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A multi-GPU bridge is a computer component that creates a high-speed, direct communication link between two or more graphics processing units (GPUs) installed in the same computer. This connection bypasses the slower motherboard chipset to improve data transfer rates and synchronize rendering tasks, enabling a multi-GPU configuration to function as a single, more powerful graphics system.

How multi-GPU bridges work

In a multi-GPU configuration using a bridge, such as NVLink or older SLI, the cards communicate to coordinate their efforts.

Workload distribution: The graphics drivers and software divide the rendering tasks between the GPUs. In gaming, this often meant one GPU rendering one frame and the second GPU rendering the next (AFR).

High-speed transfer: The bridge provides a dedicated pathway for the GPUs to exchange data, such as completed frames or memory information. This is much faster than routing the data through the motherboard's standard PCI Express lanes.

Synchronization: The bridge also helps synchronize the GPUs, ensuring they work in parallel to produce a final, combined image.