SLI with different cards

[willow4500]

Ok I am new to the whole computer thing and am getting ready to do my first build and am interested in SLI as I am planing on using a triple screen setup. I have been given a little info on crossfire and understand that you can use cards from different manufactures as long as they are from the same series (eg. 5750 with a 5770) and when this is done the higher spec card is downgraded to match the lower spec cards perfomanse values. Now with SLI what are the pairing perameters for cards? Can you match 2 cards from different manufactures? and if one card has higher specs then the other what happens perfomance wise to the cards?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Two cards from different AIB's will work but I don't think the drivers balance out the clockspeeds anymore.

 

[willow4500]

ok so then pairing 2 cards what in the specs of the cards do I have to watch for to make sure they are compatible this is the card I own http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127534&cm_re=msi_gtx_460_hawk-_-14-127-534-_-Product
Sorry if I sound ignorant to all this I am new and am trying to learn as much as I can pretty quickly I have asked a lot of questions of friends who know what they are doing but this a question no one seemed to be able to answer for me.

 

[Mousemonkey]

You'll need another 1GB GTX460, not a 768MB version or an SE.

 

[willow4500]

ok after some quick comparisons I think I understand
SEs have 288 processor cores vs 336 on other cards
and the the memory must match.

final question do they have to be the same same card 460 and 460 or is it possible to match 406-470 like cross fire?

 

[IH8U]

For SLI it has to be the 460+460.

 

[willow4500]

thanks for your answers guys this was really helpful and answered all my questions

 

[dalauder]

You'll also need an SLI bridge if the cards and motherboard don't come with them. I have an extra I could mail you.

Also, make sure you have a good enough power supply or you will run into problems.

 

[bystander]

Ok I am new to the whole computer thing and am getting ready to do my first build and am interested in SLI as I am planing on using a triple screen setup. I have been given a little info on crossfire and understand that you can use cards from different manufactures as long as they are from the same series (eg. 5750 with a 5770) and when this is done the higher spec card is downgraded to match the lower spec cards perfomanse values. Now with SLI what are the pairing perameters for cards? Can you match 2 cards from different manufactures? and if one card has higher specs then the other what happens perfomance wise to the cards?

One note about crossfire that is often mistaken. The cards operate at their normal clock speeds, even if they clocks don't match. I've watched GPU-Z while Crossfiring with two different clocks, and with 6950 and 6970 bios. They operate at their clocks regardless.

Since every other frame is rendered on each card, they just render their frame and they are displayed as soon as they can, there isn't any reason they have to sync up, although I imagine if the clocks speeds were ridiculously different which is probably only possible with MSI afterburner, then it might get problematic.