9800GX2 vs 512mb 8800GTS in SLI

[MTDEW]

i posted this, so i didnt thread crap on the other 9800gx2 / 8800gts post, since my situation is a bit different

I already have
Abit IP35-E
8gb DDR2 1000
Vista 64
e8400 @ 4ghz
X-FI Xtreme music
Corsair 620HX psu

And i currently have one 512mb 8800GTS in this pc and another 512mb 8800GTS sitting here, that i will either throw in my backup pc or go sli.

I can step up my Evga 512mb 8800GTS to a 9800X2 for $250.
Then use it in my current setup and use the other 512mb 8800GTS in my other pc.
or
Grab an sli mobo and just SLI the the two 512mb 8800GTS cards.


So many questions that need answered.

1: Do the 750i boards offer less sli performance for two 8800GTS 512mb cards over the 780i/790i boards?

2: Do the 750i / 780i /790i boards have problems running four 2gb memory sticks that will fill all four slots? (8gb total)And NO, i wont give up my 8gb, Vista 64 flys with 8gb, and video encoding is fast and smooth, i love my setup!

3: Do i trust Nvidia to have drivers to support the 9800GX2 upon a games release instead of 6 months after ive finished the game?
This is HUGE, who cares if you update your drivers way after a game is released, people buying high end cards, buy games when they are RELEASED, not 6 months later!

4: Am i better off with two 512mb 8800GTS cards in sli, so later down the road when i actually do upgrade, i can sell them separately more easily than a more expensive 9800GX2?

5: Do i even TRUST any 750i / 780i / 790i board to run stable and not kill my memory or worse?

6: Do i really wanna give up my p35 motherboard and take a chance on a nvidia board after seeing so many people get flaky nvidia boards in the past?

These are all questions that do nothing but make actually making a decision too darn hard.
There just seems to be no "right" answer.

The decisions would be so much easier if the Nvidia boards didnt have so many issues and their 790i boards didnt cost so darn much.
Hence the option to maybe go 750i instead of the more expensive options, because if i spent $350 on a mobo and it gave me problems, i'd be pretty PO'd!

And ive read posts from 7950x2 owners that said they were left out in the cold with updated driver releases by Nvidia too many times and they will NEVER buy a dual card again.
Otherwise, the step up option to an Evga 9800GX2 would be an easy choice.

I dont wanna own a worthless/unsupported card, at least with two 8800GTS cards, i'd always know at least one would work.

But i dont wanna own a problematic mobo either!

 

[Apocalypse23]

ah..hmm

 

[Xpoc]

same situation here, pretty much.
I have 3 brand new socket 775 motherboards(X38-P5E, X38-DS4, P35-DS3L) lol
I have been trying to resist the urge to get the 780i board with another 8800GTS, and go SLI.
I do plan to sell two of my motherboards.
My local dealer has the BFG 9800GX2 for $558! So I wonder if 2 8800GTS are better than the 9800GX2. I do think that the 2 card setup would be better.

I could use current motherboard and get a 3870 X2 and 3870 for tri crossfire.

I hate choices. I thought I was satisfied with what I got but guess not.

 

[MTDEW]

I believe two 512mb 8800GTS cards are faster than a single 9800GX2.
But its close.

I would also think that two single 512mb 8800GTS cards could overclock a bit better than a single 9800GX2 since the GX2 would most likely run hotter being sandwitched like that.
But i have no facts to back that theory up and the 9800GX2 hasnt been around long enough to get enough feedback on how well they overclock.

Im surprised at the total lack of 750i info i can find.

And the search "bugs" that are still present here on anandtech doesnt really help. (searching for numbers yields too many mismatches)

 

[MTDEW]

Heres a link to the firungsquad review , they tested two 512mb 8800GTS cards against the 9800GX2.
LINK

 

[mhouck]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
i posted this, so i didnt thread crap on the other 9800gx2 / 8800gts post, since my situation is a bit different

I already have
Abit IP35-E
8gb DDR2 1000
Vista 64
e8400 @ 4ghz
X-FI Xtreme music
Corsair 620HX psu

And i currently have one 512mb 8800GTS in this pc and another 512mb 8800GTS sitting here, that i will either throw in my backup pc or go sli.

I can step up my Evga 512mb 8800GTS to a 9800X2 for $250.
Then use it in my current setup and use the other 512mb 8800GTS in my other pc.
or
Grab an sli mobo and just SLI the the two 512mb 8800GTS cards.


So many questions that need answered.

1: Do the 750i boards offer less sli performance for two 8800GTS 512mb cards over the 780i/790i boards?

2: Do the 750i / 780i /790i boards have problems running four 2gb memory sticks that will fill all four slots? (8gb total)And NO, i wont give up my 8gb, Vista 64 flys with 8gb, and video encoding is fast and smooth, i love my setup!

3: Do i trust Nvidia to have drivers to support the 9800GX2 upon a games release instead of 6 months after ive finished the game?
This is HUGE, who cares if you update your drivers way after a game is released, people buying high end cards, buy games when they are RELEASED, not 6 months later!

4: Am i better off with two 512mb 8800GTS cards in sli, so later down the road when i actually do upgrade, i can sell them separately more easily than a more expensive 9800GX2?

5: Do i even TRUST any 750i / 780i / 790i board to run stable and not kill my memory or worse?

6: Do i really wanna give up my p35 motherboard and take a chance on a nvidia board after seeing so many people get flaky nvidia boards in the past?

These are all questions that do nothing but make actually making a decision too darn hard.
There just seems to be no "right" answer.

The decisions would be so much easier if the Nvidia boards didnt have so many issues and their 790i boards didnt cost so darn much.
Hence the option to maybe go 750i instead of the more expensive options, because if i spent $350 on a mobo and it gave me problems, i'd be pretty PO'd!

And ive read posts from 7950x2 owners that said they were left out in the cold with updated driver releases by Nvidia too many times and they will NEVER buy a dual card again.
Otherwise, the step up option to an Evga 9800GX2 would be an easy choice.

I dont wanna own a worthless/unsupported card, at least with two 8800GTS cards, i'd always know at least one would work.

But i dont wanna own a problematic mobo either!

Another person in the same boat as you. I have decided to go with the step up for roughly $250(about the asking price for the stock gts) to GX2. I'm going step up because there are rumors of Nvidia and Intel having a pissing contest on incorporating the tech for the nehalem and dunnington processors. I don't want to have a 600 dollars worth of video card and not be able to transition that much horsepower to the new technology that's coming out in Q4.

But if you are looking at upgrading your board very soon the answer to
1) 780i does not represent increased performance in sli. However the 790i does show an increase in performance over the 780i. Graphs comparing 780i SLI to 790i SLI
2) I haven't heard anything about memory capcity issues.
3) There are issues with games besides SLI if you buy them as soon as they are released. i.e. Bioshock It's a fact of life if you have to have a game on launch day.
4) No idea. I thought that I would hold onto a GX2 longer than 2 cards from a previous generation that looks like driver support is waning.
5) I would trust a 790i ultra. There memory support DDR3 2000. That's higher than x-38 and I think x-48's.
6) I wouldn't step up to a new board that won't support the newest cpu tech of 6 months from now.

Since you already have 2 gts (considering you still have step up on each which it sounds like you don't if you are considering only stepping up one) you might want to wait and see what the 9800GTX has to offer.

 

[MTDEW]

mhouck
Yeah, i only have step up on one 512 GTS, my other is an MSI.
I actually just passed my step-up period on 3-19, but Evga is extending it to 120 days if i go with a 9800GX2.

THANKS for the 790i vs 780i link/comparison, i was surprised. :thumbsup:
The 790i's performance over the 780i is impressive in that review, as well as the power consumption.

Now that makes a decision even harder. LOL

I really dont want to consider DDR3 with its price point right now, so im gonna have to do my best to pretend i never saw those charts.

Im beginning to wonder if i should have just posted in the mobo forum, since my decision isnt really about the 9800GX2 vs two 512mb 8800GTS cards in sli, those numbers are easy to find.

Its more about if i can really move to a Nvidia SLI mobo from a fast/stable p35 chipset without feeling like i made a mistake.

Normally, i wouldnt care about sli or the 9800gx2, ive done sli and crossfire in the past and im a firm believer in waiting for the next generation and buying a single faster card.

But it looks like Ati/AMD and Nvidia arent going to be that easy on us anymore and if we want top performance, we'll have to buy multiple GPU setups.

Now that could be a GOOD thing in that hopefully driver support for sli/ crossfire will be better.
At least i HOPE thats the case.

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
I believe two 512mb 8800GTS cards are faster than a single 9800GX2.
But its close.

I would also think that two single 512mb 8800GTS cards could overclock a bit better than a single 9800GX2 since the GX2 would most likely run hotter being sandwitched like that.
But i have no facts to back that theory up and the 9800GX2 hasnt been around long enough to get enough feedback on how well they overclock.

Im surprised at the total lack of 750i info i can find.

And the search "bugs" that are still present here on anandtech doesnt really help. (searching for numbers yields too many mismatches)

Looks like you're getting some decent feedback. A few points from my experience:

I have the same G.Skill memory as you. With select Asus/nV chipsets there's a memory bug during Vista install/operation over 4GB. Easily solved in Vista with this hotfix. With my Asus 780i one must install OS with only 1 stick installed and apply the hotfix then install remaining memory.

The 780i isn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than 790i and you can use your current memory. Regarding the SLI performace variance, I'd not even consider that a factor. You're never gonna see the difference. The Asus 780i was buggy as hell but has smoothed out with current bios release. The advantage over reference 780i boards is better cooling and higher quality power components. True that reference nV boards have been known to blow their cheap caps and take memory with them. Out the gate they've been less buggy though.

No info on the 750i but it's probably rock solid by now. The big question should be answered by one of the vid experts.. is the bandwidth difference between 750i and 780i going to matter? If not, a damn good deal with 750i for SLI.

Regarding the choice between GX2 and GTS SLI, I have the latter and love it! You're right about temps and clocks. There's a lot of overhead, I have my cards clocked to 735/1835/2000. I haven't benched but take those graphs you posted and imagine the difference.

There's little info about GX2 overclocking right now but it's fairly certain to have little overhead. The cooling design simply prohibits it. My guess... a stable 50mhz boost to core/shader, 75-100 with lockups and instability.

nVidia has made SLI very, very tempting, at all price points. We're gonna see a lot of you in the same boat. I bit the bullet and went 780i. I clock my Q6600 to 3.2 and 780i does that no probelm. 750i and 780i should oc your cpu to your current settings no problem.

Hope the info helps. That pic makes it tempting doesn't it... :evil:

 

[MTDEW]

LOL
Ive had Newegg Nvidia sli motherbaords page and the EVGA step page both open on my desktop for over 24hrs now, and the decision isnt getting any easier.

SteelSix, Thanks a million for sharing the info on the Gskill ram on your setup.
Do you have all four banks filled? (LOL...DUHHHH...just looked at the pic again and i see you do, guess my eyes were busy admiring the two 8800gts cards...LOL)
skipped over the Asus P5N-T, when looking due to i wouldnt be able to use my X-fi, but it looks like youve got one squeezed in there.


Thats the kind of info i need to collect to be sure im making an informed decision and dont run into problems if i go with a Nvidia mobo.

Now, if i could just find more info on the 750i and if theres a performance hit with two 512 8800GTS cards i'd be much closer to knowing what all my options are.

is the bandwidth difference between 750i and 780i going to matter?

Thats EXACTLY what i want to know.

Finding info on the 750i is tough, i'm used to searching all my hardware forums and google and getting the info i want, but for some reason i'm turning up very little on the 750i....thats unusual.

I'm currently looking at the MSI P7N SLI since the Asus P5N-D doesnt look like it will have room for me to keep my x-fi with two GPUs installed.



Okay, she just informed its time to "step AWAY from the computer" for awhile and clear my head....LOL

Im taking her advice, but im not closing my windows or shutting down my pc until i finally decide.

 

[chizow]

Looks like you already got a lot of good feedback, maybe I can help clarify or confuse.

Originally posted by: MTDEW
So many questions that need answered.

1: Do the 750i boards offer less sli performance for two 8800GTS 512mb cards over the 780i/790i boards?

Everything I've read for current gen GPUs show 8x vs 16x SLI offers no significant difference in performance (less than 1% or 1 FPS). I believe there was even a recent comparison with the 750i SLI here on AT, but there have been others at other sites as well.

Edit: This doesn't apply to the 9800GX2. I'm pretty sure G92 SLI over an 8x link would show a penalty compared to 16x link. If you think you'll go SLI GX2 I'd go with 780/790 for sure.

2: Do the 750i / 780i /790i boards have problems running four 2gb memory sticks that will fill all four slots? (8gb total)And NO, i wont give up my 8gb, Vista 64 flys with 8gb, and video encoding is fast and smooth, i love my setup!

I think this is more of a case by case and board by board situation rather than endemic for entire chipsets. I've run into problems with 4 dimms/8GB with both my 650i boards but I've also read about problems with Intel chipsets with 4 dimms. The 650i boards were eventually fixed with BIOS updates/Windows hot fixes but at different points in time so I'd say its highly dependent on the board-maker and model. Best advice would be to scan over the board-specific threads over on the mobo forums and look for people running 8GB or ask specifically. I'd be in the same boat though, this would be a major consideration for me as well as I'd have serious reservations going back to 2 sticks or 4GB.

3: Do i trust Nvidia to have drivers to support the 9800GX2 upon a games release instead of 6 months after ive finished the game?
This is HUGE, who cares if you update your drivers way after a game is released, people buying high end cards, buy games when they are RELEASED, not 6 months later!

This is probably the toughest call. Will NV support the 9800GX2 for the long haul or are they going to orphan it like the 7-series GX2 as soon as their next-gen part comes out? Similar to AMD's X2, this card will be even more dependent than standard SLI configs for profiles in order to achieve its performance potential. NV starts forgetting to update profiles for newer titles and you'll have an expensive 8800GTS.

At the same time there's some appealing aspects of this solution compared to traditional SLI. There's no need for an NV chipset for SLI performance. There should be less need to mess with profiles and SLi settings, as they should be set by the driver by default. You can overclock this card like it were a single card (OC'ing in SLI was broken in Vista for a long time, not sure if that's fixed now). You can use multiple displays with this card and it even manages to fix the 3D/aero issue (again, not sure if this was fixed in Vista, but SLi was limited to single display in the past).

4: Am i better off with two 512mb 8800GTS cards in sli, so later down the road when i actually do upgrade, i can sell them separately more easily than a more expensive 9800GX2?

I think the window for recouping money on the G92 8800s is quickly closed/closing. G92 GT and GTS are going for $200-$250 AR, with some GT dropping well below $200. NV has sold a LOT of these parts (just look at the forums) and once combined with all the previous G80 parts and ATI's R6XX parts, there's going to be very little demand for this generation outside of those looking to double-up their existing set-ups.

The 9800GX2 otoh will have that "Wow" factor for a while yet, and also offers high-end options like Quad-SLI with 2x GX2. Again, much of its resale and longevity will depend on driver support and performance relative to future releases.

5: Do i even TRUST any 750i / 780i / 790i board to run stable and not kill my memory or worse?

Crapshoot imo lol. Again, best protection against this is if you're dead set on SLi is to look around the mobo forums. Look for BIOS updates or even different board revisions. Also what RAM are you using and what default voltage do they run at? My Asus P5N-E killed 3 kits of RAM, my MSI killed 0. But the 3 kits killed on the Asus were all 2.1-2.2V kits that ran extremely hot. I ran the same kits on the MSI for a bit and they didn't die, but I think the high temps may have contributed to their early demise.

6: Do i really wanna give up my p35 motherboard and take a chance on a nvidia board after seeing so many people get flaky nvidia boards in the past?

This is the hardest question imo, as I've experienced tons of these problems with NV boards. If I had to do it over again I would've gone with an Intel chipset, but that's because I'm not using SLi (and not sure if I'm ever going to). If I were using SLi, I'd probably be satisfied and just deal with the problems as they come, as I'm doing now. Latest issue with NV chipsets is with Samsung F1 drives flaking out and locking up machines. I found a work-around by disabling NCQ, but its something that shouldn't be happening, period. This is on top of the many other problems with NV's SATA controller, like lack of SMART support in Vista along with sub-par performance relative to other chipsets.

These are all questions that do nothing but make actually making a decision too darn hard.
There just seems to be no "right" answer.

I'd say just do as much research as you can and then go with your gut instinct. You'll never be able to account for everything and undoubtedly you'll get blind-sided along the way no matter what lol. That's just part of the game, and part of the fun. I will say though that the GX2 is probably the coolest toy I've seen come along in a very long time.

 

[Hauk]

The MSI P7N SLI does look like it will better accomodate an x-fi in addition to two gfx cards. Looks like a solid board according to reviews. I like the cooling solution too.

Chizow gave good advice on all points. Regarding the memory, you may have noticed the Antec Spot Cool pointed right at my memory. I had Ballistix before the G.Skill and it got HOT at 1066. Adding a fan keeps mem cool to the touch. I'm sure it helps.

Good luck. I don't think you'll make a bad choice either way you go. Don't tell the other half I said this, but it's only money...

 

[MTDEW]

I just read the manual for the P7N.
The dark blue slot is used if you only use one gpu.
The two lighter blue slots are used if you install two GPUs.
And of course that will cover up both pci slots, just like the asus board does.

So it looks like i'd have to go with the more expensive boards if i dont want to use onboard sound.

I see the Msi P7N Diamond comes with an X-fi that use the PCI-E 1 slot...interesting.

Im surprised that there are very few choices when looking at Nvidia Nforce 750i/780i/790i boards.
I dont even see a gigabyte version on newegg.

Anyway, once you start jumping up to the $250 - $350 price range for an SLi board, i may as well step up to a 9800GX2 and i still have that extra 512mb 8800GTS to use in my backup pc.

Im still worried about Nvidia abandoning the 9800GX2 in driver support later down the road, but right now, thats the way im leaning.

 

[Xpoc]

Since they dropped the price on the GX2 it makes it that much more tempting. If I don't like it I will sell it. lol
Right now I'm waiting to hear back as to whether my local shop can get me another Asus 8800gts.
The only real thing that turns me off on the 9800gx2 is that it probably doesn't have much OC ability. Two 8800's will OC well.

 

[Hauk]

It's a good thing you read that manual. The layout isn't as good as it appears. It sux actually with 2 cards. That one surprises me.

I know which way you're probably headed. Just wanted to throw one more wrench into the mix.

Edit: I just realized the MSI 780i board has the same PCI slot issue as their 750i, blocked with dual gfx cards. Hmm. Nevermind, you prolly already have a headache...

 

[nitromullet]

I am kinda working out the same options. I currently have my 8800GTS in the step-up queue for a 9800GX2, but being 303rd in line I probably have time to decide.

I opted to also go with a reference (XFX) 780i SLI board upgrade. IMO, it's too early to go with 790i, as the cost of DDR3 RAM is still high. The cost difference now between 4GB DDR2 and DDR3 is at least the cost of a motherboard, not to mention that the 790i board is $100 more than a 780i motherboard. So, even if you have to buy another motherboard say a year from now to accommodate a Nahelem cpu (Yorkfield aren't very available yet) you will probably still come out ahead cash wise.

Once everything is installed on the 780i board it really works as well as my P35 board, and I get the same OC I was able to get with my P35. I also had to remove once stick of RAM to get the install to complete. So you basically have to remove RAM, install Vista, install updates, apply the 4GB hotfix (KB929777), add RAM, and then update to SP1. So, the whole process takes some time.

A few other notes about install oddities:

- When set to boot from CD/DVD the install disk didn't prompt me, so it automatically boots from the DVD... Not, such a bad thing, but you need to be there for the fisrt reboot to take the DVD out or you'll start the install over again. It would seem like this is more of an issue with the install media than the motherboard, but I've never had this happen with any other system.

- During the install (after first reboot), the system won't shutdown/reboot itself - it just sits there with a blank screen and a blinking cursor. You have to hit the reset button, and everything works fine. Once Vista was installed, shutdown/reboot works as a should. Again, not the end of the world, but you can see than this install requires babysitting. You can't just drop in you DVD and let it do its thing while you do something else.

I also picked up a little 60mm SilenX fan for the NB, since the stock fan they give you is noisy. Fry's has this 8db one that works great. http://www.silenx.com/ixtremaprofans.asp?sku=ixp-34-08 If you're looking for better performance over low noise, get a higher rpm fan, but the SilenX 8db works at least as well as the stock fan, but without the noise.

I pretty much did what lopri describes in this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...ht_key=y&keyword1=780i

Overall, so far I am happy with my 780i board.

 

[rgallant]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
i posted this, so i didnt thread crap on the other 9800gx2 / 8800gts post, since my situation is a bit different

I already have
Abit IP35-E
8gb DDR2 1000
Vista 64
e8400 @ 4ghz
X-FI Xtreme music
Corsair 620HX psu

And i currently have one 512mb 8800GTS in this pc and another 512mb 8800GTS sitting here, that i will either throw in my backup pc or go sli.

I can step up my Evga 512mb 8800GTS to a 9800X2 for $250.
Then use it in my current setup and use the other 512mb 8800GTS in my other pc.
or
Grab an sli mobo and just SLI the the two 512mb 8800GTS cards.


So many questions that need answered.

1: Do the 750i boards offer less sli performance for two 8800GTS 512mb cards over the 780i/790i boards?

2: Do the 750i / 780i /790i boards have problems running four 2gb memory sticks that will fill all four slots? (8gb total)And NO, i wont give up my 8gb, Vista 64 flys with 8gb, and video encoding is fast and smooth, i love my setup!

3: Do i trust Nvidia to have drivers to support the 9800GX2 upon a games release instead of 6 months after ive finished the game?
This is HUGE, who cares if you update your drivers way after a game is released, people buying high end cards, buy games when they are RELEASED, not 6 months later!

4: Am i better off with two 512mb 8800GTS cards in sli, so later down the road when i actually do upgrade, i can sell them separately more easily than a more expensive 9800GX2?

5: Do i even TRUST any 750i / 780i / 790i board to run stable and not kill my memory or worse?

6: Do i really wanna give up my p35 motherboard and take a chance on a nvidia board after seeing so many people get flaky nvidia boards in the past?

These are all questions that do nothing but make actually making a decision too darn hard.
There just seems to be no "right" answer.

The decisions would be so much easier if the Nvidia boards didnt have so many issues and their 790i boards didnt cost so darn much.
Hence the option to maybe go 750i instead of the more expensive options, because if i spent $350 on a mobo and it gave me problems, i'd be pretty PO'd!

And ive read posts from 7950x2 owners that said they were left out in the cold with updated driver releases by Nvidia too many times and they will NEVER buy a dual card again.
Otherwise, the step up option to an Evga 9800GX2 would be an easy choice.

I dont wanna own a worthless/unsupported card, at least with two 8800GTS cards, i'd always know at least one would work.

But i dont wanna own a problematic mobo either!

(3) was the show stopper , just order a 8800 GTS 512 ($229.00) & AsusFormula 780i, pasted on the step up to the 9800GX2

- when they delayed the 9800GX2 release for the one of the kind drivers & and people are modding drivers for the still new 8800's , I felt I wanted a system that MIGHT last a year,
SLI should do that there are many 8800's out there , how many 9800GX2 will there be, that require special drivers at every release, new cards are around the corner and the 9800GX2 will get old fast.

-any SLI board will run and play games with two 8800's, will a 9800GX2 play games without driver support and defaults back to less power of one GTS 512? didn't want to take the chance. (for no power boost over 8800 GTS's)

-just my take on it. and $

 

[ghost recon88]

Without reading the whole thread, and just the initial post, I'd take 2x 8800GTS over a 9800GX2 anyday.

 

[Viper GTS]

I had to make the same choice, I went with the 9800GX2 (120-day EVGA step-up promotion). My reasoning:

1) I bought the day of the G92 GTS launch, paid $359.99. Obviously resale value on that is MUCH less now - Perhaps $200?
2) I have a 780i board, I could go pay another $230 for another 8800GTS which would give me slightly better performance than a 9800GX2 but leave me with very few open slots, and a bitch of an upgrade path (two cards to sell)
3) The 9800GX2 leaves open the possibility of Quad SLI without having to sell anything in the future. All I have to do is drop in another one at some point when I feel a single 9800GX2 isn't enough anymore (read: in a month or so).

The way I see it the 9800GX2 allowed me to recover a little from the beating I took on G92 GTS pricing. I bought on launch day for fear of another 8800GT scenario, obviously I lost that gamble and paid way too much for the card.

So in short I'm sacrificing a little immediate performance for open slots, a clearer upgrade path, and hopefully a little less depreciation.

Viper GTS

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: MTDEW

Its more about if i can really move to a Nvidia SLI mobo from a fast/stable p35 chipset without feeling like i made a mistake.

you'll have better luck ocing penyrns on 790i's

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php...dae22dff5f29171aaaa959

they like 500mhz fsbs or 4ghz.

they run about 300 bucks though. You can tri sli 8800gtx ultra or 9800gtx's on them.

get an e8500, 4gb 1066 mem, nforce 790i and 3 9800gtx's

 

[Captante]

Easy decision ... you have the GT's in-hand & given Nvidia's crappy driver support the last couple years, the two-card SLI will be much more reliable.

Personally I'm skipping the 9800's completely & will suffer through with my 8800GTX while waiting for the real next-gen cards.

 

[MTDEW]

Just for reference for people doing a search later on, the MSI P7N SLI Platinum will still have a PCI slot free if you're using single slot cards like a reference 8800GT cards.LINK

Of course as i mentioned earlier, i'd be using 512mb 8800GTS cards which are dual slot cards, so the MSI P7N Diamond isnt a choice for me.

Ive come down to two choices, the ASUS P5N-T Deluxe or the MSI P7N Diamond.

I'm leaning toward the MSI P7N Diamond because i like idea that it comes with a X-Fi Xtreme tha uses a PCI Express x1 slot for just $10 more than the asus board and the MSi gets good reviews.

I may already have a PCI X-fi card, but i'll bet that X-Fi PCI Express x1 card will come in real handy for future upgrades where usable PCI slots seem to becoming less and less.

Im reading a thread at the Xtremesystems forum about the MSI P7N Diamond to see how others are doing with the board b4 i decide.

 

[Hauk]

I like that both boards have the long flexible SLI bridge. The MSI bundle is nice. I'd probably have picked it over the Asus board if it was available when I purchased. Having a PCI slot for my x-fi card has always been a critical element to board selection. It's nice to see an x-fi included in the bundle. Good luck..

 

[panfist]

Originally posted by: Captante
Easy decision ... you have the GT's in-hand & given Nvidia's crappy driver support the last couple years, the two-card SLI will be much more reliable.

Personally I'm skipping the 9800's completely & will suffer through with my 8800GTX while waiting for the real next-gen cards.

If by "suffer through with my 8800GTX" you mean "laugh at everyone else who's purchasing downgraded hardware when I've had the only real next-gen card in my hand for months already," then I have absolutely no sympathy for you.

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: panfist

Originally posted by: Captante
Easy decision ... you have the GT's in-hand & given Nvidia's crappy driver support the last couple years, the two-card SLI will be much more reliable.

Personally I'm skipping the 9800's completely & will suffer through with my 8800GTX while waiting for the real next-gen cards.

If by "suffer through with my 8800GTX" you mean "laugh at everyone else who's purchasing downgraded hardware when I've had the only real next-gen card in my hand for months already," then I have absolutely no sympathy for you.

Yea that's some terrible suffering. I'm playing the world's smallest violin in sympathy...

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Just for reference for people doing a search later on, the MSI P7N SLI Platinum will still have a PCI slot free if you're using single slot cards like a reference 8800GT cards.LINK

Of course as i mentioned earlier, i'd be using 512mb 8800GTS cards which are dual slot cards, so the MSI P7N Diamond isnt a choice for me.

Ive come down to two choices, the ASUS P5N-T Deluxe or the MSI P7N Diamond.

I'm leaning toward the MSI P7N Diamond because i like idea that it comes with a X-Fi Xtreme tha uses a PCI Express x1 slot for just $10 more than the asus board and the MSi gets good reviews.

I may already have a PCI X-fi card, but i'll bet that X-Fi PCI Express x1 card will come in real handy for future upgrades where usable PCI slots seem to becoming less and less.

Im reading a thread at the Xtremesystems forum about the MSI P7N Diamond to see how others are doing with the board b4 i decide.

Hmmmm out of all 3 of those choices the P7N SLI Platinum is actually your best bet for running an X-Fi with dual or single cards. As long as you can run SLI in PCI-E slots 1 and 2, that last PCI slot will be free even if you have a dual-slot card in PCI-E 2. But if you go with 750i, that kinda eliminates the option of going 2x GX2 in the future as I'd guess the chipset goes to 2 - 8x slots in SLI.

The P7N is almost identical to the layout of my P6N Plat except it adds a PCI-E slot and removes one PCI. Eye-balling my case now, I can easily fit a 2nd GTX in there for SLI and still retain the X-Fi. Things get tighter in front of each card for air intake, but clearance wouldn't be a problem at all.

The other two boards would require you to run single slot cards or use PCI-E slot 3 or 4 instead of slot 2. Not sure if this is entirely possible or not, most likely BIOS-dependent by vendor.

Also, I wouldn't pin your hopes too much on that included X-Fi. Unfortunately its only the PCI-E daughter board equivalent of the X-Fi XtremeAudio, which is a software X-Fi that does not have the 20k1 X-Fi processor.