GPU Switching Desktop

[emoners]

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Nvidia on-the-fly GPU switching desktop debut due Q1 '08
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11...i_on_desktops/

By Tony Smith
21st November 2007 10:52 GMT

Nvidia will bring the ability to flip at will between integrated and discrete graphics cores to the desktop early next year, courtesy of upcoming AMD-oriented chipset the MCP78S.

The chipset incorporates a GeForce 8-class DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 graphics engine, but it's also capable of driving a PCI Express 2.0 graphics card connected via the chipset's 16 PCIe 2.0 lanes, a presentation slide posted by Hexus.net reveals.

That's broadly what most integrated chipsets do, but the MCP78S also supports Hybrid SLI, which allows the user to flip between the two GPUs according to need. Need 3D performance for gaming? Activate the graphics card. The rest of the time: host the system's graphics on the lower-power integrated GPU.

Switching between the two can take place on the fly, unlike past attempts to do this, all of which required a restart. That was enough to put most users off utilitising the option.

Hybrid SLI first emerged back in July 2006 under the name 'SLI Power'. Since then, AMD began talking up PowerXPress, its name for the notebook-oriented version of the technique that's set to debut in AMD's 'M780' mobile chipset in Q1 2008.

Nvidia renamed SLI Power as Hybrid SLI back in June this year but then was pitching the technology as a notebook feature. Laptops are, after all, more sensitive to power draw than desktops. However, it's clear from the latest reports that Nvidia reckons it'll be useful for desktops too.

Current concerns about performance-per-Watt have already driven AMD to incorporate power-saving technology in its new ATI Radeon HD 3800 series of GPUs, all of which clock down according to the kind of apps the user is running, the better to minimise desktop power draw.

In addition to Hybrid SLI, the MCP78S will support Socket AM2 and AM2+ CPUs over a 2600MT/s HyperTransport 3.0 bus. It will also handle six 3Gb/s SATA drives, 12 USB ports and Gigabit Ethernet.

[Der FüHRER]

interesting. that'll be great for casual gamers who are conscious about their electric bills (like me hehe)

[spookey]

i think it is a better to resolve the consumption issue by clocking down a videocard rather switching between dedicated and built-in video on the fly. just like the Intel's speedstep and AMD's Cool 'n Quite. what do you think?

[vladmire]

it will be a big help, lowering down the power consumption but howabout the performance? will it be the same?

[vipvip68]

the 2 Gpu's are supposed to help each other in some sort of Crosffire X / SLI setup... AMD also plans to have this feature...

Mas nindot unta if they concentrate more on improving their GPU/CPU throttling. The Cool N Quiet, Speedstep type technologies need to be further refined para mas lower pa gyud ang idle speed sa CPU/GPU right now murag 50% ra man ang clock speed reduction sa cool n quiet.. they should improve this pa instead of just shutting it down unya mu rely on built in nga gpu. There are some systems nga walay built in GPU.. so dili kaayo maka benefit ani ilang plano.