[Solved] Sli 460 vs. 470

Hello,

So i have been looking at the many different threads and a question has come up for me. first off, im at 1920x1080
ga-x58a-ud3r
i7-930
850 psu
thermaltake elemnt v (maybe nvidia edition)
So i was wondering, if i decided to go with the sli 460's, is there still room to upgrade being that i have 4 pcie slots? in other words, could i still have those in sli and add a third card for maybe a third monitor?

Or, should i just get one 470 now and save my money up to sli that one in the future?

thanks for the input

Reply to deckerdt

you should be able to run three monitors off 2 460s

you also have room to add another 460 if the mood strikes you...

Message edited by jefe323 on 08-16-2010 at 09:37:31 PM

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Reply to jefe323

The performance of SLIed 460s is awesome. http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2694.html

I believe you can run 3 displays off 2 460's. Not sure how a 3rd would scale with 3way SLI, but you could if you wanted to. You will have to compete with the heat of all 3 though.

Reply to jay2tall

http://www.nvidia.com/object/produ [...] 60-us.html
(read under NVIDIA SLI®-ready*)

you cannot tri-sli gtx 460's, so far no one truly knows how dual sli 460's run three monitors,

go with the 470's if its an option to you

Message edited by raif89 on 08-16-2010 at 10:52:16 PM

Reply to raif89

I didnt think that the 460's would do a 3 way sli either.
The 470 is an option, but i wouldnt be able to sli it for another long while because i would need to save for the second one.
whereas if i went with the 460's, i could sli right away. as i could get both of them at the same time.
my next thought was if it was possible, or even if it was a good idea, to have two 460's in sli, and then 2 470's in sli. (This is mostly out of curiosity)

So, i should clarify that IF i were to do the third monitor, i probably will have better cards before i do that.

Therefore, in your opinions, would it be better to buy two 460's now, or one 470 and save for second one in the next 4-6 months?

Reply to deckerdt

I just got finished reading the article posted by jay2tall, and i gotta say that it is pretty convincing. So other than bragging rights and spending lots of money, is there any benifit to having two 470's or two 480's? Can you think of any applications in which i would really NEED 3-way sli? I am not someone who is super concerned about benchmarks.

I realize that the power would be great, but will there actually be something in the next few years that would make me regret getting the two 460's?

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Reply to deckerdt

Fairly sure the GTX 460 only has one SLI bridge connection on it. So you can only do 2 way SLI with GTX 460's. No Tri-SLI.

However, GTX 460 SLI will beat out a single GTX 480 fairly handily. So it's a spectacular performance option. It'll likely cost you about $400 to $440 (768MB vs 1GB) however, where as a single GTX 470 is about $299 and will run most everything @ 1920x1080 with 60FPS or better (in my personal experience).

With a single GTX 470 you won't be sad by any means. Keep in mind also, ATI is said to release their HD6000 series in the next 6 months? That could mean price drops on the GTX 470 depending on ATI's release performance.

------------------------------ i5-750 4Ghz @ 1.32V / Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P / Xigmatek HDT-S1283
GTX 470 SLI / 8GB GSkill DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 @1.5v
2 x WD Caviar Black 1TB / Thermaltake Armor BWS8003
Win 7 64bit / Antec TPQ-850 / Vantage P31806 / 3dMark06 25351 / 3dMark11 P7597
Reply to jerreece

deckerdt wrote :

I realize that the power would be great, but will there actually be something in the next few years that would make me regret getting the two 460's?

You can't think like that, for instance three and a half years ago I had the choice of either one GTX280 ( and the ability to SLi later) or two 8800GT's and stick with it and now it seems like I did the best thing as I've had more power than a single GTX280 (which was replaced by the GTX285) without any more cash outlay and no game has really brought the pairing to their knees in all this time, the 460's could be similar.

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Reply to Mousemonkey

Mousemonkey wrote :

You can't think like that, for instance three and a half years ago I had the choice of either one GTX280 ( and the ability to SLi later) or two 8800GT's and stick with it and now it seems like I did the best thing as I've had more power than a single GTX280 (which was replaced by the GTX285) without any more cash outlay and no game has really brought the pairing to their knees in all this time, the 460's could be similar.

while what you say is 100% true, it does depend primarily on which games he wants to play on 3 screens and at what level of quality. im not sure how well 2 460's will run three monitors while playing crysis on ultra high or enthusiast settings with all the eye candy on.

to the OP, whats your budget? how much time you think it will take to buy a second card? resolution of all the screens you want to run? games/programs you want to play/run?

Reply to raif89

Best answer

Well, according to techpowerup;
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews [...] GB/31.html
At 1920x1200 the GTX 470 is 23% faster than the GTX 460 1gb. The price difference is $70 which is a 30% increase. Considering you always have to pay a premium for extra performance on the high end I would say the GTX 470 is actually very well priced in comparison.
In terms of your situation I would also lean towards the GTX 470. For one 1920x1080 monitor the difference between SLIed GTX 460s and a GTX 470 will be largely unnoticeable, especially if you OC the GTX 470. Either are great for that resolution. So the real question is what would be best when/if you move to a 3 monitor setup. In that case I do think two GTX 470s will give you substantial benefit over two GTX 460s.
Of course there is also the power/heat/noise factor which favors the GTX 460s.
Really it's a judgment call you need to make yourself. For a 3 monitor setup a GTX 470 now and another later is probably optimal but whether that is worth the extra cost is something you need to decide for yourself.
If you do end up going for a GTX 470 the EVGA card currently has a $20 rebate and you would also probably be able to use their "step up" program to maybe switch to a GTX 475 when it gets released which could help with the heat/power/noise factor;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130550

Reply to jyjjy

2 GTX 460s will give you plenty of performance with three monitors, just make sure that both are the 2GB models:
http://www.overclock.net/nvidia/80 [...] -card.html

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Reply to AMW1011

Also a general question for others on the forum:
Why have there been so few Eyefinity/3D/2D Vision benchmarks? With all the tech sites in existence you would think one of them would have done a proper article benchmarking 3 monitor gaming but I haven't seen it.

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Reply to jyjjy

AMW1011 wrote :

2 GTX 460s will give you plenty of performance with three monitors, just make sure that both are the 2GB models:
http://www.overclock.net/nvidia/80 [...] -card.html

That's an interesting thread. I would really like to see numbers for the 2gb card vs GTX 470s considering they have been so close in price lately. The 2gb card is $267 shipped on newegg and just a few days ago there was GTX 470 for $270 shipped after rebate(now $280.)

Reply to jyjjy

jyjjy wrote :

Also a general question for others on the forum:
Why have there been so few Eyefinity/3D/2D Vision benchmarks? With all the tech sites in existence you would think one of them would have done a proper article benchmarking 3 monitor gaming but I haven't seen it.

I imagine it's because so few people use eyefinity/3d/2d vision. No one else i know (in person) uses eyefinity.

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Reply to jefe323

I have seen a good number of threads on here about setting it up and a lot of people talking about making sure their system can handle it in the future, like this thread. It's certainly something that should have been covered by now considering the dozens of tech sites dedicated to exactly this sort of stuff.

Reply to jyjjy

Quote :

to the OP, whats your budget? how much time you think it will take to buy a second card? resolution of all the screens you want to run? games/programs you want to play/run?

Well, i guess i am trying to just find the best quality for cost. For instance, i could prob spend around 400 dollars right now, which means i could come pretty close to 2 460's for $460. but if i could get the 470's for around the same price, say buy one now and one in 3 or 4 months, then i would go that way instead. but if i was going to set a limit on what i wanted to spend, id want the roof at 500 for the two cards.

As for the timeline, i kinda just said it. if i were to wait to buy the second card, i would probly be shooting for around 3-4 months.

I am going to have at least two screens shooting for 1080 on both, while the third is much much further in the future. it is more of a dream at this point. But i will be doing cad and other math programs, hence the dual screens. if i ever went up to three, id probly intend on getting a third gpu also.

I am a new computer gamer, so i will want to experiment with all sorts of games. although Crysis looks pretty dang sweet.

Quote :

Of course there is also the power/heat/noise factor which favors the GTX 460s.
Really it's a judgment call you need to make yourself.

Yeah, i realize this for sure. i read other threads and it always comes down to the op man'in up and just picking. which is pretty much where i am at. in response to these factors, i am a little concerned with noise, but i figure any music/sfx will cover that up, heat: my wife is pretty set with the element v nvidia edition, so that shouldnt be a problem. As for power, what should i be worried about? having enough or paying the electric bill?

I will tell you where i was leaning, and you guys can tell me what you think. Due to the school year coming up, i wont be playing many games anytime soon. due to this fact, i feel that i may be better off getting a 470 now, and then buying a second in the future. i dont think i will be taking the graphics up to the 2600 range, so a 480 wont be neccassary. and when i am ready to take it to the next level, something bigger and better may come along. or, i could always get a third 470 and go 3-way... any thoughts?

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Reply to deckerdt

deckerdt wrote :

As for power, what should i be worried about? having enough or paying the electric bill?

Well, sure, but I listed them together as they are related. More power = more heat = more noise from cooling.

Reply to jyjjy

yes, this is very true. As i stated though, my hopes are that my case will help in the cooling process and help reduce the use/noise of the fans on the cards. Although earlier today i was looking at the new 470 "super overclocked" from gigabyte. it did look pretty sweet, and it was extremely quiet. it appereard to be something worth investing the extra cash into.

Reply to deckerdt

All of the custom cooler cards seem very expensive. I'd probably just go with the reference one myself. But I would probably get the MSI Twin Frozr if I was going to pay extra for one with a custom cooler.

Reply to jyjjy

I will definately look into that one, i have heard good things about it. I looked back at the review on that 470. and they used a play on graphs to make the margin much bigger than it really is. there was about ten decible diff. 64-51. which is still quite a bit different. but prob not enough to justify it. a chart online i found compared it to, basically, restaurant/office conversation vs. conversation at home.

Reply to deckerdt

As i said, i am willing to pay a little more if i am getting a better deal in the long run. I just found this combo on newegg,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.479976
I dont really know about palit, but i am pretty sure that the psu is excessive, and my wife has decided that is the case we are getting, so, is this something worth while? It adds on a large chunk of change because i was originally looking at an 850w psu instead of a 1200, and obviously there are two 470's...
I just want your opinions on if this is a good deal or not, and if you have any input on why, that would be great too.

Thanks to all of you guys who respond regularly in all of these posts. Even if we can be indecisive, your guidence is almost always helpful and i really appreciated it. Thanks again.

Reply to deckerdt

Hmm. Thermaltake makes good cases but their power supplies aren't very highly regarded.

Reply to jyjjy

Yeah, you want to stay away from that PSU;
http://www.realredraider.com/vbull [...] hp?t=27203

Can you convince the wife that she likes blue instead?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.458430
That's a nice case and they make good PSUs. Much more reasonably priced.

Reply to jyjjy

+1 For a 470, and another down the road. If you can afford SLI 460s now, then ims ure you can save another 150 for another 470 in a few months.

Now, the 460s aren't a slouch, but if your looking to run 3 monitors off them, you'll want the top end ones, and that brings you even closer to the 470 price range, and really, when your getting up there, and we're talking surround, you'll be glad you got the 470 for the extra muscle and a bit more head room for settings.

Reply to Petey1013

I think that i agree with you Petey1013, and to all others who have posted. i think the 470 is the way to go and i think i am convinced with that. But if you guys dont mind, i would like to touch on a few other things.

Since we were on the topic jyjjy, I've already gotten yelled yet for even exploring other options, lol. we have been looking to build this computer for quite some time. we were really close, then the new GPU's came out. so we waited, prices came down on everything, and so i remade the list and now we are getting ready to purchase and i got the glare of death when she saw this on our laptop. Moral of this story, she dosent want me to change the case again, lol. which i am ok with, it is a bit pricey, but i think it is a solid case and my wife likes it.

i may start another thread for the whole computer in general and close this, but what do you think about this psu deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.466883

Reply to deckerdt

Ud3R is a good mobo, OCZ PSUs are meh. U'd have to go look for reviews on johnnyguru or other good psu review sites. Antec or Corsair would probably be best.

And I've always found Thermaltake cases to be not very good for what you pay for them. They're cooling is usually subpar. Convince wifey you guys need a case with really good airflow because of the 470s, which is pretty much true anyway. Got a budget in mind? That would make it pretty easy to pick a case.

Reply to Petey1013

Well, the original case that we were looking at was the nzxt lexa s lexs, which is a way better price and a decent case as far as i could tell. but it was no longer appealing to the wife. But the thermaltake was supposed to come with a sleeve/chimney, what ever you want to call it, that was supposed to go around the 470's and shoot the heat they were generating right out the back. Im sure it is a little over rated/priced, but it should still be a pretty good case airflow wise i think?

As for the ocz, im going to go and check the johnnyguru as you suggested, but if its at least hitting par, do you think that the price/performance is good? after the mir, the thing only costs 30 bucks?

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Reply to deckerdt

And i totally know where you guys are coming from, "dont sacrifice price/performance just because she dosent like the way it looks," and i agree. ive already drawn the line for some cases, but when we are going to be spending this much on a computer, i gotta let her have a say somewhere or else she is going to regret even considering this build.
I havent heard anything negative on it yet, of course it is relatively new, but nothing that tells me, "no, this is a bad idea," know what i mean? plus it did get toms recommended buy.
johnnyguru didnt have the one i was looking at, but they had a 700, it had pretty good reviews. the only fault they found was the ripples in power delivery as it approached the max wattage. so it seems decent enough, but ill take inputs.

Reply to deckerdt

deckerdt wrote :

Well, the original case that we were looking at was the nzxt lexa s lexs, which is a way better price and a decent case as far as i could tell. but it was no longer appealing to the wife. But the thermaltake was supposed to come with a sleeve/chimney, what ever you want to call it, that was supposed to go around the 470's and shoot the heat they were generating right out the back. Im sure it is a little over rated/priced, but it should still be a pretty good case airflow wise i think?

As for the ocz, im going to go and check the johnnyguru as you suggested, but if its at least hitting par, do you think that the price/performance is good? after the mir, the thing only costs 30 bucks?

the one thing you do't want to skimp on is your psu, all you need is to buy something cheap, and wham, your pc is fried. get a psu from corsair or seasonic and you'll be better off.
like the corsair 750tx

another thing, the lexa s case has terrible airflow and im not sure if the 470's can fit in there, though the thermaltake case looks like it'll work fine.

oh yea, +1 on going with the 470's

Message edited by raif89 on 08-18-2010 at 07:08:14 PM

Reply to raif89

OCZ is pretty decent IMO. Certainly not top tier like Corsair/Antec/Seasonic but they make good PSUs for the money.
This however is what I would recommend if you are stuck on that case;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817207001
XFX only recently started selling power supplies but their units are made by Seasonic just like Corsair. Johnnyguru loved it;
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] y&reid=165
It is $130 with the promo code and $110 after the rebate. Best of all is the questionable color scheme which exactly matches the black and glowing green case your wife loves so

Reply to jyjjy

Very nice jyjjy, i would not have even looked at this one, i had seen it, thought it looked cool, but never researched it. It even has a combo with 6gb corsair dominator 1600 ram. I have heard that i should go corsair over ocz for ram too, which was what i was going to get. So i am sold on that one. And she loves it so!
Wow, i looked at jg, and this psu is fantastic. i am sold, i actually kinda like the color scheme personally...

Reply to deckerdt

So if you guys dont mind, what do you think of this build?
Thermaltake Nvidia Edition
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811133100

Samsung Spinpoint F3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152185

i7 930 and gigabyte gtx 470
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.460427

Corsair Dominator 6Gb and XFX Black Edition 850w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.469085

Ga-x58a-UD3R MB and LG Blu-Ray burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.480491

Asus 23.6 in LCD monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.483425

Crucial Sata III SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820148361

Notes: I do plan to invest in a second 470 in the nxt 4-5 months
The blu-ray burner is not a neccessity, but a player is. This just came in the combo at a decent price.
i already own a mouse and keyboard.
My limit is 2,000 USD
Im lookin to buy withing the next 1-2 weeks