Nfail set to die :D

Well this has been coming since nVidia refused Intel SLi. But then if Intel got SLi, nVidia would lose most of their chipset market share.

Intel playing dirty eh... like that's never happened before! :p
 
They are truly screwed then. SLI is dead unless they give intel the SLI licence which they never wanted to do. I guess they have to now though, its either that or kill off SLI.
 
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From a few days back.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9956256-7.html

Intel and Nvidia headed for licensing stand-off

Posted by Rich Brown

This started out as a rumor today, but Intel has since more-or-less confirmed that licensing discussions between Intel and Nvidia for Intel's next-generation processors are not going well and the resulting conflict could have implications for high-end gaming PCs.

The story is that Intel and Nvidia are currently negotiating technology licenses for Nehalem, Intel's next-generation desktop CPU due out at the end of this year. As we were told from multiple desktop vendors who wish to remain nameless, Intel wants to license SLI from Nvidia for its Nehalem chipsets, and if Nvidia won't, Intel will withhold the license that would enable Nvidia to support Nehalem's memory controller, and thus Nehalem, on its own chipsets.

We have no official confirmation from Nvidia on this, and Intel's statement from PR manager Dan Snyder is vague, but it lends credence to the story:

"There is a disagreement between Intel and Nvidia as to the scope of Nvidia's license from Intel to make chipsets compatible with Intel microprocessors. Intel is trying to resolve the disagreement privately with Nvidia and therefore we will not provide additional details. It is our hope that this dispute will be resolved amicably and that it will not impact other areas of our companies' working relationship."

Intel has been after SLI support for its chipsets for years, but has thus far only been able to build it into its ultra high-end Skulltrail motherboards, seemingly a one-off. With SLI available across all of its chipset lines, Intel would be able to sell motherboards that support both AMD's and Nvidia's multigraphics card technologies. Right now Intel boards (with the exception of Skulltrail) only support AMD's CrossFire.

Nvidia, on the other hand, has kept SLI close, often citing compatibility and certification concerns as the reason why no other chipset vendor has been able to offer SLI-capability. But if Nvidia loses out on Nehalem for its next-generation chipsets, the high-end desktop market will become more fragmented than it's been in years. Nvidia has been able to offer SLI-supporting chipsets for both AMD and Intel processors, but if this split happens, on one side we'll have Nehalem and CrossFire-based systems, the other will offer SLI (and possibly CrossFire, if hacks used in the past continue to work) and AMD CPUs.

In light of this rumor, Nvidia's recent marketing push encouraging upgraders to pick a graphics card before a quad-core CPU takes on new significance. If Nvidia knows high-end PC gamers will have to make a choice later this year, better to plant the seeds in its favor early. Intel probably has less to worry about, because gamers who demand SLI with a fast Intel processor can still use Nvidia's NForce 790i chipset, which supports the current generation of Intel Core 2 Extreme chips.

UPDATE 5:48pm PT - Intel released an additional statement after this blog was posted. "We are not seeking any SLI concession from Nvidia in exchange for granting any Nehalem license rights to Nvidia," the company said.
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The really stupid thing is if they gave Intel SLI they would sell many more GFX cards as a lot of people are put of by pppor Nvidia chipsets. Plus not having to invent the cash they normaly spend on there chipset design, Its pretty much win win for Nvidia, Intel and the customer.
 
To be honest i'd spend £400 on a single card than two cards in SLI. I Have one 8800GTS which runs ALL my games at Very high at 1680 x 1050 and i'm happy with it. If the new cards are as great as they are supposed to be SLI will be redundant for all except for the e-peen brigade.
 
Janesy B said:
To be honest i'd spend £400 on a single card than two cards in SLI. I Have one 8800GTS which runs ALL my games at Very high at 1680 x 1050 and i'm happy with it. If the new cards are as great as they are supposed to be SLI will be redundant for all except for the e-peen brigade.
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I think it's harsh to classify those people as an 'e-peen bridgade'. If they've got the money, why should they only buy one card and not two? They may also point at you and say 'the green and jealous brigade'.

Now there is always the exception who has spent stupid amounts of money on a rig and is a No Swearing! and shouts about it - but that's the person's fault, not becuase he has SLI.

I'm completely in agreement at always preferring a high cost single card solution over a 2/3/4 GPU setup. :)
 
Janesy B said:
i dont see why they will die. who really uses sli anyway!?
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Well that's nVidia's fault too. If Intel had supported it from the start there would undoubtedly have been a higher uptake.

People want the overclocking and stability of the Intel chipsets - and if that means doing away with SLi, so be it.
 
they've deserved it for along time, nvidia love to think they're the big player in the market and come across somewhat as a bully.

NV only ever released one truly good and bug free chipset and the success of that is largely due to DFI anyway.

the bully gets bullied, love it!!!!
 
marscay said:
they've deserved it for along time, nvidia love to think they're the big player in the market and come across somewhat as a bully.

NV only ever released one truly good and bug free chipset and the success of that is largely due to DFI anyway.

the bully gets bullied, love it!!!!
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That's the problem when you think you are a big fish, there is always a bigger fish out there! :D
 
There are a few companies you don't really want to pee off in the IT industry. Intel is most certainly one of these companies.

Even Apple realised they were far better off having Intel on board.
 
Amd are in a weird position, on the one hand nehalem could make any cpu they produce redundant, on the other hand 3rd party m/b chipset monopoly!
 
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