Loading...
> >

NVLink Extender?

TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 2,946
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

Has anyone had actual experience, not theory about what should or should not work, with two sets of NVLink'ed GPUs? Or some sort of NVLink extender, much like the PCIe riser I already use with a vertically/side mounted GPU?

Any experiences would be appreciated.

 

Comments

  • kenshaw011267kenshaw011267 Posts: 3,805

    You mean 4 GPU's in one system? I've got some servers at work setup like that but I've never used them for DS, the clients who pay for them keep them pretty heavily used.

    There is no such thing as a NVLink extender. The bridge is a very high speed data connection. IIRC the 4 slot bridge is pushing the limits of distance for the runs involved.

    You should keep these things in mind: the cards connected need to be the same, 2070 Super to 2070 Super or RTX 8000 to RTX 8000, NVLink is primarily an enterprise thing and there are not multiple brands of Quadros so there is no information that I've been able to find on if the bridge will work between two different models of 2070 Supers etc.. 

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 2,946

    @kenshaw011267

    OK, I thought as much, as my research turned up nothing. So I think I'm going to build an intermediate spec'ed box, say a Ryzen 9, move two 2080tis to it, NVLink them, and run it headless. It was pushing things to put 4 2080tis in a regular desktop system in the first place. And this will better prepare me for Ampere if the rumors about the crazy TDP are true, i.e. keeping it under 1600W. Mathieu of E-Cycles fame told me that even just a single 2080ti can actually draw up to 400W regardless of what the brochure says.

    What would be a good, cheap third card to just drive 3 displays, but no rendering?

  • kenshaw011267kenshaw011267 Posts: 3,805

    Depends on your definition of cheap.

    First there is no reason to not run the displays off the 2080ti's. Even with the NVLink they are still in WDDM.

    But if you absolutely have to find a recent generation card with enough ports. If you use displayport you should be fine, I've seen lots of 3 dp port cards recently but not any that I recall had 3 HDMI.

  • TheMysteryIsThePointTheMysteryIsThePoint Posts: 2,946
    kenshaw011267 said:
    First there is no reason to not run the displays off the 2080ti's. Even with the NVLink they are still in WDDM.

    But if you absolutely have to find a recent generation card with enough ports. If you use displayport you should be fine, I've seen lots of 3 dp port cards recently but not any that I recall had 3 HDMI.

    I run on Linux, and with the drivers as they currently are, Xorg gets annoyingly laggy when it's connected to a card whose GPU is involved in rendering.

    So I think you are saying no other considerations, other than the right port configuration for my monitors.

    Thanks.

Sign In or Register to comment.