Big difference between 2-way SLI and 3-way SLI?

TheNaitsyrk

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Sep 2, 2014
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Is it worth upgrading PC from 2-way SLI to 3-way SLI? I've got 2x 780 TI in SLI currently. Also will 1000w power supply be sufficient for 3-way SLI?
 
Solution
It'll help in some cases, but there would likely be a lot more stuttering. Some games don't scale
well beyond 2 GPUs, performance can even drop, and it varies greatly from one game to another.
Best to check site reviews which have used the games you like to play, hunt for SLI scaling info,
see how they behave. Also be aware of CPU bottleneck issues, how your system compares to
those used in reviews.

Not sure about the PSU, probably ok though. Depends a bit on the platform. Do you have an X58/X79/X99 setup?
What CPU/speed/RAM/etc.? (got a CPU-Z link?) What's the under-load power consumption at the moment?

Ian.

mapesdhs

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It'll help in some cases, but there would likely be a lot more stuttering. Some games don't scale
well beyond 2 GPUs, performance can even drop, and it varies greatly from one game to another.
Best to check site reviews which have used the games you like to play, hunt for SLI scaling info,
see how they behave. Also be aware of CPU bottleneck issues, how your system compares to
those used in reviews.

Not sure about the PSU, probably ok though. Depends a bit on the platform. Do you have an X58/X79/X99 setup?
What CPU/speed/RAM/etc.? (got a CPU-Z link?) What's the under-load power consumption at the moment?

Ian.

 
Solution

TheNaitsyrk

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Sep 2, 2014
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Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC FORCE
CPU: i7 4790K (I know that new CPU's came out recently with 3.3-3.5Ghz but games and other programs aren't going to use much of it and obviously the price is freaking big so buying it is really pointless. Not to mention that I can overclock my 4790K to about 4.6Ghz.) (Also, games will use about 2 cores or 3 cores at max when playing, not to mention other things that will probably use even less cores)
RAM: (2x 8) 16 GB Corsair Vengeance (2400) (I also know that new RAM came out DD4, but the difference is not really high as far as I'm aware, and the idea of replacing everything because motherboard wouldn't accept 1150 CPU and DDR3 is... )
GPU: 2x SLI 780 TI in SLI. (Decided to go with 780 TI in SLI, I know 970 and 980 will come out soon, but their prices will be humongous and getting 780 TI in 2-way or 3-way SLI will be much better, not to mention that Vram isn't going to be much higher (only 1 GB higher).
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair.

I've got it all in parts, I just have to assembly them, that's why I ask whether 3-way SLI will be good for me, or if should I stick with 2-way SLI.

Too bad prices of new stuff isn't going to drop anytime soon. Overclocking and upgrading current stuff should be way more than enough for not just me but everyone I think.
 

oxiide

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Its hard to answer that without knowing what your goals/expectations are. What is the problem you're trying to solve with a third card? Like, are you trying to run a crazy monitor setup, like 3x 1440p? Are you doing 4K? Maybe just trying to hit the vsync cap on a 144 Hz monitor?