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[Zaptruder]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/06/ati_mvp_details/

ATI's system - apparently dubbed Multi Video Processing (MVP) - will, like Nvidia's rival SLi technique, speed image rendering by getting two GPUs to co-operatively render each 3D scene.

Citing a number of sources, the site claims ATI's approach uses a master/slave system. The slave card can be any ATI board - only the master card needs to specifically support MVP. Nvidia's alternative requires two SLi-compatible boards to be used.

MVP was previously believed to operate across the PCI Express bus, avoiding the need for the proprietary card-to-card connector used by Nvidia's SLi boards. However, the sources claim ATI's system actually connects the two boards via a backplane connection - presumably feeding the slave card's video output into the master card's video-in part. ATI's solution will also require a suitable mobo.

Assuming that SLI requires 2 like boards...

this is a pretty brilliant move from ATI; when you go to upgrade your video card, you no longer have to throw out your old vid card... moreover, you'd get a much larger boost then if you were to switch over to Nvidia... even if the nvidia card is faster!

 

[drohne]

that's pretty awesome, actually. only crazies are going to go out and buy two new graphics cards, but a lot of people would be in a position to supplement their new graphics card with their old graphics card.

 

[gofreak]

Yup, this is the way it should go. No doubt NVidia are heading in the same direction.

 

[Mejilan]

Cool!? I have an ATI Radeon X850 XT right now. If I wanted to upgrade this vid card in the future, I could just by a new ATI card with MVP support, make that the master, my current card the slave, and go all out!?

Holy shit. Why didn't anyone think of this years ago?

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Very smart decision. If true, I bet nVidia is a little perturbed at the moment.