yo guys in ur opinion

[invisik]

should i get the (2) 9800gtx+ or 1 gtx 280 i play in 1680x1050 both r roughly about the same price.
thanks.

 

[IndigoMoss]

The 2 9800GTX+ is a better deal if you have a good enough power supply and an SLI motherboard. If you need a new PSU, it's still probably a better deal, but if you need a new motherboard, you'd be better off with a HD 4870. The GTX 280 is just too expensive for the performance it gives for me to make a recommendation. You might also want to wait for the 4870X2 which should handily beat the GTX 280 for most likely less money.

 

[SpinachEater]

Depends on your mobo and if you get both cards in x16 with SLI. If not then the single card would be the best. Maybe you could base it off the games that you play as well....does SLI scale well in them or not. Also, perhaps your PSU will play a factor in the total system power draw between each setup.

 

[invisik]

ok the mobo i have is the msi p6n diamond it has 4pcie slot 2 of them run at 16x. the psu i have is an antec earthwatt 500 it runs my overclocked 725/1115 9800gx2 fine so im assuming 2 9800gxt+ would run fine. and as for the games i play ut3 cod4 crysis and waiting for far cry 2. =]
when does the 9800gtx+ come out?

 

[SpinachEater]

Take a look at the Anand power draw for the SLI 9800GTX + They were using an extreme quad core so the system power draw will probably be a little higher than what yours would be but that depends on all of the other components that you have. I am not a fan of having mammoth PSUs so I usually don't say this but for you, 500W is pretty low to SLI a pair of GTX cards. It might work but if you had a max GPU load, max CPU load and then some hard drives spinning up, your system could end up short on power and crash. Especially if you are OCing your hardware. You also have to remember that a 500W PSU won't deliver the full 500W since it isn't 100% efficient.

Even though there is a die shrink they still eat up a good deal of wattage in SLI mode. If you had a 650W I would say you are fine...a lot of people would say you need at least 750W. If you are going to buy one a 750W would be a better deal since they are not that much more than a 650W PSU. Anyway, like indogo says, you will probably have to consider a new PSU along with the two 9800GTX+ cards making it more expensive than a single 280.

 

[Kari]

You also have to remember that a 500W PSU won't deliver the full 500W since it isn't 100% efficient.

I allways thought it was the other way around, so 500W unit could output full 500 watts but it would draw more, say 625W at 80% effiency...

 

[mathiasschnell]

If you already have a 9800GX2, then I see absolutely no reason for you to SLI a pair of 9800GTX+s or get a GTX 280. You may see improvement if you SLI'd the 9800GTX+s, but not much, and getting a single GTX 280 would actually give you a drop in performance. Seriously, just save your money and if you want improvement that badly, then wait for the HD 4870x2.

 

[invisik]

thanks spinacheater im gonna get the 9800gtx+ when they come out and try them with my psu and if isnt stable ill buy a new psu.( but would a gtx 280 work with 500w?)
And mathiasshnell the 9800gx2 i have has 1 bad dvi port so newegg is letting me return it so i get back around 465$ back.
how about the 4870x2 cards coming out. r they any good?

 

[SpinachEater]

From the EVGA GTX 280 page.
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-1280-AR&family=GeForce%20GTX%20200%20Series%20Family

Requirements:

Minimum of a 550 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 40 Amp Amps.)

An available 6 pin PCI-E power connector and an available 8 pin PCI-E power connector

I allways thought it was the other way around, so 500W unit could output full 500 watts but it would draw more, say 625W at 80% effiency...

You are correct chief, let me clarify what I was talking about and give an example. What you are talking about is the more commonly known efficiency....being the system draw / wall draw. However, there are other factors that play a roll in the power output like temps. Check out the PSU section with the JonnyGuru posts in Anand's forums...very informative.

How does the temperature inside of my case affect the performance of my power supply?

Power supplies can perform differently depending on the temperature at which they are operating at. When a power supply is rated for it's total output wattage, it is rated to do so at a particular temperature. Anything beyond this temperature may take away from the power supply's capability. A power supply that is rated to put out 550W at 25°C or 30°C (room temperature) may only be able to put out 75% of that at 40°C or 50°C (actual operating temperature). This difference is called the "de-rating curve". A normal operating temperature for a power supply is 40°C.

 

[IndigoMoss]

I think you'd be better off saving that money till the 4870X2 comes out. It's like the 9800GX2 but a lot better. Not only does it scale better, it has a better link between GPUs, and it's on one PCB and will most likely take less power. All in all, it will be the king of GPU market and should be at a price point where you won't have to spend anymore than Newegg is giving you.

 

[SpinachEater]

^ this is true. Anand's review shows the x2 doing better than two 4870s in xfire. ATI tweaked the GPUs so that they could communicate better than before. After they decline from their launch price I may consider ebaying my 4870 for an x2 upgrade.