Micro-Stuttering And GPU Scaling In CrossFire And SLI

Features
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We've received many emails from readers asking about the phenomenon known as micro-stuttering and what it means to multi-GPU setups in CrossFire and SLI. After running plenty of benchmarks, we're ready to weigh in on what turns out to be a real issue.

Benchmark Results: DirectX 9 Games

Mafia II

Interim Assessment

Mafia presents a strange picture. The Nvidia setups trail AMD at lower resolutions and low settings, but they win in our enthusiast configuration.

In both categories, however, CrossFire and SLI fall victim to micro-stuttering. At higher resolutions, Nvidia seems worse than AMD. The three-way CrossFire setup is the overall winner if you want to keep stuttering to a minimum.

Igor Wallossek
Igor Wallossek
Contributor

Igor Wallossek wrote a wide variety of hardware articles for Tom's Hardware, with a strong focus on technical analysis and in-depth reviews. His contributions have spanned a broad spectrum of PC components, including GPUs, CPUs, workstations, and PC builds. His insightful articles provide readers with detailed knowledge to make informed decisions in the ever-evolving tech landscape