Scan-Line Interleave

{{short description|Multi-GPU technology by 3DFX}}

{{Confused|Scalable Link Interface }}

{{Refimprove|date=November 2007}}

{{infobox Information appliance

|name=Scan-Line Interleave

|image=200px

|caption=Voodoo2 with SLI cable at top left

|manufacturer=3DFX

|type=Multi-GPU technology

|releasedate=1998

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|connectivity=Ribbon cable

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|successor=Scalable Link Interface

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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.{{cite magazine |title=3DFX Voodoo2 |magazine=Next Generation|issue=37|publisher=Imagine Media |date=January 1998 |pages=88–92}}{{cite magazine|title=Previews – 3DFX Voodoo2|last=Sanchez|first=Andrew|magazine=boot|date=January 1998|issue=17|pages=86–87}}

3DFX's SLI technology was first introduced in 1998 with the Voodoo2 line of graphics accelerators. The original Voodoo Graphics card and the VSA-100Lal Shimpi, Anand. [http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1276 3DFX Voodoo5 5500], Anandtech, July 11, 2000.[http://hothardware.com/Articles/3DFX-Interview-with-Peter-Wicher/ 3DFX Interview with Peter Wicher], Hot Hardware, December 15, 2001. were also SLI-capable. However, in the case of the former, it was only used in arcades,{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Phil |title=Magic the Gathering: Armageddon - MAME preliminary driver |url=https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/d2c4286eca573ed6143b50cb4acd0c8ab72db9f1/src/mame/misc/magictg.cpp#L146 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205200512/https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/d2c4286eca573ed6143b50cb4acd0c8ab72db9f1/src/mame/misc/magictg.cpp#L146 |archive-date=December 5, 2023 |access-date=December 5, 2023 |website=MAME GitHub repository}}{{Cite web |last=Ondrejka |first=Cory |date=April 5, 2019 |title=CoryOndrejka on: The 3DFX Voodoo1 |url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19583111 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205195946/https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19583111 |archive-date=December 5, 2023 |access-date=December 5, 2023 |website=Hacker News}} as well as professional applications via Primary Image's Piranha{{Cite web |date=1999-11-14 |title=Primary Image Graphics Ltd - Piranha pc graphics image generator |url=http://www.primary-image.com/piranha.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991114014123/http://www.primary-image.com/piranha.htm |archive-date=14 November 1999 }}{{Cite web |title=Primary Image Ltd 3dfx products |url=http://www.thedodgegarage.com/3dfx/primary_image.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=www.thedodgegarage.com}}{{Cite web |title=3dfx.eu - Primary Image Ltd. |url=http://3dfx.eu/en/primary-image |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=3dfx.eu}} card, intended for use with simulations using various{{Cite web |date=1999-08-21 |title=Primary Image Graphics Ltd - Tempest |url=http://www.primary-image.com/tempest.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990821040731/http://www.primary-image.com/tempest.htm |archive-date=21 August 1999 }}{{Cite web |date=1998 |title=Barracuda Product Data Sheet |url=http://www.thedodgegarage.com/3dfx/primary_image/barracuda.pdf}} graphics APIs such as OpenGL, Glide, or Primary Image's own Tempest API. Support for the MultiGen OpenFlight Format in particular was specifically advertised.

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.{{cite web|title=What is SLI?|url=http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/introduction-to-sli-technology-guide#2|website=www.geforce.com|access-date=16 August 2024}}