How Many Graphics Cards Can A PC have?

If you are a serious gamer, you would need to invest in a high-grade graphics card. If you are interested in playing top games that are graphics-demanding. The game requires some complex simulations that only a single graphics card would not be able to handle. You can get more cards to help back up the single card that you have. Your computer can have multiple cards. However, there is a limit to the number and card level that every PC can take. Let us know how many Graphics Cards can a PC have and multiple graphics cards in this article.

How Many Graphics Cards Can A PC have?

How many Graphics Cards can a PC have? 

A computer can take as many graphics cards as the motherboard would allow. The motherboard is the major determinant of how many graphics cards your computer can take. This is because the motherboard needs to have the space requirement. The board requires express slots to help mount the cards. You would need to consider the heating mechanism, power supply, and case size. By reading the you will get the information of  how many Graphics Cards can a PC have. 

Some computers can take up to 4 graphics cards. If the computer gives the access, you can connect them using crossfire. You can use this to get a massive GPU. Some PCs allow you to use different graphics cards without a bridge. The cards can function alone, and you can switch cards for different uses. There are some dedicated cards for gaming, and there are some for video editing. Some special computers require access to up to 256 GPUs. 

Multiple graphics cards 

If your computer allows you to use multiple graphics cards. They can be configured to either work individually or work together as one single unit. There are different reasons why you might choose any of these options. However, most people would rather combine them as a single graphics card. 

If you want to combine multiple graphics cards and turn them into one. You would require a mode of communication. You would also need a way to help in the coordination of frame rendering. AMD and Nvidia are the top GPU manufacturers in the world. They have technologies that allow you to establish a direct link with the GPU. You would not have to go through the CPU or chipset. AMD uses a multi-GPU interface called Crossfire. While Nvidia uses the product called Scalable Link Interface (SLI) 

Crossfire 

This program has similarities with the SLI. It allows you to use and run multiple graphics cards at once. It would give you optimum performance while using quality resolutions. This would help improve your system’s power and reduce the heat output. Crossfire makes card pairing easy. It gives you freedom when connecting the cards.

Crossfire allows you to connect multiple cards with different GPUs, RAM, and Clock speeds. If they belong to the same manufacturer, they would fit. When comparing Crossfire with Nvidia’s SLI, crossfire is way cheaper. This is because they do not require licensing fees from their manufacturers. If you want to get compatible boards, they can be very expensive. Crossfire does not require any primary connector and this makes it more flexible. 

Scalable Link Interface 

SLI was introduced into the market in 2004. Though they had previously been in the market under a previous name. This platform would allow the user to improve their game performance. This is because it can run on two individual graphics cards simultaneously. However, the intended game or application that you want to run on that platform must be supported on SLI. 

It has been promoted as the next big thing for computer lovers. SLI works only with graphics cards that have similar GPUs. The card must also have the same RAM amount. To prevent this, it is always advisable that you buy similar graphics cards. However, when this is not possible. You should try using cards with identical GPUs. This would help solve the problem. 

SLI does not allow you to pair different cards. Regardless of how hard you try to bypass the interface. It would still prevent you from pairing the cards. You would also require a system that is SLI-enabled. Windows 7 and 10 are perfect for the task. You should also get an SLI-approved motherboard that can accommodate dual Express slots. 

Your computer must have the right power supply to accommodate different graphics cards. It should also have an SLI bridge and an effective cooling mechanism. The cooling mechanism is to help reduce the heat that the GPU setup emits. It would also prevent the equipment from possible scenarios of overheating. 

The Scalable Link Interface has gone through multiple updates to arrive at the current version. After you are done connecting the bridge, mounting the graphic cards, and installing the driver. You have to activate the SLI in your control panel. This would help give your PC optimum performance. 

NVLink 

This is a modernized version of the SLI. It was designed for professionals and designed to be more effective. This platform was designed to be used in experiments and on a large scale. The initial version was released into the market in 2018. It was released in combination with the GeForce series. Some innovations were made to the NVLink, and this made it faster than the SLI. 

When you buy the NVLink the first noticeable difference is that it has bigger connectors. They are twice as bigger as the previous generations. There is a flaw in the SLI, and that is the fact that a particular GPU has to operate as the main card, while the other cards work as the subordinates. The main card determines how the other cards get the workload share. If all the cards work at maximum capacity. The speed with an SLI connector would be a lot faster. 

However, the NVLink is designed to be bidirectional. This means that no graphics card dictates what the others would do. This has improved the efficiency has it has helped improve the data transfer capacity by 100%. The final result would be similar to those that use individual cards. This is because of the reduced overhead cost. 

Independent Graphic Cards 

If you do not intend to combine the graphics card. You can use multiple cards without pairing the cards. It is all your decision to make. However, if you want to use your PC for a different reason, you can easily switch between the graphics card. 

If you also want to play older games that require a graphics card with a lower resolution. This would come in well handy. You can install a lower graphics card, and switch to it when required. However, your motherboard must give you express slot access to connect multiple graphics cards. You can also use the graphics card to turn your PC into a virtual machine. With this configuration, you can have a motherboard and CPU. This can easily be converted to your virtual workstation. 

Conclusion

Although having a PC with more than one graphics card can be a bit expensive. However, if the budget would not be a problem. You would need to invest in cooling mechanisms. There is also a need for a constant and top-notch source of constant power supply. You would have frame time variance (FPS) with the setup. If you want to improve your PC’s horsepower, you can operate them in compute mode. This would automatically display the graphics engine.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1.How many graphics cards can a PC have? 

This all depends on the brand, type, and age of the computer. Some computers support multiple graphics cards. While some have slot access for just one graphics card. However, if your computer supports up to two. This is sufficient enough, even if you are a hardcore gamer. You can use the more powerful graphics card for gaming and carrying out heavy tasks. While the other graphics card can handle lesser tasks. 

2.What are the benefits of using multiple graphics cards simultaneously? 

It would make your system run faster, and operate at a greater level. Your games and applications would also run at a greater quality than what you are used to. Scientists, finance analysts, and data analysts would be able to quickly process real-time cumbersome data in minutes. 

3.Are multiple graphic cards worth the stress?
Having a PC with multiple graphics cards can always come in handy. Though it is not wasting our resources (time and money). However, instead of paying for weaker cards. You can easily buy a more sophisticated card that would not require you to put up additional graphics cards. Your games and applications would run at an optimal level without tweaking any settings. It is worth the hassle if you would be processing large, raw, cumbersome data. 

4.Are there still Multi-GPU Systems?
There are no more multi-GPU systems. Anyone in circulation was probably produced before Nvidia put a stop to its production. The current regular driver; DirectX no longer supports the SLI platform. This was an eye-opener for developers to build better games. If you want to run your games and enjoy optimal performance. It is better that you run your application with ultra-settings.

How Many Graphics Cards Can A PC have?

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