Will the R600 STILL need a Crossfire card to run dual?

[FX-Overclocking]

Does ATI still plan on selling massively expensive Crossfire Master Cards in order for us to run in Crossfire mode? This needing a special overpriced card thing is really pissing me off, as I already own a X1900XTX and would love to just pair it with a used X1900XTX for $150 but need instead a uber rare X1900 Crossfire Edition card.

[Conlan]

Originally Posted by FX-Overclocking

Does ATI still plan on selling massively expensive Crossfire Master Cards in order for us to run in Crossfire mode? This needing a special overpriced card thing is really pissing me off, as I already own a X1900XTX and would love to just pair it with a used X1900XTX for $150 but need instead a uber rare X1900 Crossfire Edition card.

I'm not sure, but i do know ATI states the R600 will consume up to 300W @ full load, insane. Figure two of those plus all your other system components and those mega-watt PSUs no longer seem so ridiculous.

Check out one guys idea of a PSU for the R600 Crossfire setup:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1086633

[drzaius]

from what i've seen even on the early boards, R600 will have the internal crossfire connectors like X1650XT and X1950Pro.

http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=4622

also since the die shrink to 65nm (at least rumoured) the power is more in line with the 8800GTX at 265watts and requires 2x 6pin PCI-E connectors, also seen in that link above.

also some thermaltake waterblocks shown at cebit 2007 for R600's show similar design to 8800GTX's suggesting similar heat output.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/edi...t2007-3_3.html

[Mcmlxxx IV]

Originally Posted by FX-Overclocking

Does ATI still plan on selling massively expensive Crossfire Master Cards in order for us to run in Crossfire mode? This needing a special overpriced card thing is really pissing me off, as I already own a X1900XTX and would love to just pair it with a used X1900XTX for $150 but need instead a uber rare X1900 Crossfire Edition card.

Can't the latest drivers do a software crossfire without the need for a master card or dongle? I'm not sure, but I think there was some discussion of it.

Originally Posted by drzaius

from what i've seen even on the early boards, R600 will have the internal crossfire connectors like X1650XT and X1950Pro.

http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=4622

also since the die shrink to 65nm (at least rumoured) the power is more in line with the 8800GTX at 265watts and requires 2x 6pin PCI-E connectors, also seen in that link above.

also some thermaltake waterblocks shown at cebit 2007 for R600's show similar design to 8800GTX's suggesting similar heat output.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/edi...t2007-3_3.html

The 8800GTX uses about 180 watts maximum. The 300 watt rumor came about mainly from the OEM cards that were shown having an eight pin and a six pin connector. Those connectors plus the PCI-E slot, could supply 300 watts. There would always be some tolerance put in just in case (a 300W card would never use connectors rated to 300W max) so the maximum would probably be 270 watts in that scenario.

Shortly after the pictures came about, there was a rumor that the cards could either use two six-pin (one six pin in the eight pin plug) or just an eight pin. Another rumor was that the card needed two six-pin connectors for normal operation, but if you wanted to use Overdrive, you needed the six pin and eight pin. If this were true, it would limit the maximum to 225 watts in normal operation. Figuring in some tolerance, I would say it would use no more than 210w in this scenario.

Recently, AMD showed off a teraflop computer, an Opteron with two r600 OEM cards. Several sites said they were two 200w r600s. I doubt they would say 200w if the cards pulled close to 300. Also remember, the G80 was rumored to pull much more than it does just because of the connectors. As a matter of fact, I read somewhere that there was a picture of a G80 with a six pin and an eight pin.

[FX-Overclocking]

Originally Posted by Mcmlxxx IV

Can't the latest drivers do a software crossfire without the need for a master card or dongle? I'm not sure, but I think there was some discussion of it.




The 8800GTX uses about 180 watts maximum. The 300 watt rumor came about mainly from the OEM cards that were shown having an eight pin and a six pin connector. Those connectors plus the PCI-E slot, could supply 300 watts. There would always be some tolerance put in just in case (a 300W card would never use connectors rated to 300W max) so the maximum would probably be 270 watts in that scenario.

Shortly after the pictures came about, there was a rumor that the cards could either use two six-pin (one six pin in the eight pin plug) or just an eight pin. Another rumor was that the card needed two six-pin connectors for normal operation, but if you wanted to use Overdrive, you needed the six pin and eight pin. If this were true, it would limit the maximum to 225 watts in normal operation. Figuring in some tolerance, I would say it would use no more than 210w in this scenario.

Recently, AMD showed off a teraflop computer, an Opteron with two r600 OEM cards. Several sites said they were two 200w r600s. I doubt they would say 200w if the cards pulled close to 300. Also remember, the G80 was rumored to pull much more than it does just because of the connectors. As a matter of fact, I read somewhere that there was a picture of a G80 with a six pin and an eight pin.

If theres a way I'd love to hear about it for my X1900!

[Mcmlxxx IV]

I know there was talk of software crossfire put in a couple catalyst releases ago.

Check these links out:
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33878673

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33874318

You might also check out this link. I found it in the cat 6.11 discussion thread in the driver section. They claim they got it working with two x1950xtx and an intel 975 mobo.

http://it-review.net/index.php?optio...1&limitstart=0

Make sure to click on the article index on the top right or the next on the left-bottom, not center-bottom of the page. If you click on next at the bottom it will take you to a different article.