Alienware has demonstrated the potential of its Video Array technology and has released figures which put systems using dual graphics cards, at the pinnacle of gaming performance.

Video Array is Alienware’s exclusive patent-pending innovation that enables two high-performance PCI-Express video cards to process graphics commands in parallel, thus significantly increasing the graphics performance.

Using an Alienware system comprised of a Xeon 3400 MHz, 1GB of memory an 80 GB hard drive and two NV45s, compared to a similar system with only one NV45, the company has produced figures which show an increase of performance of up to 100 per cent on some applications.

In 3Dmark 03 at 1600x1200 8X Anisotropic and 8X FSAA the Video Array based system received a score of 3105, an increase of 77 per cent compared to the 1758 achieved with a single card.

Under conditions which are not very, graphically, demanding the Video Array system still offers a 30 to 40 per cent performance increase. But where the system really produces remarkable results is when the demands on the GPUs become intense. Using 8X FSAA and 8 Anisotropic can result in performance increases of up to 100 per cent with the average being around 70 per cent.

The potential of such a system is undeniable and the involvement of a company of Alienware's pedigree can only make gamers salivate with anticipation at what the final versions of Video Array systems will be able to deliver. The only sour note is expected to be the price but then again gaming supremacy does not come cheap.

AMD is taking steps in the right direction, in order to gain a further advantage over rival Intel with the introduction of dual-core processors. AMD confirmed it has completed design of its AMD64 dual-core processors and plans to deliver high-performance dual-core products to the x86 server market in mid-2005 and introduce dual-core solutions for high-end client PCs in the second half of 2005. Intel, having cancelled the Pentium 4 in order to concentrate on dual-core processors, will not have a similar product released until at least 2006.

The dual-core chips will offer enhanced performance for servers and for demanding tasks such as video editing and high-end graphics applications, including games. It will in fact be a very similar experience to running a PC with two processors.

Since the AMD64 platform was first discussed publicly in 1999, AMD indicated that its AMD64 technology would support multiple-core processors.
Because AMD has always listened to our customers, we anticipated an industry shift toward multi-tasking applications requiring the scalability that only 64-bit dual-core processors can provide, said Dirk Meyer, executive vice president, Computation Products Group, AMD. That is why years ago we designed AMD64 technology from the ground up to be optimized for multiple cores.

AMD also plans enhancements to its 64-bit processors with the transition to 90nm manufacturing that began this quarter, providing greater flexibility to boost processor performance and lower power. Additionally, AMDs collaboration with IBM, and AMD Fab 36 is expected to deliver a 65nm manufacturing capability in mid-2005. This should enable AMD to deliver lower-power and higher-performance 65nm products in 2006.