Wildcat Realizm 800: 3Dlabs MultiGPU First Look
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Introduction
The recent re-introduction of multiple GPU configurations into the mainstream has given us quite a bit to talk about over the past few months. Recently, the Quadro SLI from NVIDIA was paper launched. While we wait for the drivers to trickle out of NVIDIA so that we can begin testing, we have another interesting multiGPU solution to consider: the 3Dlabs Wildcat Realizm 800.We've already taken a look at the Wildcat Realizm 200, which forms the basis for the 800. In our investigation of the Realizm 800, we will see more extensive testing of the part when we can get a hold of NVIDIA's SLI drivers, since that will be a relevant comparison. We would also like to compare this card against the top of the line Quadro 4400 and FireGL V7100, which we don't have in our labs yet. As the Realizm 800 is very much an extension of the 200, and because we don't have the very interesting comparisons available yet, we will treat this article as a brief introduction to the card.
3Dlabs parts have their advantages and disadvantages. Whether the Realizm 800 fits your needs or not, Creative has certainly helped to keep the battle for the 3D workstation space interesting. To get us started, here's a quick table showing the differences between some of the cards that we've tested and the Wildcat Realizm 800.
| AGP Workstation Graphics Contenders | ||||
| 3Dlabs Wildcat Realizm 200 | 3Dlabs Wildcat Realizm 800 | ATI FireGL X3-256 | NVIDIA Quadro FX 4000 | |
| Street Price | ~$850 | ~$2000 | ~$800 | ~$1500 |
| Memory Size/Type | 512MB GDDR3 | 640MB GDDR3 | 256MB GDDR3 | 256MB GDDR3 |
| Memory Bus | 256bit | 512bit | 256bit | 256bit |
| Memory Clock | 500MHz | 500MHz | 450MHz | 500MHz |
| Core Clock | ? | ? | 490MHz | 375MHz |
| Vertex Pipes | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Vertex Processing | 36-bit | 36-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit |
| Pixel Pipes | 12 | 24 | 12 | 16 |
| Pixel Processing | 32-bit / 16-bit storage | 32-bit / 16-bit storage | 24-bit | 32-bit / 16-bit selectable |
| Shader Model Support | VS 2.0 / PS 3.0 | VS 2.0 / PS 3.0 | SM 2.0 | SM 3.0 |
| 2x Dual-Link DVI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo 3D | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Genlock/Framelock | Multiview Upgrade | Multiview Upgrade | No | SDI version |
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