i dont know if anyone if familiar with ATI Radeon Eyefinity cards... to sum it up, the make 3+ monitors actualy act as one monitor, allowing you to play games like MOH or COD where your character/gun is in the middle monitor, and you have perifferal vision allowing you to see whats happening to the sides of your character (fun in knife fights in MOH). but now the windows 8 is being supported primarily by nvidea, and on top of that, the royal interface change... will eyefinity users still get the chance to upgrade. this question is goes for n-videa surround... will its multi monitor capabilitys be supported with the new interface?
What will happen to eyefinity?
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Yes it will.
its called nvidea surround, it works verry similar to eyefinity, except it requiers 2 cards. alot of the eyefinity was only put on cards benchmarked well over nvideas stuff, so people talk about how surround is better, but they vs the 2 mid grad nvidea cards to the 1 mid grade ati card, ati loses. however if you setup eyefinity using a 5950 or 5970 or 6950 6970 or 6990 than the single ati card will smoke 2 mid grade nvidea cards. and people dont realize the difference in effects of crossfirex and think its the same as running the 2 nvidea cards and compare them. you cant. they are never properly tested which disapoints me. but to answer your question, its a cheap knock off of eyefinity.
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I guess it will be supported 
but how is the question. the interface is the part im worried about. the computer would no longer be as siuted for high performance gaming. i dont think the os is prepared for that kind of technolagy. if windows even aknowladges that the tecnolagy exists. i dont belive it can run on ubuntu. and even if it can, how many games can. so this means if they dont leave some room for adjustment and drivers, they are going to turn into a busyness computer only. people with windows 7 wont be able to upgrade. and i wouldnt put it past a few to try and find out later that the drivers might not work.I guess it will be supported
Oh, thanks for pointing that out for me. I will definitely be getting an ATI with my next rig, then.
It's interesting you should say, though... in what way are SLI and crossfirex different? You seem to be knowledgeable on the topic so I thought I would ask. And perhaps that difference has something to do with the native support for Nvidia over ATI?
It's interesting you should say, though... in what way are SLI and crossfirex different? You seem to be knowledgeable on the topic so I thought I would ask. And perhaps that difference has something to do with the native support for Nvidia over ATI?
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Are you referring to supposedly nvidia optimized benchmarks?
.
That's true of any benchmark / game. It's not a Eyefinity/Surround exclusive issue.
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Once again, if you have two mid range AMD and two mid range Nvida cards, the performance is the same. Also, 2 mid range 560ti's will out perform a single 6970.
Crossfirex is running two or more GPU's just like Nvidia's SLI - They are properly tested and you can compare them.
It's Nvidia's response to Eyefinity. It's not necessarily that cheap a knock off.
The true advantages to Eyefinity is that is arguably more mature and only requires a single card. Aside from that, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two. Each have their own particular pros and cons.
For the end result, there is no difference between CF and SLI.
CrosfireX and SLI utilize 2 or more GPU's to provide the theoretical performance of one 'big individual' card. (real world performance increase is usually a rough 50%~ )
They aren't 'different' in the sense that both allow you to use extra cards to increase performance.
Previously, SLI was superior but as of the 6xxx series, CF and SLI are virtually identical in terms of performance. Again, both have their own unique issues.
To go crossfire, you still need two or more physical cards, regardless of AMD or Nvidia. The exception are the 'x2' cards; which are a single physical card with 2 GPU's onboard. CF and SLI is 'built in'. ie AMD 6990, nvidia GTX 590
If you are seriously considering Eyefinity, go no lower than a 6950 2GB. Eyefinity sucks on slower cards.
VRAM is also a big factor in multi-screening. The resolutions are huge and the buffer runs out damn quick. 1GB really doesn't cut it - even 1.5 is borderline. 2GB+ is mandatory to avoid lagging.
Just be aware that Eyefinity and Surround aren't perfect and you will have to use a few workarounds.
And I wouldn't worry about native support - support will come from both camps.
PS It's AMD now, not ATI
sli is literaly doubling your graphics cards. where crossfire x is just increaseing speed (primarily) it will increase SOME video performance. but not like an nvidea sli setup would. idk how many graphics cards you can put togeather with sli, but you can cross fire up to 4 cards possibly more. the point of cross fire is for a smoother feel. sli is ment to completly double your performance. and from what ive seen, it can back fire. if you chose to go with a 6970, youl benchmark just under 2 of nvideas best card with sli, but if you double a crossfire and run the drivers right youl be extremely pleased. if you go with the 6950 youl be i belive right about where nvideas best card is as of now and a little higher on some bench marks and if you cross fire you should have plenty of fun. your performance would be somewhere in between the gpu of a 6950-6970 and your gddr5 ram added up would equal close to the performance of the 6990. but ive never tried a side by side test. this is based of of what they are SUPPOSED to do.Woah, that was very thorough. I certainly understand it a lot more. Thanks for the awesome post!
What are we looking at in terms of price for the 6950? I might consider building a Windows 8 rig when the time comes.
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Woah, that was very thorough. I certainly understand it a lot more. Thanks for the awesome post!
What are we looking at in terms of price for the 6950? I might consider building a Windows 8 rig when the time comes.
You're welcome.
Price range for a 6950 is $280-$340 depending on retailer / stock or reference cooling.
stock cooling:
(Can't go wrong with Sapphire)
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1179&products_id=16295
Aftermarket cooling (much quieter and runs cooler)
(Great cooling, very quiet. I have the 580 version. Worth the 3 slots for noise. Very hard to Crossfire however)
ASUS Radeon HD6950 DirectCU II 2GB [EAH6950-DCII-2GD5] - $329.00 : PC Case Gear
(Apparently loud at high fan, but it'd be my 2nd choice for aftermarket cooling)
MSI Radeon HD6950 2GB Twin Frozr III PE/OC [R6950TWINFIIIPEOC] - $339.00 : PC Case Gear
List here:
Think hard and research a lot if thinking of going Eyefinity. It's really one of those 'not for everybody' tech. You may love it and use it all the time, or use it until the novelty wears off. It's an entirely personal thing.
I had a x3 24 setup with my 5970 and apart from the odd 'wow, this really adds to it' game, most of the time it pretty much sucked. Non native games need workarounds, some 'supported' titles were generous with the word support. The biggest killer for me however was performance. My single overclocked 5970 just couldn't cut it. I ended up going back to single screen anyway.
Cards/Eyefinity have improved a little since my 5970 - but the performance hit is still considerable and a reason most people crossfire anyway when running Eyefinity.
Imo, the only major drawback to SLI surround is cost. For a 'top shelf' setup you'd need a pair of 3GB 580's at least. VRAM really is a killer with these mega resolutions.
No. It's theoretically doubling performance. Rarely does it actually double the performance.
What? :huh:
Again, crossfire works like SLI.
The maximum is four for both AMD and Nvida. Drivers do not support more than quad CF/SLI be it four individual or two x2 cards.
.
The point of crossfire is exactly the same as SLI. Increase performance with extra GPU's. It has nothing to do with smoothness.
Ironically, game play can often be less smooth due to micro-stutteringthat is inherent in multi-GPU technology. Micro-stutter exists with both CF and SLI. It's impact can vary from barely perceptible to very noticeable hitching. (I didn't realize just how bad micro-stuttering was until I went back to a single GPU).
Benchmarks are good for a rough guide at best. The majority focus on min/max FPS which isn't the most important aspect. Only a few mention the real important areas such as average, average minimum and how the game actually feels to play.
They also don't cover the fact that CF/SLI is more prone to minimum FPS drops than single GPU's.
I had a 5970 - benchmarks, in-game raw FPS were very high. Very impressive. What the nubers didn't reflect was that real world performance was rubbish. Inconsistent average, a lot more min drops, micro-stutter etc.
Swapped to a single GTX 580 - benchmarks, raw fps are still high, but far from the 5970. Real world performance however is great. Less min drops, higher average, no MS etc. An all round vast improvement over the 5970.
Based on benchmarks alone, the 5970 is a clear winner. Day to day usage though is a completely different story.
NoteBENCHMARKS ARE NOT GOSPEL
I'm lost what this could possibly mean. If you are referring to the 6990's 4GB of VRAM and if Crossfiring 2x6950 2GB would give you 4GB useable, then the answer is an emphatic no.
The 6990 is a x2 card, each GPU has it's own 2GB. The VRAM is not accumulative (it doesn't add up) so you still only have 2GB usable. The same applies to separate cards (and SLI as well).
To be honest, I've had trouble following your posts
I'm not sure if English is your primary language or not. My apologies if it isn't.
Without meaning to be rude, I think you need to do a bit more research on Crossfire and SLI. You're on the right track, but I think your missing a few key fundamentals, or the right terminology which is resulting in you getting the wrong idea about quite a few core aspects to this technology.
That ASUS looks insane. Thanks for the essay, btw, was a pleasure to read.
Sounds like it might be a 10-12 month wait before we start seeing some proper eyefinity supporting graphics cards (and Nvidia's equivalent).
It'd be fun to use something like this as well, particularly with a scrolling Windows 8 start screen:
Sounds like it might be a 10-12 month wait before we start seeing some proper eyefinity supporting graphics cards (and Nvidia's equivalent).
It'd be fun to use something like this as well, particularly with a scrolling Windows 8 start screen:
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Sorry, didn't mean to write an essay - at least it was readable
The cards themselves now are capable, but they are still a niche enthusiast market rather than mainstream. Faster cards will help (eliminating some CF setups), but the biggest hurdle is support from 3rd parties. Multi-screen gaming is even more of a niche market than multi-GPU. As such, not that many titles are being developed with multi-screens in mind.
Not counting matrox adapters, multi-screen gaming like Eyefinity has not been around long at all. In the tech world, it's still an infant.
Monitors like that Alienware are awesome. Unfortunately those type of screens are prototypes
(At least I've never seen one for sale)
But it would be great to not only use that size screen, but to make it touch capable as well
The cards themselves now are capable, but they are still a niche enthusiast market rather than mainstream. Faster cards will help (eliminating some CF setups), but the biggest hurdle is support from 3rd parties. Multi-screen gaming is even more of a niche market than multi-GPU. As such, not that many titles are being developed with multi-screens in mind.
Not counting matrox adapters, multi-screen gaming like Eyefinity has not been around long at all. In the tech world, it's still an infant.
Monitors like that Alienware are awesome. Unfortunately those type of screens are prototypes
(At least I've never seen one for sale)But it would be great to not only use that size screen, but to make it touch capable as well
Haha, I was more thinking 3D holographic projection (seeing as it is curved), sort of like the 3DS, but better.But it would be great to not only use that size screen, but to make it touch capable as well
It'd be interesting to see if Microsoft will ever develop a gamer centric operating system. That would certainly be a huge incentive for people to purchase it.
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They did. It's called the xbox 360
But I know what you mean - a PC orientated, superfluous services stripped, core version would be fantastic.
Even a 'bootable' option of the existing OS that does the same would be nice. Furthermore, it actually sounds doable.
There are software optimizers that pretend to the same thing, but in reality they are quite useless. But having the OS developers tweak it properly and adjusting the DirectX and other SDK's for game developers to use should unleash the true potential of today's hardware without worrying about conflicts etc.
Modern hardware can handle the added OS overhead as it is, yet even more goodness could be squeezed out of a gamer only orientated config.
NoteAre you listening MS? This is a damn good idea. Add it to the coming features list for future versions. Also, you'll get a feather in your cap for taking the credit of an great idea
Woah, that was very thorough. I certainly understand it a lot more. Thanks for the awesome post!
What are we looking at in terms of price for the 6950? I might consider building a Windows 8 rig when the time comes.
You're welcome.
Price range for a 6950 is $280-$340 depending on retailer / stock or reference cooling.
stock cooling:
(Can't go wrong with Sapphire)
Sapphire Radeon HD6950 2GB [SAPH-HD6950] - $279.00 : PC Case Gear
Aftermarket cooling (much quieter and runs cooler)
(Great cooling, very quiet. I have the 580 version. Worth the 3 slots for noise. Very hard to Crossfire however)
ASUS Radeon HD6950 DirectCU II 2GB [EAH6950-DCII-2GD5] - $329.00 : PC Case Gear
(Apparently loud at high fan, but it'd be my 2nd choice for aftermarket cooling)
MSI Radeon HD6950 2GB Twin Frozr III PE/OC [R6950TWINFIIIPEOC] - $339.00 : PC Case Gear
List here:
Think hard and research a lot if thinking of going Eyefinity. It's really one of those 'not for everybody' tech. You may love it and use it all the time, or use it until the novelty wears off. It's an entirely personal thing.
I had a x3 24 setup with my 5970 and apart from the odd 'wow, this really adds to it' game, most of the time it pretty much sucked. Non native games need workarounds, some 'supported' titles were generous with the word support. The biggest killer for me however was performance. My single overclocked 5970 just couldn't cut it. I ended up going back to single screen anyway.
Cards/Eyefinity have improved a little since my 5970 - but the performance hit is still considerable and a reason most people crossfire anyway when running Eyefinity.
Imo, the only major drawback to SLI surround is cost. For a 'top shelf' setup you'd need a pair of 3GB 580's at least. VRAM really is a killer with these mega resolutions.
No. It's theoretically doubling performance. Rarely does it actually double the performance.
What? :huh:
Again, crossfire works like SLI.
The maximum is four for both AMD and Nvida. Drivers do not support more than quad CF/SLI be it four individual or two x2 cards.
.
The point of crossfire is exactly the same as SLI. Increase performance with extra GPU's. It has nothing to do with smoothness.
Ironically, game play can often be less smooth due to micro-stutteringthat is inherent in multi-GPU technology. Micro-stutter exists with both CF and SLI. It's impact can vary from barely perceptible to very noticeable hitching. (I didn't realize just how bad micro-stuttering was until I went back to a single GPU).
Benchmarks are good for a rough guide at best. The majority focus on min/max FPS which isn't the most important aspect. Only a few mention the real important areas such as average, average minimum and how the game actually feels to play.
They also don't cover the fact that CF/SLI is more prone to minimum FPS drops than single GPU's.
I had a 5970 - benchmarks, in-game raw FPS were very high. Very impressive. What the nubers didn't reflect was that real world performance was rubbish. Inconsistent average, a lot more min drops, micro-stutter etc.
Swapped to a single GTX 580 - benchmarks, raw fps are still high, but far from the 5970. Real world performance however is great. Less min drops, higher average, no MS etc. An all round vast improvement over the 5970.
Based on benchmarks alone, the 5970 is a clear winner. Day to day usage though is a completely different story.
BENCHMARKS ARE NOT GOSPEL
I'm lost what this could possibly mean. If you are referring to the 6990's 4GB of VRAM and if Crossfiring 2x6950 2GB would give you 4GB useable, then the answer is an emphatic no.
The 6990 is a x2 card, each GPU has it's own 2GB. The VRAM is not accumulative (it doesn't add up) so you still only have 2GB usable. The same applies to separate cards (and SLI as well).
To be honest, I've had trouble following your posts
I'm not sure if English is your primary language or not. My apologies if it isn't.
Without meaning to be rude, I think you need to do a bit more research on Crossfire and SLI. You're on the right track, but I think your missing a few key fundamentals, or the right terminology which is resulting in you getting the wrong idea about quite a few core aspects to this technology.
depends on whether the benchmark is for a game, or for best graphics performance, or minimum power consumption, or highest framerate. i think you mis understood my statment about ati beating out nvidea. the benchmarks i was looking at was a vary wide scale of different TYPES, almost none of the mench marks where tests of them playing games. the problem with playing a game is that if it is designed for nvidea they may create snippets in the code that say that an nvidea is ALLOWED to do things an ati card might not be able to do in the game so frame rate testing in a game is generaly bad. the best way, but i dont know if anyone does it, would be to create a 3d animation in somthing like blender, set the render type to quad buffer and slowly ramp up the frame rat till the cards cant handel it, or till you see such a drastic resault that it is worth noting. point is. ya, bench marks arent end all be all, but they are much more accurate if you look them up for pin point aspects of the cards. as for the ram, i sayd it would perform, i didnt say it would equal now did i. like i sayed again though at the end of my last post, ive never actualy tested this, most of this is from read other peoples forum posts, posts of my own, and much time spent on toms hardware and the amd and nvidea websites. (although nvidea and ati are boud to sretch the truth a little which is kindof why i try to point out that this all stuff ive READ never TESTED)
