Nvidia Unveils 3-Way SLI Chipset for Intel Desktops Greensboro NC

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Originally published at Internet.com

If you're a hardcore gamer who hasn't upgraded to Intel's 1333MHz front-side bus Core 2 Extreme QX9650 processor yet, be glad you waited - Nvidia Corp. has introduced a next-generation nForce 780i SLI media and communications processor (what Nvidia calls an MCP and what most folks call a chipset) for the QX9650 and other Intel "Yorkfield" CPUs. PC and motherboard makers ranging from Asus, EVGA, HP, and Hypersonic to Falcon Northwest, XFX, MSI, and VoodooPC have announced plans for nForce 780i-based platforms.

In addition to supporting PCI Express 2.0 and the new, Nvidia-backed Enthusiast System Architecture specification, the 780i SLI MCP is ready for Nvidia's new three-way SLI technology, teaming three GeForce graphics cards in one desktop for up to 2.8 times the performance of traditional single-graphics-card platforms. According to Nvidia, the triple play lets gamers ratchet up Crysis and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to 1,900 by 1,200 and 2,500 by 1,600 resolution, respectively, while enjoying eye candy including high dynamic range lighting, motion blur, and realistic environmental effects.

Nvidia has also introduced a slightly tamer nForce 750i chipset, which supports the 1333MHz bus with a maximum of two graphics cards and a dual-channel DDR-2 memory link at up to 800MHz, versus the 780i's