Is SLI worth it in my system?

[bassa]

Hello!

Will I benefit and get value-for-money if I add another card to my system?

Motherboard: nVidia 680i SLI
PSU: Silverstone Zeus 850W
CPU: QX6700
RAM: 4GB Crucial PC6400 800Mhz
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX KO ACS3

I've thought about adding another GeForce 8800 GTX card just like the one I already have, but do I have enough power with the 850W PSU?

Also, will I even benefit much from it or will it not be worth it?

Another card will cost about 800-1.000 US dollars in my country.

Maybe I should save the money, and instead buy the newest card from nVidia and sell my old one? Will the benefit be much greater there, or?

Thank you for your help.


Cheers,
Bassa

[RAC]

Not worth it money wise. I would wait for 280GTX and see what it's got to offer.
4870X2 might also be a upgrade if CF wasn't so buggy.

[zanzabar]

u need a new MB more than sli, teh gtx is also EOL so u can sell it for bank and get a 280gtx with the money

[bassa]

What about selling my 8800 GTX and purchase a EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 KO (1 GB) instead then?

I noticed that this new card actually costs just as much as if I were to buy another 8800 GTX and go SLI.

So which will give the most value for money, and provide the best graphics for gaming:

2 x EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX KO ACS3 (SLI mode)

vs.
1 x EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 KO / EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 SUPERCLOCKED

I don't know whether the KO or the SUPERCLOCKED card is the best, so I just put both of them in there.


Cheers,
Bassa

[Xel'Naga]

What about selling my 8800 GTX and purchase a EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 KO (1 GB) instead then?

I noticed that this new card actually costs just as much as if I were to buy another 8800 GTX and go SLI.

So which will give the most value for money, and provide the best graphics for gaming:

2 x EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX KO ACS3 (SLI mode)

vs.
1 x EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 KO / EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GX2 SUPERCLOCKED

I don't know whether the KO or the SUPERCLOCKED card is the best, so I just put both of them in there.


Cheers,
Bassa

1. No, SLI is not worth it (well...it depends on how rich you are:D)
2. The PSU is more than enough for 8800GTX SLI
3. first option is faster since the cards in GX2 are neutered compared to the 8800GTX to meet the cooling requirements

[bassa]

1. No, SLI is not worth it (well...it depends on how rich you are:D)
2. The PSU is more than enough for 8800GTX SLI
3. first option is faster since the cards in GX2 are neutered compared to the 8800GTX to meet the cooling requirements

So what you're essentially saying is that I shouldn't do anything? :)


Cheers,
Bassa

[@rne]

Wait for the new cards and then decide what to do;)

[Xel'Naga]

So what you're essentially saying is that I shouldn't do anything? :)


Cheers,
Bassa

:rofl: Well..., yes:D

Are you happy with your system's performance or do you play Crysis ?

[bassa]

I am happy with my system. Very happy.

However, I recently bought Age of Conan, and in some instances with high end settings, my FPS drops too low to my liking.

So I was just curious to know if it would be a real benefit to do an upgrade at this time around.

I also played Crysis, and had many settings on High, some on Medium, and had a very fluid play with good FPS.


Cheers,
Bassa

[zanzabar]

the fps in mmo games is typically related to ping so it should be normal

[bassa]

the fps in mmo games is typically related to ping so it should be normal

Yes, but this is not the case with me.


Cheers,
Bassa

[Vinas]

Go with the 9800 GX2... Better performance than the GTX 280 and prices are dropping. A single 3870x2 will give a good boost too (I upgraded from a 8800ULTRA).

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3334&p=11

In the US the 9800GX2 is around $450 so it's a good deal if you can find a decent price where you're at!

[bassa]

Ok, this looks very good.

So, it seems that the GeForce 9800 GX2 is one of the best, if not the best, graphics card currently on the market.

1. Are there any new versions coming up real soon, though, before I decide to make a purchase?

2. If I do buy a GeForce 9800 GX2 card, which one should I get? I really enjoy EVGA's cards, so I'm leaning towards them. But which card, exactly, is top notch right now in this 9800 series?


Cheers,
Bassa

[Vinas]

1. Are there any new versions coming up real soon, though, before I decide to make a purchase?The only cards to come out are the new ATi offering and the GTX 260. Neither of which will out perform the 9800GX2 but then again they are not meant to do so. Both are mid range cards...


2. If I do buy a GeForce 9800 GX2 card, which one should I get? I really enjoy EVGA's cards, so I'm leaning towards them. But which card, exactly, is top notch right now in this 9800 series? EVGA is nice but personally I think if you buy a reference board it will perform the same regardless of the brand. Some people argue EVGA or others get top binned parts but I don't think there's a difference TBH. :D Your OC/performance will depend largely on quality of the chip, etc... Maybe if you plan on just leaving the card "as is" think about one of the fancy ACS evga cards? :eek:

Good luck! :up:

[bassa]

Yeah, I don't plan on OC'ing my cards, so I'll be using them "as is".

Anyway, I haven't noticed any of the 9800 GX2 cards with ACS? My own EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX comes with KO and ACS, but haven't noticed the ACS on either of EVGA's 9800 series.

1. What does KO, ACS, SSC and all those other abbreviations stand for?

2. Will those GeForce 9800 GX2 cards fit on my nVidia 680i SLI motherboard, and will they run well?

3. Can my Silverstone Zeus 850W PSU supply the necessary cables to the 9800 GX2 cards?

Lastly, which of these cards from EVGA should I most consider:

http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N897-AR&family=GeForce%209%20Series%20Family

http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N895-AR&family=GeForce%209%20Series%20Family

http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N891-AR&family=GeForce%209%20Series%20Family

http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=01G-P3-N892-AR&family=GeForce%209%20Series%20Family


Cheers,
Bassa

[ExodusC]

Bassa, if you want my honest opinion, I would suggest you wait for at least a little while. If anything, you can see the results of a 4870 crossfire setup, or a 4870 X2. It might be a better price/performance upgrade than getting a 9800GX2.

Even if it's not, you can still always get a 9800GX2 after that. They may even be cheaper in price in a few weeks.

[spajdr]

If you play Age of Conan then GTX 280 provides 50 percent better min.fps then GX2.

[Vinas]

Yeah, I don't plan on OC'ing my cards, so I'll be using them "as is".
1. What does KO, ACS, SSC and all those other abbreviations stand for?

KO and SSC are overclocked versions. ACS = advanced cooling system which apparently doesn't look like they have an ACS for the GX2.


2. Will those GeForce 9800 GX2 cards fit on my nVidia 680i SLI motherboard, and will they run well? It will fit the MB but consider your case. The GX2 are just as long as your 8800GTX, and just shy of twice as thick. The GX2 takes up two PCI slots.


3. Can my Silverstone Zeus 850W PSU supply the necessary cables to the 9800 GX2 cards? Yes. It requires a 550w PSU and combined 40a 12 volt rail(s). Your PSU has the 8 pin and 6 pin PCIe power connectors needed.


Lastly, which of these cards from EVGA should I most consider:It is up to you but I would purchase the vanilla 9800gx2 because you could OC it in the future if you wanted to. The other models are factory overclocked hence the hefty price differences.

The 9800GX2 KO is 50MHz faster for $10 more. Might be the best value if you're not going to OC yourself. It is true that the GX2 won't scale well in ALL GAMES but for the majority I think it will run quite nicely with your setup.

When you compare prices the GX2 holds more value over the GTX 280. IMO of course...

[zanzabar]

dont forget that the gx2 is driver bound, the 280 is a single card so it wont need new drivers for every game

[bassa]

Ok, so I've waited a little while and here's my current rig with a new motherboard added:



LCD Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 24” 2407WFP Widescreen LCD

Cabinet: Silverstone TJ09 Black

Power Supply Unit: Silverstone Zeus ST85ZF 850W

Cooling (CPU): Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme

Cooling, Fans (cabinet): 6 x Noctua NF-S12-1200

Motherboard: EVGA nForce 780i SLI

CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX6700

Memory: 4 x 1 GB Duah-Channel Crucial Ballistix / DUAL RAM / DDR II SDRAM / PC2-6400 CL4 / 800 MHz

Optical Drives: Samsung SH-S182D

Hard Drives (system): 1 x WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150 GB - 150 GB / 10000 RPM / 16 MB / Serial ATA 150 / 4.6 ms

Hard Drives (backup): 2 x WD Caviar SE16 WD5000KS - 500 GB / 7200 rpm / 16 MB / Serial ATA-300 / 8.9 ms / 28 dBA / RAID 0

Video Cards: 1 x EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTX ACS3 KO

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro

Keyboard: Razer Tarantula

Mouse: Razer DeathAdder

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit



Would I benefit nicely from upgrading my graphics card at the moment? I am considering putting in 2 EVGA GTX 280 cards, or maybe 2 9800 GTX's.

Any ideas for a more powerful and gaming-complient setup?


Cheers,
Bassa

[Tonucci]

You will get alot of performance gain with either one or two GTX280. It will help alot, given your monitor native res.

I say wait until 4870x2 is released too see what happen to prices and then decide on the upgrade path. Performance wise it was already shown to be substantially faster than the GTX280, but SLI will be faster. You cant crossfire with your current mobo, so its either GTX/GTX sli or one 4870x2. Depending how crossfireX scales, it might be tempting for you to change to an crossfire board.

[Heretic]

I'd wait until September to buy the high-end stuff. Prices should be a little more stable by then. IMO, 2x280 and 4870x2 are overkill at 1920x1200 for nearly everything. While it's more "future proof", if 1 card will play all your games with pretty much the highest settings, there's no reason to get 2 until you find a game that needs the extra power (unless all you do is play Crysis :P). At that point, either prices will have gone down, a new king will be around, or both. Tonucci gave some sound advice on the x2 vs 280 and CF/SLI situation.

[rapid64k]

You will get alot of performance gain with either one or two GTX280. It will help alot, given your monitor native res.

I say wait until 4870x2 is released too see what happen to prices and then decide on the upgrade path. Performance wise it was already shown to be substantially faster than the GTX280, but SLI will be faster. You cant crossfire with your current mobo, so its either GTX/GTX sli or one 4870x2. Depending how crossfireX scales, it might be tempting for you to change to an crossfire board.

This is good advice wait till the ATI hits the streets and wait till Nvidia gives their answer.

[perkam]

I am happy with my system. Very happy.

However, I recently bought Age of Conan, and in some instances with high end settings, my FPS drops too low to my liking.

So I was just curious to know if it would be a real benefit to do an upgrade at this time around.

I also played Crysis, and had many settings on High, some on Medium, and had a very fluid play with good FPS.


Cheers,
BassaHD 4870 is the king of AoC right now, provides free 8xAA performance, and is only 2-3 fps slower than the GTX 280 in Crysis at 1920 res.

Perkam

[bassa]

I've updated my machine a little bit, and feel ever more hooked on stacking up on a few new upgrades.

1) A new CPU.
2) Two new cards for an SLI configuration.
3) More RAM.

Here's how my machine looks now:

Motherboard: EVGA nForce 780i SLI
PSU: Silverstone Zeus 850W
CPU: QX6700
RAM: 2 x 2 GB Mushkin PC8500-CL5 1066 Mhz
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX KO ACS3

I thought plenty about getting rid of my 8800 GTX and instead purchase 2 x 280 GTX. Is it worth the money to get 2 and go SLI?

I mean, I'm always at 1920 x 1200 resolution, and I've heard that with high resolutions, SLI is "a must", or "should have".

Also, I'm looking to get a new CPU. I'd prefer a Quad Core CPU with great performance, although paying $1000 bucks is not preferred.

Any suggestions or help is most welcome!


Cheers,
Bassa

[Chruschef]

If it were me, I'd wait a couple months or so to see how nehalem plays out on the computer market. If anything chip prices for quad core technology will drop, so you won't be paying nearly as much.

Regarding GPU's, your 8800GTX doesn't need to be replaced depending on what games you plan on playing.

[billdavis]

I would ditch the 780i for a x48 and get 4870x2

i have a 780i w/a 8800gtx on a dell 2407 and crysis blows to play @ 1920

and a q9450 cause the qx6700 is a big waist of money
i have my wifes Q9450 running stable @3.7

[drbhatti]

id hang about - i have 8800gtx and it does just fine for me right now (i dont care for crysis - good game, but im not spending a lot of money so i can get noticable performance improvement in just one title), at same resolution as you.

see what happens if you are not in a rush, wait for gt200b - and see what ati has to offer at the same time, then go for it.

[Chruschef]

we don't know if the GT200b is going to happen.. There is no evidence, just internet rumors.

Biases set aside, I'd sit tight for a bit the 8800GTX isn't a bad or, low end card.

[billdavis]

8800gtx is a low end card now

[saki_bomber]

8800gtx is a low end card now

hardly.

it'll still play ANY game out there right now with no problems:up:

[perkam]

hardly.

it'll still play ANY game out there right now with no problems:up:At half the FPS of a 4870 :up:

:p:

Perkam

[Vullf]

1) Get a E8600 if youre gaiming.

2.) Get a 4780X2

3.) Just get another pair of those Mushkin ;)

[bassa]

Well, I am seriously thinking about getting this card here RIGHT NOW!

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 280 AMP! Edition (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_280_Amp_Edition/27.html)!

Woot! - That card looks great!

But I have NO experience, whatsoever, with Zotac's products. Are they great, or should I wait for the EVGA 280 FTW that will soon be released?

The Zotac card I can get for $600. I am more than willing to pay that.


Cheers,
Bassa

[inCore]

Special editions such as the "AMP!" edition are for people who have never heard the word overclocking.

[bassa]

Special editions such as the "AMP!" edition are for people who have never heard the word overclocking.

That is perfect for me, then. ;)


Cheers,
Bassa

[Kondik]

So you're willing to pay more $_$ because downloading eVGA precision or Riva Tuner is a extremly hard task that can be sucessfully done only on Quad Cores with direct Cerebral Access ?

[bassa]

:yepp:


Cheers,
Bassa

[inCore]

1. Buy cheaper card, base model GTX 280.
2. Install card.
3. Download Rivatuner.
4. Install Rivatuner.
5. Look in internet for specifications of GTX 280 AMP edition.
6. Start Rivatuner.
7. Pull sliders to specifications of GTX 280.
8. You have a GTX 280 AMP edition.

[bassa]

That's all great, and thanks for the advice.

But my question STILL haven't been answered, so allow me to repeat myself;


But I have NO experience, whatsoever, with Zotac's products. Are they great?


Cheers,
Bassa

[bassa]

Oh! While we're at it, is there a software like Rivatuner that works with CPU's?

I would like to OC my QX6700 CPU, but I don't dare do it manually.


Cheers,
Bassa

[bassa]

That's all great, and thanks for the advice.

But my question STILL haven't been answered, so allow me to repeat myself;


Cheers,
Bassa

Maybe I should alter this question to this;

Which manufactorers of the 280 cards are topnotch and trustworthy in quality/stability?



Cheers,
Bassa

[Kondik]

All are in general nvidia Design so they should be the same , the difference is the sticker and the warranty + way of how you RMA it.

[S1mon-]

Good luck with you choice bassa, I just think it's kinda funny that even though lots of people are suggesting the 4870X2, u still focus on a 280GTX...

Funny how some people simply dont listen and throw money out of the window :D

[bassa]

Good luck with you choice bassa, I just think it's kinda funny that even though lots of people are suggesting the 4870X2, u still focus on a 280GTX...

1) 4870 x 2 requires a new motherboard, since my nForce 780i SLI doesn't support Crossfire.

2) I have had 2 ATI graphics cards in the past, and 2 from nVidia. The 2 from ATI I had major issues with and was overall a negative experience.

In the long run, I think that in the light of the above two factors makes it an easy call.

I'll go with a 280 card. If I find out that I want a better performance, I can always get another of the same, and hook them up in SLI.

Wouldn't you agree?


Cheers,
Bassa

[RADCOM]

Bassa 4870 x2 is a single card with 2 4870 chips on it. It outperforms the 8800GTX and you can use it in your curent motherboad without any problems. With what you have it is a good value upgrade. Don't let past experience cloud your judegment, I have always switched from ATI to to Nvidia and Intel to AMD; companies don't care they just want your money and sometimes they do good sometimes they stink :). I have just done a similar upgrade and I am very happy. I also had similar equipment to you and bought a second GTX which has been relegated to the "B" PC only because the depreciation over 1 and 1/2 years burns me to sell ( they are less than £100 on ebay) Electrical costs are also a factor. The res you are running at will bring you pure joy even in Crysis. BTW what country are you from? do some searches on the board and google you wll like what you hear about the 4870 x 2. Also depends on what games you play there has been no noticeable difference in framerate for Flight sim X since my 7800GTX :(

[bassa]

Thanks Radcom! I'll certainly keep that in mind.

There were a few things I obviously wasn't aware of.


Cheers,
Bassa

[Atal]

Bassa, is your preference Nvidia??, cuz I recently bought the 4870 X2 and all i want to say is Whoa...., i mean...you can get the gtx 280 since it already plays every game at max so youll be happy money wise or get the gtx 260, whichever you go with youll get at least more than 2 times the performance of the 8800 GTX :)