This graphics card uses a lower cost HYDRA chip to create a dual-GPU board that otherwise might not have existed via AMD reference designs.
But the more interesting design is here, from TUL/Powercolor. What you are seeing is an HD 5770 GPU with a Lucid HYDRA on the same board that provides the ability for HYDRA-based multi-GPU scaling across any other graphics cards in your system. For example, if you have this card in your computer then add an HD 5750 you can take advantage of Lucid’s software for gaming performance scaling.
The benefit here is that you don’t need a motherboard with Lucid HYDRA technology already on it if you get just a single graphics card with a HYDRA chip installed on it. According to Lucid the additional cost, both in terms of dollars and design time, is minimal for this change: think around $5 or so. If that is indeed the case, card vendors should be lining up to add this option to their products considering it only offers MORE options and doesn’t take any away (like standard SLI or CrossFire).
No one will deny, even Lucid, that HYDRA technology has had a rocky start to say the least. Hopefully the company’s continued software progression will result in the performance and stability we were promised last year.
No one will deny, even Lucid, that HYDRA technology has had a rocky start to say the least. Hopefully the company’s continued software progression will result in the performance and stability we were promised last year.
