What is nvlink and what geforce graphics support it

If you have reached this article it is because you want to know what Nvidia NVLink technology is. It is one of the latest developments in NVIDIA's new generation of GeForce graphics cards. Let's find out what it is for and which of the new graphics will be compatible!

Index of contents

What is NVLink for?

NVLink is an interconnection technology between graphics cards announced in 2014 that comes to replace the old SLI system, and which was already being used in professional Quadro and Tesla cards, but which has now been transferred to the Nvidia GeForce series.

The system seeks to dispense with the bandwidth limitations of the interconnections by PCIe when achieving the direct connection between graphics and graphics .

NVLink is not only faster than PCIe connections, it also outperforms the SLI system, which is already beginning to be somewhat limited for maximum resolution connections, making it the most important improvement of the new system. The bandwidth will be more than 15 times greater compared to the SLI interconnection, this being a guideline to get an idea of ​​the improvement. Other sources indicate a 50-fold improvement.

Another important detail is that the two graphics share the framebuffer, improving combined performance and adding the VRAM between the two cards, something that did not happen with SLI systems.

The NVLink was originally designed for high-performance computing, rather than for games, so there are important differences in architecture at the SLI level whose impact we do not know, as the support of this new system in games and the improvement is hardly known. performance.

Supported Graphics: NVIDIA wants NVLink to be a premium feature

One of the most important news that accompanied the launch of the Pascal-based GTX 1060 graphics was its lack of support for SLI, and evidently of a space on the PCB to connect the necessary bridge to use it. It was said that in certain games and situations a 1060 SLI could outperform the GTX 1080, cannibalizing it since two GTX 1060 consume very little power (could come with a quality 550W source) and cost less than a GTX 1080.

Well, now NVIDIA has made a similar move: The new Nvidia RTX 2070, the lower-end graphics presented at Gamescom 2018, totally lack space for an NVLink connector. So, it is foreseeable that it will not be included in lower graphics either and that is why the only ones compatible are the RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. More than a cost issue, it seems the company wants to leave NVLink as a premium and unique feature, while limiting the chances of a cheap two-graphics setup cannibalizing one side.

The NVLink Bridge

To make the connection between two graphics cards, a bridge is required, as was the case with SLI systems. In fact, that's where we know that the RTX 2070 will not allow NVLink, since it has no space to connect (apart from NVIDIA not listing it as compatible, of course)

Well, the NVLink bridge is currently priced at 84 euros on the NVIDIA website. Interestingly, before the arrival of technology to GeForce graphics, it cost $ 600 (USD), and although it has now dropped very considerably, it is still a system reserved for loose pockets.

Final words and conclusion about NVLink

NVIDIA is clear that it wants to offer a powerful system to interconnect its new GeForce graphics cards, but only for customers who pay the large sum of money that their RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti cost. Time will tell if it is a good enough system to make multi-GPU configurations attractive, which until now have only been synonymous with problems and high cost for most users. What do you think of this new Nvidia NVLink? Do you think it will give significant performance to the new RTX graphics cards? We want to know your opinion!