Drop dual 780s in favor of single GPU?

NGTO1 · Jun 26, 2014

I'm considering dropping SLI in favor of a single GPU set-up. I prefer Nvidia which means a single Titan Black would be the only option but I'm not totally against AMD with maybe a 290x.

I've run into some temperature problems and am tired of certain games not supporting SLI or having bad scaling. I thought two 780s would be enough to run pretty much anything ultra settings with AA turned up, and at 1080p60. Most people said, "Dual 780s is overkill for 1080p." Well no it isn't, I can't even run Tomb Raider at 1080p at a locked 60FPS with ultra settings and max AA without my temps going over 80c.

My monitor is 60hz, 1080p monitor so I don't need insane framerates. I use adaptive vysnc.

My main question is, if I'm not getting the performance I expected from dual 780s, or getting that performance without high temps, why bother with the challenges SLI brings (increased temps, bad scaling, no SLI support), should I drop the 780s in favor of a single Titan Black?

note: I do not overclock. My mobo OC's my CPU and GPU on their own and my system has always been extremely stable, so stability has not been an issue.

i7-4770k
MSI Z87-G45 ATX LGA1150
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" SSD
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
MSI Geforce GTX 780 3GB Twin Frozr x2
NZXT Guardian 921
Corsair TX850W Modular ATX12V / EPS12V
Windows 7 64-bit
Dell S2330MX 23.0"

PC part picker link https://pcpartpicker.com/b/CpkLrH

bdiddytampa · Jun 26, 2014

Getting a Titan Black for gaming is pointless man, WAY too much money when a 780ti performs just as good in gaming. As far as your gaming experience is going, it is tough to gauge performance from console ports, some of them will never perform great on a PC no matter how much horsepower you have, because they weren't developed with a PC in mind. Some games will use the dual GPUs nicely while others don't scale at all. So your options would either be 780ti or 290x if you are tired of dealing with multiple GPUs and you can pick your battles on that one, Those 2 trade back and forth: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-290X-vs-GeForce-GTX-780-Ti

I'd get the 780ti, but I have been an Nvidia man for a while, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 290x, especially with the 3rd party cooling solutions they have beyond reference.

Drop some of those AA settings and your frame rates will be butter.

Turb0Yoda · Jun 26, 2014

Personally, I think the ideas of two GPU's are beast. Have you tried a custom loop. That way, they would stay cool and you could use one if you wanted to.

Rezylee · Jun 26, 2014

Dont sli, could run into problems in the future. I would get a 780ti and get a 120 hz monitor so u can display more than 60 hz. Or get 4k with 60hz

Pondering · Jun 26, 2014

Tweak with the settings and maybe use the second 780 as a physx card rather than as a second gpu.

Which card's DisplayPort port do you use for GSync in the SLI configuration? I have never used a dual card configuration before, so I am just asking but I am not sure.

NGTO1 · Jun 26, 2014

bdiddytampa :

That's right, I've heard that about the 780ti. Is the 3GB of RAM going to be a problem in a single screen set-up any time in the near future? I like the idea of 6GB of RAM.

I'm an Nvidia guy too, have been for a couple years so I'd be afraid of switching. I've heard the 290x has had some overheating problems so I'm a little leery of that. I know you said that the 3rd party cooling solutions have helped, but I still worry a little. The GPU boss link you gave me shows no clear advantage between the two, even the price seems to be about the same. So maybe I'll just upgrade to like a 780ti lightning or something (I'm an MSI guy) and stick with one GPU.

Oh, and yeah I've started just turning AA down to FXAA which has helped me maintain 60fps in the likes of Crysis 3. But seriously, two 780s I still can't turn AA up? Gees. Do PC games just not optimize like console games can? Or will they if they're built with PC in mind?

Thanks for the suggestions and info.

NGTO1 · Jun 26, 2014

Turb0Yoda :

I'm intimidated by using a water-cooled system. I'm still pretty new to PC building, this one being my first from-scratch build. Doesn't adding a water block to the GPU nix the warranty? I'm too afraid of breaking something haha.

I agree, the idea of two 780s just sounds beast to me, but when games don't support SLI (e.g. Titanfall) it makes me wonder if it's worth it.

NGTO1 · Jun 26, 2014

Rezylee :

Well, I've been SLIing for the last year or so and it's nice when it works well, but frustrating as hell when it isn't supported or badly scales.

I'm weary of getting a 120hz or 144hz monitor because I already run into framerate problems with two 780s at 1080p. If I try to double that framerate at 1080p I don't think a single 780ti could do it if dual 780s can't.

I think 4K would just melt even two 780s. I saw some benchmarks of some games running at 4k with 3-way Titan Blacks and that barely could manage 60fps.

I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks!

NGTO1 · Jun 26, 2014

Pondering :

That's an idea, I wonder how that would help in games like Metro or Borderlands 2 that use PhysX heavily?

I actually just use HDMI with my first GPU. My monitor isn't Gsync compatible and it's not 1440 or 1600p and my monitor doesn't have a display port on it.

I just run one HDMI cable to the monitor and SLI works through that. My PC part picker link has pics of my build, I just use an SLI bridge connecting the two GPUs.

Thanks for the suggestions!

bdiddytampa · Jun 26, 2014

NGTO1 :

3GB should be plenty for 1080p gaming. If you are considering going to a higher res in the future a larger buffer would be recommended, at 1080p though you'll be fine. I had an old 560Ti from MSI a long time ago, was a beast at the time

Consider EVGA as well, I have a 770 from them and have been more than happy with their customer service and quality.

You can probably get a good price for those 780s of yours on e-bay, get a 780 Ti, and end up with some cash in your pocket

Those 780s you have should be blowing through anything @ 1080p though, so that has me stumped. Not sure if it is a console port thing or a scaling issue or what.. it is puzzling.

NGTO1 · Jun 27, 2014

bdiddytampa :

Well, they do handle almost everything at a locked 60fps even at ultra settings and max AA, but my temps get over 80c and I know it's considered ok for temps to get that high, but I just don't like them getting higher than 79c.

The only games I have to turn AA down to get a locked 60fps is Crysis 3 and Metro: LL I believe. Last night I fiddled with a few games (Far Cry 3, Assassins Creed IV, Splinter Cell Blacklist) and noticed Ubisoft games don't run well without tinkering. ACIV was terrible with PhysX turned up. I could only run the game with PhysX turned to low. I could run it with any AA I wanted, but the temps were super high.

I guess my biggest concern is temps and lack of SLI support or poor SLI implementation. I don't know if a single 780ti running at load would result in lower temps than 2 780s running at load. I know in some games that have good scaling I will definitely take a performance hit with only having a single 780ti vs dual 780s.

Anyway, thanks again for the suggestions. I'm considering selling my 780s for a signature series EVGA 780ti. It doesn't seem like MSI made a Lightning version of the 780ti. What EVGA version of the 780ti would you recommend?

Rezylee · Jun 27, 2014

The reason why 4k would melt the card is because they are putting full settings. 4k means more pixels, meaning the textures for a game can be turned down, while still looking better than 1080p ultra.

Adroid · Jun 27, 2014

You know the 780's that blow hot air out the back of the case are the best, I'm guessing that's not what you bought?

Have you tried to add fans and/or put better fans in the case? Do you have good airflow and more intake than exhaust? Can you add an exhaust fan over the GPUs and try to move more fresh air over your GPUs?

These questions may seem trivial but that would be my first plan of action for a hot system.

As far as single cards go - you are best waiting for a 790, I expect that's in the works.. It's a shame the dual 780's are working though I would try to fix the heat problem before I start over.

bdiddytampa · Jun 27, 2014

NGTO1 :

If I were going to buy an EVGA version of the 780Ti, I'd probably grab this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487007

EVGA's ACX cooler is top notch IMO. Noise levels are low, while cooling performance is high. EVGA has great warranties, they have a replacement program where if something is wrong with the card, they will send you one without you having to return yours first (credit card is required though, but is only charged if your original card isn't returned within a period of time), and they also have their step up program, if you buy a card today and something better is released in the coming months, you can upgrade to the newer card by just paying the difference in price, no used prices involved.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing

ko888 · Jun 27, 2014

What's the case temperature?

Does the overheating happen when the side of the case is left open?

Adroid · Jun 27, 2014

FYI for future reference, if you are ever going to Sli, the "blower" type fans are the best. Take a look at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130917&cm_re=GTX_780-_-14-130-917-_-Product

Note how this is designed to suck air in and blow it out the side of the card (aka back of the PC case). For sli, it makes a difference - instead of forcing hot air onto the other GPU, and giving GPU 2 thermal issues.

First single cards, the third party coolers are always better. Gigabyte, Asus, and MSI have been trading blows on which is coolest/quietest/fastest for this iteration of 7XX cards.

This may not solve your immediate problem, but hopefully it's usefull information for you.

NGTO1 · Jul 1, 2014

Adroid :

That makes a lot of sense. Yeah, I have the MSI Twin Frozr 780s. That's something I have to definitely consider. Thanks for the tip.

NGTO1 · Jul 1, 2014

ko888 :

I haven't been watching the case temp (D'oh!). Tonight I'll try to run it with the side panel off and see if that makes a difference. Haven't tried that yet.

NGTO1 · Jul 1, 2014

bdiddytampa :

Thanks for the link. I've hard about the step-up program and that sounds like something I would utilize as I like to try to stay as current as possible. I'll have to definitely consider that EVGA card.

Thanks!

NGTO1 · Jul 1, 2014

Adroid :

Well I already have the max fans I can fit in my case, but I did change my case fan on the top to an exhaust thinking it made sense to get that hot air that's already rising out of there. I've also read that negative pressure is better for your case (though I've also read the opposite is better).

Would it be better to have an exhaust fan next to the GPUs? I have a 140mm (it might be 120mm) right next to my GPUs on the side panel that's an intake fan. Overall I have 2 intakes and 2 output fans. The front bottom by the HDD and SSD intake, side panel intake, upper back exhaust, top back exhaust.

I think my case may also be too small for SLI, the GPUs are right on top of each other practically.

Hmm, a 790 huh? That'd be interesting.

Anyway, thanks for the tips.

NGTO1 · Jul 1, 2014

Rezylee :

Interesting theory. I'm not even at 1440p yet so I think I can hold off on 4k for a while.

Drop dual 780s in favor of single GPU?

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