Intel’s 945 and 955 Chipsets Enable Dual-GPU Mode

It seems like even rather conservative Intel Corp. is about to enable dual-graphics processor mode on its i945- and i955-series chipsets: a number of mainboard makers, including Intel itself are showing off platforms with two PCI Express x16 slots at CeBIT 2005. Such configuration of the slots may be helpful to those seeking to use two graphics cards in one system to enable 4 monitors, or use two graphics cards in parallel ?or the so-called Multi-GPU, or, as NVIDIA Corp. brands it, SLI mode ?to get higher performance in 3D games, provided that drivers of graphics cards support such operation.

BIOSTAR mobo

Jetway mobo

Intel’s mobo

Biostar and JetWay show off mainboards powered by Intel’s 945P/G Express chipsets with two PCI Express x16 slots, according to specifications list. Intel shows off its i955X Express core-logic powered platform claiming that the second slot is “utility connector ?physical x16 connector routed x4 electrically?

It is unclear whether it will be possible to use NVIDIA GeForce 6-series graphics cards in the dual-GPU SLI mode on Intel’s mainboards. At least one thing is absent for dual-card operation: the so-called SLI switcher that determines whether one or two graphics cards are installed and should operate. Still, the switch can be implemented directly into the core-logic.

Mainboards powered by i945- and i955-series chipsets are projected support Intel’s Pentium 4 600-series processors as well as the forthcoming dual-core Intel Pentium Extreme Edition chips and Intel Pentium 4 D products. Additional capabilities include dual-channel 667MHz DDR2 memory as well as advanced RAID configurations like RAID 5, RAID 10 with hotplug capability.