Windows 7 and the death of SLI/Xfire?

[ganpachi]

Chicago (IL) - Several industry sources have confirmed to TG Daily that a very early version of Windows 7, previously code-named Blackcomb Vienna, already has been shipped to “key partners” as a “Milestone 1” (M1) code drop for validation purposes. A roadmap received by TG Daily indicates that the new operating system will be introduced in the second half of 2009.

While it has generally been believed that Windows 7 was scheduled for a 2010 debut, Microsoft has revised the roadmap and apparently moved up the release date by a few months: A recently distributed roadmap of the OS lists a release to manufacturing in H2 2009. Microsoft declined to comment on this date.

The current M1 drop is available to Microsoft partners in English only and has shipped in x86 and x64 versions. An interesting feature that has been highlighted by Microsoft is the ability of the M1 software to handle a heterogeneous graphics system consisting of multiple graphics cards from different vendors.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/35641/118/

So does this mean that I will be able to upgrade my graphics by grabbing whatever card is lying around and popping it in? Or does this mean something else entirely?

 

[Annisman]

I might be worng, but I don't see anything in that article that would lead me to believe that sli or xfire are going to be canned. That would cause an uprising imo.

 

[IndigoMoss]

It seems like they regard Vista as a failure since they are releasing this new OS so soon, which really bring discomfort to me, because I shelled out a good deal of cash for Vista Ultimate.

 

[Annisman]

Yea me too lol, Vista really sucks. And Sp1 won't fix any performance issues it seems.

 

[dragonsprayer]

its an extra

 

[ira176]

In general I like Vista, but there are things, like incompatibility with my Sony DV camcorder that irk me, and the ability for Vista to horde all of the available physical memory. I think the engineers at Microsoft need to focus on a more streamlined and less resource demanding OS. Vista looks pretty and all, but performance, I believe is more important. Maybe the next OS by Microsoft can accomplish this.

 

[ganpachi]

well I mean, if you can grab any old graphics card and have an OS that will utilize it off the shelf, the branded terms "SLI" and "crossfire" will have effectively become anachronistic. That was what I was thinking anyway. Either that or they would just become a generic term for a multi-GPU arrangement like the way we use Kleenex to mean tissue or Q-tip to mean cotton swab.

 

[bornking]

If you expect crap from Microsoft, then don't be angry when they deliver crap. Be happy that you were right and play the lottery.

 

[ganpachi]

In general I like Vista, but there are things, like incompatibility with my Sony DV camcorder that irk me, and the ability for Vista to horde all of the available physical memory. I think the engineers at Microsoft need to focus on a more streamlined and less resource demanding OS. Vista looks pretty and all, but performance, I believe is more important. Maybe the next OS by Microsoft can accomplish this.

From wiki:

MinWin

A minimalistic variation of the Windows kernel, known as MinWin, is being developed for use in Windows 7. The MinWin development efforts are aimed towards componentizing the Windows kernel and reducing the dependencies with a view to carving out the minimal set of components that is required to build a self-contained kernel as well as reducing the disk footprint and memory usage. MinWin takes up about 25 MB on disk and has a working set (memory usage) of 40 MB. It lacks a graphical user interface and is interfaced using a full-screen command line interface. It includes the I/O and networking subsystems.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I really, really, really hate ill informed vista bashers.... and for the record its normal to have Windows releases this close together, xp to vista was an exception.

 

[StevieD]

Microsoft's roadmap for OS development was suppose to be accelerated after XP. Period. Nothing related to Vista. The OS development was always suppose to be every 2-3 years, but XP SP2 upset the timing of new OS's.

Vista in early dicussions was considered for a modular OS, but that did not come to fruition. A modular OS may finally be realized in Windows 7. A modular OS is highly desirable at many levels, and if successful, Win7 could be accelerated just to implement that feature in an OS.


In MS discussions regarding XP SP2, SP2 was such a major overhaul in the OS that it should have been issued as a new OS. In prior years, think Win98 versus Win95, XP SP2 would have been issued as a new OS. But safety issues were becoming a serious issue and it was becoming increasingly important to block some of those safety issues. To address those safety issues with a built-in firewall, large parts of the XP core would have to be rewritten. In the end the needs of the public won out over a new OS, and XP SP2 be issued as just a Service Pack rather than a completely new OS.

In hindsight the XP SP2 caused problems with customers as we became accustomed to big fancy SP's that corrected broad problems or added a wide level of features. SP's are suppose to be system corrections that can not be achieved just with a series of patches.

 

[nukemaster]

Am i not correct that vista's memory hogging was to pre-cache as much as it can...and it purges that when you need the memory...and of you dont, your common apps open faster?

Someone please correct me if thats wrong....

There is no point in having 4 gigs of ram if you are not going to use it...

Also did'nt some people notice that turning off aero(as part of the computability) when entering a game game a performance boost?

I know XP had allot of bugs to fix and now is as stable as i need....

But with the Vista SP1 out soon i will make the change.....

 

[Conumdrum]

It all depends on the Mobo makers and how they implement it. I don't think just software will let you take an ATI and link it to a NVIDA. It'll be like having a MAC and runninga Win Em on it. Performance loss?

 

[Dahak]

It's not the operating system that supports SLI or CROSSFIRE,it's the chipset.

Dahak

M2N32-SLI DELUXE WE
X2 5600+ STOCK (2.8GHZ)
2X1GIG DDR2 800 IN DC MODE
TOUGHPOWER 850WATT PSU
EVGA 8800GT SUPERCLOCKED
SMILIDON RAIDMAX GAMING CASE
ACER 22IN WS LCD 1680X1050
250GIG HD/320GIG HD
G5 GAMING MOUSE
LOGITECH Z-5500 5.1 SURROUND SYSTEM
500WATS CONTINUOUS,1000 PEAK
WIN XP MCE SP2
3DMARK05 15,686
3DMARK06 10,588

 

[Guest]

If your chipset supports sli and your OS doesn't what is the chance that it will work ? since it is the OS that controls how the hardware is utilized, good luck trying to get sli to work without OS support for multiple displays... so the way i see it ... if the OS doesn't support multiple display cards then no Sli

Any confirmed Sli users running on windows 95 or 98 ?

whenever i enable sli on windows 7 Professional build 7600 all my games start to flash and flicker in funky colors. any idea if there is a sollution to this ?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Hint: Try asking over in the Windows 7 forum or start your own thread, either will be more likely to help find a solution as opposed to a year old thread concerning a pre beta OS.