How Much Faster Is SLI On The X58?

NVIDIA gave us a preview of the kind of performance boost we can expect from SLI on the Intel X58 Express platform. Here, they tested the GeForce GTX 280 and the GeForce GTX 260+ in a 3-way SLI configuration and compared them against the Radeon HD 4870 in CrossFireX mode.

Note that they did not provide raw frame rate numbers, just relative performance percentages. The charts were also skewed (Y-axis not zeroed), so do not take them at face value. Also, the NVIDIA results are based on early R180 drivers while the ATI driver used is unknown.

What Happens To The nForce 200?

Since manufacturers can now add SLI support to their X58 Express motherboards without using the NVIDIA nForce 200 SLI processor, what happens to it? Well, it's not going to be junked. the nForce 200. First off, NVIDIA will only be enabling driver-based SLI support for the X58 Express platform at this moment. Manufacturers who want to add SLI support to other motherboards using other chipsets, like the Intel P45 Express for example, will still have to add

Even for the Intel X58 Express platform, NVIDIA still sees a use for the nForce 200 chip in high-end applications. According to them, the X58 Express chipset only supports the following PCI Express configurations :

• two x16 slots, or
• one x16 slot and two x8 slots, or
• four x8 slots

A single nForce 200 chip would allow the motherboard to support three for x16 PCI Express slots while adding a second nForce 200 would enable four x16 slots.

However, adding two of these chips would not only increase the cost of the motherboard, the would also increase its thermal profile. Some manufacturers are already complaining about thermal issues with a single nForce 200 chip. NVIDIA refuted the claim today, saying that each nForce 200 chip only dissipates 8-10 W of power which should not be "too difficult" to cool.

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