LucidLogix Promises Multi-Vendor, Multi-GPU Nirvana to a Desktop Near You
Quick, name one board that comes equipped with a HydraLogix 200 processor. With a little help from Google, you probably can't, and that's because there aren't a ton of mobos that include one. This time around, LucidLogix is skipping the middleman and going after GPU vendors, who now have the option of equipping their videocards with the company's new Unity architecture.
"The Unity architecture provides a win-win situation for the market and for consumers," said Offir Remez, Lucid President. "Graphics board vendors can increase the total market for multi-GPU computing from the low-end to the high-end. And as a consumer, why wouldn't you choose to buy a graphics card with HydraLogix on board? You only get more!"
To answer Remez's rhetorical question, cost would be one factor. But if graphics card makers can build parts around the Unity architecture without charging a huge premium, then we could see this being popular. Towards that end, LucidLogix promises we'll see consumer graphics boards with the HydraLogix 200 engine available in time for the holiday shopping season at prices under $199, starting with PowerColor.
Lucid Introduces UNITY Graphics Board Architecture to Make HYDRALOGIX Multi-GPU Gaming Accessible to All
When combined with a HydraLogix graphics card, any system or graphics card turns into a multi-GPU platform
KFAR NETTER, Israel and SANTA CLARA, California – August 30, 2010 – Today LucidLogix Technologies (Lucid) announced its arming video card manufacturers with the new Unity™ graphics board architecture for the HydraLogix engine (previously known as HYDRA).
Now graphics board vendors for the first time can combine a single HydraLogix 200 real time distributed processor with any single NVIDIA or ATI GPU, creating an affordable, flexible multi-GPU-ready graphics card that can make any motherboard a high performance gaming system.
Gamers and high performance PC enthusiasts will have even more options to configure multi-GPU systems, which until recently were limited to vendor-exclusive architectures or HydraLogixequipped motherboards. And mainstream graphics users can now buy even a $99 graphics card and upgrade their system in the future with the brand graphics card of their choice.
“The Unity architecture provides a win-win situation for the market and for consumers,” said Offir Remez, Lucid President. “Graphics board vendors can increase the total market for multi-GPU computing from the low end to the high end. And as a consumer, why wouldn’t you choose to buy a graphics card with HydraLogix on board? You only get more!”
The benefits of the UNITY architecture for HydraLogix include:
Card Manufacturers
- Create multi-vendor-multi-GPU upgradeable cards by integrating a single, low-costHydraLogix chip
- Allow their customers to couple a UNITY type VGA with any additional existing or new VGA from any vendor on Intel or AMD motherboards
- Create differentiated products by using any brand or GPU model, mixing and matching capabilities, power consumption and price points
- Easy upgrade with additional cards
Consumers
- Add HydraLogix multi-GPU graphics capabilities to existing motherboards
- Run multiple NVIDIA and/or ATI GPUs on any motherboard
- Upgrade system performance simply by leveraging any existing GPUs by coupling with a new UNITY based VGA.
- Combine a low cost graphics card with another for increased performance, or turn up the volume with multiple high end graphics card of choice
- Combine both an AMD and NVIDIA GPU to enjoy the benefits of both graphics features and perfromance
System Builders
- Flexibly design custom systems at multiple price/performance targets
- Save costs with royalty-free alternative to vendor-specific multi-GPU graphics architectures
Jon Peddie of Jon Peddie Research
“The market for multi-GPU systems has shown continual growth even in a down economy. Lucid’s expansion of its HydraLogix technology to the graphics board further expands options for OEMs, ODMs and consumers, and should provide additional momentum to the growth of reasonably priced, high-powered gaming systems.”
Ted Chen, TUL CEO at TUL, maker of the 1st Unity architecture based VGA – the PowerColor Evolution
“Lucid’s graphics card implementation of HydraLogix creates new marketing opportunities for graphics card vendors, and we’re proud to be first to offer this technology integrated into our graphics cards. With more options for consumers, we are looking forward to continued healthy growth for PC gaming technology.”
About HydraLogix
Designed with the PC gamer in mind, The HydraLogix engine offers a flexible solution for performance hungry or cost sensitive consumers who may wish to upgrade to multiple GPUs from a variety of vendors. This Lucid approach provides interoperability among GPUs and chipsets, auto-correct load balancing and multiple GPUs that simultaneously process.
The HydraLogix 200 currently supports both dual and triple multi-GPU configurations, and provides 80% or more graphics acceleration for popular PC games.
Pricing & Availability
The Lucid UNITY architecture for graphics board with HydraLogix 200 engine are both available now to graphics board OEMs. With multiple configurations of the HydraLogix engine, vendors can provide nearly limitless combinations of GPUs to meet a variety of target audiences and price points.
Consumer graphics boards are expected to be available for the holiday buying season 2010 at accessible prices under $199.
About Lucid
LucidLogix Technologies has reinvented multi-core graphics with its HydraLogix real-time distributed processing engine that improves visual computing for both business and gaming applications. A fabless SoC provider, headquartered in Kfar Netter Israel with sales and marketing in Santa Clara, California,
Lucid’s innovations are protected by more than 60 patents and patents pending. For more information visit the Lucid website or follow @LucidHYDRA on Twitter.
About TUL
TUL is a leading supplier of AMD graphics cards under the PowerColor brand. We offer award-winning products based on our technology leading componments, quality design and superb engineering. TUL employs more than 150 talents worldwide, with offices in China, Europe, Russa and USA to support over 300 channel partners and distributors in 50 plus countries.
For more information visit: www.powercolor.com.
