What exactly is Multi-GPU?

panais

Power User
What exactly is Multi-GPU?
What exactly doing?
And how i enable it in my Ati radeon 3870x2?
 

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Got this from live.com

(MULTIple-Graphics Processing Units) Using two or more display adapters in the same PC to speed up the graphics animation for gamers. NVIDIA's Scalable Link Interface (SLI) and ATI's CrossFire are examples. See GPU, SLI and CrossFire.

So, unless you have two of those cards, you can't enable anything. also, unless your motherboard is capable of SLI or Xfire, you won't do anything by buying two GPU's.
 

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If it's like SLI, Crossfire for your 3870x2 should have an option in the Catalyst Control Centre to enable it.
 

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Your 3870x2 has two 3870 GPUs. Its basically the equivalent of have two 3870 cards. You do nothing to activate it. Its not really SLI. Its just one card with two GPUs.
 

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Your 3870x2 has two 3870 GPUs. Its basically the equivalent of have two 3870 cards. You do nothing to activate it. Its not really SLI. Its just one card with two GPUs.


SCSIraidGURU is correct, the CFX connection is internal at the H/W level, there is nothing to enable the 2 GPUs will be activated by default....

unless the card is faulty, one core may be dead..??


:)SK
 

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Well I was just thinking of the GX2 and to enable SLI with the single card, still need to activate it in the control panel.
 

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Well I was just thinking of the GX2 and to enable SLI with the single card, still need to activate it in the control panel.

im not sure what you mean..?? one of the cores is not disabled ''out of the box'', if i plug a GX2 into a non SLI board it will still run the 2 cores.....

(im sure) in GPUZ a single GX2 show's SLI disabled



:)SK
 

My Computer

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    ME.....
    CPU
    Q9450 @ 3.6ghz
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    P5K PREMIUM
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    8GB 1066mhz buffalo firestix
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    HD 5970
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    20'' syncmaster
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    1680x1050
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What exactly is your issue? What are you expecting from that card?
 

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Well I was just thinking of the GX2 and to enable SLI with the single card, still need to activate it in the control panel.

im not sure what you mean..?? one of the cores is not disabled ''out of the box'', if i plug a GX2 into a non SLI board it will still run the 2 cores.....

(im sure) in GPUZ a single GX2 show's SLI disabled



:)SK

A GX2 isn't the same as 3870x2 or 4870x2. A GX2 is just 2 boards stuck together and linked, unlike ATIs take on it, which is 2 chips on the same board. To enable SLI, it still needs to be done in the control panel, then with a second GX2, you can enable quad-SLI.

Out of the box, two cores run independently and not in SLI, you can connect two monitors to it etc, but when you enable SLI, only 1 monitor will work as the 2nd output port gets disabled as SLI is enabled.

SCSIraidGURU said:
What exactly is your issue? What are you expecting from that card?

I'm guessing he just didn't understand the term "multi-GPU".
 

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hey would someone mind send one of those to me? :)
 

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Well I was just thinking of the GX2 and to enable SLI with the single card, still need to activate it in the control panel.

im not sure what you mean..?? one of the cores is not disabled ''out of the box'', if i plug a GX2 into a non SLI board it will still run the 2 cores.....

(im sure) in GPUZ a single GX2 show's SLI disabled



:)SK

A GX2 isn't the same as 3870x2 or 4870x2. A GX2 is just 2 boards stuck together and linked, unlike ATIs take on it, which is 2 chips on the same board. To enable SLI, it still needs to be done in the control panel, then with a second GX2, you can enable quad-SLI.

Out of the box, two cores run independently and not in SLI, you can connect two monitors to it etc, but when you enable SLI, only 1 monitor will work as the 2nd output port gets disabled as SLI is enabled.

SCSIraidGURU said:
What exactly is your issue? What are you expecting from that card?

I'm guessing he just didn't understand the term "multi-GPU".

well, i stand corrected on the GX2 :o, thinking about it they are a completely different design.

as you just confirmed though the OP's card will have both cores running by default, but they will not run in CFX, & as such there is nothing to enable...


:)SK
 

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Ok two questions...
1)My Ati Radeon 3870x2 has 2 DVI/HDMI output.Which one is the Primary??
2)I have 2 monitors connected to my 3870x2 how do i disable one of the two?
 

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    C:\WD VelociRaptor 150 GB,10,000 RPM
    D:\WESTERN DIGITAL WD15EADS 1.5TB CAVIAR GREEN SATA2 E:\WESTERN DIGITAL WD15EADS 1.5TB CAVIAR GREEN SATA2 No Raid.Copy Paste Is The Safest Way.
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Primary is usually the input on the left. And if your using a DVI cord, then it will be DVI. Disable the second monitor in Catalyst Control Center (CCC) Displays manger. Either drag the second monitor to the box below or right-click monitor icon and select disable
 

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im not sure what you mean..?? one of the cores is not disabled ''out of the box'', if i plug a GX2 into a non SLI board it will still run the 2 cores.....

(im sure) in GPUZ a single GX2 show's SLI disabled



:)SK

A GX2 isn't the same as 3870x2 or 4870x2. A GX2 is just 2 boards stuck together and linked, unlike ATIs take on it, which is 2 chips on the same board. To enable SLI, it still needs to be done in the control panel, then with a second GX2, you can enable quad-SLI.

Out of the box, two cores run independently and not in SLI, you can connect two monitors to it etc, but when you enable SLI, only 1 monitor will work as the 2nd output port gets disabled as SLI is enabled.

SCSIraidGURU said:
What exactly is your issue? What are you expecting from that card?

I'm guessing he just didn't understand the term "multi-GPU".

well, i stand corrected on the GX2 :o, thinking about it they are a completely different design.

as you just confirmed though the OP's card will have both cores running by default, but they will not run in CFX, & as such there is nothing to enable...


:)SK

Well we both learnt something a I thought you had to enable crossfire on an X2 similar to how you do on a GX2 :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
    Motherboard
    XFX MB-750I-72P9 NF750i
    Memory
    4096MB Corsair XMS2 PC-5400
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS Nvidia Geforce GTX470
    Sound Card
    ASUS Xonar DX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 24" S2409W & Dell 20" E207WFP
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 & 1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    750GB Western Digital Caviar Black & 500GB Samsung
    PSU
    750 watt Thermaltake Toughpower
    Case
    Coolermaster Dominator 690 Nvidia Edition
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS9700-NT Cooler, 6x 120mm Chassis Fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech G11 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech G5 Laser Mouse (2007 edition)
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Other Info
    abit airpace 54mbps wireless PCI-E x1 card
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