Scan-Line Interleave

Not to be confused with Scalable Link Interface.
Scan-Line Interleave
Voodoo2 with SLI cable at top left
Manufacturer3dfx
TypeMulti-GPU technology
Release date1998
ConnectivityRibbon cable
SuccessorScalable Link Interface

Scan-Line Interleave (SLI) is a multi-GPU method developed by 3dfx 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.[1][2]

3dfx's SLI technology was first introduced in 1998 with the Voodoo2 line of graphics accelerators. The original Voodoo Graphics card and the VSA-100[3][4] were also SLI-capable, however in the case of the former it was only used in arcades[5][6] and professional applications.[citation needed]

NVIDIA reintroduced the SLI acronym in 2004 as Scalable Link Interface. NVIDIA's SLI, compared to 3dfx's SLI, is modernized to use graphics cards interfaced over the PCI Express bus.[7]

  1. ^ "3Dfx Voodoo2". Next Generation. No. 37. Imagine Media. January 1998. pp. 88–92.
  2. ^ Sanchez, Andrew (January 1998). "Previews – 3Dfx Voodoo2". boot. No. 17. pp. 86–87.
  3. ^ Lal Shimpi, Anand. 3dfx Voodoo5 5500, Anandtech, July 11, 2000.
  4. ^ 3dfx Interview with Peter Wicher, Hot Hardware, December 15, 2001.
  5. ^ Bennett, Phil. "Magic the Gathering: Armageddon - MAME preliminary driver". MAME GitHub repository. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Ondrejka, Cory (April 5, 2019). "CoryOndrejka on: The 3dfx Voodoo1". Hacker News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  7. ^ "What is SLI?". www.geforce.com. Retrieved 16 August 2024.