Intel, Motherboard Makers License Nvidia SLI

By Geoff Duncan August 11, 2009

Intel, Motherboard Makers License Nvidia SLI

Over the last few years, relations between chipmaker Intel and graphics developer Nvidia have been anything but peachy: the two companies have engaged in fairly public name-calling over Intel’s integrated graphics controllers and product bundling, countersuing each other over chipset licensing, and Nvidia has even been entering the high-performance supercomputer arena, where Intel really doesn’t want a tremendous amount of competition. However, occasionally, the companies can agree on something: Intel has licensed Nvidia’s SLI technology for supporting multiple graphics cards on “Nehalem” P55 chipset-based motherboards built around Intel’s Core i7 and Core i5 processors. Other major motherboard manufacturers Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte, and MSI are also on board. The result is that any consumer with a P55-based motherboard will be able to count on SLI support with any combination of up to three Nvidia GeForce graphics cards.

“Nvidia SLI technology is a perfect complement to the processing prowess of our new Core i7 and Intel DP55KG desktop board,” said VP and general manager of Intel’s client board division Clem Russo, in a statement. “Nvidia and Intel share a combined passion for furthering the PC as the definitive platform for gaming, and this combination will surely be attractive to anyone building or purchasing a brand new PC this fall.”

The licensing agreement does not resolve ongoing disputes between Nvidia and Intel, some of which center around memory controllers being integrated into forthcoming Intel processors. Nvidia argues that 2004 technology licenses it has with Intel apply to both separate memory controllers and to controllers rolled into CPUs; Intel argues the integrated memory controllers are a separate technology not covered under existing agreements.

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