Help me make a decision please

I

IsaacMM

Gawd
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
646
I have a few options for my new rig, i can get a x48 mobo with a Qx9650 and a GTX 280, i can get a x48 mobo with a Q9550/Q9450 and a GTX 280, i can get a Sli mobo with a Q9550/Q9450 with two GTX 280 in Sli.

Which one would you rather get?
 
Go with a cheaper P45 board like Asus P5Q Deluxe ($210) or P5Q-E ($160) and the GTX 280

I really think you will just be wasting money if you go with 2x 280 in SLI on 1920x1200
 
Wait a month and see how the 4870X2 performs when its released.
 
yeah but going with a crossfire mobo and a nvidia card just seems wasteful, either go with a p45 board or wait for the 4870x2
 
The motherboards with the Intel chipsets -- X38, P45, X48 -- support CrossFire, which only works with AMD/ATI video cards. (As you already know, boards with the NVIDIA SLI chipsets support NVIDIA-only SLI.) The HD 4870 and the GTX 280 can both play most games well (on medium settings) at a 1920x1200 resolution on their own.

Though you could buy an SLI/CrossFire motherboard now, to take full advantage of the feature, it's best to buy everything right away (though if you can't buy two or more cards at once, at least try to get the second card within six months of buying the first). If you can't do that, or if you're unwilling to, then it's better to get a cheaper single-card board (one based on the Intel P35 or P45 chipset) and a single high-end video card.

Or, in other words:

Markyip1 said:
Just some info on SLI / Crossfire: It's absolutely not worth considering if a) you're gaming at a resolution under 1920x1200 (as you'll see no performance benefit over a single card,) and b) if you plan to buy one card now and another later. SLI / Crossfire as an upgrade path is usually a very poor idea, as by the time you're ready to get that second card, a new single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, there really is no cost benefit to the SLI Upgrade Route, as any additional cost in getting the new card can be easily mitigated in most situations by selling the original. By avoiding an SLI / Crossfire solution when it will not be of benefit, you gain a cooler running, simpler to maintain system and more importantly, access to a much better (and broader) selection of motherboards.
Click to expand...
 
I'd go with the HD4870X2 or 9800GX2. :p I like to keep things simple and avoid discrete SLI/Crossfire solutions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top