Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Tallest Skil

macrumors P6
Original poster
Aug 13, 2006
16,044
4
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
518 days never felt so good. Now that we have a graphics card made in this year, I was wondering what the possibilities of being able to utilize two of them together inside my future Mac Pro. Can it be done or am I just shooting blanks, eh?
 
If it were 2007.

Tanj, never mind. OUTDATED AGAIN! :D Anyway, will this happen? Or some why to utilize the power of the second card together? Wait...what am I worried about, anyway? I have two monitors! I'll just plug one in each! Wait... can that be done?

I'd still like the "combining power of both" thing and be able to plug both of my monitors into one of my 8800 GTs.
 
Yes. I know. :rolleyes: I want the power of one graphics card per monitor. Will this be possible?

There shouldn't be an issue with it.

edit: but being that it is Apple there might be. Wait for some reviews to comeout before you buy if it concerns you.
 
Yes, sir! Will do! It's not like I'm not being forced to wait until July to purchase it, anyway... :rolleyes:

And perhaps a U.S. Apple Store standalone 8800 GT, since you can't get more than one BTO yet... :p
 
http://developer.apple.com/document...ation.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40003937-SW6

071168001313_05.jpg


I also believe the Intel 5400 chipset does support SLI (it has the PCIe lanes for it, etc.)... well it may only ATI crossfire support.
 
Hardware Supports it, but Software?

I do believe that the hardware supports SLI (according to the documentation) however the card firmware as well as the OS must support too. I believe that Apple has not released the drivers for SLI support. I would wait for some reviews and perhaps see what happens at MacWorld. You never know what 10.5.2 might bring :rolleyes:
 
You never know what 10.5.2 might bring :rolleyes:

What, like the 3870 support that we'll never see now? :D Yeah, SLI in 10.5.2 would be frigtastically awesome. Can you imagine TWO Quadro 5600s?! Like that can be done, anyway... :( Two 8800 GTs SLI'd in OS X would be amazing, but if the hardware supports it, at least I'd be able to run them in Boot Camp...
 
What, like the 3870 support that we'll never see now? :D Yeah, SLI in 10.5.2 would be frigtastically awesome. Can you imagine TWO Quadro 5600s?! Like that can be done, anyway... :( Two 8800 GTs SLI'd in OS X would be amazing, but if the hardware supports it, at least I'd be able to run them in Boot Camp...

You can get 2 5600's, that would be awesome. Anyways I really think apple needs to start implementing SLI and Cross fire that way they can keep up with technology because it's beginning to get popular.
 
Two 8800 GTs SLI'd in OS X would be amazing, but if the hardware supports it, at least I'd be able to run them in Boot Camp...
10.5.2 may give us a clue but I am certainly not holding my breath.
8800 GT in SLI would be a beautiful thing.
Truth is I don't know how SLI works.
We already have the driver for one 8800 GT card.
How hard is it then to get an SLI driver for two 8800 GT cards?

You can get 2 5600's, that would be awesome.

Yeah, and for the low, low price of only $5700.00 :p
 
You can get 2 5600's, that would be awesome. Anyways I really think apple needs to start implementing SLI and Cross fire that way they can keep up with technology because it's beginning to get popular.

No, it's not. 99.9% of users don't know (or care) about SLI, and hardly any pros (the people the Mac Pro is targeted at) care either. The only people who would care are the infinitesimally small market of "high-end gamers with more money than sense who want a Mac Pro for some reason."

Most PC gamers don't even go SLI. Only the most committed do. That's not a very big market, and I can guarantee you nearly all of it pooh-poohs Macs.
 
99.9% of users don't know (or care) about SLI
True
hardly any pros care either
Very true.
The only people who would care are the infinitesimally small market of "high-end gamers with more money than sense who want a Mac Pro for some reason.
Not sure about this one. I think the market is more significant than you think it is. Mac gamers have no choice. We have to use a Mac Pro with a powerful video card. I personally don't use it just for gaming. It's my all-in-one computer!
"Most PC gamers don't even go SLI. Only the most committed do. That's not a very big market, and I can guarantee you nearly all of it pooh-poohs Macs.
True.
 
I do believe that the hardware supports SLI (according to the documentation) however the card firmware as well as the OS must support too. I believe that Apple has not released the drivers for SLI support. I would wait for some reviews and perhaps see what happens at MacWorld. You never know what 10.5.2 might bring :rolleyes:

A big deal was made about Intel making a deal with Nvidia and getting SLI for Skulltrail systemboards and also having crossfire support. As far as I am aware it requires Intel to use an Nvidia chip on the board. I don't believe Apple are using Skulltrail boards, which means they aren't going to be supporting SLI.

Whether someone can get it or crossfire to work under windows is another matter, but I wouldn't expect such a thing from Apple.
 
SLI is not supported and will not be sans the Skulltrail motherboard from Intel.

No other Intel boards has support for SLI, a decision by NVIDIA.

CrossfireX on the other hand is supported by most Intel boards.
 
I said earlier that I already know that... ;):rolleyes: I have two monitors and just want to know if it'll be possible to utilize the full power of one 8800 GT for each.

Guess we'll have to wait until someone tries it out!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.