Upgrading 7900 GTX in SLI to...

[Bilsko]

Looking to upgrade a pair of 7900 GTX cards (512Mb each, in SLI) to either a GTS 250 or a GTX 260-216.
I get that the performance on the 260 is significantly better than the 250, but I can get a 250 for about $100 and the cheapest I've seen the 260-216 is 225. Is the difference really worth the $125, given that I'm starting with the 7900 GTX?

 

[paperfox]

[strike]A 250 GTS will at least double your FPS over your 7900GTX SLI.[/strike] Edit: was looking at the GT not GTX. For $100 the 250GTS is a slightly better buy over the 4850.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality-update-3/compare,1697.html?prod%5B3210%5D=on&prod%5B3271%5D=on

The 260 GTX for $200+ is a bad buy; the 4870 and 5770 perform on par and are $40 cheaper.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality-update-3/compare,1697.html?prod%5B3268%5D=on&prod%5B3253%5D=on&prod%5B3205%5D=on&prod%5B3210%5D=on
HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000048&Description=4870&name=Desktop%20Graphics%20%2f%20Video%20Cards
HD 5770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=5770

 

[Bilsko]

right on - thanks for the thoughts. Am probably going to stick with Nvidia regardless of the better performance/$ from the ATIs only because I'm running a 680i chipset and it makes things like SLI that much easier.
Will probably just spring for the 250. - I'm running a 750W PSU...any chance I could get away with running two of them in SLI?

 

[Mousemonkey]

I'm running a 750W PSU...any chance I could get away with running two of them in SLI?

Easily.

 

[coozie7]

Even a cheap no brand PSU should handle dual GTS250 cards, their smaller fabrication process means they only draw an extra 20-30 Watts over the 7900GTX each.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143178

Single PCI-E connector and it exhausts out of the case.

 

[nforce4max]

The power consumption of the two cards is the same plus or minus 10-20w at load with some overclocking. The board spec for a typical GTS250 is around 105-125w under max with actual power consumption being less. A typical 65nm 9800gt uses about 80-85w under load at defaults which is the same as a 90nm 7900gts.

 

[nforce4max]

By the way in my other rig I use a x1900xt and didn't think that it used that much power.

 

[sabot00]

Looking to upgrade a pair of 7900 GTX cards (512Mb each, in SLI) to either a GTS 250 or a GTX 260-216.
I get that the performance on the 260 is significantly better than the 250, but I can get a 250 for about $100 and the cheapest I've seen the 260-216 is 225. Is the difference really worth the $125, given that I'm starting with the 7900 GTX?

A 250 GTS will at least double your FPS over your 7900GTX SLI. For $100 the 250GTS is a slightly better buy over the 4850.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality-update-3/compare,1697.html?prod%5B3210%5D=on&prod%5B3271%5D=on

The 260 GTX for $200+ is a bad buy; the 4870 and 5770 perform on par and are $40 cheaper.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality-update-3/compare,1697.html?prod%5B3268%5D=on&prod%5B3253%5D=on&prod%5B3205%5D=on&prod%5B3210%5D=on
HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000048&Description=4870&name=Desktop%20Graphics%20%2f%20Video%20Cards
HD 5770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=5770

2 7900GTX's in SLI is about a 8800GTX, I don't think a GTS 250 would double the FPS.

 

[paperfox]

Your right, I was looking at the 7900 GT SLI not the GTX.

 

[SV_Bubbles]

^Was about to say that.
The 250 is about equivalent to a 8800GT/GTX or 2 7900GTX's. I'd for a 260, 275 or a 5850 to get a yield (+dx10 or 11).

 

[Bilsko]

Ended up getting the 250 - FPS is considerably better: L4D2 is giving me just about 2x the frame-rate.
Next step will be to pick up another card and run them in SLI.
Power consumption is fine. Under normal load I'm showing ~150W, and while gaming it gets up in to 200-250W. With 750PSU, I think I've got plenty of headroom.