That ATI, just as NVIDIA, is working on a graphics card with dual graphics circuits is no secret, its Gemini series is already available based on Radeon X1600 circuits, but now information about new Gemini-based graphics cards has arrived. At HKEPC they’ve got a hold of HIS X1600 Gemini which use two ATI RV530 Pro circuits on the one and same PCB. To get past the limitation with today’s ATI dual-GPU graphics cards, I.e. only x8 + x8 PCI-E bandwidth, it has added a PLX PEX8532 circuit which acts like a bridge between the two circuits and lets them share a PCI-E x16 slot but with full x16 + x16 bandwidth. A circuit similar to the one NVIDIA uses with its GeForce 790GX2 card.
The card HKEPC has photographed also supports the coming RV560/RV570 circuits which will be made with 80nm technology and is expected to arrive in August. These circuits will also integrate the “compositing logic” required to run Crossfire with ATI’s graphics cards. This means that you will not need a Master card with these circuits for a Crossfire setup.
Extra interesting with ATI’s Gemini solution is that the new cards will not only work as a Crossfire solution on one PCB, but that you will actually be able to dedicate one of the circuits for 3D rendering and the other for physics acceleration.
