SLI

[jeff1304]

i have a question about SLI i have heard not all games support sli and say that i should go with one good card and get slightly lower performance than going sli. if some games dont roughly how often do games come around that dont.

 

[pauldh]

The vast majority of games do support SLI. Scaling depends on lots of things including your resolution, detail levels, fsaa levels, and of course the CPU and system itself. And really, games that don't support it, just get set to single card in the game profile, so it's no hassle, but also no performance boost. it is possible at launch of a game, SLI performance will need to be tweaked in a driver update and/or game patch. But NVidia and their TWIMTBP program has usually made that top priority if it's a popular game.

Look at this review. Notice 8 out of 10 games the 9600GT SLI combo beats the 1GB Gainward GLH 8800GTX G92. Also, this gainward 1GB GTS beats the 9800GTX and 8800GTX. Now ask yourself, if the two games that don't work with SLI matter to you, and if a single 9600GT does too poorly in, since in effect that is how you would be playing those two games. Basically a single 9600GT does well in both TigerWoods08 and Blazing Angels.
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=551&pageid=12

And it's not slightly lower performance. 9600GT SLI can put a spanking on a single 9800GTX for the same price. Look at all the games in these reviews:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_9800_gtx_performance_preview/page4.asp
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/geforce_9600_gt_sli_performance/page3.asp


Single 8800GTS G92 for $170-200 is a nice way to go. Avoid SLI 8600GTS for instance. But if spending $280+, consider SLI 9600GT or 8800GT IMO. That's what I did and I'm thrilled with the decision.

 

[jeff1304]

yeah im looking at going 8800gt SLI due to the card being a little more powerful in sli and not in sli and i pick up to 8800gt's for only $20 more than the 9600gt's also what kinda of psu should i use with the 8800gt's sli im thinking 610 continues is a lil low isnt it ?

 

[roadrunner197069]

SLi is a waste of $$$/performane IMHO. 10ish more FPS for double the money, and a more costly mobo. Its not for me.

 

[pauldh]

SLi is a waste of $$$/performane IMHO. 10ish more FPS for double the money, and a more costly mobo. Its not for me.

^ This SLI owner totally disagrees. Where do you come up with 10ish fps? Not from the three links I just provided. So is it better to spend the same money on a high end worse performing single GPU? Let me tell you, try playing all the way through crysis with the game tweaked for SLI 8800GT. For me that is 1680x1050 all high 2xaa/16xaf. Now go back and play the later half of the game with a single 8800GT instead. I've done it... The difference is HUGE!

Here is a screenie of a GPU demanding level of Crysis. Sure, it's 13 fps, but it's also an 85% increase and more importantly, totally playable!


Here's one from Oblivion. it scales even higher than this in pure deep foliage:


And one more. here are may framerates during actual gameplay in crysis Paradise Lost, with one 8800GT and Two 8800GT. If I enable 2xaa the difference is larger even. But look at the SLI combo staying above 30 fps, while the single 8800GT can't even hit 30 fps max never mind min or average.


Anyway, time to rethink SLI. 10 fps and a waste are both completely untrue.

 

[pauldh]

yeah im looking at going 8800gt SLI due to the card being a little more powerful in sli and not in sli and i pick up to 8800gt's for only $20 more than the 9600gt's also what kinda of psu should i use with the 8800gt's sli im thinking 610 continues is a lil low isnt it ?

To be honest, I run SLI 8800GT, a 3.0GHz Q6600, SB Xfi fatality with front IO bay, 2 HDD's, and 2 Optical drives on an Antec True Power Trio 550W with a combined 12v of 41 amps on the three 12v rails. I would have bout a Corsair 620W or the Antec TP3 650W, but I already owned this one, decided to try it, and it's been stable as a rock.

Not a great price(seen the 650W for this price), but that's my PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Power+Supplies-_-Antec-_-17371002

 

[dagger]

Lol, it's obviously more than 10fps increase. It does make sense in the high end, simply because high end cards are far bigger ripoffs. 2 g92 8800gts in sli both cost much less and far outperforms a single 8800ultra.

The motherboard evens this out though. Sli motherboards are far more expensive. A 780i cost $100 more than p35 and perform the same. 780i is the same price as x38/48, but with far inferior performance, not to mention x38/48 supports crossfire, which would've been equal to sli had ati graphics cards not been so poor recently.

 

[englandr753]

I went with a second 8800GTX ANS3 and I can feel the difference in game play undoubtedly. If it doesnt fit your budget then dont do it but if it does its worth it IMO.

If you play old games then it may not be for you.

 

[pauldh]

When I see posts like this, I tend to assume (whether right or wrong) the OP already owns the SLI mobo. If it's a future build, then yes factor in mobo costs.

IMO, Just buy a $125 650i SLI. 8x/8x Performs as well as 680i sli even up to 8800GTX SLI. Been serving me and my customers well in all the P6N SLI platinums I have used. And I haven't seen any ram issue complaints with that mobo either.

I can agree with you though, A P35 for $90 is a bargain to factor into system cost vs a $200+ X38 or 780i. P35 with a single 8800GTS G92 is a cheap potent solid combo not to be ignored. But really, performing like P35 is no insult; they were know for their performance. As good as X38 in most (not all) areas according to many X38 release reviews.

 

[dagger]

When I see posts like this, I tend to assume (whether right or wrong) the OP already owns the SLI mobo. If it's a future build, then yes factor in mobo costs.

IMO, Just buy a $125 650i SLI. 8x/8x Performs as well as 680i sli even up to 8800GTX SLI. Been serving me and my customers well in all the P6N SLI platinums I have used. And I haven't seen any ram issue complaints with that mobo either.

I can agree with you though, A P35 for $90 is a bargain to factor into system cost vs a $200+ X38 or 780i. P35 with a single 8800GTS G92 is a cheap potent solid combo not to be ignored. But really, performing like P35 is no insult; they were know for their performance. As good as X38 in most (not all) areas according to many X38 release reviews.

Can you even recommend a 680i with a straight face?
It runs hot, was known as "ram killer" (google it) and bottlenecks the higher end cpus that people who pour money into sli is likely to want. Many people can oc a q6600 no more than 2.8ghz on it. How much money would be wasted on the cpu bottlenecking?

And p35 certainly is an excellent chipset for its price. But it runs at 1333mhz fsb stock, and x38/48 runs at 1600mhz fsb at stock. There's a real gap between them. No matter how loyal you are to the old horse, it's not going to run any faster.

Besides, Nvidia won't be industry leader forever. ATI and Nvidia historically take turns as the leader. SLI's reign over Crossfire won't last forever.

 

[jeff1304]

To be honest, I run SLI 8800GT, a 3.0GHz Q6600, SB Xfi fatality with front IO bay, 2 HDD's, and 2 Optical drives on an Antec True Power Trio 550W with a combined 12v of 41 amps on the three 12v rails. I would have bout a Corsair 620W or the Antec TP3 650W, but I already owned this one, decided to try it, and it's been stable as a rock.

Not a great price(seen the 650W for this price), but that's my PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Power+Supplies-_-Antec-_-17371002

so how would a http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817703005 do with a build like this https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9376348&WishListTitle=9600gt+build

 

[dagger]

so how would a http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817703005 do with a build like this https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9376348&WishListTitle=9600gt+build

It'll do fine.

 

[Mousemonkey]

so how would a http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817703005 do with a build like this https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9376348&WishListTitle=9600gt+build

[:mousemonkey:2] You might want to add a couple of Zalman VF900's to that list.

 

[Maziar]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/245454-15-crossfire-faqs

 

[pauldh]

Agreed, it will do fine. 49 amps 12v and 2 pci-e power cables.

I also agree a dual slot 8800GT is a nicer option. I question the XFX model, whether it has the old small diameter fan like the picture suggest, or the new larger diameter fan that is quieter. Take a look here at the two 8800GT reference fan diameters.


Dual slot options:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127329
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130357
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125088

 

[dagger]

The problem with dual slot cooler gt models is they cost almost as much as gts. At $169.99 after MIR, it's only $5-15 more for higher binned chip and more stream processors, plus a stock gts dual slot cooler.



The real low priced models that have a value advantage over gts are single slotted.

 

[jeff1304]

ok well i bought all the computer parts for the computer last night and i was accepted for a preferd account which is pretty good i think for only building credit for a year.

thats what my build ended up like
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9376348&WishListTitle=9600gt+build

 

[doomsdaydave11]

Nice rig thus far, but looking at your wishlist, I want to make these suggestions:

Swap the $1`0 GSkill for some $80 Gskill (which will perform within .3 FPS of the $110 stuff lol)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
And then forget that 20" acer and get this 22"!! 22 inches for $229 shipped. You can't beat that. I just upgraded my 19" to a 22" and trust me, it's friggen huge. Way bigger then my other 20" was too. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.buy.com/prod/acer-al2216w-22-lcd-monitor-700-1-1680x-1050-5-ms-dvi/q/loc/101/202892776.html?dcaid=17873