AMD CrossFire X – for those who aim for the best results. Theory and practice of using ATI CrossFireX Crossfire technology on radeon cards
CrossFire operating modes.
Features of CrossFire operating modesis that for CrossFire only3 modes rendering: Scissor, SuperTiling, AFR. Unlike SLI systems, free choice of modes is not available andthe desired mode is selected automatically by the driver.
Scisso rendering mode r . This is a fairly well-known image processing method, the essence of which is in dividing the frame into two parts, each of which processes separate video card. In theory, the frame can be divided proportional to the power of video chips video cards installed in the PC. For identical cards, the frame is divided in a ratio of 50:50, but if one of them is more powerful, then a ratio of 30:70 or 40:60 is selected. However, as it may seem at first glance, this mode will not be preferable for all gaming applications. For example, in 3D shooters the bottom of the frame changes little throughout the game, which cannot be said about the top one. For this purpose it is provided increasing the area processed in the frame for a card that is idle at a given time (calculating the scene geometry will also require additional resources).
Rice. 1.. Scissor rendering mode. 3Fig. 3
SuperTilin rendering mode g . Is standard CrossFire mode. Hedivides the image into many squares, visually resembling the surface of a chessboard. Some of these squares are processed by one video card, some by another. This allows you to competentlydistribute the load between video cards in pixel applications. However, both cards must calculate the entire geometry of the scene (games based on the OpenGL API do not support this mode).
Rice. 2.. SuperTiling rendering mode.
Mode rendering Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR). This is one of the fastest CrossFire operating modes. Its essence is thatone card calculates even frames, second - odd. Thus, between both acceleratorson GPUs (this method is not new; AFR mode was also used on old dual-chip ATI cards). The only drawback of the regime is that itwill not workin computer games that use functionsrender-to-texture. CrossFire performance in AFR mode will varyfrom featuresof the processed scene (processed and displayed at a given time are different frames). AFR mode will be effective for displayinghigh-quality picture in applications, not requiring smooth frame changesfor comfortable work with them (in shooters and simulators AFR will be less effective than, say, in strategies).
Rice. 3.. Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR) rendering mode
Is there some more Super AA mode which allows you to significantly improve image quality at the expense of speed (additional FPS). The essence of the SuperAA mode is thatboth cards generate the same scene with different FSAA templates. Then the CrossFire chip combines them into a single whole. This allows you to achieve bettersmoothing out graininessknown asaliasing.
In the article we looked at the technology of combining several video cards for their joint work from Nvidia - SLI (I advise you to familiarize yourself with it, because I will refer to it), now we will look at a similar technology from their competitors - AMD CrossFireX.
History of ATI CrossFire
In the late 90s, ATI was not doing very well - in 1999, Nvidia introduced two new generations in one year - Riva TNT2 and GeForce 256. 3dfx, the second competitor, in 1998 introduced SLI technology, which allows you to combine two Voodoo2 video cards together on one PC . But ATI was only able to present RAGE 128 (and a little later the overclocked PRO version), which had nothing innovative. Realizing that it would not be long before they left the video card market, they decided to copy the SLI technology from 3dfx and released a “dual-headed” ATI RAGE FURY MAXX video card, which included two RAGE 128 PRO GPUs. The technology itself for combining video chips was called MAXX (Multiple ASIC Technology), and was purely software: each of the GPUs completely prepares one frame, and when displayed on the screen, they alternate. In fact, it was the spitting image of AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering) technology, which is still used today.
But, however, the FURY MAXX video card simply had two GPUs; it was impossible to combine two video cards from ATI - in those days there was an AGP bus, and there was only one this port on motherboards. In 2004, the PCI Express bus was introduced, which made it possible to divide the lines - and therefore make several ports and connect several video cards. Nvidia took advantage of this by introducing the new SLI technology, and ATI, which changed the name MAXX to CrossFire.
There were enough differences between them then: to create CrossFire, you needed a so-called master card - it had an overlay chip inside, allowing you to receive data from the slave card and combine it pixel-by-pixel with the main card. The connection took place through a special DVI-DMS cable, and the monitor was connected through another DVI connector extending from the master card:
This was terribly inconvenient, and in the future ATI came to the same point as Nvidia immediately - data is transmitted through a special bridge, and there is no such thing as master or slave anymore (and even further, AMD, which bought ATI, abandoned bridges altogether) . And if this first difference was a minus for ATI, then the second, on the contrary, is a plus: if in SLI you can combine video cards of only one series, then in the case of ATI, video cards can even be of different generations.
Subsequently, in 2008, AMD introduced Quad CrossFireX, a technology that allows up to four video cards to be combined together, and now the technology for combining video cards is called AMD CrossFireX (or CF for short).
Imaging algorithms using CF
The first algorithm is not new - it is also successfully used by Nvidia. It's called Slicing(Slicing), and consists in the fact that the frame is divided into two parts - one is processed by one video card, the other by another:
Moreover, the parts may not necessarily be the same: it all depends on the complexity of the scene, and the rendering areas for each video card may be different. This algorithm is poorly suited for games, because it is impossible to calculate the complexity of a frame in advance. ATI/AMD came up with the second algorithm themselves. It is called (from the English tile - tile). The essence of the algorithm is that the entire frame is divided into “tiles” of 32x32 pixels each, and each video card prepares its half of the tiles in a checkerboard pattern:
The advantage of this method is that each of the two video cards will account for on average half the load, that is, there is no such thing as in Slicing, when one video card got the sky in the game and it prepared the frame in 5 ms, and the other got a bunch of textures of the ground, buildings, and so on further, and she prepared the frame in 20 ms: here each of the video cards got the sky, and the textures of the earth and other objects. But, as one would expect, there are also disadvantages: firstly, the most exact matching of the characteristics of the video cards is required: if in Slicing the frame can be divided proportionally to the performance of each GPU, then in Tiling the load is divided exactly in half, so the video cards must be completely identical. Secondly, the geometric load is not divided between the cards, but in games it is usually low and there are no problems with this.
The third algorithm AFR, common with Nvidia - each of the video cards prepares frames one by one:
The advantages are the same - no artifacts when rendering a frame, you can easily parallelize the load across 4 GPUs. Minus - all frames have different complexity, which can lead to jerky pictures at low fps.
And the last algorithm of “honest” CrossFire is SuperAA(super smoothing). The principle is similar to that of SLI AA - each video card smoothes the image with a certain step relative to the other, and then the resulting images are stitched together into one frame. However, there are still differences from SLI AA - in the case of Nvidia, MSAA anti-aliasing is used, in the case of AMD - SSAA (it gives a slightly better picture, but also requires more resources). Anti-aliasing modes from x8 to x14 are available (let me remind you that Nvidia has a maximum of x32).
In the case of laptops on AMD APUs, which include both a processor and integrated graphics, AMD was more cunning than Nvidia: if the laptop has discrete graphics from AMD, then it can be combined with integrated graphics Dual Graphics when both video cards are working (let me remind you that Nvidia has Optimus technology, which allows you to use either discrete graphics or integrated graphics, but not both). However, this method has its limitations: firstly, it only works with DirectX 10 and higher (in principle, taking into account the fact that games with DirectX 9 are old and undemanding by modern standards - CF is not needed there). Secondly, the difference in the performance of discrete and integrated video cards cannot be more than twofold, that is, combining the graphics integrated into the APU with some R9 M390, alas, will not work (again, here the integrated graphics are like the fifth wheel in a cart and will only get in the way, so AMD basically did the right thing).
System requirements for CrossFireX
Almost everything here is the same as for SLI from Nvidia (so I won’t rewrite the requirements a second time), but there is one important difference - there is no need for bridges to connect video cards at all (it’s funny - in the thousandth line, Nvidia not only did not abandon bridges for SLI - she introduced new, even faster ones), the CF controller is now located on the video card board itself, and data is transmitted via PCI-E. There are no other significant differences - video cards of the same series are still connected, the memory capacity is still limited to that of the weakest video card in DX 11 and is summed up in DX 12.
And the most important question is: does it make sense to do CF? Yes, it has. Everything is simple here - green fans can buy one GTX 1080 Ti, which will be enough for all modern games, so SLI is basically not needed for games. AMD has the most powerful graphics so far - the RX 580, which is generally at the level of the updated GTX 1060, and which is only enough for FHD (in 2K you will have to significantly reduce the settings, or play at 30-40 fps). So here CF makes sense - two RX 580 will allow you to play normally in 2K on ultra graphics settings.
Hello friends, today I will tell you about AMD CrossFire. This technology allows you to simultaneously use several video cards on your computer to improve video quality. This topic is quite specific, and first of all it will be of interest to demanding gamers, PC hardware specialists and, of course, all enthusiasts who want to understand modern computer technologies.
Now, perhaps, you won’t surprise anyone with multi-core devices. And if CPUs installed on the motherboard required more advanced manufacturing technologies to implement this idea, then it was obvious: just install several video cards together and synchronize their operation.
This required a certain software algorithm that processed video and combined the efforts of individual cards and a device for exchanging information and transmitting a video stream between them. This is how the technology on the basis of which CrossFireX was created appeared.
How is the video processed?
For general development, I will describe how it works. The picture was divided into separate elements or frames, the processing of which was carried out by separate modules. They also smoothed the image in different ways. All this, with the subsequent merging of streams, made it possible to obtain higher quality and detailed video with a high frame rate (fps).
To implement CrossFireX “at home,” AMD has somewhat simplified the task for supporters of this brand.
In collaboration, you can use up to four video cards from different manufacturers, of any model. The main thing is that they are based on one AMD chip (they are of the same generation) and, of course, support AMD CrossFire technology.
Also, in addition to the ability to work with a specific motherboard, video cards must be compatible with each other.
You can check this here (for some video cards):
Or google it on the Internet if you didn’t find your device in this table. By the way, here is the official AMD website, where you can select your card from the list and find out which ones are compatible with it for Crossfire: https://www.amd.com/en/support
Perhaps this information will somewhat upset those who once bought any video cards for gaming, and now decided to join their efforts for gaming.
It is worth considering that with different card parameters (memory, frequency), the system will be guided by the weakest of them.
Install and connect hardware
Connecting system components is not particularly difficult, but requires certain conditions to be met:
- The cards are simply installed in PCI E slots with x16 bandwidth. If there is only one, then the only option left is to also use PCI Ex8. Using weaker connectors will not give the effect of AMD CrossFire, so if this condition is not met, there is no need to rush into buying a second video card.
- Next, we connect the video cards to the power supply and get ready to count the watts of their total power consumption. If the power supply has an appropriate reserve, then we simply connect the power supply to the installed modules. If not, we look for and install a new power supply with the required power reserve.
- Since 2007, a special bridge has been used for the interaction of video cards, which allows up to 4 video cards to be connected in series. It simply plugged into the appropriate connectors. In addition, it is possible to use PCI E directly for this purpose, but due to its increased load, there was a loss of efficiency of this system. Today, the XDMA protocol, a more advanced type of bridgeless connection, is used for joint processing of video streams. In general, it all depends on the year of manufacture of the video card. If it’s new (especially after 2016), don’t worry at all. If older, the kit should include a bridge. Install it here.
Software
The iron has been delivered. Go. Just download the updated drivers for your video cards first, because next we will need to activate AMD CrossFireX in the computer settings. There's nothing complicated here. Either the system itself will recognize its new features and offer to enable them, or we launch AMD Catalyst Control Center, find “Performance” in the extended menu and mark the choice with a dot: “Enable AMD CrossFireX” mode.
And now the moment has come when it’s time to try this system. To do this, you will need modern games, with highly detailed elements, running in 4K format and, of course, with CrossFire support under the cooperation program with AMD.
Yes, yes, not all games support this technology! Check the support for each game you want to run in this mode.
Once you launch it, you can fully enjoy this technology. Also, the joint operation of video cards is excellent when using multiple monitors simultaneously.
Well, perhaps that's all.
Reflections on expediency
Is the card game worth it? You decide. The opportunity to increase fps performance is, of course, highly valued, but do not forget about the rather high cost of the video cards themselves + a new power supply.
I'll be honest. In most cases, instead of two video cards, it is more profitable to buy one more powerful one. But in a situation where another is purchased in conjunction with an existing one, there is a reason.
There is another option when AMD CrossFireX remains the only way to improve the capabilities of your PC: this is when it has the most powerful (available on the market) AMD video card installed. Only by installing one more of these can you get fantastic results. The costs for this will, alas, be appropriate.
And yes. If you are a cool miner, then of course a bunch of several cards will bear fruit.
I feel, dear readers, that you are thoughtful. And this is good, because there are different thoughts: some talk about the feasibility of this idea, while others began to study the specification of hardware in a PC and look for options on how, where, from whom they can buy the necessary video card cheaper.
Good luck to you and see you again on the pages of my blog.
As is already clear from the title of the article, I bought a second video card and decided to take the opportunity to write a detailed article on this topic. Let's start from the beginning - what is Crossfire?
AMD CrossFireX ( originally called AMD CrossFire)- These are AMD technologies that allow you to combine several video cards into one system to increase computer performance in building 3D models and graphics. Of course, this technology is mainly intended for gamers, and not the poorest ones, since video cards and motherboards that support this function are at least in the middle price category. Although the price is not the only nuance that you need to know before purchasing, and now we will look at them.
What do you need to buy for a system unit to support CrossfireX?
So, first, I’ll list what we need to buy in order to build a full-fledged CrossFireX:
1) Motherboard;
2) Power supply;
3) Two or more video cards.
1) Motherboard (can be bought at OGO.ru). In principle, there is nothing complicated here, but before purchasing you need to carefully read the specifications on the manufacturer’s website, since important information is often hidden in stores. So, the first thing is technology support. CrossFireX, but there is one nuance here - the motherboard must have two full-fledged PCI-E x16 ports working in pairs in x16+x16 mode, but at least x8+x8 is possible (the difference will be a few percent, but still possible), although Ideally, it is better to use the first option. Stores very often do not disclose information that two of the three PCI-E x16 ports operate in x4 mode and, although possible for use, due to the weak use of the second video card, they become unsuitable for building CrossFireX. Buying a second video card in this case simply won’t pay for itself. At best, they will write about this in the “Additional Information” section, but as practice shows, this is not there. Therefore, do not be lazy to go to the manufacturer’s official website and look at the specifications for the motherboard that you are planning to buy, since here the manufacturer is obliged to indicate the real data. For example, here is the information on the Gigabyte website about my motherboard:
To make the search somewhat easier, there is already a list of chipsets that support the technology CrossFireX but this is only an approximate list; for final support, check the specifications on the manufacturer’s website.
for motherboards AMD AM3+:
AMD 990FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 990X(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards AMD AM3:
AMD 890FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 890GX(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790X(x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA2011:
Intel X79 (x16+x16, PCI-E 3.0)
for motherboards under Intel LGA1366:
Intel X58 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA1156:
Intel P55 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
*The choice of processor is also important here, CrossFireX is ONLY possible on Lynnfield processors (i5-7xx,i7-8xx). On Clarkdale processors (i3-5xx, i5-6xx, Pentium) - IMPOSSIBLE.
for motherboards under Intel LGA1155:
Intel P67 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel Z68 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
*please note that mat. boards based on Intel P55/P67/Z68 chipsets:
1) with an additional nForce 200 chip, they support the x16+x16 scheme
2) can only support the x16+x4 scheme
for motherboards AMD AM2:
AMD 580X (x16+x16, PCI-E 1.1)
AMD 790X (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790GX (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
AMD 790FX(x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
for motherboards Intel LGA775:
Intel 975X (x8+x8, PCI-E 1.1)
Intel X38 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel P45 (x8+x8, PCI-E 2.0)
Intel X48 (x16+x16, PCI-E 2.0)
2) Power supply (buy at OGO.ru). I have already written, so I won’t tell you in detail how this is done now. Just when choosing, now you need to take into account that there will be two video cards, so there must be wires to connect additional power to the video card, as well as the appropriate power to power the second video card (and this is from +100 to 350 W depending on the video card).
3) Video card (buy at OGO.ru). Everything is simple with her. First and most important, technology support is needed CrossFireX(always yours, Cap), and it manifests itself in a simple way: the video card must have a corresponding connector for connecting CrossFire bridge. Ideally, it is better to use two identical video cards. You can also combine different ones, but although the video cards will work completely synchronously, the more powerful video card will not be able to show its full capabilities, since it will have to adapt to the weaker card. There is no point in talking about the company; personally, when buying AMD cards, I try to buy Sapphire, since they are official partners (like Asus for Nvidia). According to the agreement with AMD, video card manufacturers are required to provide a bridge for connecting video cards to CrossFireX in the box with the video card. It looks like this:
How to connect and configure CrossFireX
I think that's enough theory - let's move on to practice, or rather to connection and configuration.
1) Install video cards into slots with x16 (or x8) bandwidth. To do this, you should refer to the instructions of the motherboard. On my card from Gigabyte, the manufacturer prudently marked these connectors with the corresponding inscriptions PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 (connectors that operate in x4 mode are marked PCIEX4_1 and PCIEX4_2).
2) Insert it so that the latch on the connector works. To reduce the load on the motherboard, it is better to screw the screws on the left side of the retaining panel on the rear wall of the case.
4) Start the system and log into Windows. I currently have the latest beta drivers installed (AMD Catalyst™ 14.1 Beta Driver), and after starting, the control panel itself detected the CrossFireX connection and offered to enable it, for which I should click the “Go” button:
If this does not happen for you, manually open the AMD Catalyst Control Center, open the “Performance” section (in the expanded menu view) and select AMD CrossFireX.
Mark here with a dot “ Enable AMD CrossFireX" and check the box "Enable AMD CrossFireX for applications that do not have an associated application profile." Click “Apply” below.
That's all. You can buy all the necessary components in the OGO.ru store. I hope you found this article useful, click one of the buttons below to tell your friends about it. Also subscribe to site updates by entering your e-mail in the field on the right.
AMD CrossFire technology accelerates graphics quality and performance by combining the processing power of multiple GPUs.
With AMD CrossFire technology, two or more discrete graphics cards can be configured to work together. You can also configure discrete GPUs to work alongside integrated GPUs using AMD Radeon™ Dual Graphics Technology. AMD Radeon Dual Graphics technology is based on AMD CrossFire technology and is only available on AMD APU-based systems.
Before you enable and configure AMD CrossFire technology, you must run the AMD CrossFire setup, which may require connecting a pair of video cards using an AMD CrossFire bridging cable. For more information about installing AMD CrossFire graphics cards, see your graphics card's user manual.
With AMD CrossFire support enabled, one GPU functions as the primary processor. Subsequently, graphics rendering tasks are distributed between this GPU and other processors to speed up image rendering on a separate display connected to the main GPU. Additional displays can be connected to the main GPU if it is running in extended desktop mode.
Note: If AMD CrossFire support is enabled or disabled, the Control Center application automatically restarts. AMD CrossFire is designed for applications running in full-screen mode. Displays not connected to host GPUs in an AMD CrossFire configuration are automatically disabled. For some configurations, you can optionally unlock support for displays connected to auxiliary GPUs.
Availability of AMD CrossFire pages and options may vary depending on specific graphics cards. The layout of the AMD CrossFire pages also depends on the currently used view:
- Standard view - AMD CrossFire page is in groups Performance And Games > Performance. If you are using an AMD FirePro™ graphics card, the page is in groups Performance And AMD FirePro > Performance.
- Advanced view - AMD CrossFire page is in groups Performance and Games. If you are using an AMD FirePro graphics card, the page is in groups Performance and AMD FirePro.
GPUs in AMD CrossFireX and AMD Radeon™ Dual Graphics configurations work together using one of four graphics rendering modes: Mosaic, Scissor Mode, Frame Alternate Rendering, and Super Anti-Aliasing.
The first three modes are focused on performance, while the super smoothing mode is focused on quality. Each mode uses a different way to distribute the workload across multiple GPUs when rendering 3D images. The AMD Catalyst™ display driver automatically selects the most optimal of three operating modes when launching a 3D application.
Tip: You can also improve image quality by selecting the super anti-aliasing mode (levels above 6×).
Mosaic In this mode, each processed frame is divided into a number of tiles arranged in a checkerboard pattern so that each of the two GPUs processes half of the tiles. Each tile is a 32x32 pixel square, so this method provides good workload distribution between GPUs, regardless of the rendered image displayed on the display, and without wasting software resources.
The advantage of mosaic mode is its ability to work with almost any 3D application. However, there are a small number of applications where tiled workload distribution does not provide optimal performance. In these special cases, the scissor mode can be used. Scissor Mode In this mode, each frame is divided into two sections, each of which is processed by one GPU. The ideal configuration is determined automatically for each application.
Although scissor mode is generally a less efficient way to distribute workload than mosaic mode, it can be more effective in some cases. This mode is supported by AMD CrossFireX technology for maximum compatibility and performance. Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR) In this mode, all even frames are rendered on one GPU, while all odd frames are rendered on another GPU. The rendered frames are sent from both GPUs to the compositing engine on the AMD CrossFireX Edition card, which then delivers them to the display. By allowing both GPUs to operate independently, AFR mode maximizes the performance of all available modes. This mode is also the only mode that allows you to simultaneously use all the processing power of both GPUs for vertex processing.
The main limitation of this mode is that it cannot be used in applications in which the appearance of the current frame depends on the data generated in previous frames, since the AFR mode involves the formation of successive frames on different GPUs. In such cases, use mosaic mode or scissor mode instead. Super Anti-Aliasing Anti-aliasing is a rendering technique designed to remove jagged edges, flicker, and pixelation that often occur in rendered 3D images. Instead of simply determining the color displayed for each pixel on the screen by sampling from one location at the center of the pixel, antialiasing takes samples at different locations on each pixel and mixes the resulting results to create the final color.
Most AMD GPUs use a technique known as multi-sample anti-aliasing (MSAA). This method samples 2, 4, or 6 programmable locations in each pixel and applies gamma-corrected blending of the samples to produce high-quality smooth polygon edges. The new AMD CrossFireX Super Anti-Aliasing mode leverages the GPU's programmable sampling capabilities to provide higher quality anti-aliasing on AMD CrossFireX systems.
In this case, each GPU renders the same frame with anti-aliasing enabled, but each GPU samples from a different location. Once both frame renderings are complete, the results are mixed in the AMD CrossFireX compositing engine. The resulting image is created from twice as many samples, so 4x and 6x antialiasing become 8x and 12x antialiasing, respectively.
Some textures, especially those with transparent areas, may exhibit aliasing that MSAA cannot correct. In these cases, another type of anti-aliasing called low-resolution anti-aliasing (SSAA) can be useful because it affects every pixel in the image. Although the process is typically slower than MSAA, the processing power of multiple GPUs can make SSAA practical.
When using SSAA, it first renders the scene at a higher resolution than the output resolution of the display, and then forces the resolution downsampling to match the display's resolution. This approach usually has two main drawbacks: it requires processing many more pixels than usual, which can have a big impact on performance, and it also results in the use of ordered lattice sampling, which is poorly suited for smoothing some types of jagged edges. AMD CrossFireX super anti-aliasing eliminates both of these shortcomings. This uses a second GPU to render the extra pixels needed for each frame, so there is little or no performance impact. It can also use a more efficient sampling model to provide better anti-aliasing of near-horizontal and near-vertical edges, resulting in higher overall image quality.
Two super anti-aliasing modes use a combination of MSAA and SSAA techniques to ensure maximum image quality. These modes not only use different multisampling locations for each GPU, but also slightly shift the pixel centers. Essentially, each GPU renders the image from different viewpoints spaced about half a pixel apart. The 10x and 14x super anti-aliasing modes work this way, combining 2x SSAA with 4x and 6x MSAA, respectively.
Both of these modes work in conjunction with anisotropic filtering (AF).
Users can enable super anti-aliasing modes using the Control Center app.
Note: Enabling super anti-aliasing modes (×8, ×10, ×12, ×14) disables multi-GPU (graphics processing unit) rendering, which is designed to improve performance to provide higher image quality.
Configuring AMD CrossFireX™ Hardware Settings
Use the AMD CrossFireX page to enable and configure AMD CrossFireX configurations that use AMD CrossFireX bridging cables. When AMD CrossFireX support is enabled, 3D games and applications automatically use AMD CrossFireX technology if the driver determines that using it is the optimal solution.
You can also configure super anti-aliasing mode for AMD CrossFireX using the 3D pages in the Control Center app.
Enabling AMD CrossFireX™
- Standard view - Performance And Games > Gaming performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and Games.
- Standard view - Performance And AMD FirePro > Graphics performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and AMD FirePro.
- Check the box Enable AMD CrossFireX .
- If necessary, click and drag the slider to unlock support for displays connected to auxiliary GPUs. Not all AMD CrossFireX configurations support unlocking displays connected to auxiliary GPUs.
- Click the Apply button.
Enabling AMD CrossFireX™
Enable AMD CrossFireX support to accelerate the quality and performance of 3D applications and games displayed on displays connected to the main GPU. When AMD CrossFire™ support is enabled, the best possible combination of GPUs to use is selected based on the current hardware configuration.
Note: If AMD CrossFireX support is enabled, Control Center automatically restarts. AMD CrossFireX is designed for applications running in full screen mode.
AMD Radeon™ dual-GPU graphics cards are powered by AMD CrossFireX technology. As a result, AMD CrossFireX support is always enabled for these boards.
- Go to the AMD CrossFireX page located in the groups below.
- Standard view - Performance And Games > Gaming performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and Games.
If you are using an AMD FirePro™ graphics card, you can navigate to the page using the groups below.
- Standard view - Performance And AMD FirePro > Graphics performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and AMD FirePro.
- If necessary, use the desktop selection menu at the top of the page to select the desktop associated with the GPU to use as your primary desktop.
- Check the box Enable AMD CrossFireX.As of Windows® 8.1, AMD CrossFireX support is enabled by default only for applications and games with a standard AMD profile or a custom application profile. To enable AMD CrossFireX for all games and applications - even those that do not have an application profile - select Enable AMD CrossFireX for applications without a profile.
- If necessary, click and drag the slider to unlock support for displays connected to auxiliary GPUs. Not all AMD CrossFireX configurations support unlocking displays connected to auxiliary GPUs. Note: For optimal performance when running 3D applications, connect all displays to the main GPU and (if necessary) unlock displays connected to the secondary GPU.
- Click the Apply button.
AMD CrossFireX is enabled and AMD CrossFireX automatically uses the best combination of GPUs for your system. Only displays connected to the primary GPU are available for use (additional displays must be running in extended desktop mode). Displays that are not included in the AMD CrossFireX configuration are also available for use. Displays connected to auxiliary GPUs remain usable only if support is unlocked.
If other GPU combinations are available, you may choose to use a different combination.
Note: If there are problems with your current AMD CrossFireX configuration, diagnostic information will be displayed at the bottom of the page.
Selecting GPU Combinations for AMD CrossFireX™
If your system has more than two graphics processing units (GPUs) that support AMD CrossFireX, you can select a specific combination of GPUs to use.
Note: When you change the GPU combination that is used for AMD CrossFireX, the Control Center application automatically restarts.
- Go to the AMD CrossFireX page located in the groups below.
- Standard view - Performance And Games > Gaming performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and Games.
If you are using an AMD FirePro™ graphics card, you can navigate to the page using the groups below.
- Standard view - Performance And AMD FirePro > Graphics performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and AMD FirePro.
- From the GPU combinations drop-down list, select the combination to use. Each list option lists the number of GPUs that support AMD CrossFireX and the adapter index of the primary GPU, followed by one or more secondary GPUs.
Note: If there are problems with the selected combination, diagnostic information will be displayed at the bottom of the page. - Click the Apply button.
The selected GPU combination is used for AMD CrossFireX.
Show or hide the AMD CrossFireX™ logo
When AMD CrossFireX support is enabled, you can choose to display the AMD CrossFireX logo for 3D applications and games running in full screen mode. This logo appears in the upper right corner of the screen and indicates that AMD CrossFireX support is enabled. When AMD CrossFireX support is disabled, the logo is not displayed.
Additionally, for AMD FirePro™ boards, the logo is also displayed for applications running in windowed mode.
- Right-click the Control Center logo on the Windows® taskbar (notification area).
- From the menu that appears, select the graphics card associated with the primary GPU for the AMD CrossFireX configuration, specify AMD CrossFireX Options and select Show CrossFireX status icon (if applicable) to display the AMD CrossFireX logo when AMD CrossFireX support is enabled. To always hide the logo even when AMD CrossFireX support is enabled, clear the check box.
Unlocking displays on secondary GPUs for AMD CrossFireX™
If your system supports displays directly connected to the secondary GPU in AMD CrossFireX, you can unlock support for the number of displays you plan to use.
Note: When you change the number of displays supported by the secondary GPU in the AMD CrossFireX group, the Control Center application automatically restarts.
- Go to the AMD CrossFireX page, located in the groups below:
- Standard view - Performance And Games > Gaming performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and Games.
If you are using an AMD FirePro™ graphics card, you can access the page using the groups below:
- Standard view - Performance And AMD FirePro > Graphics performance.
- Expanded view - Performance and AMD FirePro.
- Make sure AMD CrossFireX is enabled.
- Click and drag the slider to unlock support for displays connected to auxiliary GPUs.
Note: For optimal performance when running 3D applications, connect all displays to the primary GPU and (if necessary) unlock displays connected to the secondary GPU. - Click the Apply button.
AMD CrossFire™ Troubleshooting Tips
Below are solutions for common AMD CrossFire issues. For more information, visit the AMD CrossFire web page at www.amd.com.
Change Motherboard BIOS Settings Some motherboards may have a system BIOS setting that allows you to switch between single and dual PCIe® slot support. By default, one slot can be supported. Refer to your motherboard manual for information on how to enable dual PCIe slot support. Using graphics cards with different amounts of memory Some AMD CrossFire configurations may use graphics cards with different amounts of memory; However, after enabling AMD CrossFire, the computer must be rebooted. This will force AMD CrossFire to reduce the memory on the graphics card with more memory to match the memory on the graphics card with less memory.
When you click the Disable AMD CrossFire button, you will be prompted to restart your computer to restore the original amount of graphics memory, or continue with the reduced amount of memory. Swap Cards Recommended If the primary graphics card is not inserted into the primary PCIe slot, a message may appear advising you to swap graphics cards. Although AMD CrossFire may be enabled in this case, rearranging the graphics cards in your computer may improve system performance.
To find out which PCIe slot is the primary slot, see your motherboard documentation. 3D client is active AMD CrossFire cannot be enabled while a 3D application or game is running, or a video such as a DVD movie is playing.
Close all open 3D applications, games, and movie applications, and then enable AMD CrossFire. AMD CrossFire is currently unavailable This error occurred because the AMD CrossFire system did not correctly detect the graphics hardware or there was a software issue.
- Check that the graphics cards are installed correctly.
- Check that the connection cable is connected correctly.
- Close any running 3D applications.
- Reinstall the Control Center software and drivers.
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