Which 6850 to match my MSI 6850?

[nagol567]

I am about to get a second 6850 to match my current MSI 6850 cyclone. These are my thoughs:
1. should i get the 2GB model http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102959 so that i can put it in the first PCIe slot and have 2GB of vram. Can I even do this?!
2. Should i get another MSI cyclone or a card that disperses heat out the back of the case? Which card?

I am most worried about the heat of the top card since mine gets up to 70-75C already. I have a Cooler Master Elite 370 with a fan in the front, bottom, and (bottom) side in-taking and two fans at the top pushing out.

thoughts?

 

[Uther39]

id sell the 6850 you have and buy a 6970.

 

[amuffin]

This applies to cf and sli, the card with the least vram and lowest clock setting will be the one with which both cards run at. So if you have a 2gb card and a 1gb card they will be both using 1gb of vram. I would get the best card with the best cooler you can find and cf it. Put the one with the best cooler on the bottom and the one with the worst cooler on the top.

 

[HostileDonut]

What amuffin said. Although, I would jsut buy the EXACT same card and run in CF. Just to keep it the same.

 

[nagol567]

OK i looked it up and it looks like if i use a 2gb and 1gb the 2 gb model will go to 1gb even though it only uses one cards VRAM :/ lame. so should i get another MSI cyclone or one like the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable.
@amuffin isnt the top card usually the hotter? and since the top card is usually hotter i was thinking i would put the Gigabyte on top where my side fan can push some fan inbetween the cards and have the MSI on the bottom where the heat hopefully wont travel to the higher one. does that shound logical? or should i get a second MSI cyclone?

 

[HostileDonut]

OK i looked it up and it looks like if i use a 2gb and 1gb the 2 gb model will go to 1gb even though it only uses one cards VRAM :/ lame. so should i get another MSI cyclone or one like the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable.
@amuffin isnt the top card usually the hotter? and since the top card is usually hotter i was thinking i would put the Gigabyte on top where my side fan can push some fan inbetween the cards and have the MSI on the bottom where the heat hopefully wont travel to the higher one. does that shound logical? or should i get a second MSI cyclone?

The card with the best cooling should go on the top. That is correct. Getting another Cyclone would just match the one you have now and they both have goof cooling.

 

[amuffin]

The card with the best cooling should go on the top. That is correct. Getting another Cyclone would just match the one you have now and they both have goof cooling.

Shouldn't the card with the best cooler go on the bottom? As it is able to cope with the heat from the top card with the cooler that is not as good?

 

[esrever]

the top card would be hotter because its between the cpu and the other card Im pretty sure, it is also the card doing more work in crossfire.

 

[nagol567]

What other cards can i overclock to 950/1125 with my MSI? apparently the Gigabyte doesnt go past 875

 

[nagol567]

looks like im going with a http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102953 on top and the MSI cyclone on the bottom. Both at 950/1125 hopefully!

 

[nagol567]

@muffin heat rises so how would the top card heat up the bottom card?

 

[HostileDonut]

@muffin heat rises so how would the top card heat up the bottom card?

Yes, the top card still produces heat, but it will barelly add any more heat. The bottom card adds more heat. I said that the card with the best cooler should go up top because it can still cool itself pretty well even though it has more heat rising to it form the bottom card.

 

[HostileDonut]

Shouldn't the card with the best cooler go on the bottom? As it is able to cope with the heat from the top card with the cooler that is not as good?

The top card is the hottest because the bottom card produces more heat that rises to the top card. That is why the top card should have the better cooler to be able to take on the extra heat the bottom card throws at it.

 

[nagol567]

Best answer selected by nagol567.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey