Amd crossfire mode, which is what you put on a laptop. AMD CrossFire X - for quiet aims for the best result. Connecting two video cards via CrossFire: Wimogi

Golovna / Main functionality

CrossFire is a Multi-GPU technology from ATI (ninth - AMD's release), which allows you to combine the Radeon deck to work on a single 3D image.

Pochatkov's implementation of this technology (for chipsets of the X800 and X1800 series) transferred a variant of the so-called "master card" and an external Y-like cable with a special chip that combines image fragments that are transmitted into two cards. However, the development of such a variant was not eliminated, and ATI, like nVidia at its technology, began to win for the exchange of information between the maps of other places in the array.

Necessary to combine two or more cards into an array (in this hour - up to four GPUs, so you can combine two or two dual-processor cards) 4830 s 4 But we can't see the Radeon X1950 s HD3850.

The current variant of CrossFire technology is officially called CrossFireX, sometimes CrossFire is shortened to "CF" for clarity (do not confuse with CompactFlash).

The joint discrete (okremoї) with the built-in chipset is called Hybrid CrossFire and is accompanied by a low additional border, which technology is assigned.

When combining maps into an array of skins, you use your own copy of a set of textures and geometric data, then the actual video memory is better than the smallest video memory available to the skin of the dual video processors. video memory capacity of 512Mb 256 Mb We take an effective video memory capacity of 256Mb.

This particularity applies to video cards based on two video processors (identified by the suffix “X2” in the name), with the declared overall total video memory obs. known in 3D.

Considering the nVidia SLI technology, CrossFire does not present any problems to the chipset type, so for the integration of ATI Radeon video cards it is theoretically suitable for a chipset of any kind (navit nVidia) with an optimal set of slots, however, in practice, such a configuration Choose on specially Intel or AMD chipsets (depending on the vicorous processor), prote if you need to pay attention to such factors:

  • The resultant productivity of the array of video cards is maximum, if the skin video cards, which can be connected to the new one, are connected to the chipset with the maximum possible number of PCI-E lines for it, then. Wicorous redundant PCI-E 16x slot. Availability of two such slots on motherboards based on top-end chipsets - Intel X38/X48/X58, AMD 790FX or so.
    Therefore, a CF-system based on "top" video cards such as Radeon HD4890 is selected, then the choice of similar motherboards is required (for reaching maximum productivity), and if there is a combination of two double-chip cards on a kshtalt 4870X2, then it is obov'yazkovo.
  • Under Vikoristanni, “popular” chipsetiv on the pupil of Intel P35/P45, Yaki do not hire, Kilkosti Linіy PCI-E, Fatalny Padіnnya Shvidkodiy, Tilki at the same slot in the slot, more in eight lines of Svidkodiya in povnyannі z "povnotsіnnym" variant fall not on the floor significantly.
  • CrossFire options with three or three video processors show real superiority over the same configurations with two video processors only in “oversized” modes (large, 1680X1050 and larger, different settings with FSAA enabled), and far from all games.
The performance of different variants of current CrossFire systems can be assessed, but according to the results of our standard video card tests, the CF configuration on the current cards is marked with the "2X" prefix there.

As you already know, name the article, I bought a video card for a friend and succumbed to the good fortune to write a report article on this topic. Let's start from the very cob - what is Crossfire?

AMD CrossFireX ( back to back was called AMD CrossFire)- all technologies of the AMD company, which allow you to combine a few video cards into one system to increase the productivity of your computer with 3D models and graphics. Obviously, this technology is mainly recognized for gamers, moreover, not the most, because video cards and motherboards for additional functions are at least in the middle price category. Although the price is not a single nuance, which is necessary to know before buying and at once we can look at them.

What you need to buy from the system unit for CrossfireX support

Otzhe, for the cob I will rip those that we need to buy, sob CrossFireX:

1) Motherboard;
2) Living block;
3) Two more video cards.

1) Motherboard (can be bought at OGO.ru). Here, in principle, nothing is coherent, but before buying, it is important to read the specification on the website of the vibrator, oskilki important information duzhe often prihovyut at stores. Older, first - the chain of support of technology CrossFireX, but there is one caveat - on the motherboard there are two full ports PCI-E x16, which work in pairs in x16 + x16 mode, but you can want to use x8 + x8 , although ideally the first option is better than vikoristati. In stores, they often do not reveal information about those that two of the three PCI-E x16 ports work in x4 mode and, if possible, for a video card, but, through a weak version of another video card, there are no accessories for a wake-up call. CrossFireX. Buying another video card at this time is simply no way to pay for itself. So don’t hesitate to go to the official website of the breeder and look over the specification to the mother’s payment, so you chose to buy, to the one here the goiter’s guide should give you the price. For example, here is the information on the Gigabyte website about my motherboard:

To make it easier to search, now there is a list of chipsets, on which there is a support for technology crossFirex, Otherwise, only an approximate translation, check the rest of the input at the specification on the website of the compiler.

for motherboards AMD AM3+:
AMD 990FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 990X(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards AMD AM3:
AMD 890FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 890GX(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790X(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA2011:
Intel X79 (x16+x16, PCI-E 3.0)
for matplat pid Intel LGA1366:
Intel X58 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA1156:
Intel P55 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
*This is also an important choice of processor, CrossFireX is only possible on Lynnfield processors (i5-7xx, i7-8xx). On processors Clarkdale (i3-5xx, i5-6xx, Pentium) - UNABLE.
for matplat pid Intel LGA1155:
Intel P67 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel Z68 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
* Follow the respect, scho mat. pay on Intel P55/P67/Z68 chipsets:
1) for the presence of the nForce 200 add-on chip, trim the x16 + x16 scheme
2) you can add more scheme x16+x4
for motherboards AMD AM2:
AMD 580X (x16+x16, PCI-E 1.1)
AMD 790X (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA775:
Intel 975X (x8+x8, PCI-E 1.1)
Intel X38 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel P45 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel X48 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)

2) Living block (buy at OGO.ru). Having already written, I will report to him how to be afraid, I won’t do it right away. It's just that when choosing, it is now necessary to check that there will be two video cards, it will be necessary to connect the additional battery life to the video card, as well as the power density of another video card (and ce +100 to 350 W in the fallow card).

3) Video card (buy at OGO.ru). Everything is simple from her. The first and the most important is the need for technological advancement CrossFireX(forever yours, Kep), and it manifests itself in a simple way: on the video card, there may be a different rose for connection CrossFire bridge. Ideally, it would be better to win two identical video cards. You can also combine and differ, but if you want video cards, they will work more synchronously, a larger video card can’t show its ability to be different, so it’s possible to upgrade to a bigger weak card. Chodo firms say no sense, especially when buying AMD cards I try to get the Sapphire company, the oscalls are the official partners (like Asus for Nvidia). Vіdpovidno to the agreement with AMD, video card makers goiters should put a place for connecting video cards CrossFireX in a box with a video card. Looking like this:

How to connect and install CrossFireX

I think to learn the theory - let's move on to practice, or rather, to the connection and connection.

1) Install the video card in roses throughput building x16 (or x8). For this varto, turn to the instructions of the mother's payment. On my Gigabyte card, the compiler has carefully marked these roses with the PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 markings (the roses that work in x4 mode are marked with PCIEX4_1 and PCIEX4_2 markings).

2) It is inserted in such a way that you put the latch on the rose. In order to change the voltage on the motherboard, it is better to fasten the screws on the panel, which fixes it, on the back wall of the case.

4) We start the system that is included in Windows. I had the rest of the beta driver installed at once (AMD Catalyst™ 14.1 Beta Driver), and after starting it, the control panel itself showed CrossFireX enabled and prompted to turn it on, for which I clicked the "Go" button:

If you don’t have any, manually open the AMD Catalyst Control Center, open the “Productivity” section (near the expanded menu) and select AMD CrossFireX.

Here mark with a dot " Turn on AMD CrossFireX» and put a tick on the item «Umknut AMD CrossFireX for programs that do not need to be tied to the profile of the program”. Tisnemo at the bottom "Zastosuvati".

On whom everything. You can buy all the necessary accessories from the OGO.ru store. I’m sorry, this article seemed like a badass to you, press one of the buttons below to tell your friends about it. Also, subscribe to the website update by entering your e-mail in the field right-handed.

AMD CrossFireX technology, the first implementations of which were released more than 10 years ago (2005), allowed the integration of two, three or more video cards in one computer for increased productivity in games. Theoretically, such a solution sounds pleasant, especially for the quiet, for whom the possibilities of one GP become insufficient. It would be enough to go to the store, get a new video card, connect it to a PC and take the FPS increase in games. On the other hand, on the right, there are a few folds, this technology did not allow for a whole lanyard of the border, in which it is necessary to expand. About those, like two video cards in CrossFire, the description of this material.

Connecting two video cards via CrossFire: Wimogi

Use a number of borders, as it is necessary to check the time of the CrossFire-configuration from two graphic processors. Axis smut mind so that two (or more) video cards could work in parallel.



It is important to remember that when two video cards are connected via CrossFire, the memory connection will not fail. Leather DP vikoristovu video-RAM only for your own pay, and the total practical її obsjag dorivnyuє smaller for two . In this way, when using video cards for 1 and 2 GB, the result will not be a link from 3 GB of internal memory, but a configuration from 1 GB of hard disk space.

Similarly, with frequencies: with a new rozіgnanoї and not rozіgnanaї versions of one processor - the “marine principle”, if it is equal to the most important element. Therefore, in games that are not optimized for CrossFire (and there are few of them), the connectivity is modest, lower for a PC with one installed video card.

CrossFire-summ_snіt_videokart: table vіd AMD

AMD, which manufactures Radeon graphics processors, regularly publishes and updates tables showing which video cards can be integrated with CrossFire. You can find out about the most current version on the official website. Here is a Russified version of the official tables, the information in which was submitted by the camp for fierce 2016.

R-series videocard summation table

crossfire

crossfire

Connecting two video cards via CrossFire

Once everything is ready, you can go to the CrossFire configuration. For this, it is necessary to install video cards in the slots on the board, connect live cables to them (as they are needed) and plug the cards into the slots. Connected to be like the first payment - to the other, for the other - to the third, then. Like two cards, you can win as one, so two conectors: you can’t appear on a robot price. A number of video adapters (the stinks are listed in the tables) do not affect the number of spaces. At this time, data exchange between them is carried out via the PCI-Express bus.

Two budget video cards in CrossFire without interchanges

After the cards are registered, you can start the system. Next, update the video card drivers, go to the AMD Catalyst Control Center and under the "Productivity" tab, check the "Enable AMD CrossFireX" box.

Podbags

Connecting two video cards via CrossFire will bring a significant increase in productivity in crazy (adapted) games. Obviously, the speed code does not increase in two, but in the amount of 80%, but it is more efficient, lower the replacement of the DP with another one, which may add up the number of counting elements. For example, the link to the bet is the Radeon HD 7770 (or R7 250X, which is the same thing), which can have 640 shader cores each, appears faster, lower one HD 6930, is equipped with 1280 processors.

However, a number of vipadkіv such a significant increase in reach is beyond reach. Most of the games, released before 2010, are even reluctant to “befriend” CrossFire. That middle of the present is known to be insignificant. It is important to remember in front of him, how to use two video cards with CrossFire-mists. It is especially important for old-fashioned video cards of the past generations. For a friend of the HD5750 or 6750, it’s more difficult to find something new for sale, but if you want to know about it at the retailer, for a price, it’s better to take the new GP. For example, another one 5750, which cost close to $ 100 at the entrance to the sale (for rubles, give the price without a head, so that the exchange rate for 4 years changes exactly), you can take pennies for the price

"The life of trade and the death of merchants" - that's how Bernard Shaw said about her. And speaking of wines about competition, the market economy is impossible without it.

At a recent glance, we looked at NVIDIA SLI technology. As it was assigned to the cob of those stats, we looked at the first on the market of modern graphics, the technology of parallel robotic dekilcom with video cards of one game scene. And if it's the first, it means that I'll have a friend, the shards of competing firms can't allow NVIDIA to monopolize the market in this sphere. As a result, the main competitor, the Canadian company ATI, looks at the power of CrossFire technology (now the company owns AMD, the pro-CrossFire brand saves at ATI CrossFireX).

History of development and key features

The technology was announced at the international exhibition Computex 2005 in Taiwan.

Also, the ATI CrossFire technology has been decomposed to enable the creation of highly productive game systems. Significantly, the main tasks that ATI engineers set themselves were: we need to maximize the productivity of the system in 3D add-ons, as well as improve the clarity of the image. At the same time, it was necessary to save a lot of money with the use of games and acquire a wide range of models of graphic cards for work in the CrossFire system. Canadians tried to win a positive report from their past similar projects.

Let's guess, for example, I'm going to expand ATI in the sphere of rich solutions - the ATI Rage Fury MAXX card:

In 1999, a large number of virobniks released a new generation of video cards from the world. NVIDIA announced the price of the two: the mounted Riva TNT2, and in the fall - an absolutely new product GeForce 256. And the axis of the ATI company, unfortunately, besides, it announced the RAGE 128 lately and announced a shortened version of the RAGE 128 PRO chip, nothing sensational-revolutionary not viconal. However, to develop a method to improve your product without creating a new video chip. If 3dfx laid the whole track, making Voodoo2 able to work in pairs with such a video card. Learn about the rich technology SLI (Scan Line Interleave). This technology allows you to card two cards on a Voodoo2 chip, or just two Voodoo2 chips on one board for one-hour imaging. The skin of the cards based on Voodoo2 in whichever way is expanded, either paired or unpaired lines of the frame, which are displayed on the screen, as a result of which the productivity of the videoopidsystem increased more, lower for the second time.

Similar idea was born by the ATI company, not thinking to compete with new solutions from NVIDIA. As a solution, the technology was proponated with the code names Aurora, as the year took away the name MAXX (Multiple ASIC Technology). The MAXX technology is the only software solution that allows you to use two graphics processors for the sleeping robot. In fact, the idea of ​​a parallel processing of data is instilled in life. The skin from the graphic processors will be re-formed one frame, and then the frames will be ready to be displayed on the monitor. The technology that allows two graphic chips, installed on one card, to display ready-made image frames on the screen is called Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR).

The 1st axis, representing in 2005 a new implementation of the idea of ​​a parallel 3D-scene, had to guess all the obvious directions, improve them and supplement them with new possibilities. In addition, a fraction of the competing solutions of the American company NVIDIA were insured.

Let's take a look at the key features of ATI CrossFire as NVIDIA SLI. Let us once again think that the number of powers was small in the past and made less for historical background the one for the development of the development of both technologies.

The most important aspect of ATI technology was those that, for the creation of a connection from two video cards, they are due to one series, but it is not necessary to have one language model, while SLI technology has absolutely no faults, but BIOS versions are not very reliable. This was even more important, because for Radeon cards there can be different links, for example, X1600 PRO and X1650 XT, which gave the core players more freedom of choice when upgrading.

For today, the victory over SLI is saved. Video cards of the Radeon HD3800 and HD4800 series "get along" in the same system in different days. Moreover, as the middle line (HD3850 + HD3870), and between generations (HD3870 + HD4850). If the rest is not confirmed by the official totality table:

Another significant advantage of CrossFire over SLI was called by ATI engineers the independence of robot technology in terms of driver optimization. Prote obіtsyan mi minted more than three years (since 31 January 2005, if there was an official light announcement of ATI CrossFire technology) and still did not check. For the idea of ​​retailers, today's technology is guilty of practicing with the most important games, bringing the releases to її promotion.

With the support of Igor, CrossFire do three things better, lower for SLI, but, as practice shows, bring on today's day є іgri, as if they do not react to the appearance of another video card in the system. Everything vpiraetsya in the well hated by the coristuvachas optimization of drivers. The sum and the increase in productivity are far from our stats.

Ale didn’t do without nedolikiv. At its original appearance, ATI CrossFire technology has transferred the appearance of the so-called "Master Card". Such cards have been called the CrossFire Edition prefix. The stench is equipped with an invoice chip, which takes information from the supplementary card (slave) and pixel-by-pixel with the main card (master).

Above is the CrossFire Edition X850XT card, and below is the standard X850XT. Give respect to the chip overlay, which is visible under the cooler casing.

Two cards are connected behind an additional external cable, which connects the DVI-out of the master card from a special DMS-socket on the CrossFire Edition card. І Partially processed frame from the first card is connected via DVI to the DMS-input of the CrossFire Edition card. At the result of the robot, two video chips are summed up in the Compositing Engine chip.

Such an expansion of the trohi was driven by wider technology, so the master cards were not widely expanded in the retail sale as their primary options.

As it was appointed more, a similar method of organizing communication from two video cards is already outdated. Today, two and more video cards are combined in the CrossFire mode, following the SLI technology, transferring a variety of special connections.

Those who offended by competing companies took away the very hardware method organization of communication, which confirms the maximum efficiency and practicality. Also, the CrossFire Edition video cards were banned from stores forever by the police.

An important aspect of bringing CrossFire technology to the market is that it is supported not only by the most powerful AMD chipsets, but also by the most popular chipsets from Intel, although the support is implemented on the software level. And with the appearance of a set of logic P45 Express technology otrimala great potential for zastosuvannya at "Performance" class. On the right, due to the increase in the productivity of video cards, there is an increase in the demand for the PCI-e bus, which is responsible for ensuring the exchange of data between motherboard that video card. And, even though a single PCI-e video card has a bus of 16 lines, so PCI-e x16, then in CrossFire mode, mid-range motherboards can provide only PCI-e x8, which is clearly not enough for today's video cards. Starting with the P45 Express chipset, mid-range motherboards can support PCI-e 2.0 with a higher throughput, lower for version 1.0a. Previously, a similar standard was only available on motherboards in the largest price range.

Algorithms to wake up the image

Held the screen on a sprinkling of zones that do not overlap (Scissor, also known as Slicing).

This mode can be called new - the most powerful and NVIDIA SLI. Here the upper part of the frame is shown with one card, and the lower part with another. Cicavo, that the interzones are not bound to the fault of passing in the middle of the frame and can vibrate dynamically, appearing from the folding of the other parts of the image - roughly seeming, in the upper half there may appear less objects (sky), lower at the bottom, and at the same time quicker downtime, which can be compensated for by the increase in the life zone. The task of such dynamic balancing is not trivial, and it requires the analysis of the scene, which cannot be done manually.

Pros of the method:

  • divide and geometrical and pixel art;
  • high rate of asynchrony of robots and video chips;
  • prikoryuvach povnistyu volodіє pіdzvіtnoy zone izobrazhennya result.

Cons of the method:

  • vymagaє balansuvannya nalotu zones for equal distribution of navantazhennia;
  • there may be problems with smoothing on the zone stick;
  • owing to the fact that the driver has a commemorative hand and that is the high level of the ability of the unsupported and the unwieldy work of the other additives.

SuperTiling mode - check the drawing of pixels that need to be painted.

In this mode, the frame is divided into blocks (they are also called "quads"). Usogo to enter 256 blocks per frame. paired blocks are counted with one card, and unpaired - with another.

In principle, for the help of this regime, you can run all programs and games. ATI has set this mode for 3D-igor. Prote, on aphids all improvements, є th negative features. On the right, in the fact that, regardless of the half of the picture seen by the skin map, the geometry must be completely corrected on both maps. The result of the increase in productivity does not seem to be the same as in the moment, buti. In the meantime, for such short-lived modern games, that the future games, which have been strengthened by vicory pixel shaders, will give miraculous productivity to this mode. The more victorious shaders, the more gain will be in this CrossFire mode.

Pros of the method:

  • split the pixel focus equally equally;
  • even more precisely balancing the vanity between video chips;
  • it is possible to vikoristovuvat new methods of overhead smoothing;
  • easy for most add-ons and may not be affected by modifications of drivers, the ability of incorrect work of add-ons is small.

Cons of the method:

  • not to dilute the geometrical ambition and that will require a daily reserve in the geometric productivity;
  • For the sake of sufficient synchronous operation of video cards and, obviously, maximum identity.

Draw frames that need to be rendered (Alternate Frame Rendering)

AFR mode is the most visible - for a new card, display frames in a clear way. Let's say the first card shows all the unpaired scenes, and the other one - all the guys. In SuperTiling and Scissor modes, if both maps have to calculate the geometry of the skin scene, the AFR mode allows the skin map to calculate only half of the work, because skin map calculates the geometry and shading is only for your shots.

Pros of the method:

  • to divide and pixel that geometrical nature, moreover, the geometry is not duplicated on the bus - different video cards will take different sets of data;
  • the video card is updated for your frame, the daily traces of stitching, winding at the time of the folding work, the daily borders on the way to stimulate the frame.

Cons of the method:

  • Nerіvne drіvvannya cadrіv i rozpodіl navantazhennya;
  • CCD is heavily dependent on the CPU of that system, as well as on the nature of the scene and falls over the frame rate per second;
  • the problem is with a significant zatrimkoy between the frame, which is shown to us, the same frame, which will be at once.

Remaining minus given method don't let you win the global recognition of the core and the singing world of the galma of the expansion of all multi-GPU technologies in general (besides SLI, so CrossFire). On the right, this method of displaying images sometimes gives the effect of "microlags" - small ripples in games, so as not to lie in the presence of the swedness of your system.

SuperAA mode

It is obvious that the greatest increase in speed in the CrossFire version is taken away by games, which especially affect the graphics subsystem of the computer. Ale, yak buti, how miraculously copes with the thunder and one video card? What work from another?

Specially for similar modes of CrossFire, it is possible to work on the increase in picture quality - the Super AA mode is also available for this mode. In this way, gamers can take advantage of CrossFire's potency tension, vicorist's new method of all-screen smoothing. With yoga help you can take naivishcha akіst images not available on single video cards.

ATI DPP(PhysX)

So, at the end of the year 2006, ATI gave a support to the rock hardware boost physicists with their own video cards for games optimized for the Havok FX engine.

It was announced that the acceleration of physical rendering will be supported by graphic cards of the Radeon X1000 series, moreover, they will be enhanced and asymmetric configurations, for example, CrossFire for triviviral rendering and an additional accelerator for the development of physics.

In addition, it is stated that it is possible to use two different video cards for the analysis of physics. It's a pity that the possibility of a one-hour exploitation of the resources of a hard GPU for graphics and physics was not announced, as it was before.

For the processing of physics by the ATI graphics processor, it transfers a variety of technologies, called DPP (data parallel processing), which allows you to stop a huge set of instructions at once until a great array of weekend data.

It was stated that the performance of the ATI solution will be higher for different types than for specialized PhysX boards. Below is a presentation of the different areas where the GPU is being used as a physical accelerator.

Unfortunately, no specific terms have been named yet for the implementation of software and hardware features for accelerating ATI physics, but it will be called in the next hour, having broken through directly with NVIDIA PhysX technology.

From history to present

To make a computer based on CrossFire, you need:

  • a motherboard with two and more PCI Express x16 sockets with an AMD chipset or Intel of the first models;
  • tight block of life;
  • video cards from CrossFire support.

A CrossFire system can be organized in two ways:

  • Internally, the video card is installed in a seemingly wild place. The driver is designated as if it will be a master card.
  • Software method - video cards do not work in any way, data exchange goes through the PCI Express x16 bus, and their interaction is implemented for additional drivers. Nedolikom given methodє spend up to 10-15% in productivity compared to the first method.

As you have already guessed, the software method zastosovuetsya rarely and mostly on not the latest low-power cards. About the bridge crossing - be respectful. On the NVIDIA SLI view, there are 2 places and it is necessary to connect them correctly, sound from the side of the primary card (before it connects the monitor) the places of the values ​​with a smaller index, and from the side of the great one, for example, J1A J2A or J2 can be "J2" and іnshі more less zrozumіlі znachennya. Otherwise, the driver does not recognize the settings of the video card links and on the external side of the Catalyst Control Center ask to change the configuration settings.

Axis looks like this different options for vikonnannya z'jednuvalnyh mistkіv for CrossFire.

Getting CrossFire to finish is easy - check the box in the Catalyst Control Center menu.

Triple CrossFire and QUAD CrossFireX

With the release of driver version 8.3, ATI officially announced the availability of QUAD CrossFireX technology. However, it is only available for HD 3800 video cards and more.

The word QUAD does not mean that you can only communicate with some video cards. Up to tsієї zh tekhnologii include і Triple CrossFire - the union of three video cards. Well, video cards can physically be two or three, three video cards are protected. For those who do not know it, let me explain - this time there is a connection between the sig- nificant video card and the video card with the suffix "X2", so there can be 2 video cards. Axis butt robot and two video cards Radeon HD 3870 and HD 3870X2 in Triple CrossFire mode.

Axis i is the result of їhnoy ї spіlnoї dіyalnostі on butt gri S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.

As you can see, the game hangs pleasantly on the addition of the third video chip. The increase in productivity of two HD 3870 video chips in pairs with one becomes 85%, which is even better. And the axis of adding the third quicker increases the productivity by 33%, which is also bad.

The QUAD mode is activated in two ways: the first one is the installation of several video cards on a special motherboard on AMD chipsets, the other is the installation of two video cards with the suffix "X2" in order to support the CrossFire mode. As practice shows, the first way to fix it is rarely through a small number of motherboards and 4 video cards and a greater number of problems with their connections. Where is the simplest and most important way number two. I realized that the video cards "X2" lie before the TOP solution, and the connection between two such video cards and ready.

However, in this way we take away the unprecedented productivity of the video system.

It becomes obvious that for such video cards the support of the motherboard to the PCI-e 2.0 x16 standard is not just buggy, but obov'yazkovoy.

It is significant that the Radeon HD 3870X2 video cards, in fact, have the implementation of CrossFire with a GPU bet on one video card, the switching chip is stuck, far from being perfect. Not only that, but having surrounded the video card with a PCI-e 1.0 support, it is also the high hour of the storm. But progress does not stand on the ground, starting from the Rdeon HD 4870X2 line, a new switching chip is being installed, relief from these shortcomings. Now the internal organization of CrossFire in the video card has become significantly shorter, as in the interplay of the video card with the motherboard, now behind the PCI-e 2.0 interface.

Such a long and thorny path of CrossFire technology among the people. What do you imagine today? And today, the technology that is rapidly developing is supporting the development of Intel and AMD chipsets. The uniqueness of the technology is flexible and can be used on different motherboards and processors Intel processors how to win motherboard on the Intel chipsets otherwise AMD processors the motherboard based on the AMD chipset is still victorious wide choice accessories.

The AMD company, as it recognized the fiasco in the time of standing video cards of the Radeon HD 2000 (HD 3000) generation and GeForse 8, in the new line of Radeon HD 4000, has set a course for promoting its products not in the TOP-line, but in the middle (middle) and the so-called productive (Performance) segments. Looking at the price of a link between two video cards with an average rank, it often turns out to be a winner for buying a competitor's TOP products.

Give respect to the fourth row of beasts - the HD4870 video card is on the CrossFire link. Even more disgraceful result, vrakhovuuchi recommended variety of skin cards. However, the whole synthetic test, not yet popular, but still shows the potential of the technology at її maximum optimization pid gr. If you analyze the graph, it is clear that the video cards of the middle segment of the previous generation already badly compete with the top modern cards, naturally they are not self-taught.

ATI Hybrid CrossFireX. This technology is similar GeForce Boost.

As a competing Californian company, it is recognized for the joint efforts of the video chip embedded in the motherboard and the discrete video card.

To activate this technology, you need a motherboard with a set of system logic for the AMD 780 line.

It is logical to change the video card, push it, lower the Radeon HD 3470, not docily.

Wherever zastosuvannya tsієї tekhnologii in laptops, where the addition is implemented and the idea is similar to HybridPower (it's a pity that such a function is present in desktop systems).

Now, laptops based on the AMD 780 chipset can reduce the graphical intensity of the discrete video chip with a 3-way battery, and the discrete chip is simply switched on.

The choice of hybrid graphics from AMD gives more and more control over how the image is displayed.

We have already seen the productivity of such a solution in one of our surveys. Guess the results...

…and visnovki:

“At the result, behind the graphs, it’s possible that the productivity is “hybrid” graphic systems, Like an integrated core, there is a lot of storage in the memory, which is stored in the processor's account, through the HyperTransport bus. Therefore, the Phenom processors may be the first to win, but there is no particular difference in the number of three or more nuclear processors.

Find out how the Hybrid CrossFire system could catch up NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT DDR3 Sonic, then from a glance of savings, this option is doubtful, since the number of more productive processors is an order of magnitude more expensive for video cards. Therefore, the technology is combined old video cardsіz vbudovannuyu graphics more zasіkavit koristuvachіv, yakі zvikorіvuyut vyvedennya izobrazhenya on three or chotiri monitors, and sometimes they blame the need to improve z 3D. "

Practically zastosuvannya

We have already tested Radeon video cards of different price ranges with CrossFire communication. Let's try to analyze the results and research of the visnovoks about the dotsіlnіst zastosuvannya tsієї tehnologii and її kompetitivnosti.

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Robotic CrossFire modes.

Features of the CrossFire Robot Modeє those that are available for CrossFire all3 modes rendering: Scissor, SuperTiling, AFR. On the view of SLI-systems, the choice of modes inaccessible andrequired mode is selected automatically by the driver.

Scisso render mode r . Why do you want to know the method of processing the image is the essence of any kind in a divided frame into two parts, skin treatment Okrema video card. Theoretically, a frame can be extended in proportion to the tightness of the videos video cards installed in the PC. For the same cards, the frame extends at 50:50, but if one of them is tighter, choose between 30:70 or 40:60. However, as you can see at first glance, this mode will not be shorter for all game programs. For example, in 3D shooters the lower part of the frame changes a little stretched gri, what can not be said about the top. For whom it is forwarded increased area for a card in the frame, which is idle in a given hour (for the development of the geometry of the stage, additional resources are also needed).

Rice. 1. Scissor rendering mode. 3Mal. 3

SuperTilin rendering mode g . Є standard CrossFire mode. Vindivide the image into blank squaresthat visually predict the surface of the shakhivnitsa. Some of these squares are processed by one video card, some - by another. Tse allow competentlyexpand the vanity between video cards and pixel add-ons. Prote insults cards can ruin the entire geometry of the scene ( Danish mode do not support games based on API (OpenGL).

Rice. 2. SuperTiling rendering mode.

Mode rendering Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR). Tse one of themselves swedish modes CrossFire robots. Yoga essence lies in the fact thatone card for the support of boys, friend - unpaired. In this rankon graphics processors (this method is not a novelty, AFR mode is used only on old ATI dual-chip cards). The only shortfall of the regime - winedon't practicein computer games, what are the functionsrender-to-texture. CrossFire performance in AFR modetype of featuresthe staged scene (the staged scenes and what is seen at the same time - these are different shots). AFR mode will be effective for displayyakіsnoy pictures at supplements, do not change smoothly change framesfor comfortable work with them (in shooters and simulators, AFR will be less effective, lower, say, in strategies).

Rice. 3. Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR) mode

More Super AA mode cotriy Allows you to improve the quality of the image on the Skoda speed (additional FPS). The essence of SuperAA robotic mode is thatOffset cards generate one scene from different FSAA templates. Potim chip CrossFire unite them in one goal. Tse allows you to reach the bestsmoothing "graininess",at home under im'yamaliasing.

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