GTX 470 sli or GTX 580?

[jmido8]

Basically, I'm looking to upgrade my computer and I'm wondering if I should buy a 2nd GTX 470 and run it in SLI or buy a GTX 580.


If I decide to go GTX 470 SLI, I'll need to purchase a new mother board as well because my current one doesn't support SLI.

So which would be more benefitial to me? My computer specs are below...


Phenom II x4 955 @ 3.2GHz
GTX 470 1GB DDR3
2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
750W Certified Power supply
1920x1080 Monitor
1600x900 Monitor (I'd like to run dual screens)


On a side note, can anyone link me to some good aftermarket fans for the GTX 470? Mine gets close to 100C under full load, 50C idle and it's a bit scary.

 

[ubercake]

The max temp for that 470 is 106C. So, even though it's sizzling, your card's within the spec. Don't be afraid.

Also, it's probably good for you to upgrade the motherboard anyhow since it will allow you to double up on cards into the future. This is a good one with SLI capability:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131636&cm_re=amd_sli_am3-_-13-131-636-_-Product

The 2x470 option will cost you $400 while the 580 option will cost you $500.

The 2x470 option will provide you a substantial performance increase over a single 580:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-580-sli-review/6

Both the single 580 and 2 470s are represented in this review. You can see the bonus of going with another 470. The drawback is you have to update your motherboard (and possibly your power).

Which power supply are you using? You need to make sure you have the amps and watts available on the 12V rail for a two-card setup.

 

[jmido8]

@ Uber

This is my power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006


@ Psycho
I plan on adding more RAM and a new CPU later in the year.

 

[17seconds]

A single 580 will get the job done, and do it quietly and cooler with less power consumption. If you opt for the new SLI motherboard and two GTX 470's, I recommend you go with custom 470's that come with better, quieter cooling. The Gigabyte 470 SOC or MSI Twin Frozr are good choices.

 

[jmido8]

A single 580 will get the job done, and do it quietly and cooler with less power consumption. If you opt for the new SLI motherboard and two GTX 470's, I recommend you go with custom 470's that come with better, quieter cooling. The Gigabyte 470 SOC or MSI Twin Frozr are good choices.

Well, I already have 1 470 which is why I'm considering sli. Looking at those benchmarks, sli 470 seems not only to have better performance, but is cheaper route to go as well. Ill defiantly look for a 470 with better cooling though. I'm also looking for a good aftermarket fan for my current 470 if anyone knows of some good ones.

Also, do you guys think my power supply can handle it?

 

[17seconds]

Be careful with aftermarket heatsinks, they may take up triple slots, so SLI might be tight if you don't have the room to spare. The best aftermarket cooler for the 470 is the Arctic Cooling Acelero Extreme, but again, it's a triple slot.

If you already have one 470, then getting another one is a good choice.

 

[ubercake]

@ Uber

This is my power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006


...

Good supply. Can run the system with 2 470s.

 

[jmido8]

Awesome thanks. How much wiggle room does my PSU give me if I run 470 SLI?

 

[ubercake]

Using my system as a reference point, I regularly hit the 750W mark while gaming with my two 580s (require 244W each). You have less of a power requirement in the two 470s (215W each) by close to 60W. You processor uses 5W less than mine and does not have a turbo boost type of function.

I would say you may hit the 680-690W mark during heavy gaming with 470s in SLI, though, oddly enough... the guru3d site leaves the impression you would need even less:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/23

They are peaking with 2 470s during gaming at 567W. This seems like they underestimate a bit, though from the article it looks like they are either using an appliance load tester (this is what I use) or they are using a UPS with load measuring capability.

Their measured power use on a system such as mine is 719W at load so it's pretty close. I'm guessing the discrepancy is there between their test system and mine because their setup probably uses fewer fans than mine (I use 6 in addition to the 2 on my CPU cooler's radiator) and they have no pump on the CPU.

It's going to run fine with the 750W power supply, but if you see it getting close to that 700W mark (because you might have some differences in the power needs of your configuration, too), upgrade the PSU to 800 or more.

 

[jmido8]

Best answer selected by jmido8.