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New Nvidia GeForce6600 - SM 3.0 SLI for $199!
- Thread starter eXzite
- Start date
R1ckCa1n said:
Why do you call it vaporware? It hasn't been announced yet, but info popped up on 2 sites, one with benchmark results. If/when the 6600GT/6800LE (also not accounced) come out, I think more people will be looking for the budget 6800LE anyways instead of looking to grab cheap SLI.^eMpTy^ said:
Now your kidding?
My points are valid and very fact based. Nothing more, nothing less. It will be great to see SLI, but I don't know if it will be worth it on a 128 bit memory configuration card, regardless of who makes it. That's all.
R1ckCa1n said:Now your kidding?
My points are valid and very fact based. Nothing more, nothing less. It will be great to see SLI, but I don't know if it will be worth it on a 128 bit memory configuration card, regardless of who makes it. That's all.
I was quite obviously kidding. Don't act so surprised.
Your points are based on a lack of facts and the strictly negative interpretation thereof I might add.
You have no idea what SLI will be like on these cards. The point here isn't that hardcore gamers should be looking to these cards for a cheap way to get higher performance. The point is that these cards will easily beat out their current rivals from ATi, and that they are SLI capable adding yet another feature that ATi doesn't have. Whether you use it or not, it's nice to know that the card you buy today doesn't necessarily have to be worthless 12 months from now.
It is this simple bit of logic that seems to defy your comprehension.
^eMpTy^ said:
If I remember correctly, SLI isn't a function that only lays in Nvidia cards. It is more of a function of the motherboard to render the SLI. I will have to dig through B3D's forum, but that was discussed long ago. correction: SLI with Nvidia is exclusive on their boards but not on aleinware.
edited to insert URL at B3D regarding ATI and SLI: HERE is the link
R1ckCa1n said:
You're correct...it was discussed long ago...but you don't seem to remember...so I'll sum up the situation for you...
Nvidia makes cards that are hardware SLI capable but need special motherboards to run on...luckily they also make motherboard chipsets...
Then you have Alienware who's doing a software configuration with a third card to hand the I/O...
I think it's pretty obvious the Nvidia solution will be superior since it works at the hardware level and their respective marketing claims seem to back this up (77% vs 90%)...
Once again, the point is, next year when motherboards that can handle SLI come out, this presents nvidia customers with more options for later upgrade paths...
If you can't see that having SLI is better than not having SLI, then I really don't know what to say to you...and if you think Alienware's solution counts as ATi having SLI, you're equally as confused...
R1ckCa1n said:
SLI is actually the domain of Nvidia cards, but you're right, the idea itself isn't really new. Alienware's setup actually uses a special mobo and a software abstraction layer to arbitrate between the two cards. The Nvidia setup uses a little bridge connector across the two cards, and it is different in that the cards arbitrate themselves for the most part (obviously there is some interaction with the driver here). The cards load balance to handle the on screen geometry/effects. The SLI system, however, is actually scalable in principal, and it *could* actually take more than just the two cards. This is because the cards do the arbitration themselves, for the most part. This if of course not possible given today's PCIe and bandwidth limitations, but it's the sign of a cool link architecture.
I'm just interested in how this pans out, I never had the gawdawful amount of money it took to do sli back in the Voodoo days (or the computer knowledge to even attempt it) but I remember thinking the guys who had those setups could totally destroy any game thrown at them...and they could. This sounds like it just might be affordable enough to play around with.
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SLi i know will carry an intial prenium and i for sure wont be able to afford it, im waiting for pci-e to be adopted more so prices will go down and then as SLi is adopted and becomes more popular, hopefully i then can afford it. it does have great promise and im excited about it.
In my opinion, the coolest thing about SLI is the fact that you can double your peformance without paying for the nextgen card. I mean, think about that, double performance, that's a pretty big leap. Say you buy a nv43 now, well in a year or so, they will be pretty cheap, and when you're faced with the need for more performance, you can just spring for another one. That's way cheaper than buying the new gen card that is twice as fast, yet you're getting 2x performance. Brilliant! The ultimate upgrade path.
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eXzite said:
Typically the next generation of cards DOESN'T double performence. We just got a dousie this round, but don't expect the 7800GT to double the performence of the 6800GT. In this situation, SLI could prove to be immensly valuable to the average joe. Only possible downside would be if the new cards came with an expanded featureset. Luckily, we've got SM3 support so we should be good for a while.