Can multiple GPUs work together?

Question

Like, If i have two ATI cards, can they work together to lower the load on one, and be on the same screen?

Answer 1

Yes they can, as long as the two ATI cards support crossfire X and you have a motherboard that supports crossfire X than you can put up to four ATI GPUs in one system.

Here is some information from there official website:



What Is ATI CrossFireX™



ATI CrossFireX™ is the ultimate multi-GPU performance gaming platform. Enabling game-dominating power, ATI CrossFireX technology enables two or more discrete graphics processors to work together to improve system performance. For The Ultimate Visual Experience™, be sure to select ATI CrossFireX ready motherboards for AMD and Intel® processors and multiple ATI Radeon™ HD graphics cards.



ATI CrossFireX technology allows you to expand your system’s graphics capabilities. It allows you the ability to scale your system’s graphics horsepower as you need it, supporting up to four ATI Radeon™ HD graphics cards, making this the most scalable gaming platform ever. Combination Options Chart



Extreme High-Definition Gaming



Arm yourself with up to four ATI Radeon HD graphics cards to move faster, aim quicker, and see more clearly than all who stand between you and victory. With an ATI CrossFireX gaming rig, you can breakthrough traditional graphics limitations to achieve higher performance and The Ultimate Visual Experience™.



Products featuring ATI CrossFireX technology offer a range of solutions for a whole new gaming experience. Whether you’re an up-and-comer or a pro-tournament master, ATI CrossFireX raises the bar for competitive performance and visual thrills.



What Are The Benefits Of ATI CrossFireX?



With an ATI CrossFireX gaming rig, you can breakthrough the traditional graphics limitation allowing you to higher performance as well as visual experience.



Does ATI CrossFireX Only Benefit The High-End Cards?



No. ATI CrossFireX technology brings a whole new level of gaming experience throughout our products line-up. Whether you have an entry level or top end solution, ATI CrossFireX will raise the bar in bringing the ultimate performance and visual experience.

Answer 2

Certain cards can be connected together, allowing their GPUs to work together on rendering the screen. In order for this to work, the cards MUST be identical (same make, model) and MUST support SLI(nVidia) or Xfire (ATI). Also your motherboard must support video cards in this configuration, and your power supply must have enough power (watts, amps) to power both cards.



In general, the benefits aren't that great if you ask me. Doubling the cards doesn't double your performance. So while you can get a dual, triple, even quad(!) card setup, don't expect your video performance to increase linearly.

Answer 3

Yes, but they need to support that feature. On ATI cards, it's called "Crossfire" and on nVidia cards it's called "SLI". Typically you want to of the same type of card for that to work.