Tom's Hardware Forums » Graphic & Displays » Graphics Cards » 2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.
 

2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.




Word :   Username :  
 
Bottom
Author
 Thread : 2 8600's or 1 8800? You decide.
 
Profanity-Mod.
Profile: member
More Information

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!

Related Product

Register or log in to remove.

Profile: addict
More Information

In a word - yes.

Profile: Forum Master
More Information

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

Profile: member
More Information

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
Profile: Honorary Poster
More Information

8800GTS without question.


---------------
LAPTOP: Sager NP5760|T7200|2gb DDR2-667| 100gb 7200rpm HDD| 512mb 7950GTX|17'' WUXGA

Desktop: Core2 E7200 | Corsair 2gb DDR2-800 | Gigabyte EP35-DS3L | 250gb Seagate Barracuda | HIS x1650pro | Corsair VX550 | Antec 300 case
Profile: member
More Information

w/out thinking, 8800gts

Profile: Forum Master
More Information

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.

Profile: Faithful Poster
More Information

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.

I poop too much
Profile: Eternal Poster
More Information

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.
I'm proud of myself,because i'm from IRAN
Profile: Forum Veteran
More Information

8800GTS hands down


---------------
Q6600@3.4,SAPPHIRE HD 4870X2,OCZ 4GB DDR2 800 RAM 4-4-4-15,ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA X38,SEAGATE 500GB 7200RPM 32MB,TT V1 CPU Cooler,TT ARMOR SILVER ALUMNIUM With 25cm FAN,OCZ MODXSTREAM 900W,LG 2284F 1680x1050
Profile: old hand
More Information

rodney_ws wrote :

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.

 

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

---------------
Athlon X2 3800+ (230x10) @1.40v w/Tuniq Tower | Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe
2x1GB Corsair XMS PC3200 2.5-3-3-8 1T @409MHz | 2x6600GT SLI
WD 640GB AAKS, Seagate 7200.8 250GB, Hitachi 80GB
Antec EA-500D | Samsung 206BW | Vista Ultimate x64
emp
Profile: Faithful Poster
More Information

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
Profile: Faithful Poster
More Information

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.

Profile: Forum Master
More Information

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.

Profile: Forum Master
More Information

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.

Profile: newbie
More Information

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
Profile: Forum Master