[asyikarea51]

Was reading up tech articles on graphic cards and I just had this random thought.

Would a seriously bad freakshow of sorts happen if I were to, say, install a HD4870x2 and a GTX 280 (or maybe a 2-cards-in-1 solution nV might make in the future) side by side? Or is there a way to get such a computer workable?

This assuming the rest of the system is already made to support such hardware, but the board can only support either SLI or CrossfireX, not both... but I don't think that matters much since it's rival companies with rival technology obviously incompatible with each other...

(No, i'm not planning to buy anything or whatsoever at this time. I just happened to have the thought, that's all.)

[IceFire]

So wait...why are you putting in a nVidia card and a pair of ATI cards?  I don't get it.

No it wouldn't work.  I don't know of any mobos on the market that support both Crossfire and SLI and even if there were...I suspect it'd be a nightmare trying to get ATI and nVidia drivers to play nice.  Its already a nightmare when you switch from one to another and forget to run a driver cleaner.

[CP5670]

Would a seriously bad freakshow of sorts happen

Yes. Most people who have tried mixing ATI and NV drivers say it creates a lot of problems on XP, and Vista's driver model does not support such a setup at all.

Even if you somehow got it to work, the cards would run independently of each other. The most useful thing you could do with them is run four monitors off them, with each card rendering two.

[Stormkeeper]

Even if you somehow got it to work, the cards would run independently of each other. The most useful thing you could do with them is run four monitors off them, with each card rendering two.

Heard of surround sound? This is SURROUND COCKPIT!

[Herra Tohtori]

...and since they are different rendering devices, you wouldn't be able to render the same game on all screens.

 

[Hellstryker]

(12:58:52 PM): there is a way, to use the HD 4870 X2
(12:58:57 PM): and a GTX 280 together
(12:59:09 PM): if you dedicate the 280 to using PhysX
(12:59:13 PM): Geforce PhysX
(12:59:21 PM): it's the replacement for AGEIA PhysX
(12:59:30 PM): you can use any G80, G92, and GT200 card
(12:59:33 PM): as a PhysX card
(12:59:47 PM): with the latest nvidia drivers
(12:59:53 PM): but that wont give you any boost in performance
(12:59:57 PM): except in games that use PhysX

Name of my friend removed for courtesy. Basicly, it's possible, but useless

[Mars]

I tried to get an old 1.2 Ghz Celeron computer to use both it's onboard Intel graphics and the 9250 in it's PCI slot... they didn't play nicely together.

[Stormkeeper]

...and since they are different rendering devices, you wouldn't be able to render the same game on all screens.

... I knew that. Really.

[asyikarea51]

...



I think when I meant "freak show" I meant worse things like KABOOM and stuff... but a freak show's still a freak show so I get the message

What a way to pin the consumer to a corner...