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SLI vs NON-SLI

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DarkCyber

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
May 14, 2003
Messages
1,273
Ok, I wondering are there any test or comparisons showing what real performacne difference there is between an SLI system with 2 video cards versus a system with a single top ATI or GeFroce card?
 
I bet if someone stuck an extra video card in your computer you wouldnt want them to take it out. :rolleyes: Just because someone thinks SLI is a waste doesn't make it so. Check it out for yourself, don't beleive everything you read.
 
SLI is not a waste of money. Once you see it in action it will blow your mind. It is really alot better.
 
it IS a waste of money. like someone can tell the difference between 90fps and 150fps. All that it improves is the FPS, which doesn't matter at all above 60, or 75, whichever your refresh rate is. It truely is a waste of money
 
Allright, just so people know, I dont agree to such an extent as the guy above me. First of all, the "Oh, you wont see over 70fps becaus eof refresh rates bla bla" thing is BS that only applies if you put on vsyinc (which is pointless since it caps ur FPS)

Also, You WOULD see a diffrnce between 90 and 150 fps, but its not clost to that, more like a diffrence between 90 and 110FPS.

Im just saying, a single Ultra or X850XT would be MORE then enough power then youd need, I would save the money from not buying an SLI setup and get a much more kickass cmputer (AMD Atholon 64 4000+ anyone :D )

But ya, If you have more then enough money to spend, get it, you wont be dissapointed.
 
Yes, given today's games, SLi is a waste. But don't think about today, think about tomorrow. Sure an X850XTPE runs every game at max setting good, but in 2 years you will be blowing $500 on a new card while the SLi people will be buying a second 6800GT off eBay that will get them the performance of a new $500 for a fraction of the cost. No, SLi is NOT a waste.
 
Remember though, In a year Directx10 will be released, so even an Ultra SLI setup would be absolete.

So you know
 
Hate_Bot said:
Remember though, In a year Directx10 will be released, so even an Ultra SLI setup would be absolete.

So you know
Click to expand...
True dat, but then again all nVidia has to do is release a new batch of SLi compatible cards that support DX10.
 
sac_tagg said:
True dat, but then again all nVidia has to do is release a new batch of SLi compatible cards that support DX10.
Click to expand...

Ok, thats scary, I was just about to click this post seeing that someone replied, I sort of played out a little reply in my head "Yes Im odd" and I completely thought that someone was going to say "True dat... etc etc..."

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
vsync on or off it won;t make a difference. think about it!!! if the monitor has a refreshrate of 75hz, it can't display more than 75 cycles (frames) per second. Vsync is only for the video card, for what I think is sort of like a throttle back. its useless to have more FPS than the monitor's refreshrate because it just can't display anything faster. somebody correct me if a monitor at 75hz can really run at 150hz because its at 150fps (is that clear?)
 
refresh rate doesnt mean FPS. Look at it this way, I did a little experiement a while ago, put in Counter Strike:Source, set my refresh rate to 30hz, and began playing at full settings (getting something around 10-20 fps average), then I turned down the settings, and began playing again, getting around 50-60 fps (this was a friends computer, I can only dream of getting these FPS with my mx 440SE)

So And yes, I did see a big diffrence when getting around 30FPS, then after getting around 40FPS

So, IMO Refresh rate = Dont do shit to FPS, it just maes it a bit clearer
 
this is insane, making the argument that its a waste of money...

Getting the highest cpu on the market now is the same price as 2 6800GT's. Your logic/thought processes is all fucked up. If you can't afford it, dont play.
 
I personally cannot justify spending that much on just your video but I don't think it's that much of a waste.
 
getting teh fastest CPU makes sence. It gives you a noticeable gain in performance. getting 2 video cards doesn't give you a noticeable performance gain
 
Even though Ive heard its great an all. Ide rather get an amazing CPU with great ram, with a single ultra, then a so-so cpu with average ram, with dual ultras.

Getting a better CPU is more Futureproof, then getting 2 ultras
 
Hate_Bot said:
Allright, just so people know, I dont agree to such an extent as the guy above me. First of all, the "Oh, you wont see over 70fps becaus eof refresh rates bla bla" thing is BS that only applies if you put on vsyinc (which is pointless since it caps ur FPS)

Also, You WOULD see a diffrnce between 90 and 150 fps, but its not clost to that, more like a diffrence between 90 and 110FPS.

Im just saying, a single Ultra or X850XT would be MORE then enough power then youd need, I would save the money from not buying an SLI setup and get a much more kickass cmputer (AMD Atholon 64 4000+ anyone :D )

But ya, If you have more then enough money to spend, get it, you wont be dissapointed.
Click to expand...

Actually, if your monitor isn't drawing the image faster than say 85 or 75Hz, then you will only see artifacted images at any FPS beyond that without VSYNC enabled. Its very stupid to run a graphics card with VSYNC off on a CRT monitor. All you're going to see is horizontal tearing if your FPS goes higher than your refresh rate.
 
After all the tinkering with my various setups, i cant tell a difference using SLI except when playing Doom3, But i think Half Life2 is a way better game and no matter how good Doom3 looks i wont play it lol, Soon we will have dual GPU setups and Dual Core Cpus, i cant wait till the end of the year. So getting back to SLI its worth it if it helps you sleep at night otherwise id pass.
 
ralfyboy said:
SLI is not the future...
Click to expand...

I guess that's why ATI is coming out with their own dual GPU solution soon.

It will always be a niche, but now that PCI-e is here get used to dual card solutions, because they are here to stay.

Only enthusiasts coughed up the money for dual Voodoo 2's also, back in the day.
 
Hate_Bot said:
Remember though, In a year Directx10 will be released, so even an Ultra SLI setup would be absolete.

So you know
Click to expand...

**cough***bullshit***cough***bullshit*****

Yeah, in one year we'll be flooded with DX10 games! :rolleyes:

Like DX9, it took a whole year for games to start showing up?

Everyone who bought a 5900 Ultra when they came out was screwed, because they couldn't play Tomb Raider AOD and Tomb Raider AOD and Tomb Raider AOD and Tomb Raider AOD and........oh yeah, Tomb Raider AOD! for a year after DX9 hit the streets! :rolleyes:

This BS buying for future games is and always has been BS. If you don't want to spend the money on DX9, don't, but don't tell the guys who will be owning you for the next year they shouldn't because of some phantom DX10 menace.
 
Good point, Rollo. Maybe we should all hold off and wait for eight core CPU's and DX 12, and then upgrade to a state of the art solution then ;)
 
Seriously. Id prefer to upgrade to something nice and affordable now (I.E. 6600GT) then, when Dx10 (or cards that support Dx10) comes out, Ill purchase a very nice card.

What you forget is that the ppl whoe bought the 5900, were laughing when all other peoples old card couldnt runn Dx9
 
Hate_Bot said:
Seriously. Id prefer to upgrade to something nice and affordable now (I.E. 6600GT) then, when Dx10 (or cards that support Dx10) comes out, Ill purchase a very nice card.

What you forget is that the ppl whoe bought the 5900, were laughing when all other peoples old card couldnt runn Dx9
Click to expand...

When it comes to video cards, I forget nothing and have been around forever.........

I guess it all depends on what you consider the "useful life of a card(s)". If you're one of the "I'll buy a top of the line card, use it till games crawl in two years" crowd, the 5900U crowd had to make the horrible sacrifice of playing their games in DX8.1.

This situation is a little different though- it the SLI cards that have the feature set that is just starting to be implemented and are ahead of the curve. If you buy ATIs 2002 feature set today instead of SLI, you get lower performance, and a more primitive feature set right off the bat, not in a year.

Not where I want to be.
 
What's with all the conditions that you guys are setting forth?

The question was not - "Hey, I have an extra grand to spend - how should I spend it?"

Does SLI provide a performance gain? Yes. To what degree is that performance gain important to you? Are the gains now and the potential gains worth it to you to spend the money?

I have not bought a new system in five years and I've been reading on the changes deciding when I want to invest.

I'm buying an SLI board (DFI SLI-DR) but only one card right now - waiting until more performance results come in and to see if the nvidia game profile/driver issue gets resolved.

When I come on here - I look for insight and answers -

"SLI = waste of money" is among the least insightful comments. I guess the only thing less insightful is quoting the message and stammering "yeah, what that guy said." Are you so thoughtless and inarticulate as to be utterly incapable of thinking for yourself and putting it in multisyllabic terms. And - as shown by my n00bish rank - I'm looking for something a bit more and, I'm wagering, the person who posted the original message is looking for the same thing.

I'm just tired of myopically cycnical people pissing on issues that others are looking for insight and help on.

If you think it sucks and you have nothing more to say - leave the thread alone. It's absurd to see the sort of juvenile back and forth that this SLI issue has engendered.

I don't have money to waste - I've saved for years to move up from a system that is a P3 500 MHz proc, 128 MB sdram, 13.6 GB hard drive, 32 MB TNT2 card and decided that I'm going to invest in an SLI board because it only raises the price of the mobo I was looking about 40 bucks. So I'm not wasting money the way I see it. I've saved so that I can get a system that does more than e-mail and Starcraft.

I sincerely appreciate all of the help hardocp has given me - I've been reading these forums for about a year and a half but now that I'm invested, it gets more frustrating to read such absurd posts. You do know that your e-penile profile is not measured by post counts on the hard forums, right guys?
 
I'm very, very happy with my SLI setup. I went with dual 6600GT's because of heat, power, and the fact that I'll probably be upgrading again in six months or so.
 
Hate_Bot said:
Remember though, In a year Directx10 will be released, so even an Ultra SLI setup would be absolete.

So you know
Click to expand...

That's true for everythign though, are you advocating hthat he doesn't buy a video card at all? :confused:
 
No, just not buy an Uber expensive setup. Like an SLI setup, get something like 1 gt or ultra, or 1 X850XT (or wait and see how the R520 fairs up)
 
SLI currently has a few problems. It works only in certain games.. The list is however growing with the newer driver releases.. Another problem it has is; it is currently unknown which cards will work with which other manufacturers cards.. According to nvidia you need a matched set.. If you buy 1 card now in the hopes of upgradeing to a second card 6months down the road. You may run into issues with the cards not working together properly if they are from differing manufacturers.. Finding an identical card 6months later is harder than it seems with board revisions, memory changes, bios revisisions, (for those about to scream just reflash the old card or new card so they have matching bios's., nice, If It Works.. will depend on how different the cards are), etc..

Currently 2 6600gt's only beat a single 6800gt in a handfull of games, due to not very many games currently being supported. As stated earlier that is getting better... SLI in this form is definately in early adopter status.. It can definately perform, but you may have to do some tweaking to get it done.

I'm personaly sticking to fastest single card solution I can afford. Which will prolly be a 6800gt, or maybe a x850xl if when they come down some more in price from the current gouge level. Just my opinion.... Is it woth it?,, if you got the money and don't mind some fairly minor problems, IMO, with immature state of the tech, go for it.
 
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