MSI hydra engine

[GibsonSGKing]

Really? Well I guess they fixed it. The RC BSODed on me, and became irrecoverable because I tried to install Nvidia drivers along with ATI drivers.

I really do not know what it does exactly. I can't find any info on it, but what I did find said something about using a 6600 and a 9800 together so I am pretty sure that is what it does. and I saw pictures of how it works. It splits renderings between the two cards, instead of dividing frames. That should be able to work on any two cards, not just two of the same, and if it was done right, scaling would be near linear.

According to the article it claims that different brand cards can not be used, because the OS will not allow multiple drivers to drive the same 3d image. So while you can use 2 drivers at once to push different displays, you can not render one image with both cards, unless they use the same driver.

 

[foothead]

Oh I see. I wonder if that means any 5xxx cards would work, or if they would have to be in the same family.

 

[GibsonSGKing]

Oh I see. I wonder if that means any 5xxx cards would work, or if they would have to be in the same family.

From what I understand, any combination of video cards will work, as long as you can get the drivers working. So if windows (or any other OS) would allow multiple drivers to render the same 3D image, then you could have a 9800gt and a 5850 running the same game. But, as we know, there is no current way (to my knowledge) of doing this. Therefore any combination of cards will work, as long as they use the same driver. Please remember this is only my understanding of the article.

So, if I understand correctly, this means that as soon as an OS supports multiple drivers for one 3D image, then we can pretty much do whatever we please with this new engine. My next motherboard will definitely support this, unless it's some crazy cost over $500 or something

 

[foothead]

Well this one is pretty expensive. ($360!)

but I think it will come down eventually, when the technology becomes more established.

 

[GibsonSGKing]

Well this one is pretty expensive. ($360!)

but I think it will come down eventually, when the technology becomes more established.

Is that for the board, or just the cost of the feature? That's still a ton...

 

[foothead]

That is the cost of the board. If it was a 1366 board, I would call it reasonable, but it's socket 1156. WTF?

 

[GibsonSGKing]

That is the cost of the board. If it was a 1366 board, I would call it reasonable, but it's socket 1156. WTF?

well, I guess it depends on the other features of the board as well. if it was a really good board, I wouldn't mind paying 220 for it, but 300 is pushing it...