Intel’s recently-released platform with Core i7 processors is universal when it comes to today’s multi-GPU technologies, ATI CrossFireX and Nvidia SLI. Mainboards based on the Intel X58 Express chipset and certified by ATI and Nvidia allow the user to build a graphics subsystem out of two cards from either GPU developer. As you surely know, it had not been possible for one mainboard to support both CrossFireX and SLI before.

You may be wondering how efficient these multi-GPU technologies are on the new platform. In what case will you have the highest performance benefits from installing a second identical graphics card into your system and what problems there can arise? This article will answer these and some other important questions. I’ve got two exciting cards from XFX for this test session, so I will begin by describing them.

XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition and Radeon HD 4870 XXX Edition

Package and Accessories

Although the GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition (GX-260N-ADB9) and Radeon HD 4870 XXX Edition (HD-487A-ZDDC) graphics cards are issued under the same brand, their boxes differ dramatically. The GeForce comes in XFX’s standard box designed mostly in black colors. The Radeon is much slimmer and has completely different colors.

The new packaging must have been developed to cut the manufacturing cost, but I like it more than the older bulky boxes, especially as the change has not affected the contents and the security of the graphics card.

The following accessories are included with the cards:

Assassin’s Creed is replaced with Far Cry 2 in the latest batches of the GeForce GTX 260 card.

There are no games included with the XFX Radeon HD 4870 XXX, but instead you get two power cables and a CrossFireX connector.