What is SLI? Unravel the Mystery of Gaming PCs

[yu_wing_sin]

What is SLI?
Many crazy gamers like to make a SLI computer, what is SLI?
Do you know?

 

[Pengwuino]

I forget whawt SLI stands for but basically, it allows the use of 2 graphics processors to run on one system. People basically get 2 video cards and put them in the SLI slots and the motherboard will split the work between both computers making in theory, a graphics system 2x as powerful as their single counterparts.

 

[physicsCU]

SLI basically spills the work of one card to the second if the 1st card is overwhelmed.

Crossfire from Radeon is smarter, it actually splits the work between both cards.

 

[yu_wing_sin]

Thank you very much. I know what SLI is now!

 

[Dngrsone]

Scalable Link Interface

Two identical video cards work in tandem to process the graphics for the computer. The cards must be identical, there is a bridge or two that connect them so one card knows which portions of the page the other is doing.

It is kind of a workaround hack until the card makers can come up with a dual Graphics Processing Unit with Physics Processing Unit on one card.

It's only necessary when you are a hardcore gamer who wants to squeeze every last frame per second out of your machine.

 

[dduardo]

It's basically a way for graphics chip companies to get you to buy two of their really expensive models.

 

[Grotesque Puppet]

SLI stands for Scalable Link Interface and its based on symmetric distribution of load.