ATI's CrossFire multi-GPU technology started off on the Intel platform with ATI's own brand of chipset before AMD acquired the company. AMD/ATI then allowed CrossFire and the succeeding CrossFireX standards to be supported by Intel chipsets. The only current chipset platform that doesn't support CrossFire is the NVIDIA nForce series, which as ASRock demonstrated during the ongoing CeBIT event, breaks the dogma.

ASRock devised a BIOS for its nForce 740i based N7AD-SLI motherboard that enables support for CrossFire. AMD's Catalyst drivers were able to detect the motherboard as a qualified platform and enable CrossFire between two installed ATI Radeon accelerators. The setup was able to show performance increments during a 3DMark06 session. ASRock is reportedly working out similar BIOS firmware for several other motherboards made by it, and wants to enable CrossFire, CrossFireX for all its nForce motherboards.

ASRock has released its mainstream motherboard based on the NVIDIA nForce 740i SLI chipset, the N7AD-SLI. The motherboard supports Intel processors using the LGA 775 socket. The nForce 740i is a monolithic chipset based on the newer MCP79-D core. It sports GeForce 9400 class integrated graphics along with support for SLI. This particular motherboard does not feature automatic lane switching to dual PCI-E 2.0 x8, and hence relies on the provided lane switch card, for the user to manually set the second PCI-Express x16 slot active (electrically x8).

The N7AD-SLI offers a decent set of features for a mainstream motherboard. It supports DDR2-800 memory, features six SATA II ports, two Firewire and 10 USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port and a high-grade Realtek ALC890 8+2 channel HD Audio CODEC, with a rated SNR of 110 dB and HDCP compliance. ASRock is brandishing an Instant-Boot feature that starts up the system (into the OS) in four seconds. This motherboard will reach retail channels soon, following which it will be priced.

NVIDIA's engineering team was given a challenge: deliver a desktop GPU which integrates full system I/O and discrete-level performance in one-half the size of previous integrated graphics solutions. The result: a 16-core CUDA-capable graphics architecture that enables mainstream PC users to play the latest top-selling PC games and enjoy silky-smooth, high-definition Blu-ray video playback-all without breaking the bank.

NVIDIA Introduces the GeForce 9400 and 9300 motherboard GPUs for desktop PCs on the Intel platform.