Crossfire + Sli = Lucid Hydra 200

TimeDeatH · October 14th, 2009, 01:18 PM

ATI and Nvidia cards in one system: Lucid demo Hydra 200 | Crave - CNET
Posted on: September 22, 2009

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This week Lucid is announcing an upgraded solution, the Hydra 200. Hydra allows two video cards to simultaneously be used in a single system.

Before clicking the Back button, yes I know Nvidia and ATI have been doing this for years with their SLI and Crossfire solutions, respectively.

The twist here is that the Lucid technology will allow you to mix and match both ATI and Nvidia cards. According to Lucid, you'll even be able to use cards from different manufacturers like EVGA and Sapphire. Lucid says that as long the cards are PCI-Express-compatible and support Direct X 9, they will work and provide an additive performance increase when paired together.

The first motherboard to implement the technology will be MSI's Big Bang in late October 2009, using Intel's P55 platform.

From there, we'll see how well it works out in the real world. With so many different configurations to test for, there are bound to be a few Lucid's testing team missed, as diligent as I'm sure they were.

Also, how much performance increase will you actually see? It had a demo PC running Bioshock and FEAR 2, but to be honest it was difficult to see a noticeable difference between using just one card or both.

It will be interesting to see how ATI and Nvidia respond to this as well, and can they get OEMs like Dell to adopt the technology?

The technology is exciting if it actually works in the real world and they can get enough support from manufacturers and OEMs. I guess we'll have a clearer picture in a few weeks when Big Bang drops.

Aaron_8015 · October 14th, 2009, 01:42 PM

KK did show me this a week ago.... I am looking forward to seeing how well it works....

pullmyfoot · October 14th, 2009, 01:51 PM

Yeah I read this a few weeks back too. I dont really see why Dell and other such companies should bother with this. Added cost for no real benefit. It will be interesting for enthusiasts though...

TimeDeatH · October 14th, 2009, 05:06 PM

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Originally Posted by Aaron_8015

KK did show me this a week ago.... I am looking forward to seeing how well it works....

I showed it to him on steam a week ago.

KarmaKiller · October 14th, 2009, 05:27 PM

I found it before that even.

I'm curious to see how well this works. I mean, I don't ever forsee the day I'll actually use it, but I'm sure it's got it's spot in the market like various other odd technology's.

I wonder how soon until Nvidia files it's first lawsuit against them?

ShyguyXPC · October 14th, 2009, 06:30 PM

or they go under, and Nvidia Buys them up like Ageia and 3DFX... or even possibly Intel (assuming said law suit doesn't stand up in court), when their license to use ATI Crossfire Expires, they'll still have an ace in the hole with both brand cards, just modify it to run with their new GPU as well.

EXreaction · October 14th, 2009, 10:39 PM

I doubt Intel would buy the company, if anything they would probably build a competing project themselves (they could have one in the works already). nVidia is in no position to buy this company, they have plenty of issues to deal with already and it sounds like an anti-competitive lawsuit waiting to happen if they try.

pullmyfoot · October 15th, 2009, 12:45 AM

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Originally Posted by KarmaKiller

I found it before that even.

I'm curious to see how well this works. I mean, I don't ever forsee the day I'll actually use it, but I'm sure it's got it's spot in the market like various other odd technology's.

I wonder how soon until Nvidia files it's first lawsuit against them?

My thoughts exactly

ShyguyXPC · October 15th, 2009, 09:14 AM

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Originally Posted by EXreaction

I doubt Intel would buy the company, if anything they would probably build a competing project themselves (they could have one in the works already). nVidia is in no position to buy this company, they have plenty of issues to deal with already and it sounds like an anti-competitive lawsuit waiting to happen if they try.

Don't see how its anti competitive, if Nvidia want's to keep their cards proprietary to run with only Nvidia cards and not ATI's I don't see how buying up the company, even if they aren't going to or in a position to, would be anti competitive. filing a law suit against the company itself would also be anti competitive by the same train of thought then too. It runs along the same thing lines of when they bought up 3DFX, as well as Ageia, wait till the company's are going bankrupt or floundering then snatch them up. can't be anti competitive then, as they opposition is no threat to them to begin with.

Nvidia and Intel are the only 2 of the 3 that are in a position to buy them up if that were the case, you mention Nvidia not being in the position to do that, but neither is AMD/ATI, if anything their worse off, slowly getting better, but still worse off, AMD wasn't making much of a profit when they bought up ATI, which also wasn't doing so well, even with their combined efforts, they are still trying to keep their heads above the water.

EXreaction · October 15th, 2009, 10:38 AM

I didn't say anything about AMD...why does some company have to be in a position to buy them out?