2x gtx 460 sli for gaming?

[hogerA]

Hello everyone. I intend to buy a new desktop computer with two of the new gtx 460 graphics cards.

I have certain concerns in regards to sli

Will the noise be severely louder with two gtx 460 compared to one?

In the guru3d review of gtx 460 sli, the author seems to believe that it is barely audible. I have a bit of a hard time believing that.

Do people still experience the phenomenom called ''microstutter''? In association with sli that is

Can you link two dual slot cooler gtx 460's, and does the cooler size on the graphics cards matter at all in regards to sli?

Last but not least, I would appreciate recommendations for motherboards which are SLI certified, known to have very few errors and decent for 20-40% overclock of an i3/i5 cpu.


I plan to start out by purchasing one gtx 460, and as games become more taxing for my system, I will purchase another gtx 460, hopefully for a lower price than the current.

To sum it up:

I am only interested in purchasing a SLI system if

It isn't too noisy

If the ''feel'' of the game is as fluent as that of a single gpu system, no microstutter or anything

And if it is reasonable to expect a 80% increase in average from having the 2nd gtx 460 in future DX 11 games.

My monitor runs at 1680x1050 resolution. I know this is low for sli gaming, but a title like metro 2033 is already taxing at any resolution, and thus seems to benefit very well from a 2nd gtx 460:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-460-sli-review/9

For the very same reason, I am not going to buy the 2nd gtx 460 immediately, but rather when it is necessary.

 

[MrK6]

Hello everyone. I intend to buy a new desktop computer with two of the new gtx 460 graphics cards.

I have certain concerns in regards to sli

Will the noise be severely louder with two gtx 460 compared to one?

In the guru3d review of gtx 460 sli, the author seems to believe that it is barely audible. I have a bit of a hard time believing that.

Evidently most of the GTX 460's are very quiet, especially compared to their high-end counterparts. In SLI, the sound output would be twice as loud since there's two cards, but that still seems to be much quieter than say a GTX 470 or 480. Check reviews, especially for the specific model you're buying.

Do people still experience the phenomenom called ''microstutter''? In association with sli that is

Microstutter is a drawback inherent to any current multi-GPU. It arises from trying to sync two GPU's in AFR mode. The good news is with SLI you might be able to try a different rendering mode (SFR, etc.). Also, you might not even be sensitive/able to detect it, so you really have to try it for yourself.

Can you link two dual slot cooler gtx 460's, and does the cooler size on the graphics cards matter at all in regards to sli?

No, as long as the cards and coolers physically fit into the motherboard (which they should, these are standard dual slot coolers), you should have no problems.

Last but not least, I would appreciate recommendations for motherboards which are SLI certified, known to have very few errors and decent for 20-40% overclock of an i3/i5 cpu.

Any P55 chipset-based motherboard would be the way to go.

I plan to start out by purchasing one gtx 460, and as games become more taxing for my system, I will purchase another gtx 460, hopefully for a lower price than the current.

To sum it up:

I am only interested in purchasing a SLI system if

It isn't too noisy

If the ''feel'' of the game is as fluent as that of a single gpu system, no microstutter or anything

And if it is reasonable to expect a 80% increase in average from having the 2nd gtx 460 in future DX 11 games.

My monitor runs at 1680x1050 resolution. I know this is low for sli gaming, but a title like metro 2033 is already taxing at any resolution, and thus seems to benefit very well from a 2nd gtx 460:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-460-sli-review/9

For the very same reason, I am not going to buy the 2nd gtx 460 immediately, but rather when it is necessary.

SLI is easy to do and will give you more improvement, but it's not the same as single GPU and like any change/upgrade there's postives and drawbacks which you have to weigh and then make your decision .

 

[AlgaeEater]

I couldn't agree with MrK6 more. So I'll simply add my own comments on top of his since he pretty much summed up things pretty well.

I've used SLI and Crossfire for a variety of gaming rigs. What I can say is that I personally feel you're at the mercy of drivers when it comes to SLI, since some games just tend not to like it or run into problems with it (the most common is that the game runs with one card only - making you no better off than having one card for example)

Micro-stuttering can be damn annoying when it does arise. Once again, it depends on the game and the driver set. If you're a gamer, I can assure you'll experience it since I assuming you like things to be a fluent as possible. It can be best described as "artificial speed throttling". The game you are playing may slow down in an area for no apparent reason at random times, completely indifferent on the load you are putting on the card. (For example - you could be getting 65fps just idling and then suddenly drop to 45fps out of nowhere then jump back up to 60fps) When I say "artificial" feeling, it's because it appears to be hindered by something OTHER than your video card(s). Most people get positive results by setting their monitor refresh rates as high as possible, sometimes going 70hz or 80hz. You can google a lot of information on the subject, and I've experienced it myself.


SLI bridges can be a real headache. One day everything might be fine, the next day you're banging your head against the wall wondering what's going on with your video card(s). On numerous occasions my SLI bridge (for no apparent reason) starts going bad, and replacing it fixes all the glitches I get in games and in general usage. The problem with this is that we all here follow a pretty standard troubleshooting checklist, and usually the SLI bridge is on the lower tier of the list of possibilities. The fact that's it another thing to check kinda makes things worse.

I don't "hate" SLI or Crossfire, but like in a recent video card recommendation thread I posted, I much prefer single card setups. It's always tempting to go SLI or Crossfire, but I always regret it when I do it over a single card solution. The GTX 460 is yet another fine example of "damn tempting" to go SLI, and it's always been like that for me at least. You're more then welcome to try it if it's your first time - it's a blast when everything works properly.

 

[Hauk]

Numerous hits, few responses. Slippery slope IMO, to recommend multi-gpu (or not) to someone asking generic questions about noise and microstuttering?

Not to stir the pot, goodness knows it's already been stirred. But damn, tell us something, like what your budget is, if you're building or buying, what other hardware is under consideration, etc.

Multi-gpu can be fantastic; but one can't recommend you make that move without knowing some details. The biggest factor, your resolution. Two dozen people have probably chosen not to comment thus far about resolution. In your defense, you're right in that demanding titles ran with high quality settings at that res can choke a single mid range card.

Budget, building or buying, acceptable case size, it all matters before anyone can say "go multi-gpu." It's pointless to debate red or green or driver scaling. Both offer good choices in single or multi, and both offer mature drivers. There will always be exceptions.

If your graphics budget is <$450, there are powerful, single gpu solutions that will offer you great performance and good peace of mind. If multi-gpu is really where you want to go, I recommned a total rig examination, epsecially storage and memory. Microstuttering vs. texture loading.. to avoid debate I'll not go there. Oh hell.. no one with a mechanical drive should bitch about microstuttering..

 

[BD231]

Someone needs a nap.

 

[AlgaeEater]

If your graphics budget is <$450, there are powerful, single gpu solutions that will offer you great performance and good peace of mind.

This is what Hauk actually wanted to say, lol. And he's right.

 

[Hauk]

Someone needs a nap.

All better now. Phew..

OP? still there?

 

[netxzero64]

LOL! this hasn't ended?

 

[hogerA]

There is no budget. When I buy new hardware I simply look for the best bang for the bucks. Not the cheapest, not the best, but best bang for the bucks. When you come across a gtx 460 sli review and look at the graphs which show you a gtx 460 sli setup outperforming a gtx 480 again and again by 20&#37;, you get funny ideas like purchasing a gtx 460 sli setup.

The questions I have asked are all my worries in regards to sli. I do not want to know if people think crossfire 5830 is better than sli gtx 460. I have made up my mind on those matters. Thus I have a firm idea of WHAT I want to buy, but I am not certain that I will buy it at all, because there seems to be some risks involved, such as dealing with microstutter, problems with the sli bridge and lack of driver support.

I have read all your posts, and I have to admit that I am reluctant to try out a sli gtx 460 system now. Instead, I will probably wait for the next ``gtx 460\8800gt`` to be released and purchase one of those for a single card setup instead.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me, and please write again if you have more on your minds.

Edit - Hauk, in regards to the current powerful single gpu offers - I think they are too expensive for the performance they offer compared to the performance of last generations gpu. The prices on hd 5870 and gtx 470\480 here in Denmark are stagnant and going nowhere. HD 5870 costs 470 bucks, gtx 470 costs 440 bucks and gtx 480 costs 540 bucks

 

[Hauk]

So you've decided against even a single GTX 460 right now? That sucks, how come?

I didn't mean to come off wrong, just wanted to let ya know that giving advice on multi-gpu is hard without all the details. System component selection is even more important when you're running a couple cards. Don't want to bottleneck them, starve them of power, cooling, etc. Those factors weigh in more than microstutter or SLI bridge concerns. But, they are important.

In any case, I love multi-gpu. As I've read more about GTX 460, it sure does seem like a solid multi choice. Only reason I mentioned single gpu is that going that route would eliminate your concerns about multi-gpu. If you're inclined though, go for it! If you need help with component selection, you could start a thread in general hardware. I have several recommendations.

Had..

Had.. shipping them for step-up today in fact:

Soon to have a couple GTX 480 hogs.

Oh, in case you're wondering, you only need one SLI/CF bridge. I run two just for the hell of it.

 

[betasub]

Hauk, your XFi is heading south

 

[Hauk]

Hauk, your XFi is heading south

It did go south! I wanted as much airflow hitting the 470s as possible. I'll prolly swap my door fan from a 1,200rpm to a 2,000rpm for the 480s. More noise/heat/power, fun stuff..

 

[toyota]

It did go south! I wanted as much airflow hitting the 470s as possible. I'll prolly swap my door fan from a 1,200rpm to a 2,000rpm for the 480s. More noise/heat/power, fun stuff..

um how does putting the sound card below the graphics cards give better airflow? just looking at the pics shows it was out of the way being on top.

 

[Hauk]

um how does putting the sound card below the graphics cards give better airflow? just looking at the pics shows it was out of the way being on top.

here's about as much time as I'll spend on you Toyota.. ready? ...

 

[toyota]

here's about as much time as I'll spend on you Toyota.. ready? ...

so instead of answering a simple question you found it more appropriate to be an asshole?

 

[BFG10K]

um how does putting the sound card below the graphics cards give better airflow?

Hot air rises (i.e. radiates) from the back of the GPU's PCB. A sound card above it becomes an obstacle for that air to reach the exhaust fans.

The sound card at the bottom is fine because it&#8217;s not blocking the GPU&#8217;s fan intake, and the rest of the GPU is a sealed shroud anyway.

 

[toyota]

Hot air rises (i.e. radiates) from the back of the GPU's PCB. A sound card above it becomes an obstacle for that air to reach the exhaust fans.

The sound card at the bottom is fine because it&#8217;s not blocking the GPU&#8217;s fan intake, and the rest of the GPU is a sealed shroud anyway.

thanks for answering. I would have assumed that having the card out of the way would have been better overall though. it just seems like it would be worse having it directly below the graphics card blocking some airflow to the graphics card plus making the graphics card suck in whatever heat the sound card makes.

 

[hogerA]

Not sure how the airflow discussion is relevant to the particular topic of my thread, but whatever.

Hauk, I have read the Hardocp review of a gtx 460 sli setup, where they clearly state that the games which are quite demanding on the hardware show less fluent gameplay than the single card solutions.

Now, I do not intend to buy a sli setup for the sake of getting 120 fps in games, but rather to go from 30 fps with a single gpu to 50 fps with two. And according to many people, microstutter is more pronounced at these lower frame levels, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting the 2nd gtx 460. You purchase the 2nd one to get more fluent gameplay, and instead it introduces microstutter.

I believe it is always preferable to try out things for yourself to get your own impression, but in this case ``trying out`` has a too high price tag.

 

[Will Robinson]

Forget the 2 card setup.
Grab a single 460GTX or HD5850 and you'll be rockin.In a year there will be new cards out that will spank your SLI anyway,save your money and buy one of them next year.

 

[Hauk]

Hauk, I have read the Hardocp review of a gtx 460 sli setup, where they clearly state that the games which are quite demanding on the hardware show less fluent gameplay than the single card solutions.

Now, I do not intend to buy a sli setup for the sake of getting 120 fps in games, but rather to go from 30 fps with a single gpu to 50 fps with two. And according to many people, microstutter is more pronounced at these lower frame levels, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting the 2nd gtx 460. You purchase the 2nd one to get more fluent gameplay, and instead it introduces microstutter.

Very sound reasoning. My goals have always been the same, to have fluid gameplay in the range my eyes work in. Yep I read the HardOCP review. I'm not very good at perceiving microstutter; though I can easily perceive "hitching" during texture loading.

I distinctly remember cruising in the airboat in FC2 and experiencing it with both 260 SLI and 4850 CF. At the time I thought "this must be microstutter." I think it was BFG that suggested it may be hitching. I was using a single Raptor back then. I took the plunge and raided a couple SSDs which fixed the problem.

Well good luck with whatever route you take. You're putting good thought in to it and do have valid reasoning and concerns. You know that the technology has come a long way but can still have a downside compared to running a single, powerful GPU.

My take, it is possible to minimize drawbacks; but it takes a whole system approach and $$. A single powerful gpu is like having a modest, dedicated girlfriend instead of a hot flirty one. The latter will cost you more and give you occasional trouble..

 

[Hauk]

Hot air rises (i.e. radiates) from the back of the GPU's PCB. A sound card above it becomes an obstacle for that air to reach the exhaust fans.

The sound card at the bottom is fine because it’s not blocking the GPU’s fan intake, and the rest of the GPU is a sealed shroud anyway.

Sorry Toyota, I thought I smelled sarcasm. Like BFG said. In addition, I have the side fan blowing across the cards. Blowing air from the side, I saw the possibility that it could stall between the top card's pcb and the sound card. Where it's stting now, airflow is not an issue. This has me thinking about 480s though. Guess what the SC would be sitting under.. the bottom card's exposed heatsink plate. Would prolly be okay, I'll have to investigate.

Okay OP, all done..