ATI Crossfire - Not that Simple

[Melbosa]

So I've been working on some research about the ATI Crossfire, and man is it hard to figure out where to buy what you need.  As for what you need, this chart is extremely handy:  http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire/charts.html

But to find out if someone is selling an CF chipset master version of the card, that is the pain.  Memory express all lists their cards as Crossfire Ready, but don't know if that means they can be the master card or that they just will work with a master card... I assume the former, but just aren't sure.

As per the chart, I'm looking at a compliment to my X1900XTX, probably an X1950 CF card, as the X1950s run at the same speed as the XTX versions, the older X1900 CFs were a bit slower than the XTX equivalents (at least that is what I have been reading).  Just finding it hard to make sense on various websites if I am buying the right card or not...

Anyone have any insite into this?  I know a lot of you are nVidia fans, but thought there might be some informed people out there .

[Lazybones]

My opinion is that there does not seem to be much value in these dual configurations unless your display supports some uber resolution that a single card can deliver a solid frame rate at.

[Melbosa]

It kinda just popped up as Rob and I were talking about some cards for HTPCs and how ATI (AMD) really isn't trying to compete with nVidia's current gen of vids... then we starting talking about Crossfire, and then he said how it seems to change from month to month on how you do it with ATI cards.  So I started research using my XTX as the base, as I know mine is supposed to work in the whole Crossfire Model.  And now that is how I ended up here, confused as to what you would buy should you want to make that purchase.  I'm sure someone will ask me how to do this some day, or maybe my next upgrade will just be a video card until I get a new PC... who knows.  I've put together SLI ones before, but those are simple.  SLI board, nVidia cards = each other, and drivers... good to go.  ATI is just different, and wanted to know how to do it.

And yes, as I did the research I found I might actually want to make this purchase, as my one and only upgrade for Frag (always try and do something before the event - some people buy themselves XMas presents, me always something before Frag).  So hence where we are now.