WE NOW HAVE confirmation that ATI will need an external connector in order to make its Multi VPU work. ATI tried to avoid using an internal connector but it ended up with an external one as you will have to connect the cards, after all.

If you work with two cards, card number two has to get information from the first card before it displays the final image.

However, ATI decided to use an external connector simple because it didn’t want to release new series of Multi VPU capable cards powered with an internal connector. If it had done that, it would have ended up upsetting many customers who bought X800 or X850 cards. So ATI views this as an easy move for its customers to dual cards and can offer it to every single X800 and X850 card owner. A smart move for upgrade market.

It will be interesting to see the connector live but the good news is that owners of X800 and X850 cards will be able to buy one more card and to have multi VPU up and running. Otherwise ATI would be caught in the cross fire between Multi VPU wannabes and future dual card users.

One thing is certain, ATI is definitely entering this market very aggressively as it wants a hefty piece of Nvidia's SLI cake. There is some money to be earned and ATI wants to be there.