Intel X58 To Be First Non-NVIDIA Chipset To Get SLI

Vigile writes "In a somewhat surprising move from a company that is used to holding its proprietary technologies close to its chest, NVIDIA has announced that it is opening up a 'certified SLI motherboard' program for boards using the upcoming Intel X58 chipset. The X58 is Intel's core logic offering for Nehalem/Bloomfield processors and many people wondered how NVIDIA would support SLI on a platform for which they had admitted to not developing a chipset. At first, NVIDIA was pushing the use of their dedicated nForce 200 chip, but have instead decided to open up the SLI technology to X58 motherboards that meet certain NVIDIA requirements. This leaves a lot of questions about NVIDIA's previous SLI statements, how the pricing of the certification affects partners, and if NVIDIA's chipset business is truly at its end now."

Comments

Maybe a result of simple business?

[bestinshow]

Maybe they got a CSI interconnect license from Intel in return for the SLI technology.

Or the days of proprietary GPU ganging technology are coming to an end. Intel already does Crossfire in their chipsets, and AMD's GPUs are best right now so that's two hits against NVIDIA for their GPUs for the people that buy Intel-based computers.

Re:Maybe a result of simple business?

[confused one]

Maybe they got a CSI interconnect license from Intel in return for the SLI technology.

that's exactly what was reported during IDF, Intel wouldn't license CSI interconnect unless it was part of a cross-license for nVidia SLI.

Re:Maybe a result of simple business?

[jensend]

If nV really were getting QPI in exchange for this, then this would be a big win for consumers all around. However, the news I'm seeing says otherwise, for instance this bit from Tech Report:

[nV spokesman Tom] Petersen also told us Intel wasn't a party to Nvidia's decision to allow SLI on the X58, so there's no apparent quid pro quo here.

Nvidia does not plan to abandon its chipset business entirely and will continue to make core-logic products for other Intel platforms, like the current Core 2 one.

So "we'll keep making chipsets, but only for old technology which soon won't be manufactured any more." Sounds like the death knell for 3rd party chipsets- a huge loss for consumers.

Re:Maybe a result of simple business?

[citsacras]

All OEM X58 motherboard manufacturers will have to submit their boards for certification by NVIDIA. NVIDIA will also be charging an undisclosed certification fee. If the board passes certification, NVIDIA issues a BIOS key enabling SLI. The NVIDIA SLI drivers check for the presence of this key. NVIDIA will continue to design chipsets for Penryn based platforms, but it will not be making any QPI enabled chipsets for Nehalem. Thus, with Nehalem, the only way to get SLI support with an LGA-1366 MB would be to use an Intel chipset. NVIDIA will be making LGA-1160 based Nehalem motherboards (dual-channel DDR3) for the low end and mainstream markets, but that platform isn't expected to debut until late 2009.

Nvidia

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds to me like Nvidia has something up their sleeves. Or maybe not. Being a participant in the Intel Chipset might just mean they are trying to keep their foot in the door. they probably have a better grasp on whats going to happen in the future. Being compatible with intel chipsets (i think) is a big step in keeping their dominance in the Graphics adapter world. Without Intel acceptance, they might have problems with market share in the future when Intel releases their GPU. Way to go Nvidia, for keeping your pants on.

Re:Nvidia

[pak9rabid]

Sounds to me like Nvidia has something up their sleeves.

Such as licensing their SLI technology to Intel so that they can get an x86 license in return?

Re:Nvidia

[Trogre]

All the better. The GTX series cards are looking to be completely craptastic. Outlook not bright.

Truer words have never been spoken. Tell me, what do you think of Exchange Server?

Stop it already!

[Anonymous Coward]

This leaves a lot of questions about NVIDIA's previous SLI statements, how the pricing of the certification affects partners, and if NVIDIA's chipset business is truly at its end now.

Will you stop posting that stupid bloody rumour? There is no evidence, it has been flat out denied by nVidia, and it would be a stupid move. It is a made up outright lie, propagated by idiots like The Inquirer and fools who never read the multiple retractions. Frankly, I wish nVidia would start suing anyone and everyone who insists on reposting that stupid crap.

I don't even like nVidia, but this sort of stuff just pisses me off.

There goes the nVidia motherboard business

[Catalina588]

I have a Foxconn-built 590i nVidia reference board that supports SLI and has a raft of other features like smart Ethernet, RAID, yada yada, yada. I also use a Skulltrail with SLI chips in it.

The reason most gamers buy nVidia reference boards is to get SLI. With nVidia now certifying other vendors, starting with Intel's X58, the nVidia reference SLI motherboard market is RIP 2008.

Re:hmmm

[confused one]

Intel chipset also supports ATI Crossfire. so there's no "teaming" intended apparently. Some software is already heavily optimized for AMD vs Intel cpu and nVidia vs ATI gpu.

Correct me if I am wrong...

[phoenix.bam!]

But doesn't SLI mean NVIDIA sells two high end graphics cards? Why wouldn't they do this? It makes perfect sense in every way possible.

Re:Correct me if I am wrong...

[RiotNrrd]

But doesn't SLI mean NVIDIA sells two high end graphics cards? Why wouldn't they do this? It makes perfect sense in every way possible.

I was thinking this exactly. When I upgraded my system last winter I could not find a SLI board that I really wanted, so I was stuck with having to run only one video card.

If Apple were to implement SLI in their Mac Pro's I might dump my PC completely and just get a big, shiny, dual-GPU-having, silver box of HELL YEAH!

Re:3dfx

[bigstrat2003]

Same name, different tech. nVidia SLI vs 3dfx SLI.

nForce boards

[linuxpng]

have been problematic for me. I've recently purchased my first intel system board (since I don't overclock) and can say that I've had much better stability. There is no downside to having intel stability applied to SLI. That being the case, maybe more games will not have such half assed support (or none) for multiple GPUs.

Re:SLI

[bigstrat2003]

Isn't SLI a con?

No.

When will geeks learn?

[rAiNsT0rm]

OK, I am a longtime gamer (Atari 2600 onward) and have been building PCs for over 15 years. History has repeated itself time and time again, yet everyone still falls for the same crap. Game's cost a lot to produce, no game maker is going to make a game targeted at some minute fraction of their audience. When 90-95% of the PCs in homes aren't even SLI capable what deludes people into buying such a niche product and then expecting to be catered to?

Tech demo "games" are what people always point to each time SLI tries to enter the market (way back to Voodoo days) and today with a title like Crysis. Everybody spends and spends and builds mammoth PCs to get the highest FPS in it but no one actually *plays* it as a game, it is just a benchmark and eye candy demo. Then they sit back and whine when all of the "blockbuster" games don't utilize a fraction of their uber systems. WoW, Warhammer: AR, GRID, Assassins Creed, Spore, etc. all run fine on systems over 4 years old. Because that is the middle-of-the-road developers are going to target for the most profit. Sure they may throw in an "ultra high mode" for the few bleeding edgers but it is always an afterthought and either buggy or incomplete.

None of this is new. Stop throwing $500 into SLI video cards and $300 mainboards, IT ISN'T WORTH IT. Also, another rule of thumb that has always been proven right over time: If a card (video included) requires 2 slots or more for either cooling or "daughter cards" then it is an immature technology and will be streamlined into a single slot solution soon for much cheaper due to the reduced manufacturing costs.

Re:When will geeks learn?

[Colonel Korn]

Crysis. Everybody spends and spends and builds mammoth PCs to get the highest FPS in it but no one actually *plays* it as a game, it is just a benchmark and eye candy demo. Then they sit back and whine when all of the "blockbuster" games don't utilize a fraction of their uber systems. WoW, Warhammer: AR, GRID, Assassins Creed, Spore, etc. all run fine on systems over 4 years old.

WotLK is bogging down below 30 fps on systems with a brand new 4870 using the new shadow options, and even without that on 30" screens, which seem to be the target for SLI. So WoW benefits from SLI. Warhammer slows to the teens at 1920x1200, which is becoming a common resolution (seen on 22-28" monitors) in large RvR encounters on a 4870, but not on a 4870x2 or a couple gt280s. So Warhammer benefits from SLI. Assassin's Creed is slow at points on an 8800 GTX at 1680x1050, so with higher resolution it should probably benefit from SLI. I finally played Crysis, and when it's modded a bit it's actually a really good game. Not a 96, but easily a 91. People ignore the good gameplay because they're focused on the graphics, which certainly benefit from SLI and end up truly enhancing the gameplay. Love it or hate it, Oblivion even benefits from SLI at high resolution with HDR and forced AA. Half Life 2 E2 slowed down occasionally on my 4870 at 1920x1200, so it would benefit from SLI. Company of Heroes looks okay on a 4870, but I can't make it look great without framerates dropping to the teens. I could if I had SLI.

My point is that most popular games do have significant, tangible benefits from SLI.

I don't have SLI, though, and I don't want it. I don't think the cost and power usage justify the benefit, despite believing that the benefit is quite real, even with it being partially diminished by microstuttering.

Re:As a developer I target three or four year olds

[hypergreatthing]

If you target three or four year olds, i'm supposing you work in the tobacco industry?

Re:SLI

[bigstrat2003]

And what, exactly, makes you think I'm joking? I'm serious: SLI is not a scam. I've seen people I know run SLI, and it gives you a performance boost. It's not 2x performance, but it's not zero either. I won't say it's the most cost-effective way to go, but it's not a scam.

Re:3dfx

[suso]

Different technologies that accomplish the same thing:

• Scalable Link Interface (SLI) is a brand name for a multi-GPU solution developed by Nvidia for linking two or more video cards together to produce a single output.
• Scan-Line Interleave (SLI) from 3dfx is a method for linking two (or more) video cards or chips together to produce a single output.

Sure, it "changed dramatically", but don't all technologies change over time? 3dfx just didn't make it and especially since most of its IP was acquired by Nvidia, I'd say that 3dfx introduced SLI, not Nvidia.