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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphics & Displays > Graphics Cards > 2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.

2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards 2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.

PowerColor

I have been eager to try the new SLI setup. My mobo supports it and my old card is crap. (HIS Radeon 1650 512ddr2).
So should I go for an extra 50 bucks and go 8800? Help!

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In a word - yes.

Reply to ananan

A single 8800 GTS 320mb will kick the living crap out of two 8600 GTS, not to mention GTs...

Reply to Cleeve

On games were SLI works...

2x 8600gts are on par with the 8800gts 320mb

On the games where SLI does not work the 8800gts is about 90% better than the 8600's

I would get the 8800gts and then down the road if you need more hp SLI that...

------------------------------ Old Enermax Case G. Skill DDR2 1000mhz 4gb(2x2gb)
PC Power & Cooling 610 Silencer EVGA 8800GT 512mb
Gigabyte P35-DS3R 2x WD1600AAJS RAID0
Intel Core 2 Duo e8400 @3.6ghz Windows Vista Premium 64bit
Reply to jwolf24601

8800GTS without question.

w/out thinking, 8800gts

Reply to accu

Found some benches. Jwolf is right:

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/ [...] index.html

However, since two 8600 GTS's would cost more than a single 8800 GTS, I assume the OP was considering 8600 GT's... and a single 8800 GTS would kick a pair of those out of the park everytime.

Reply to Cleeve

I'm pretty sure we already decided on this like a dozen posts ago. Just think about it... the 8600 GT has 32 whatevers... and the 8800 GTS has 92 whatevers (128 if you go the GTX/Ultra route) ... so even if the 8600 SLI setup is 100% efficient (meaning you actually double your performance) then 64 is still less than 96.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to rodney_ws

So easy a caveman could do it.

------------------------------ I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"[/Chris Knight]
You know what ole Jack Burton says at a time like this? Ole Jack says...what the hell[/Jack Burton]

This forum format sucks. Bring back the old one.
Reply to Anoobis

8800GTS hands down

------------------------------ The end is near...
Reply to Maziar

rodney_ws wrote :

And then of course there are memory considerations. Speed and bandwidth which the 8800GTS also has more of unless you get a completely pointless 512MB 8600GT.

-mcg

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by MrCommunistGen on 09-18-2007 at 06:44:55 PM

Reply to MrCommunistGen

Obviously it's a no contest, the difference between single 8800GTS and SLI 8600GTS is still abysmal to say the least.

------------------------------ Anxiously awaiting the Hydra 100 and the Hydra Engine...
www.lucidlogix.com
Reply to emp

MrCommunistGen wrote :

And then of course there are memory considerations. Speed and bandwidth which the 8800GTS also has more of unless you get a completely pointless 512MB 8600GT.

-mcg

Just to clarify... if a game box recommends a 512 MB video card, it does NOT mean two 256 MB cards SLI'd... a game like that would absolutely hammer that sort of SLI setup.

I imagine once the 8700 series is released we'll have a whole new round of SLI vs. single card topics to discuss... and although that one should be a bit closer, I'm going to make a pre-emptive SHHH!!! and say that the single 8700 is the winner over an 8600 SLI setup.

Reply to rodney_ws

Rodney's right, actually.

Two SLId 256mb cards are both using 256mb of texture memory each, and the texture data is duplicated for4 each card.

Therefore they can use a texture memory set made for 256mb, not a 512mb texture set.

Reply to Cleeve

No, I'm saying SLI'd 256mb 7600 GTs can only use up to a 256mb texture set without a massive performance penalty, but a 512mb 7600 GT can use a 512mb texture set without a performance penalty.

That's texture resolution though. Assuming they're both using a 256mb texture set, of course SLI'd cards would be faster.

If they were using a 512mb texture set, it's hard to say if the SLI'd cards extra GPU would benefit over the single card's extra memory.

Reply to Cleeve

What cleeve is saying is, "You can't drop a 512 lb rock into two buckets that support 256 lbs each. You have to have a 512 lb bucket to be able to carry that rock. And 'no', you can't break the rock."

And SLI / Crossfire is not a joke, it is a premium service to increase performance. It is not meant as a method to save money, but a way to increase performance at diminishing returns. Some people need and can afford the extra performance, so the option is there.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by jys84 on 09-18-2007 at 09:16:56 PM

Reply to jys84

jys84 wrote :

QFT.
That is probably the best way I've seen this summarized.

Reply to Cleeve

MrsBytch wrote :

ROFL. Ive never heard someone that had no clue what their talking about make so much sense. Yes 96 whatevers is better than 64 whatevers. Even a caveman can do it LOL
Oh and just for the record, 1 8700GTS is not going to outperform 2 8600GTS's. :pfff:

Rodney, the more you speak, the stupider you sound. If a game box says recommended 512mb video card, then yes 2 sli'd 256mb cards will suffice! :kaola:

If the 8700GTS is to be released to compete with the HD 2900Pro then it's retail price will hover around $200-240, while each 8600GTS is around anywhere from $150 to $250 on newegg, let's say average being around $170 each card (Since usually the $180+ are the OC'ed versions). Now taking into consideration that SLI 8600GTS will cost around $350, I don't see any intelligent human being comparing a $220 setup to a $350 setup.

------------------------------ Anxiously awaiting the Hydra 100 and the Hydra Engine...
www.lucidlogix.com
Reply to emp

to me sli setup are only for top cards and extreme geeks that want the best of the best. i dont see why people want to use sli setup for sh!ty cards. 2sh!ty cards=1 sh!ty sli setup.

Reply to accu

Now... that's most likely the BEST way anyone has ever expressed the true use of SLI/Crossfire!

------------------------------ Anxiously awaiting the Hydra 100 and the Hydra Engine...
www.lucidlogix.com
Reply to emp

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