Quad-SLI system shipments get into gear

Westlake Village (CA) - Four graphics chips in one system don't come cheap. Enthusiast systems currently available through online configurators typically start at about $7000 and can break the $10,000 easily. The graphics portion of such a computer rings in at about $2000.

Despite the buzz created around the impact of quad-SLI may be limited for now. Industry sources told TG Daily that quad-SLI boards are available in sufficient numbers, but the performance capability of systems with four graphics cards apparently are below expectations. "If you don't use a 30" monitor, quad-SLI is just a technology showcase and does not make sense," one source told us.

While high-end graphics graphics cards are often offered as standalone products, this appears not to be the case with quad-SLI. At this time we were not able to find a system builder that is willing to sell just the two graphics cards carrying two graphics processors each.

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Quad-SLI drives enthusiast graphics systems into $2000 range

Humphrey Cheung was a senior editor at Tom's Hardware, covering a range of topics on computing and consumer electronics. You can find more of his work in many major publications, including CNN and FOX, to name a few.