NVIDIA Hybrid SLI Technology

[newtekie1]

Hmm.... a neat idea, but if you're going to only use the IGP during 2D animation, why not get rid of it entirely and use the CPU to process what's on the screen? With today's incredibly fast processors, it shouldn't be that much of a hassle, should it?

The graphics load is still high enough to warrant a dedicated GPU. Even simple tasks like scrolling in a window and moving windows around bogs down without some kind of graphics acceleration.

 

[hat]

The graphics load is still high enough to warrant a dedicated GPU. Even simple tasks like scrolling in a window and moving windows around bogs down without some kind of graphics acceleration.

I can vouch for that. It's horrible without drivers installed for my video card.

 

[newtekie1]

Now that I think about it, how will this work under Vista?

Even at the desktop it is running in 3D mode. So how will it know to switch to the IGP? The IGP should be enough to run Vista's 3D effects, but it won't technically be in 2D mode...

 

[Mussels]

Now that I think about it, how will this work under Vista?

Even at the desktop it is running in 3D mode. So how will it know to switch to the IGP? The IGP should be enough to run Vista's 3D effects, but it won't technically be in 2D mode...

Lots of ways really... Could be a driver switch, so that when something other than vista is launched it loads the real card - it could be driver based, and read based on the GPU load (The same way CPU'd do cool and quiet, using a % load meter)

 

[Grings]

also the same way in that cards have a low level 3d and a high level 3d clockspeed

 

[Mussels]

also the same way in that cards have a low level 3d and a high level 3d clockspeed

Yeah, pity they cant make that work better...


One big thing people forget as to why this is a problem, is that while you CAN adjust clockspeed and voltages on the GPU, it is expensive to add those features and memory modules cant be turned off - 768MB cards for example, are pretty screwed with so many ram modules. (With desktops, each stick of DDR ram adds about 10-15W of power used - even if you arent using it, the power is still in use)

Also, people want those fun little features - TV out, Media decoding capability etc. These all add up to more and more chips on the cards, all wasting power when they aren't in use.

 

[hat]

500TW power supply.
Terrawats.

 

[Grings]

500TW power supply.
Terrawats.

wrong thread?

 

[hat]

wrong thread?

apparantly. There's too many of them.

 

[Mussels]

there there hat. its ok. Have a cookie.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

how much "hard core" gaming actualy gets done on a notebook anyway??????
(I actualy don't know, not a trick question)

I have a ton of games on my MBP. CNC3, NFSMW, UT, Doom 3, etc etc. I can just boot straight to windows and I have an x1600 in my pocket.

less than 10W TDP would be a realistic figure... (and idle is obviously a lot less)

Is this the true macci?

I have to agree, 10w TDP or much less is a more appropriate number. You desktop folks enjoy getting screwed with power consumption eh?



This technology is a brilliant move for battery life in professional/high end laptops.

Now that I think about it, how will this work under Vista?

Even at the desktop it is running in 3D mode. So how will it know to switch to the IGP? The IGP should be enough to run Vista's 3D effects, but it won't technically be in 2D mode...

The best solution would be to not use Aero when on battery, honestly. This is to conserve battery life, not waste it.

 

[Agility]

Aero, slidebar, sidebar and stuff on vista.....And they do really consume alot of ram. It lags the notebook real bad on my dell D620 laptop even though it has 1GB of ram. battery life is only like 1hr+? ?

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

Aero, slidebar, sidebar and stuff on vista.....And they do really consume alot of ram. It lags the notebook real bad on my dell D620 laptop even though it has 1GB of ram. battery life is only like 1hr+? ?

WOW.

Ours at work get about 2.5hrs but they are all xp.