8600GT SLI

Your math is flawed.

newegg.com says the price is $110. $110 * 2 = $220 - $20 MIR *if*/when you get it = $200 + shipping fees.

Then, you get to deal with SLI drivers and all of the little gotchas associated, like not providing any benefit in some games. SLI IMHO is only for pairing up the very top of the line GTX's in order to get extreme performance. In the mid-range, you are almost always better off buying the next step up single card.

For example, the 8800GT 512 from outpost.com for $230 in the FSFT forum. Would likely run circles around SLI 8600 in all scenarios. Only $30 more.
 
Except you can't get the 8800GT for less than 260+ now. :(

Maybe in a month or two they will drop back down though.
 
I had an sli setup with 2 7900 gs xxx editions and the benefit did not meet the cost by a long shot! After I upgraded my cpu to a core 2 duo and upped ram to ddr2 800 I sold 1 of my 7900 gs and ran a single one and saw a triple in my fps in all my steam based games like dod:s ( avg was 45-75fps in sli, when I went with one card it jumped to 100-250fps)

I recently upgraded to an 8800 gts 640mb and it is amazing, Very very quiet and on some dod:s maps im getting 500+ fps! I will post screen shots if you want :)

Also the sli scenario brings up the whole psu issue as well which makes the whole venture even more expensive.

At the end of teh day your self this question, if and when you you install the 2nd card to go sli, and the peformance doesnt meet your expectations will you be glad that you did not spend the extra $30 on a 8800 series?
 
First of all, where the hell do you get $30 from?!?

I'm also not worried about steam games at all. My 7600GT ran all steam games on HIGH (Hl2, CSS, TF2, ect).

My 8600 gets 140fps on the stress test.

I'm thinking more of new games like Crysis, COD4, UT3, ect.
 
What are some good places to buy computer parts to?

I know of TigerDirect and newegg.
 
Bump - I'm wondering the same thing. If the 8800GT is close to what a GTX is performing, I'm wondering what a pair of 8800GT's will do in SLI. At 200-250 each, it might be a cheaper option.
 
heelix said:
Bump - I'm wondering the same thing. If the 8800GT is close to what a GTX is performing, I'm wondering what a pair of 8800GT's will do in SLI. At 200-250 each, it might be a cheaper option.
Click to expand...

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to find out.
 
hossdaddy said:
I had an sli setup with 2 7900 gs xxx editions and the benefit did not meet the cost by a long shot! After I upgraded my cpu to a core 2 duo and upped ram to ddr2 800 I sold 1 of my 7900 gs and ran a single one and saw a triple in my fps in all my steam based games like dod:s ( avg was 45-75fps in sli, when I went with one card it jumped to 100-250fps)

I recently upgraded to an 8800 gts 640mb and it is amazing, Very very quiet and on some dod:s maps im getting 500+ fps! I will post screen shots if you want :)

Also the sli scenario brings up the whole psu issue as well which makes the whole venture even more expensive.

At the end of teh day your self this question, if and when you you install the 2nd card to go sli, and the peformance doesnt meet your expectations will you be glad that you did not spend the extra $30 on a 8800 series?
Click to expand...

You do know "valve" based games do NOT support SLI?
 
hey MrHood these forums are here for users to help each other out. I dont appreciate your attitude here. All I did was pass on my experience in an attempt to help you, and you seem to be scoffing at my post and laughing.

It makes no sense for you to scoff at me about my math when the total cost of an 8600 gt sli set up would be $220 and the the 8800gt can be had for $250 hence the $30 difference.

You also did not specify what games you were looking to play. Post all of the necessary information so you get the best answer. :mad:
 
hey MrHood these forums are here for users to help each other out. I dont appreciate your attitude here. All I did was pass on my experience in an attempt to help you, and you seem to be scoffing at my post and laughing.

It makes no sense for you to scoff at me about my math when the total cost of an 8600 gt sli set up would be $220 and the the 8800gt can be had for $250 hence the $30 difference.

You also did not specify what games you were looking to play. Post all of the necessary information so you get the best answer.
Click to expand...

I also laugh at your bland, and unvaried choice of vocabulary; therefore, I scoff.

Thanks for your insight sean, it's nothing to scoff at. Obviously, I didn't know that before hand; please don't scoff at me.

But seriously, I scoff at my self when I think about how I had a 7900gt configuration, when I mainly play valve games. I scoff at the notion of additionally purchasing $90 worth of metal in the form of scoffable vf-900's; that price is nothing to scoff at.

I also scoff at myself because I lost my sli configuration to a failed volt mod. A video card was senselessly lost, which is nothing to scoff at.
 
Jeez, everyone is scoffing now.

Hoss, how do you figure $220 though?

I figure the card that I have a link to above is $89.99.

$89.99 = $90.00

$90.00 x 2 = $180

$250-$180 = $70

I plan to play COD4, UT3, Left 4 Dead, Crysis, and other games like that.
 
I had based my math on the previous response that said the 8600gt was $110, I did not look at the link to see the $20 mir. You have this card already which makes the upgrade total $90 after mir. It may help and it may not. All I was passing on was that I did not see enough of an increase in my games to justify the price.

As to the post by Sean they must be set up to help for sli because there is specific sli profiles in the nvidia control panel for most steam based games like HL2 and DOD. Here is the link for the SLI list of games that will utilize sli,

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone2_game.html
 
MrHood22 said:
Jeez, everyone is scoffing now.

Hoss, how do you figure $220 though?

I figure the card that I have a link to above is $89.99.

$89.99 = $90.00

$90.00 x 2 = $180

$250-$180 = $70

I plan to play COD4, UT3, Left 4 Dead, Crysis, and other games like that.
Click to expand...
So this is the first time you have ever done a MIR?

One per household/address/person. Go back to my post, where I already showed you how it works. 110 + 110 - 20 = $200.

8800GT's are $230 from Fry's. And you don't have to deal with compatibility quirks.
 
Wow, did this thread ever get de-railed!

To answer the OP's question, yeah, if you can't afford to sell your 8600GT and get a single 8800GT or (alternatively, a cheaper) used 8800GTS 320MB here on the FS/T which would be a better option, go ahead and grab a second one.

Like Menelmarar said, I agree it's best to do with two high end cards if you're buying them at the same time, and there are "gotchas" with performance and SLi profiles and compatibility and such. Buying two very cheap cards to equal one stronger card don't always work so well in the real world, and usually it's a waste of money, unless you're talking about an 8800GT and up, of course, but that's a whole different sack of potatoes there, buddy! :p

However, in your case, if you can find a second 8600 card for less than $100 and don't want to go through the trouble of trying rid yourself of your existing board and buying a faster, single card, go ahead and get one. Just know it's not your best option here.

Hope I was of help! :)
 
I ran 8600GT's in SLI back in the day

My single X1900XTX 512mb beat them in performance....

Go with the 8800GT

DSC02638.jpg
 
come on people dont bother posting if you dont read the "entire" thread!
This is not directed at you dhahlen.
 
Sorry didn't realize both MIR's wouldn't work.

What is Fry's? You said I could get an 8800GT there for $230.
 
hossdaddy said:
I had based my math on the previous response that said the 8600gt was $110, I did not look at the link to see the $20 mir. You have this card already which makes the upgrade total $90 after mir. It may help and it may not. All I was passing on was that I did not see enough of an increase in my games to justify the price.

As to the post by Sean they must be set up to help for sli because there is specific sli profiles in the nvidia control panel for most steam based games like HL2 and DOD. Here is the link for the SLI list of games that will utilize sli,

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone2_game.html
Click to expand...

I didn't see that in the list. I remember reading a few articles when I was looking at my SLI setup. If I had to I would have sold my 8600 GTS and gotten something better. I got my first GTS for free, but the second I got a great deal on. Like 40% off retail. So for cost VS performance was amazing.
 
well you could sell the 8600 gt you have now for $50-75 which would drop the cost of buying an 8800 gt or 8800gts 320mb to about $200.

What do you mean that you did not realise that both mir's would not work? In your initial post you say that you have an 8600 gt already?

I found this article which should give you the answer you are looking for,

http://www.digital-daily.com/video/8600gts_sli_vs_8800gts/

Cheers!
 
Well I have an 8600GT right now. I can RMA that to Newegg anytime before dec I think. That's $110 there. I just sold my 7600GT KO for $80 (w00t!!) so i'm up to $190.

Where can I get an 8800 at for less then $250? Anywhere?
 
yeah that looks solid but sold out right now =\

Dont over look the 8800 gts series, they are pretty much the same performance as the 8800 gt and very close in price.
 
hossdaddy said:
yeah that looks solid but sold out right now =\

Dont over look the 8800 gts series, they are pretty much the same performance as the 8800 gt and very close in price.
Click to expand...

Uh no, while right now they are close in price.. hell you can get a GTS w/ rebate for less than the average GT.. but performance isn't even close.
 
Yeah I also heard that although the GTS is good, it isn't as good as the GT.
 
heelix said:
Bump - I'm wondering the same thing. If the 8800GT is close to what a GTX is performing, I'm wondering what a pair of 8800GT's will do in SLI. At 200-250 each, it might be a cheaper option.
Click to expand...

I am running a pair of Gt's now and they rock, I cannot comment on Crysis yet since sli is broken in it right now but can you say Quake wars @1680x1050 16x af 16xaa 30fps? I can . 60fps when you drop it to 8x AA

I just hope Crysis realy does support SLI once it is released
 
Here is a link to the review HardOCP did,

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQxMCw0LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

The 8800 GT and 8800 gts 640 mb were very close 39 fps and 35 fps respectively, interestingly enough the 320mb card avg'd 54.6 fps in the same test.

They also tested them all in Crysis in DX10 mode and all tested cards, the GT, GTS(320 & 640mb), GTX and ATI 2900 XT were within 3 fps of each other averaging about 34fps.
 
hossdaddy said:
Here is a link to the review HardOCP did,

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQxMCw0LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

The 8800 GT and 8800 gts 640 mb were very close 39 fps and 35 fps respectively, interestingly enough the 320mb card avg'd 54.6 fps in the same test.

They also tested them all in Crysis in DX10 mode and all tested cards, the GT, GTS(320 & 640mb), GTX and ATI 2900 XT were within 3 fps of each other averaging about 34fps.
Click to expand...

The 8800GT and 8800GTS 640 have AA on.
 
hossdaddy said:
They also tested them all in Crysis in DX10 mode and all tested cards, the GT, GTS(320 & 640mb), GTX and ATI 2900 XT were within 3 fps of each other averaging about 34fps.
Click to expand...

34fps on high?

My 8600GT OC gets 30 FPS on medium.
 
what monitor are you using? LCD or CRT? Size? What resolution are you gaming at?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top