XGI Volari Duo V8 Ultra

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:42 pm

The new dual-GPU video card from Club3D is reviewd over at XBitLabs. If you were hoping for something that would push ATI-nVidia then you're going to be greatly disappointed.

The card is an unmitigated failure - and unless driver performance increases in excess of 150% are possible, then this card is another to throw on the dust heap of history.

It's almost amazing that these guys could release a product that's so bad, and simultaneously so expensive. What a crying shame! I was really looking forward to seeing another player in the GFx business...

All hope is not lost yet though, because Matrox have another product coming in Q1 2004. Yeah - we all know Parhelia was a lame joke - but maybe, just maybe, Matrox have what it takes to at least, not embarrass themselves this time around.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:39 pm

Unless someone can keep up with the 6 month product cycles from ATI and Nvidia, they are doomed to failure.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:59 pm

Its a retail release now? I read a review at tomshardware a month or two ago that featured beta hardware and beta drivers, and they said it was "promising" at that point, but riddled with errors and shortcomings yet. So they never went past the beta hardware and just released it as is? Sad. I wonder if someone got paid off by Nvidia/ATI

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 8:43 am

MD has sed this maney time and i agree with him, when will they learn to put the chip on the other side of the PCB

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 12:43 pm

I have asked the same question many times - and I guess the answer is that Motherboard makers do not want to tield that space to GFx card makers. Often, RAM is hard to replace already - but massive heatsinks and fans would encroach on the Northbridge area - and round there it gets plenty hot already...

Maybe when BTX is released we'll see an internal change which would allow the hot side of GFx cards to face upwards - but I wouldn't count on it.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 3:59 pm

like the placement of the chips is going to help this particular card.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 12:00 am

TRUE

TRUE

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:57 am

well i meen all gfx cards. its easy to do just move the agp port down one space. its a simple thang to do