't make any sense ;)

[XS Janus]

Do they got proof for it?

I'm sorry to say, but no, They just claim that it's a recent added feature, and that drivers are SLi unlocked... for the Intel boards with the right number of slots... go figure.
Anyway it would be nice if some would try this and prove it right or wrong... it would make a great "easter egg" for some guys:D But my guess is we'll see official support VERY soon;)

[maverik-sg1]

so will someone please test these with an sli set of 7900's and post the results here ASAP ;)

[mdzcpa]

I can tell you this, the latest drivers do NOT work with 2 7950GX2s on the Intel 975 mobos. Perhaps it works for non GX2 cards.

[bullet2urbrain]

its here,

[Sumanji]

its here,

:confused:

Afaik, I'm still waiting for official support...

[[XC] hipno650]

ya ya ya were did you see it? i want sli!!

[CBONE]

its here,

Did you have more to say?

On a support note, what about all those suckers that got intel chipsets that didn't include an SLI bridge? Are they screwed?

[Sumanji]

ya ya ya were did you see it? i want sli!!

Asus P5N32 sli deluxe NB and SB chipsets runnig at 1000mhz (800mhz stock)

You already have SLI support :p:


On a support note, what about all those suckers that got intel chipsets that didn't include an SLI bridge? Are they screwed?

Probably, but you can pick them up off eBay for a few bucks :)

[[XC] hipno650]

i know but my new conroe rig that i am thinking of will use an intel chipset probally the 975!!

[nooh]

Man , its been two weeks since i have bought the E6600 and i still cant find the right board with all the right things on it cos i have a 7950 and a Xfi Elite pro card .

When are we going to see a 590 sli board on the market for intel?

Its middle of august now and all i see is reviews of reference boards and not the real deal ,when?

[Anemone]

Official support has been so long, it's likely not coming.

The cracked drivers are likely to be the only method of this working, but they work, so oh well :)

[duploxxx]

full story here.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20060727PR213.html

good to hear that Intel and Nvidia are already in talks to make this happen.
lets just hope they make it happen, and it doesn't take a year to get. :D

if they do that nvidia will never sell any more chipsets for intel.... they might lose some sales on vga cards but for sure they will a loose a lot of sales on chipsets. if ati stops with crossfire and nvidia doesn't license intel chipsets than intel will loose some sales...

[Sumanji]

if they do that nvidia will never sell any more chipsets for intel.... they might lose some sales on vga cards but for sure they will a loose a lot of sales on chipsets. if ati stops with crossfire and nvidia doesn't license intel chipsets than intel will loose some sales...

I think you are absolutely right there... :(

[gOJDO]

Perhaps it works for non GX2 cards.
Nope, if it does not work as dual SLI using single GPU cards than it will not work with as quad SLI cards using dual GPU cards. The GX2 is represented as singlecard and it works on non SLI mainboads.

Anyway, this all stincks like another merrage. It is just a question of time when Intel & nVidia will born their "child-platform".

[Anemone]

They've clearly decided not to bother. It's been months. And we know it's merely a matter of turning it on in the driver.

My guess - not gonna happen. But that's ok, not gonna buy their chipset anyway, lol.

[Kunaak]

how do you say its been "Months"... when its been 4 and a half weeks?

[Anemone]

weeks? Nvidia started discussing this back in late June. I suppose that is "weeks" but it's a lot of em :)