It isn't a big deal where the power comes from, as long as it is there. I was just responding to his point that nVidia has needed to create these dual GPU cards to top ATi. While that is true, it isn't in the context that he put it in, as ATi has been the one needed dual GPU cards to top nVidia's single GPU cards, nVidia just responds with a dual-GPU card of their own. Thats the cycle when nVidia has the stonger GPU Core. When the roles are reversed, and ATi has the stronger GPU Core again, nVidia will probably be the first to pump out dual-GPU cards to top ATi's single GPU cards.
Personally, I would prefer single GPU solutions, simply because of all the problems SLi and Crossfire solutions add to the mix. You have games not supporting the technology, with users have to wait for patches from both the graphics card manufacturers and game developers. You have situations like GTA:IV, where SLi isn't supported. So everyone that bought 9800GX2's are stuck with the performance of a single GPU. Crysis, for the longest time, didn't support Crossfire properly, so users of the HD3870x2 and HD4870x2 were stuck with the performance of a single GPU.
1.) Yes, we've gone over that. Read the thread. I mean modern implementations using Crossfire and SLi. If you go back far enough, you will find plenty of dual GPU implmentations.
2.) Yes, and the single PCB design of ATi's dual GPU cards is nothing new either, it has probably been used just as much. Your point?
3.) I have no problem with recycling designs. I say pick a design and continue to refine it. But what I want to know is how you have jumped to the conclusion that the GTX295 is almost identical to the 9800GX2 from a few off angle pictures, and no real picture of the PCBs. How can you make the claim that there are more changes from the HD4870x2 to the HD3870x2 without any good information on the GTX295's PCBs? The G200 is a completely different beast from the G92, there are likely huge changes to the PCB design. Funny how you see a card from ATi with essentially the same layout/form factor as the prevous generation, and say there are huge changes, but on the nVidia side, you see the same thing, and say there are no changes at all.
4.) See above.
