NVIDIA Set to Rival AMD Dragon Platform With The ''Power of 3''

[btarunr]

NVIDIA's recent announcement of extending all its multi-GPU technologies to Intel chipsets-based socket LGA-1156 motherboards, even as the company reportedly plans its own chipset, comes in at no better time than this, when rival AMD has a decent lineup of GPUs, processors, and desktop platform technologies, all of which well-oiled. To beat AMD in the game, and propagate its own GPU and multi-GPU technologies, some sort of loose alignment with Intel is inevitable, especially considering ATI CrossFireX has been freely available to motherboard makers for several product generations now.

In a recent presentation circulated to sections of the media, NVIDIA put forward a sort of quasi-platform to rival AMD Dragon, although it isn't named or defined, NVIDIA refers to it as "Power of 3". Part of its key components include Intel socket LGA-1156 processor (from the Core i3/i5/i7 series) running on a motherboard with Intel P55 chipset, Windows 7, and two or more NVIDIA GeForce GPUs. To deal with two or more GPUs, NVIDIA defines its existing "NVIDIA SLI Ready" marker and the seemingly new "NVIDIA PhysX Ready" marker. The difference between the two is that the latter lets you install a second (or third) graphics card that is dedicated to PhysX.



While doing so, it also grades P55 chipset motherboards into three tiers: There's a "mainstream" motherboard that has at least one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot for graphics, and a second PCI-E x16 slot that is electrically PCI-E x4, that should provide sufficient bandwidth for a PhysX-dedicated accelerator. Then there's a "performance" tier in which, the two (or more) PCI-E x16 slots rearrange as two PCI-E x8 slots when both are populated. This allows two GeForce accelerators to work in a 2-way SLI setup. In some motherboards, a third slot is electrically x4, this can handle the PhysX-dedicated card. Finally, there's the "extreme segment", in which motherboards usually make use of PCI-Express multiplex chips such as the NVIDIA BR-03, to ensure higher operating bandwidth for the graphics cards. This platform allows 3-way SLI, and in some boards with a fourth electrical PCI-E x4 slot to handle a PhysX-dedicated card too. Whew.

NVIDIA further made the licensing part a little more affordable for motherboard vendors. For the X58 platform, motherboard vendors reportedly have to pay a royalty of US $5 per SLI-supportive motherboard they sell. For the new platform, this royalty has been reduced to $3 per board, plus an upfront license fee of $30,000 a motherboard manufacturer has to pay once. A licensee then gets a BIOS micro-code entry that lets NVIDIA GeForce drivers recognise the motherboard as a qualified platform.

With quad-core Core i5 processors starting at US $196, and motherboards starting at well within the $150 mark, NVIDIA claims that it will provide consumers a better performing, and higher value for money platform (compared to AMD Dragon). As for AMD, it is on the brink of unveiling a new generation of GPUs, and will launch newer chipsets as the year progresses. The battle promises to be bitter for the long-standing market rivals, and hopefully sweet for you and me.

Sources: Hardware Canucks, Expreview

[LittleLizard]

Originally Posted by btarunr

and hopefully sweet for you and me.

i lolled at that.

imo this is nothing more that marketing.

[Kitkat]

well you know how it goes

[Jansku07]

You could always do "The power of gee" (TM). Featuring Intel P55 (TM), Core i5/i7 and AMD (TM) HD4800 (TM) Graphics + Windows 7 (TM).

Pure marketing.

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

an nvidia slide with intel cast ina good light, whats next, pigs sprouting props out of thier asses?

[devguy]

You know, given that AMD doesn't give a who-haw whether or not Nvidia makes chipsets for its AM3 processors (and beyond), I'd think they'd be a little closer to them. Intel says "ungh-ungh" to the same thing based around its processors with a built in memory controller. Given the squabbling between the two lately over this, it does seem odd to see them aligning themselves with Intel/Intel/Intel!

[DrPepper]

Nvidia - The power of a 3some.

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw that lol

[hat]

I have the power of 3 with my old clunky slow computer...

Geforce 4 MX4000 + Intel Pentium II + Intel i440BX chipset

Bring it on AMD, I have the power of 3!!!111!!!11one

[KainXS]

since when was was intel part of nvidia, lol

and physX

fail nvidia fail

[MrAlex]

Lmfao, wait, they're 'close' to Microsoft after MS dumped them and went with ATI for the 360, and they're releasing their cards a couple of months AFTER the release of Windows 7 while ATI is basically hand in hand with it.

Lol NVIDIA must have some huge balls to be showing stuff like this, but then again, the average consumer won't know about the above will they?

[KainXS]

heres another 3 lol, a 5870, a core I5, and a intel chipset

[thezorro]

nvidia + intel is creepy
nvidia inside or the power of 666
just my 2 cents

[soryuuha]

nvidia promote intel??

[johnnyfiive]

It's all about the combo of ATi and Intel.

[ShadowFold]

Originally Posted by soryuuha

nvidia promote intel??

They'd promote AMD, but you gotta remember AMD also owns ATi. Their only competitor.

[mdbrotha03]

Are there any hardware requirements that would prevent me from using this "Power of 3" with my Asus P6T.

[pr0n Inspector]

Wow they actually gave a sh** about that "Dragon Platform" BS.

[ArmoredCavalry]

And here I thought the dragon platform was stupid....

Silly me basing my purchases on performance/price, when I could be basing it on a catchy phrase!

[Polarman]

I like my Dragon

[ArmoredCavalry]

Originally Posted by Polarman

I like my Dragon

Never woulda guessed.

[tkpenalty]

Physx + Win 7 = does not work. With DX11's support for GPU Computing features, its just going to canniablise any capabilities of Physx. I mean what sort of game company would go for a proprietary standard instead of a simpler, and more widely avaliable open standard?

[eidairaman1]

Originally Posted by MrAlex

Lmfao, wait, they're 'close' to Microsoft after MS dumped them and went with ATI for the 360, and they're releasing their cards a couple of months AFTER the release of Windows 7 while ATI is basically hand in hand with it.

Lol NVIDIA must have some huge balls to be showing stuff like this, but then again, the average consumer won't know about the above will they?

The Average Consumer doesnt care whats inside the computer as of tech specs, as long as it appears to be fast to them. They only care about it turning on and if it will connect to the internet and play movies.

LMFAO NV= Ass Eaters

Only reason NV is doing is is because they are being threatened by Intel and AMD, when both AMD and Intel support ATI. NV has its head way too far up its ass to think about releasing another AM3 NF Chipset, when NV users will think about AMD for gaming.

[DarkEgo]

Lol this sounds like an episode of charmed (atleast I think thats what the show is called.

[Hayder_Master]

"Power of 3"
i think it is AMD idea , i still remember when i get my athelon x2 i found in the package "get all 3"