Nvidia Corporation has done the unthinkable in the world of 3D graphics cards: the number one graphics card producer claims its new technology will combine low power consumption with high performance. Nvidia"s new Hybrid SLI technology will have two modes: the Power Saving Mode, which will switch off discrete graphics core and use only integrated graphics engine, whereas Max Performance Mode will make integrated graphics processor to assist discrete graphics processing unit and boost performance when it is required. Chief Executive Jen Hsun Huang said that the first systems featuring hybrid SLI technology will be available late this year.
Hybrid SLI"s power saving mode will allow to disable two high-performance graphics boards, Nvidia explained. The same mode will allow to integrate higher-performance graphics cores into notebooks without sacrificing battery life, as in case of battery operation only IGP will be used. The max performance mode of hybrid SLI will allow systems featuring entry-level or mainstream GPUs from Nvidia to process graphics faster, as IGP will be able to help discrete graphics chip to render complex graphics, according to the company. "[With] Hybrid SLI you have a discrete and a motherboard GPU in a system. When you switch between GPUs, you don"t have to unplug and plug monitor... What we have [implemented] on the core-logic site is [ability] to render in all cases through motherboard GPU," said Jeff Fisher, Nvidia"s general manager of GPU business unit.