Does SLI offer any disadvantages other than lower per card perf. and more slots?

[SaltyNuts]

I see sometimes people mention the "disadvantages of SLI". I assume they are talking about the lower per-card performance when you go with SLI instead of a single card (i.e. 2 cards in SLI are not twice as fast as a single card), and of course more PCI slots taken up.

Are those the other disadvantages? Nothing else funky like frame tearing or other image problems or what not?

Thanks!

 

[Headfoot]

Yes, there are a lot of disadvantages to SLI/Crossfire.

The rule of thumb is keep increasing how fast your single GPU is until you're at the fastest one (basically 980 Ti) then go for 2.

Problems with 2 card set ups: inconsistent scaling, poor frame times, minimum frame rates dont improve sometimes or stay the same, profiles not ready at release (Fallout 4 for example, comes out tomorrow and no Crossfire or SLI profiles), more heat, more power use, microstutter.

On the whole, it still works pretty well though. If you are the type that buys games 6 months after on steam sale, 2 card set ups work really well since there is time for the bugs to get worked out. If you buy a lot of games on release day, I wouldn't go 2 cards unless you already have a 980 Ti.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Micro stutter. Lack of smoothness. Lack of proper support on release day or from smaller developers.

Only get it if you can get 980 Ti SLI.

 

[NTMBK]

No improvement in latency (or even worse latency, if you crank up the graphics settings).

 

[bystander36]

Unless your FPS are double what your single card is getting, your latency is worse. Though with double the FPS, you do have more input points, so it would feel better. At the same FPS, SLI/CF has double the latency (3 or 4 times the latency with 3 or 4 way SLI/CF). It's not something you want unless you can't get that performance from a single card. You can have a bit lower FPS on a single card and have a better experience than a bit higher FPS with SLI/CF due to latency and the other issues mentioned above.