Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (
More info?)
CapFusion wrote:
> Scroll down if you want to review.
>
> Sheezh, you compare to lemon and lime.
> Alieanware have it own so-call SLI using multiple display by mean of VMH
> Intel do not have any board with 2 16X slot out yet.
> Nvidia is the forefront of this crusade by using Intel PCI-E. And again as
> Intel, they do not have one public.
>
> And yes, Alieanware indicate and you pointed out do have SLI but with a
> twist. BUT it not the same as using what nvidia indicate using two 16X
> slot
>
> I not sure you and I in a same page here. Alienware do not have 16X
> in-mind using two same card which need two 16X PCI-E slot. Alienware
> simply using VMH so it can be use with any VGA card right now. It almost
> like 3Dfx using a cable patch to two card.
Uh, you can't buy the VMH "right now" so for all practical purposes it can't
do _anything_ "right now". As for "using it with any video card" something
has to tell the boards what part of the screen to display, and since the
drivers that come with the boards damned well aren't going to do that that
has to be an operating system extension of some sort that may or may not
work with different brands and models of board.
In any case, the only difference between the Alienware VMH and nvidia's new
"SLI" is that nvidia puts the hub on a bridgeboard and does a digital merge
instead of analog.
I have no idea what you mean by "Alienware do not have 16X
in-mind using two same card which need two 16X PCI-E slot.".
>
> Go back to your old post regarding about Aleanware
> cbqife01rql@news1.newsguy.com
> cc4idb01jb9@news3.newsguy.com
>
> I am not quite sure I understand this two statement. It seem to contridict
> each other.
I don't see any contradiction. Alienware has demonstrated a product with
two nvidia boards Geforce FX 5900 PCI Express boards. The only thing that
we can be _certain_ of with regard to their product is that it works well
enough to be used for a demonstration at a computer show using those
boards.
The second post you link is in regard to the availability of slots. There
is no chipset currently available that allows two x16 slots. That is a
fact, and does not contradict the fact that Alienware has demonstrated a
product.
> - Will I be able to use an ATI card in the same system as an Nvidia card?
> - Compare Alienware's Video Array to Nvidia's SLI
> Under differences > Flexibilites > 1.
Whether you will in fact be able to use an ATI card in the same system with
an nvidia I doubt that anybody knows at this point. Alienware may claim
that you can but they haven't demonstrated that you can so assume until you
see it work that their marketing guys are exaggerating the flexibility of
their system. And you certainly aren't going to be able to use an ATI with
an nvidia board using nvidia's system.
> CapFusion,...
>
>
> "J. Clarke" <jclarke@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
> news:ccsf2405i2@news4.newsguy.com...
>> CapFusion wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > "J. Clarke" <jclarke@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
>> > news:ccmtg801ttb@news4.newsguy.com...
>> >>
>> >> Since there are no boards on the market today or coming in the near
>> >> future with two PCI-Express 16x slots (read the fine print on the
>> >> Alienware very carefully then read the spec sheets on the components
> they
>> >> use and you'll find that it has one 16x and one 8x), if it depends on
> the
>> >> boards being identical then it's not going to work at all for a good
> long
>> >> time.
>> >
>> > I do not get it. Why do you use Alienware as a reference for SLI?
>>
>> They are the only outfit that has demonstrated a working product.
>>
>> > Do you see Alienware have a MoBo with two 16X PCI-E? Naturally or
> atleast
>> > currently they have only one 16X PCI-E on their top end PC.
>>
>> <http://www.alienware.com/alx_pages/main_content.aspx>
>>
>> > Try this link, this may enlighted you abit -
>> >
http://www.nvidia.com/page/sli.html
>>
>> What of it?
>>
>> > Also can you show me that fine print you refer to?
>>
>> <http://www.alienware.com/alx_pages/main_content.aspx#faq> Specifically
>> "The X2 utilizes all available PCI-Express lanes provided by the Intel
> 7525
>> (Tumwater) chipset"
>>
>> You can find the datasheets on that chipset on the Intel site.
>>
>> > I do not seem to find
>> > it since it so "fine printed". I will check my eye for a new
> subscription
>> > later. During the meantime, can you point me to that link.
>> >
>> > During the meantime, check this link -
>> > http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/article/1728/
>>
>> "First off you'll need a workstation motherboard featuring two PCI-E-x16
>> slots which will also use the more expensive Intel Xeon processors."
>> They do not identify such a board.
>>
>> >
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Features/nvsli/2.html
>>
>> "Nvidia's announcement coincides with Intel's Tumwater chipset which is
> part
>> of the enabling technology behind SLI. Tumwater will provide two x16 PCI
>> Express ports making SLI possible. "
>>
>> From <http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20040628comp.htm>,
>> "The Intel® E7525 chipset (formerly codenamed "Tumwater") integrates for
>> the first time several new technologies that eliminate system bottlenecks
>> by balancing performance between the processor, I/O and memory." Note
> that
>> this is the chipset that Alienware uses.
>>
>> Now, I'll leave to to you to dig through the PDF data sheets that you can
>> reach from
>>
>
<http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/E7525/index.htm?iid=ipp_srvr_chpsts+e7
> 525_wrkstn&>,
>> which show that the E7525 has _one_ PCI Express x16 interface and _one_
> PCI
>> Express x8 interface configurable as two x4, so there is no circumstance
>> under which it will provide two x16 regardless of what neoseeker claims.
>> Unless of course Intel is lying about the capabilities of their own
>> product.
>>
>>
>> >
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_sli/page4.asp
>>
>> Which is only relevant to the extent that it distinguishes between the
>> Alienware and nvidia approaches. It does not address the slot issue at
>> all.
>>
>> > If IIRC, you mention before regarding Alienware -
>> > Do you remember this thread title -
>> > Nvidia SLI, SLI's back with a vengeance
>> > This subject have be discussed and it seem from previous post and reply
>> > that you already understand and will inform about SLI with 6800 but
>> > also regarding about Alienware PC.
>>
>> Uh, could you try that again--I'm having trouble parsing that last
> sentence.
>>
>> > cbqife01rql@news1.newsguy.com
>> > **Quote**
>> > Note by the way that the Alienware board is not going to support
> arbitrary
>> > video boards--according to their press release it is going to be tied
>> > to
>> > specific models and combines the video using a third board. In other
>> > words they've done something nonstandard
>> > **/Quote**
>> > and this thread -
>> > cc4idb01jb9@news3.newsguy.com
>> >
>> > CapFusion,...
>>
>> --
>> --John
>> Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
>> (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram