NVIDIA Unveils "Hybrid SLI"

Enthusiasts probably know what SLI is: Scalable-Link Interface - a way to increase graphics performance by combining multiple NVIDIA GPUs in a single system.

Monday at CES, NVIDIA unveiled "hybrid SLI," which uses an integrated low-power GPU coupled with a higher-performance discrete GPU to reduce power consumption when the uber-GPU is not needed. While it initially sounds a lot like Hybrid Crossfire, the ability to shut down the power-sucking uber-GPU while using the integrated GPU to for your 2D desktop hasn't been demo'ed yet by AMD.

Really, let's face it, when you're using IE or Firefox or using Windows for simple tasks, you don't need that discrete GPU. According to the press release:

Hybrid SLI enables NVIDIA motherboard GPUs (mGPUs) to work cooperatively with discrete NVIDIA GPUs (dGPUs) when paired in the same PC platform. Hybrid SLI provides two new technologies— GeForce Boost and HybridPower—that allow the PC to deliver graphics performance for today’s applications and games when 3D graphics horsepower is required, or transition to a lower-powered operating state when not.

According to NVIDIA, for a laptop the power savings with HybridPower could amount to as much as an additional 3 hours of battery power.

Meanwhile, GeForce Boost is supposed to increase performance of the mGPU by using the dGPU. You can see that the best pairing would be with a lower-end dGPU as the mGPU and dGPU would be well-matched then.

One negative: it's a Vista-only solution, so XP users are SOL.

It's also going on AMD CPU-based motherboards first, with Intel-based motherboard support not until Q2 of this year, along with laptop support.

The final negative is that multi-monitor setups are not supported.

For gamers on the high-end of the spectrum, including those who might like full-scale SLI in their laptops, this isn't going to be attractive. But for those more in the middle-of-the-pack, particularly those with laptops, this might be a good solution.