In an ironic twist, Intel has official support for AMD’s multi-GPU technology CrossFire with its chipset and now that AMD has launched a new graphics core architecture through the R600 series, while Intel is introducing a new family of chipsets, we’re facing a couple of interesting scenarios. At Anandtech they’ve given us a few answers by testing Intel’s CrossFire support with the new Intel P35 chipset, by comparing it to the ol’ Intel 975X. As we’ve told you before, the performance optimizations of the P35 chipset and its new memory controller is the highlight. Although there are still some things to improve with the CrossFire support.
AMD still has a lot of work to do with its drivers, which is clearly seen in the single card benchmarks, but at the same time, P35 is limited to a x16/x4 CrossFire mode, which actually means that 975X has a slight advantage, hardware-wise. The really extreme users should perhaps wait for Intel X38, which will replace 975X this summer. The entire CrossFire comparison of P35 and 975X can be found at Anandtech.com.
