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Alienware Proposes to Licence its Multi-GPU Technology

malebolgia   on 27 October 2004 - 14:37 · 15 comments & 1131 views

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While ATI Technologies does not currently officially support any technologies that could enable multi-GPU graphics sub-systems on desktops or workstations, a recently released plan from Alienware is likely to provide users of ATI’s RADEON products to use them in pairs to gain additional performance, similarly to NVIDIA’s SLI technology.

Alienware, a leading manufacturer of high-performance computer systems, announced a licensing program for X2, a proprietary and patent pending technology for including multiple PCI Express x16 expansion slots on a single mainboard. This license is being offered through Alienware Labs Corporation, the research and development arm of Alienware Corporation.

Alienware’s dual graphics cards option will not require driver support from the graphics card manufacturers. The system was designed to be standalone using Alienware’s Video Array (including software and merger hub) and X2 mainboard. Video Array Technology divides the screen in multiple parts, in contrast to 3dfx’s SLI that required every single line to be rendered by different graphics card. In the case of using two video cards, the screen is divided, vertically, in two parts: one video card renders the upper section, and the second video card renders the lower section.

News source: X-bit labs


Thanks to Mr. Peabody for the heads-up on this one!

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 15 additional comments
(2 replies) #1 MetaLRasaM on 27 Oct 2004 - 14:41
this sounds intresting...i wonder if it works better than SLI...
#1.1 ir0nw0lf on 27 Oct 2004 - 14:49
Bigger question: will it cost more than SLI?
#1.2 welshkid on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:21
yes of course it will its coming from alienware!
(1 reply) #2 AminoSC on 27 Oct 2004 - 14:56
crap + crap = crap
#2.1 qkslvr221 on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:16
QUOTE
crap + crap = crap


And thats exactly what Nvidias "SLI" is.
#3 cjrciadt on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:03
here is a name for it ATI AWEGS(AlienwareExtremeGraphicsSystem)
#4 Quick Reply on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:30
QUOTE
In the case of using two video cards, the screen is divided, vertically, in two parts: one video card renders the upper section, and the second video card renders the lower section.

Ah that's so smart, practical and such a simple theory that it could of caught on a while ago! Hope someone steals their idea, makes a clone, not-so-proprietry-from-alienware technolohy that uses this technique in the nForce4. Maybe avoid patents by using a horizontal split
(1 reply) #5 koocha on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:50
QUOTE
In the case of using two video cards, the screen is divided, vertically, in two parts: one video card renders the upper section, and the second video card renders the lower section.

Surely that's a horizontal split?

Vertically:

section 1 | section 2

Horizontally:

section 1
-----------
section 2

Last edited by 40851 on 27 Oct 2004 - 15:57
#5.1 nic on 27 Oct 2004 - 17:56
vertically - up to down

horizontally - from left to right

i'm not really sure. It depends on if you are thinking about the placement of the monitors as being either vertical or horizontal, or if you are thinking about the "split" being vertical or horizontal.
(1 reply) #6 Lasker on 27 Oct 2004 - 16:17
ALIWARE = the most powerful crap I ever see
#6.1 ScottKin on 28 Oct 2004 - 10:25
You know, Lasker - all I ever see you post here is negative comments.

I bet that if someone posted something positive about YOU here you'd end-up arguing with them just because you're such a negative person.

If you can't say something decent, then STFU!

#7 jivemastert on 27 Oct 2004 - 16:46
unless this is cheaper than buying a really good graphics card, count me out...
(2 replies) #8 webeagle12 on 27 Oct 2004 - 17:39
and the price tag for this is : $8737485868
#8.1 Magallanes on 28 Oct 2004 - 00:50
.... plus taxes

#8.2 HolyLiaison on 28 Oct 2004 - 06:02
... and shipping

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