9800Gx2 Upgrade Questions

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UltimaBoB

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
215
I am aware that this card is far from perfect and that most should probvably skip it and wait for the true next gen - whenever that comes.

However, I think I might be one of the few for whom this card makes sense. Here is my machine:

E6700 Core 2 Duo 2.66 ghz CPU w/ aftermarket copper heat sink/fan
ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
HIS 1950XTX GPU
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Extreme Music
Enermax Liberty 620 watt PSU
4 GB OCZ Ram
Antec P180 Mid-Tower Case
26" Samsung 2693HM LCD Monitor @ 1920x1200 rez.
Windows XP Professional

I have been on a gaming hiatus for a long time now and want to get back in - soon. I can't really wait for a new generation of cards if it takes 2-4 months. The GPU is the key component, so I don't mind spending $600 or so on the card. I'm not a pro with computers, so I'd prefer a single card and not to change my mobo, PSU, or more than just the card etc.... So given that situation, it seems like a 9800Gx2 may be my best bet with what is out there. But I have some questions I'd appreciate if some of you could help me answer:

1) Will this card fit into my case?

2) Will I have enough power?

3) Will heat be an issue? I have no extra fans and everything is stock except my CPU fan. My machine used to run 2 1950XTXs in crossfire without overheating (but when I upgraded to a LCD, there were issues with two cards and image jittering so now one is a paper weight - but that is another story...).

4) Is a 9800Gx2 better than a 8800GTX or Ultra at 1920x1200 rez?

5) I know that the 512 MB memory on each GPU doesn't add up - it is still like having 512 MB and not 1 GB of video memory. But in terms of the memory that XP recognizes, will the card eat up 1 GB of the XP limit? Perhaps it is time to go to Vista.

6) Are there any other issues or conflicts with a 9800Gx@ and my rig I should be aware of?

7) What is the best brand for a 9800Gx2 - I'm not interested in a step-up program.

8) Will I have to learn about SLI profiles and establish one for each game etc...? Where is the easiest place to learn about that?

9) Without opening my computer (I'm not good at that), is there anyway to know if the Enermax Liberty 620 watt PSU I bought in Octorber 2006 will need a 6 pin to 8 pin adaptor to power the Gx2? Does anyone know which brands of Gx2 come with the adaptor included?

Anyways, I appreciate any help or input. Thanks.
 
Since you have that HIS 1950XTX card in that P180 case, the 9800GX2 should fit. The HIS card is pretty long as it is so... the 9800GX2 should fit. As far as power requirements, the 9800GX2 card requires a 580 watt PS with 40amps on the +12v rail. Your Enermax 620 has only 36 amps combined on the +12V. I would upgrade your PS to a Corsair HX620 which has 50 amps on the +12v rail to be safe. Your P180 should have decent cooling with the 120mm fans on that case. The 9800GX2 is better than the 8800GTX or Ultra especially when it comes to 1920 x 1200+ res. I can't say which brand is the better one but, the BFG brand does come with a PCIe power adapter for 8-pin power cable for your PS if your PS does not have the 8 pin power connector. You can learn about SLI game profiles & settings on through this website.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone2_game.html

Also, I would overclock your E6700 cpu.
 
You will most likely be fine, becuase if you look in detail, that 580w ps with 40 amps is probably in a config with quad core extremes etc.
 
Yours will be fine but you will need to get a card with a 6 pin to 8 pin adapter as yours doesent have one.
 
Your PS should be fine actually. I threw in the Corsair HX620 mainly because I was looking at possible overclocking on your cpu if you choose to. But, it should be ok. On EVGA website, for the 9800GX2 they state:

Requirements
Minimum of a 600 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 28 Amp Amps.)

An available 6 pin PCI-E power connector and an available 8 pin PCI-E power connector

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N891-AR

Your Enermax 620watt has 36 amps on the +12v
 
It will be fine, i can pretty much guarentee it. I cant spell either ;)
 
just got the 9800gx2 and my power supply is the corsair TX750w. it has both 6pin and 8pin PCI-E, however, i ran into an issue during install that was highlighted in the Guru3d review

http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/512/9/


basically, the retention clip on my 8 pin plug wouldn't fit into the slot on the video card. i had to break off the clip in order to get the plug into the card..
 
HardwareGuru said:
Your PS should be fine actually. I threw in the Corsair HX620 mainly because I was looking at possible overclocking on your cpu if you choose to. But, it should be ok. On EVGA website, for the 9800GX2 they state:

Requirements
Minimum of a 600 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 28 Amp Amps.)

An available 6 pin PCI-E power connector and an available 8 pin PCI-E power connector

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N891-AR

Your Enermax 620watt has 36 amps on the +12v
Click to expand...
I ran 8800GTX SLI without any issues using an Enermax Liberty 620watt power supply.

@OP: I received a notice from UPS that my EVGA shipment (9800GX2) will arrive tomorrow. I have a 6-8pin adapter ready to roll so I'll let you know tomorrow night whether or not my rig goes up in flames.
 
tesfaye said:
I ran 8800GTX SLI without any issues using an Enermax Liberty 620watt power supply.

@OP: I received a notice from UPS that my EVGA shipment (9800GX2) will arrive tomorrow. I have a 6-8pin adapter ready to roll so I'll let you know tomorrow night whether or not my rig goes up in flames.
Click to expand...


Hahahah, "doesn't go up in flames"

I bought a PPC 750w PSU. I believe I will need an adapter. Do I just call PPC for the adapter?
 
Depending on the card you should get an adaptor that converts the 6 pin to an 8 pin so if you have 2 6 pins on your PSU you will be allright but if not maybe you should rethink the PSU..
 
I don't think the card will fit in the midtower but maybe I am wrong...
 
It should be no problem. He just needs to remove one of the drive cages if its too long.
 
My EVGA 9800GX2 arrived this evening and installed without a problem. I'm running the .74 beta drivers and only changed the triple buffering settings. So far so good. She's a hot bitch though, 68c at the desktop but the fan is surprisingly quiet. I need to find software to adjust it manually because the nVidia software for some reason is unable to adjust the fans, I can't set rules for them either. :(
 
You think it is necessay to manually adjust / control fans with this? I'm no pro and was hoping to plug and play and just let my fans do their thing.
 
Its totally up to you on that, personally for me I have a 120mm fan on the side of my case blowing air in directly into the area of the northbridge and video card.
 
AthlonXP said:
Its totally up to you on that, personally for me I have a 120mm fan on the side of my case blowing air in directly into the area of the northbridge and video card.
Click to expand...
I noticed that the card idles around 65c-70c depending on the room temp and whether or not I have the case closed. I didn't hear the fan spin up during gaming. It either doesn't work properly or it's really quiet. I'm leaning towards the latter since most reports indicate the fan is a bit quieter than what we're used to on gaming cards. I'm thinking about getting a 51/4 bay mounted intake fan since my Cosmos doesn't have a side port for the fan. I'm using a filtered bottom mounted Noctua for the intake but I think I need more airflow for the intake but the Panny is so damn loud in comparison and it's not even the hi-flow model, it's the medium fluid bearing model. I'm so loving the silence from the all Noctua setup. I turned down the SPP fan as well, that little bugger was the loudest in the case!

Anyway, the cards are designed to run a bit hot but I prefer to have my compoenents run cool.
 
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