How to enable crossfire amd on laptop. What is AMD CrossFireX. Reflections on expediency

When choosing a video card from AMD, the user may notice the CrossFire parameter in the list of options. This is a special technology that was developed by AMD engineers with the aim of combining multiple graphics cards into one system. Thanks to the use of CrossFire technology, it is possible to extend the life of old video cards, as well as to increase the maximum system power several times. But CrossFire technology has a lot of nuances that need to be observed in order for it to work correctly, and video cards give their maximum capabilities. Let's consider in this article what subtleties are there when setting up CrossFire and combining several video cards.

Table of contents:

What is required to connect two video cards via CrossFire

To combine two video cards into one, you will need not only their presence and two slots in the motherboard. There are a number of conditions that must be met in order to take advantage of the CrossFire technology and unleash the potential of the two GPUs. Before combining two AMD cards via CrossFire into one common performance element, make sure the following components meet the required requirements.

. The motherboard must have at least two PCI-Express. At the same time, it is important that the slots are with the maximum bandwidth. For modern motherboards, this is x16. Pay close attention for now. Only with x16 bandwidth for both video cards connected to the motherboard will it be possible to achieve maximum performance. Often motherboards have one primary x16 connector and several secondary ones with lower bandwidth. It can be x8 or x4. Some video cards do not have a PCI-Express slot with x16 bandwidth at all, and all slots are x8.

Please note: To combine AMD video cards via CrossFire, you can also use connectors with a bandwidth of x8 or one x16 and the other x8. But this will reduce the overall performance of the combined array.

The throughput of the connectors is marked with a corresponding inscription next to them. If it is x16, it will be written PCIEX16_1, PCIEX16_2, and so on. If x8, then PCIEX8_1.

In addition to the presence on the motherboard of two connectors for connecting video cards via CrossFire, it must support this functionality at the chip level. It is important to note here that not all chips support CrossFire, and it is better to check the fact of compatibility on the motherboard manufacturer's website. It is also worth noting that only motherboards based on AMD and Intel chips work with CrossFire technology. If the motherboard is made on a chip from Nvidia (a company that is a direct competitor to AMD), it certainly does not support the patented CrossFire technology. Please note: Motherboards that support CrossFire have a corresponding mark on the box.

. Ideally, it is better to combine two identical video cards into an array via CrossFire - of the same series and from the same manufacturer. But it is not always possible to do this, therefore on the AMD website, as well as on the websites of video card manufacturers, you can find detailed tables with the compatibility of certain graphics processors with each other. Important: If the cards are compatible for CrossFire, but one of them is more powerful than the other, you should know that a more powerful model will not be able to fully develop. The cards will work at the level of two weak cards from this pair.

It should be noted that the bundle with video cards with CrossFire support comes with a bridge for combining them. It is a small wire with a corresponding logo and a connector on both sides.

Power Supply. The video card is one of the main consumers. When there are two of them, and they work at the same time, especially with the same x16 bandwidth, this is a very serious load on the power supply. It is necessary to have the correct power, and also take into account the presence of the required number of connectors for connecting all components.

Case and cooling system. Another thing that is often forgotten when you want to assemble a computer assembly with two video cards combined via CrossFire is the presence of a good case. Video cards should not only fit into the unit along with other components, but it should also have a good ventilation system. It is wrong to think that the coolers on the video card itself are enough to cool the chip. A low temperature should remain in the case, and when two video cards are in operation, it will be much higher than when one is working. Therefore, the case should be equipped with its own high-quality coolers for hot air exhaust.

As it is already clear from the title of the article, I bought a second video card and decided to take the opportunity to write a detailed article on this topic. Let's start at the beginning - what is Crossfire?

AMD CrossFireX ( was originally called AMD CrossFire) Are technologies from AMD that allow you to combine several video cards into one system to improve the performance of your computer in building 3D models and graphics. Of course, this technology is mainly intended for gamers, moreover, not the poorest ones, since video cards and motherboards with support for this function are at least in the middle price category. Although the price is not the only nuance that you need to know before buying, and now we will consider them.

What you need to buy in a system unit to support CrossfireX

So, first I will list what we need to buy in order to build a full-fledged CrossFireX:

1) Motherboard;
2) Power supply unit;
3) Two or more video cards.

1) Motherboard (can be bought at OGO.ru). Here, in principle, nothing is difficult, but before buying, you need to carefully read the specification on the manufacturer's website, since important information is often hidden in stores. So the first is technology support CrossFireX, but there is one caveat - the motherboard should have two full-fledged PCI-E x16 ports working in pairs in x16 + x16 mode, but you can at least x8 + x8 (the difference will be a few percent, but still there is a place), although ideally, the first option is better. In stores, however, very often they do not disclose information that two of the three PCI-E x16 ports operate in x4 mode and although they are possible for use, due to the weak use of the second video card, they become unsuitable for building CrossFireX... Buying a second video card in this case simply will not pay for itself. In the best case, they will write about it in the "Additional Information" section, but as practice shows, this is not there. Therefore, do not be lazy to go to the manufacturer's official website and view the specification for the motherboard that you are going to buy, since the manufacturer is obliged to indicate the real data here. For example, here is the information on the Gigabyte website about my motherboard:

To make the search somewhat easier, there is already a list of chipsets that support the technology CrossFireX, but this is only an approximate list, check the final support in the specification on the manufacturer's website.

for motherboards AMD AM3 +:
AMD 990FX (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 990X (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards AMD AM3:
AMD 890FX (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 890GX (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790X (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA2011:
Intel X79 (x16 + x16, PCI-E 3.0)
for motherboards under Intel LGA1366:
Intel X58 (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA1156:
Intel P55 (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
* the choice of processor is also important here, CrossFireX is possible ONLY on Lynnfield processors (i5-7xx, i7-8xx). On Clarkdale processors (i3-5xx, i5-6xx, Pentium) - IMPOSSIBLE.
for motherboards under Intel LGA1155:
Intel P67 (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel Z68 (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
* it should be noted that mat. motherboards based on Intel P55 / P67 / Z68 chipsets:
1) if there is an additional nForce 200 chip, they support the x16 + x16 scheme
2) can only support x16 + x4 scheme
for motherboards AMD AM2:
AMD 580X (x16 + x16, PCI-E 1.1)
AMD 790X (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA775:
Intel 975X (x8 + x8, PCI-E 1.1)
Intel X38 (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel P45 (x8 + x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel X48 (x16 + x16, PCI-E 2.0)

2) Power supply unit (buy in OGO.ru). I have already written, so I will not go into detail on how this is done now. Just when choosing, now you need to take into account that there will be two video cards, respectively, there must be wires to connect additional power to the video card, as well as the corresponding power to power the second video card (and this is from +100 to 350W, depending on the video card).

3) Video card (buy in OGO.ru). With her, everything is simple. First and foremost, technology support is needed CrossFireX(always yours, Cap), and it manifests itself in a simple way: the video card must have an appropriate connector for connection CrossFire bridge. Ideally, it is better to use two identical video cards. You can also combine different ones, but although the video cards will work completely synchronously, a more powerful video card will not be able to fully demonstrate its capabilities, since it will have to adapt to a weaker card. There is no point in talking about the company, personally, when buying AMD cards, I try to take Sapphire, since they are official partners (like Asus is for Nvidia). According to the agreement with AMD, video card manufacturers are obliged to put a bridge for connecting video cards in CrossFireX in the box with the video card. It looks like this:

How to connect and configure CrossFireX

I think the theory is enough - let's move on to practice, or rather to the connection and configuration.

1) We install video cards in connectors with a bandwidth of x16 (or x8). To do this, you should refer to the instructions on the motherboard. On my card from Gigabyte, the manufacturer prudently marked these connectors with the corresponding inscriptions PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 (connectors that operate in x4 mode are marked with PCIEX4_1 and PCIEX4_2).

2) Insert so that the latch on the connector works. To reduce the load on the motherboard, it is better to screw the screws on the left side of the retaining plate on the back of the case.

4) Start the system and enter Windows. At the moment, I have the latest beta drivers installed (AMD Catalyst ™ 14.1 Beta Driver), and after starting the control panel itself detected the CrossFireX connection and offered to enable it, for which I should click the "Go" button:

If this did not happen for you, manually open the AMD Catalyst Control Center, open the "Performance" section (in the advanced menu view) and select AMD CrossFireX.

Here, mark with a dot “ Enable AMD CrossFireX"And put a tick on the box" Enable AMD CrossFireX for applications that do not have an associated application profile. " Click "Apply" at the bottom.

That's all. You can buy all the necessary components in the OGO.ru store. I hope this article was useful to you, click one of the buttons below to tell your friends about it. Also subscribe to site updates by entering your e-mail in the field on the right.

Hello friends, today I will tell you about AMD CrossFire. This technology allows you to use multiple video cards on your computer at the same time to improve video quality. This topic is quite specific, and first of all it will be of interest to demanding gamers, specialists in hardware for PCs and, of course, all enthusiasts who want to understand modern computer technologies.

Now, perhaps, you will not surprise anyone with multi-core devices. And if in the CPUs installed on the motherboard, to implement this idea, more advanced technologies for their manufacture were required, then it lay on the surface: just install several video cards together and synchronize their work.

This required some kind of software algorithm that processes video and combines the efforts of individual cards and a device for exchanging information and transmitting a video stream between them. This is how the technologies on the basis of which CrossFireX was created.

How is video processed?

For general development, I will describe how it works. The picture was divided into separate elements or frames, the processing of which was carried out by separate modules. They also smoothed the image in different ways. All this, with the subsequent merging of streams, made it possible to obtain a higher quality and more detailed video with a high frame rate (fps).

To implement CrossFireX "at home" AMD has somewhat simplified the task for the supporters of this brand.

In collaboration, you can use up to four video cards from different manufacturers, of any model. The main thing is that they are based on one AMD chip (they were of the same generation) and, of course, support AMD CrossFire technology.

Also, in addition to being able to work with a specific motherboard, video cards must be compatible with each other.

You can check it here (for some video cards):

Or google it on the Internet if you haven't found your device in this table. By the way, here is the official AMD website, where you can choose your card from the list and find out compatible ones for crossfire: https://www.amd.com/en/support

Perhaps this information will somewhat upset those who once bought any video cards for, and now decided to join their efforts for gaming.

It should be borne in mind that with different parameters of the cards (memory, frequency), the system will be guided by the weakest of them.

Install and connect hardware

Connecting system components is not particularly difficult, but it requires certain conditions to be met:

• The cards are simply plugged into PCI E slots with x16 bandwidth. If there is only one, then the only option remains, to use also PCI Ex8. Using weaker connectors will not give the AMD CrossFire effect, so if this condition is not feasible, you should not rush to buy a second video card.
• Next, we connect the video cards to the power supply and get ready to count the watts of their total power consumption. If the power supply unit has an appropriate reserve, then we simply connect the power supply to the installed modules. If not, we are looking for and installing a new power supply unit with the required power reserve.
• Since 2007, a special bridge has been used for the interaction of video cards, which made it possible to serially connect up to 4 video cards. It just plugged into the appropriate connectors. In addition, it is possible to use PCI E directly for this purpose, but due to its increased workload, there was a loss of efficiency of this system. Today, for the joint processing of video streams, the XDMA protocol is used - a more advanced type of bridgeless connection. In general, it all depends on the year of release of the video card. If it is one of the new ones (especially after 2016), don't worry at all. If you are older, the kit should include a bridge. So install it.

Software

The iron has been delivered. Go. Just download the updated drivers for the video cards first, because then we need to activate AMD CrossFireX in the computer settings. Nothing complicated here. Either the system itself recognizes its new capabilities and offers to enable them, or we launch the AMD Catalyst Control Center, find the “Performance” in the extended menu and mark this choice with a dot: the “Enable AMD CrossFireX” mode.

And now the moment has come when it is time to test this system. To do this, you will need modern games, with high detail of elements, working in 4K format and, of course, with CrossFire support under the cooperation program with AMD.

Yes, yes, not all games support this technology! Check support for every toy you want to run in this mode.

By launching it, you can fully enjoy this technology. Also, the joint work of video cards is perfectly manifested when using multiple monitors at the same time.

Well, perhaps that's all.

Reflections on expediency

Is playing cards worth it? You decide. The ability to increase fps performance is, of course, highly valued, but do not forget about the rather high cost of the video cards themselves + a new power supply unit.

I'll be honest. In most cases, instead of two video cards, it is more profitable to buy one more powerful one. But in a situation when another is acquired in a pair with an existing one, there is a reason.

There is another option, when AMD CrossFireX remains the only way to increase the capabilities of your PC: this is when the most productive AMD video card (available on the market) is installed in it. Only by installing another one can you get fantastic results. The costs for this will, alas, be appropriate.

And yes. If you are a cool miner, then of course a bunch of several cards will pay off.

I feel, dear readers, you are thoughtful. And this is good, because thoughts are different: some talk about the expediency of this venture, while others began to study the hardware specification in a PC and look for options for how, where, from whom you can buy the necessary video card at a cheaper price.

Good luck and see you soon on the pages of my blog.

CrossFire is a multi-GPU technology from ATI (currently a division of AMD) that allows multiple Radeon devices to be combined to create a single 3D image.

The initial implementation of this technology (for X800 and X1800 series chipsets) implied the use of a so-called "master card" and an external Y-shaped cable with a special chip that combines image fragments transmitted by two cards into a single picture. However, this variant of merging was not developed further, and later ATI, like nVidia in its technology, began to use external bridges to exchange information between cards combined into an array.

A prerequisite for combining two or more cards into an array (currently up to four GPUs, i.e. you can combine four single-processor cards or two dual-processor cards) is that video cards belong to the same generation, for example, you can combine 4870X2 with 4870 or 4830 with 4870 , but there is no way to combine, say, the Radeon X1950 with the HD3850.

The modern version of CrossFire technology is officially called CrossFireX, sometimes CrossFire is abbreviated to "CF" for convenience (do not confuse with CompactFlash).

The combination of a discrete (separate) one with a built-in chipset is called Hybrid CrossFire and is accompanied by a number of additional restrictions, this technology is dedicated.

When combining cards into an array, each one works with its own copy of a set of textures and geometric data, so the actual amount of video memory is equal to the smallest of the video memory available to each of the video processors working together, i.e., for example, when combining two cards with 512MB video memory and 256 MB we get an effective amount of video memory of 256 MB.

The same feature applies to video cards built on the basis of two video processors (identified by the X2 suffix in the name), with the declared total video memory, in fact, such a card is the equivalent of a card with half the video memory and is recognized accordingly in 3D applications.

Unlike nVidia SLI technology, CrossFire does not impose strict requirements on the chipset manufacturer, therefore, for combining several video cards, ATI Radeon is theoretically suitable on a chipset of any manufacturer (even nVidia) with a suitable set of slots, but in practice it is optimal to assemble such a configuration on specially designed Intel or AMD chipsets (depending on the processor used), however, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• The resulting performance of an array of video cards is maximum when each of the video cards included in it is connected to the chipset with the maximum possible number of PCI-E lines for it, i.e. Uses a full PCI-E 16x slot. The presence of two such slots is typical for motherboards based on "top" chipsets - Intel X38 / X48 / X58, AMD 790FX, etc.
  Therefore, if a CF system is being built on the basis of "top" video cards like Radeon HD4890, then the use of such motherboards is desirable (to achieve maximum performance), and if a combination of two dual-chip cards like 4870X2 is used, then it is a must.
• When using "popular" chipsets like Intel P35 / P45, which do not have a sufficient number of PCI-E lanes, a fatal drop in performance occurs only when one of the video cards is installed in a PCI-E 16x slot with one lane, when installed in a slot with four or eight lanes performance in comparison with the "full" version does not drop so much.
• CrossFire variants with three or four video processors show a real advantage over the same configurations with two video processors only in "super-heavy" modes (large, 1680X1050 and higher, resolution with FSAA enabled), and not in all games.

The performance of various variants of current CrossFire systems can be assessed by, or by the results of our standard tests of video cards, CF configurations on the corresponding cards are marked with the "2X" prefix.