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CrossFire, also known as CrossFireX is a platform innovation that allows intelligent scaling graphics performance by combining multiple graphics cards in to a CrossFire specific motherboard. CrossFire only works with ATI based cards that are manufactured for CrossFire use.
CrossFire uses proprietary ATI software and a dedicated logic board in each graphics card to render the on-screen graphics or display using two cards with parallel processing, this can increase performance in games or video editing by a wide margin.
Current CrossFire configurations use a ribbon-like connector attached at the top of each graphics card inside the computer to allow communication and data transfer between the two cards.
To use CrossFireX, you need a CrossFireX certified motherboard and CrossFireX Capable graphics cards. It is also necessary to have a power supply capable of supporting the graphics cards.
Example of CrossFire compatible Video Card by Visiontek
If you have upgraded your display recently, you may have noticed that your graphics aren’t as clear as they should be. This may be due to the legacy video card in your computer. With a minor upgrade to your video card and a little time, you could improve your system’s video output dramatically. Before buying a new graphics card, here are some recommendations to follow when shopping for the right card:
System Specs
The first step is to evaluate the type of motherboard that you have in your current system. You could either remove the case and physically look at what slots on your motherboard or check the system’s user manual or manufacturer’s website for specifications. As outlined on our previous blog post on Graphics Cards, there are three basic types of video interfaces available: PCI, AGP or PCI-express. From this chart provided by Diamond Multimedia, you can see the difference in the configuration for each card type.
Illustration provided by Diamond Multimedia
Be sure to check what version of AGP or PCI-Express is compatible with your system.
Purpose
What will be the primary use of your display? Watching movies, gaming, photo editing? Depending on the function, you may need a higher-end graphics card to accommodate the demands on your computer’s video. If you are a gamer, you will need a performance video card that supports 3D rendering and HD. For photography or graphic arts, a video card with high resolution and better image quality is more important. The amount of video memory is also crucial to providing the best graphics output.
Connections
Video cards are built with a variety of ports to connect to your display. First, check the available ports on the back of your display. Does it have VGA, S-Video, DVI or HDMI? For high quality video, it is better to use DVI or HDMI, because they provide higher quality digital output. VGA and S-Video are older, analog interfaces that have lower resolution capabilities. If you have an older PCI card with only DVI, but a display with an HDMI connection, there are adapters available to connect a HDMI cable to a DVI port.
Diamond Multimedia provides an excellent video on installing a graphics card.
Reference:
Diamond Multimedia. How to Buy a Video Card/Graphics Card. http://bit.ly/gApxBE
There are three different interface standards for graphics cards: AGP, PCI or PCI-Express. AGP or Accelerated Graphics Port is twice as fast as PCI and has direct access to the processor bypassing the PCI bus. It is also capable of utilizing system memory to read textures through a technology known as GART (Graphics Address Mapping Table). GART sets aside areas of the main system memory as needed for storing textures. The video card then has access to those textures directly from system memory.
Example of an AGP Graphics Card (172-pin)
PCI or Peripheral Component Interconnect is the original interface standard before AGP. This method allows peripherals to be connected to the motherboard by using the computer bus. In addition to graphics cards, other connection cards can be added or removed using the PCI expansion slots.
Example of a PCI Card (120-pin)
Currently, PCI-Express or PCIe is the newest standard in graphics card technology and exceeds in performance beyond PCI or AGP. PCI-Express cards are available in four types: x1, x4, x8 and x16. They provide superior bandwidth capabilities allowing increased graphics processing with higher resolution and better 3D graphics rendering. PCIe is being adopted as the default form factor for a number of other hardware types such as network cards, wireless cards, modems, and sound cards. AGP and PCIe are not interchangeable. The index notch is in a different location on each slot.
