Can you run two nvidia graphics cards without a sli bridge (nvlink)?

[MechWill]

Just wondering because I heard that you can do it but that would render nvlink useless. Please confirm if there is no such thing or if there is such a thing.

[da na]

You can do that. 

But they won't sync and work like SLI, you need the bridge for that. They can only be used to drive multiple displays and each card renders its own display. 

[MechWill]

4 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

You can do that. 

But they won't sync and work like SLI, you need the bridge for that. They can only be used to drive multiple displays and each card renders its own display. 

Can you use one separate card for rendering and the other for something else? Also can you game on two monitors on 1 single game? will it boost gaming performance over one single card?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, MechWill said:

Can you use one separate card for rendering and the other for something else?

Yup you can do that. Might need to do some configuration depending on the app.

[da na]

Just now, MechWill said:

Can you use one separate card for rendering and the other for something else?

Well what are you rendering?

Let's make up 2 GPUs - the Nvidia x1 and Nvidia x2. 

Let's say you have 2 monitors, one on the x1 and x2. You could probably set your rendering program to use the x2 which is the more powerful card but they would both have to be from the same series so you couldn't use say an X and a Z. 

Just use 1 GPU or pitch in the extra $150 or whatever for an NVLink bridge. 

[8tg]

There are some ways to force SLI profiles on whatever with no bridges or even mismatched cards with some third party software but it’s extremely buggy and rarely works properly unless you just have identical cards anyway, at which point just buy an SLI bridge

 

There are other things you can do with mixed cards but none of those features are too useful today compared to just one more powerful card.

[Moonzy]

19 minutes ago, MechWill said:

Can you use one separate card for rendering and the other for something else?

depending on your software, most of the cases is yes

 

19 minutes ago, MechWill said:

Also can you game on two monitors on 1 single game?

render game on GPU A but display it on GPU B? it should work but i can also see it not working

 

20 minutes ago, MechWill said:

will it boost gaming performance over one single card?

non-SLI? no*

 

*assuming you arent running anything intensive besides the game