What is SLI?
Scalable Link Interface(multiple GPU interfacing technology) which is introduced by Nvidia.
When SLI was introduced?
Initially, SLI used by 3dfx in the name of Scan line Interleave and introduced in 1998 and used in the Voodoo line of video cards.
After buying 3dfx company, Nvidia acquired the technology and re-introduced it in 2004.
What are the requirements for installing or setting up multiple GPU technology?
- It requires a mgpu supported motherboard with PCI-E slots.
- Power supply connectors for Multiple GPUs.
- It requires a minimum power supply of 650 watts (it depends upon the number of GPU's you are installing.
- SLI compatible Graphics cards(with the same model number & same memory amount).
- SLI bridge connector, which is an interfacing cable where the two graphics cards can talk to each other and separates the workload between each other.
Does SLI bridge connector is necessary for interfacing two or more GPU?
No, the SLI bridge connector is not necessary to enable SLI.
It can also be done by using PCI slots in the motherboard, but the performance you will feel is not that much increased from the before.
Types of SLI bridges:
- Standard bridge- (400 MHz pixel clock & bandwidth-1GB/s )
- LED bridge -(540 MHz pixel clock)
- HB bridge -(650 MHz pixel clock & bandwidth- 2GB/s.
Can all graphics cards support multiple GPU technology?
It is a tricky question but I have an answer for it.
- First, it is unable to interface any two or more graphics cards with different model numbers, brands, and different memory amounts.
- Second, it is possible to interface two or more graphics cards with the same brand, same model number, and the same memory amount.
(note: you can interface multiple GPU with the same brand with a different manufacturer.)
eg: Brand: Nvidia Manufacturer: MSI/Gigabyte.
SLI supported Graphics card
Here, I have listed some SLI supported graphics cards. Nowadays almost all the graphics card comes with SLI supported technology. This is because the mgpu maybe future technology.
- Geforce RTX 2080 Ti
- Geforce RTX 2080 SUPER
- Geforce RTX 2080
- Geforce RTX 2070 SUPER
- NVIDIA Titan X
- Geforce Gtx 1080
Is SLI still exists or not?
Truth is SLI is still alive.
Then why it is not widely used by all the users?. This is because SLI is not cost-efficient and also most of the gamers run their games with fewer PC's. The person who is expecting to run their games at a higher resolution at higher performance can use SLI.
Do all games support SLI?
No, not all games support SLI even the mgpu supported games also give some troubles to the gamers first, we have to install the driver and tinker the GPU control panel to run the games smoothly.
Games which support SLI:
Here I have listed some SLI supported games:
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