Scan-Line Interleave

Scan-Line Interleave (SLI) from 3dfx is a method for linking two (or more) video cards or chips together to produce a single output. It is an application of parallel processing for computer graphics, meant to increase the processing power available for graphics. SLI from 3dfx was introduced in 1998 and used in the Voodoo2 line of graphics accelerators. However, the original Voodoo Graphics card and the VSA-100 were also SLI-capable.

Voodoo2 with SLI cable at top left

Nvidia Corporation reintroduced the SLI acronym in 2004 (though it now stands for Scalable Link Interface). NVIDIA's SLI, compared to 3dfx's SLI, is modernized to use graphics cards interfaced over the PCI Express bus.

Function
A single PCI video card from Quantum3D that combines two Voodoo 2 boards in SLI configuration.

3dfx's SLI design was the first attempt, in the consumer PC market, at combining the rendering power of two video cards. The two 3dfx cards were connected by a small ribbon cable inside the PC. This cable shared graphics and synchronization information between the cards. Each 3dfx card rendered alternating horizontal lines of pixels composing a frame.

See also

References
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