Lucid's Hydra 200 Chip Previewed, Appreciated

One of the most interesting technologies that have recently been making the headlines is the Hydra 200 Multi-GPU solution, a chip designed by Lucid that will enable desktop PC enthusiasts to boost their system's graphics performance by mixing two different GPUs, either from the same vendor or from different vendors. The technology was first revealed approximately one year ago, at Intel's IDF event, promising to provide users with some diversity when building their desktop systems. On that note, it looks like we now have a couple of first-hand reviews of what the technology is capable of.

Although this was just a preview of the Hydra, the fellows over at Hot Hardware and PC Perspective were able to appreciate the performance potential of this solution and hope that the few problems they have encountered in their review sessions will be solved when the updated driver will make its debut. Nevertheless, despite some issues, the Lucid Hydra 200 chip is promising, from a performance perspective, and this looks like a solution for some of the upcoming boards, which will provide users with a few more options when building a new desktop computer system.

Despite the fact that the multi-GPU technology is still in its development stages and that consumers will be able to enjoy its features sometime in the future, the solution is claimed to have peaked at 85% scaling for an ATI/NVIDIA configuration, while PC Perspective found that the Hydra could deliver “up to 83%,” making it a noteworthy competition for NVIDIA's own SLI technology.

Unfortunately, although the technology is promising and could provide a solution for mainstream users looking to boost their system's graphics performance, it's still early to say how this will make a stand in the market, especially since we are not sure how NVIDIA an ATI/AMD will respond.