Multiple GPUs, SLI and CUDA...

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DanoruX

n00b
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
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Simple question - does the mobo need to support SLI if I want to use one card for rendering and the other for CUDA?
 
Cuda does not require SLI, as shown with the that 4GX2 setup. Now as far as rendering at the same time as running cuda, I'm not sure. If you only want to render from one card, then you wouldn't need SLI. I'm not sure if you would be able to render and run the CUDA at the same time. I'm not qualified to answer that.
 
You won't need SLI.


You can even use the same card for CUDA and rendering.

Is it possible to run multiple CUDA applications and graphics applications at the same time?

CUDA is a client of the GPU in the same way as the OpenGL and Direct3D drivers are - it shares the GPU via time slicing. It is possible to run multiple graphics and CUDA applications at the same time, although currently CUDA only switches at the boundaries between kernel executions.

The cost of context switching between CUDA and the graphics API is roughly the same as switching graphics contexts. This isn't something you'd want to do more than a few times a frame, but is certainly fast enough to make it practical for use in games.
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Although you should be aware that there are limitations in the use of textures created in the renderer (OpenGL/Direc3D) to texture using CUDA.

It is up to your application to use the available cards as it needs.

There is a FAQ at:
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=36286
 
Cougar.pt said:
You won't need SLI.


You can even use the same card for CUDA and rendering.



Although you should be aware that there are limitations in the use of textures created in the renderer (OpenGL/Direc3D) to texture using CUDA.

It is up to your application to use the available cards as it needs.

There is a FAQ at:
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=36286
Click to expand...

Awesome! 2x GTX280 should provide some sick computational power... :D

EDIT: Actually... with skulltrail... four GTX280s... *faints*
 
Since you don't need SLI, you can actually use one of the 4- PCI-E 2.0 cross fire mobos. Would be much cheaper. And realistically the second CPU isn't going to increase your power of the computer at all for good CUDA problems.
 
vengence said:
Since you don't need SLI, you can actually use one of the 4- PCI-E 2.0 cross fire mobos. Would be much cheaper. And realistically the second CPU isn't going to increase your power of the computer at all for good CUDA problems.
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It will increase my chances of winning a pissing contest, however...
 
DanoruX said:
Awesome! 2x GTX280 should provide some sick computational power... :D

EDIT: Actually... with skulltrail... four GTX280s... *faints*
Click to expand...

I think Skulltrail only provides for dual-SLI. Its a limitation of the chipset I believe.
 
is cuda a common term now? I mean, i just got the book from nvidia as a stockholder which mentioned it, and that was the first time i had heard of it.
 
mnewxcv said:
is cuda a common term now? I mean, i just got the book from nvidia as a stockholder which mentioned it, and that was the first time i had heard of it.
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No, its really more right now of a way to compete with Intel as Intel is gears up to move into the GPU space. nVidia decided to market GPU's as CPU's and there are some impressive results there to be sure.
 
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