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MSI ''Big Bang'' P55 Motherboard Implements Lucid Hydra

btarunr

btarunr

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System Name RBMK-1000
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard Gigabyte B550 AORUS Elite V2
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Software Windows 11 Pro
MSI already has its task cut out when Intel's first socket LGA-1156 processors hit stores. With entry-level P55-CD53, mid-range P55-GD65, enthusiast-range P55-GD80, and a micro-ATX P55M-GD45 motherboard offering in place, the lineup seems just about complete, except for two mysterious motherboards that aren't part of the list. First being the G9P55-DC that packs an NVIDIA BR-03 bridge chip that enables 3-way SLI with better interface bandwidth to the three graphics cards, and second is under the looking-glass today. Codenamed "Big Bang", this prototype motherboard by MSI packs a LucidLogix Hydra technology, which clearly on paper, is the next big thing as far as multi-GPU systems go.

MSI P55 "Big Bang" looks similar to the P55-GD80, except for that under the top chipset heatsink (which, by the way, is purely cosmetic on the GD80), is a Lucid Hydra chip. The chip connects to all three (or four) PCI-Express x16 slots (lane configuration not known), and allows Lucid's multi-GPU technology that lets you make practically any combination of graphics cards, for performance scaling. The member cards needn't have parity on their performance, as the Hydra chip does all the load-balancing by itself. Products based on Hydra are slowly, but surely showing up in small numbers for now, including enterprise-grade rack-mount graphics rendering boxes like this one, conceived a long time ago. A lot of details are yet to emerge, especially around if there are more motherboard manufacturers eying Hydra, about when a Hydra-based product actually makes it to shelves, and more importantly, when does MSI plan to sell this and G9P55-DC.



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Well, well, well... Pairing a Ati and Nvidia card for performance scaling. Sounds suspicious to me, weird Nvidia hasn't filed a lawsuit on this yet.

:skeptical:
 
This is the news I've been waiting for. It's excellent to see that the hydra chips are making it onto current (almost) motherboards, especially a mainstream/gamer/enthusiast board! I cannot wait to pick one up. :toast:

* Now I want to know how things will work on the driver side, or if drivers will be needed at all?
 
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does it blow up to have the name > Big bang?
 
Totally getting this for testing purposes :D:D:D
 
erocker said:
This is the news I've been waiting for. It's excellent to see that the hydra chips are making it onto current (almost) motherboards, especially a mainstream/gamer/enthusiast board! I cannot wait to pick one up. :toast:

* Now I want to know how things will work on the driver side, or if drivers will be needed at all?
Click to expand...

Individual cards remain abstract, their drivers remain subsets to Lucid's driver, from what little is known.
 
Do you know how it works at all ? I mean seems pretty crazy to get two different architectures to work together.
 
DrPepper said:
Your the expert I was asking if you knew how it works :p
Click to expand...

The HYDRA Engine is the first solution that "plays well with others." Unlike other technologies, it is completely compatible with all gaming applications, chipsets and GPUs from any vendor, so you can develop a totally customizable PC solution. Mix and match elements into your gaming system to achieve the price and performance level that's just perfect for you. And developers no longer have to write games and applications specific to a chip. Whether the API is OpenGL or Direct3D, the HYDRA Engine can tackle both.
Click to expand...

So far, this is their investor-bait: http://www.lucidlogix.com/technology/technologies.html
 
I just find it mind boggling. It just seems too good to be true.
 
Crazy, but when will we see it on an AMD board? I would like flexibility like Intel chipsets have atm (granted I know this is better).
 
This is so strange... but i definetily want this to live!
 
I really really hope this chip succeeds, I get tired of motherboard manufacturers prioritizing crossfire and sli on certain boards

and it came just in time for direct x 11 too XD

I remember they said they would make a pci/pci-e add in card version of this, I would buy it in a minute if this is good.
 
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Big Bang because it will make a Big Bang in the legal world when it blows up into a lawsuit?

Either way, if this actually does work, BIG props to the engineers behind this, but I just can't see it working... I suspect lots of crashes, blue screens, performance issues, etc. However they would have to make thier own drivers for running Nvidia and ATi cards togeather, since you can't have Nvidia and ATi drivers running togeather on Vista or 7.

Hm... blurry picture is blurry. Could this be a fake?
 
Why would anyone put two different video drivers on the same pc?

Big Bang BSOD!
 
I was thinking that too, but when looking at the chip all I could think is, man, thats pretty flat, it looks a bit too flat and dull, like paper or something,

maybe its just my eyes lol
 
This sounds amazing, I definitely will be looking more into this. Does it apply to games, or just other tasks like 3D Modeling?

mlee49 said:
Well, well, well... Pairing a Ati and Nvidia card for performance scaling. Sounds suspicious to me, weird Nvidia hasn't filed a lawsuit on this yet.

:skeptical:
Click to expand...

ATi seems to be the one that likes to throw around lawsuits recently, or at least the threats of lawsuits...so why did you pick nVidia as the one to sue over this?
 
I'm merely playing it up, but someone is gonna get pissy about misuse of their product. Surely the scaling will be marginal at first until drivers are fully developed, hacked, and rereleased.
 
i agree will all that said about the drivers but it should work kinda when u have an ati and a geforce for physx
 
This is really cool. I can't wait for it, I may have to sell my i7 setup to try this out :p
(that is if it makes it to retail)
 
If the Lucid driver sits on top of the gfx drivers, then Windows, nor the other driver sets will know about their co-existance...

Seems like a better implementation of SLI/CFX - something that won't depend on games being optimized or not. Amen to that.
 
hat said:
Big Bang because it will make a Big Bang in the legal world when it blows up into a lawsuit?

Either way, if this actually does work, BIG props to the engineers behind this, but I just can't see it working... I suspect lots of crashes, blue screens, performance issues, etc. However they would have to make thier own drivers for running Nvidia and ATi cards togeather, since you can't have Nvidia and ATi drivers running togeather on Vista or 7.

Hm... blurry picture is blurry. Could this be a fake?
Click to expand...

Check my sig. You can use them together.

But I think this is vaporware.
 
as the Hydra chip does all the load-balancing by itself
Click to expand...
:wtf:
Added stage means another performance degradation. :rolleyes:
A penny-pinching enthusiast's mobo. Parting with moolah$$, so as to use low-end gpus.
 
mlee49 said:
Well, well, well... Pairing a Ati and Nvidia card for performance scaling. Sounds suspicious to me, weird Nvidia hasn't filed a lawsuit on this yet.

:skeptical:
Click to expand...

mhm
 
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