Multiple Low-End GPUs to outperform single High-End GPUS in the near future?

[Jephph]

With all the multiple GPU setups popping up (SLI, Crossfire, and Quad SLI, Quad-Crossfire? coming) do you think there will come a time when it will be more practical to get 4 or perhaps eventually 8 low-end GPUs, rather than 1 high-end GPU?

 

[hans030390]

possibly

 

[CKXP]

wouldn't one card be simplier...less power, less noise, less heat and saves precious PCI slots

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: CKXP
wouldn't one card be simplier...less power, less noise, less heat and saves precious PCI slots

ya rly, that's my feeling... less driver overhead too...

 

[ddogg]

it would probably cost more to buy so many low-end cards than just 1 high-end card. the setup would take up alot of power, would be pointless.

 

[ElFenix]

graphics is almost entirely massive parallel processing, so essentially that is what goes on inside the chips anyway.

 

[moonboy403]

4 cheaper cards > 1 single high end card

in terms of power comsumption

and also heat too

 

[jayanath]

u know then the mobo will be big (8sli/8cfire)and there will be know space for other stuff like fans and hard drives
if it happened anyway expect a psu to be 3000W

 

[moonboy403]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought quad sli requires a mb with 16x with both lanes?

 

[Vinnybcfc]

Originally posted by: Jephph
With all the multiple GPU setups popping up (SLI, Crossfire, and Quad SLI, Quad-Crossfire? coming) do you think there will come a time when it will be more practical to get 4 or perhaps eventually 8 low-end GPUs, rather than 1 high-end GPU?

Depends it may be worth it on a unlockable card or when a card has gone cheap (refurb 9700pros) otherwise it wouldnt be worth considering as you have driver overhead and noise levels etc

 

[BenSkywalker]

4 cheaper cards > 1 single high end card

in terms of power comsumption

and also heat too

We could be looking at cards with multiple chips though, so it may be two lower end boards versus one higher end part. Not commenting one way or the other on the end effect, I'd have to think about that one for a bit, just pointing out it doesn't have to be four boards versus one.

 

[Jephph]

Originally posted by: ddogg
it would probably cost more to buy so many low-end cards than just 1 high-end card. the setup would take up alot of power, would be pointless.

Hypothetically, let's compare some current-gen cards. 4x6800GS= $620. 1x7800GTX 512= $690... hmm, idk. What do you think?

 

[LiquidImpulse]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: CKXP
wouldn't one card be simplier...less power, less noise, less heat and saves precious PCI slots

ya rly, that's my feeling... less driver overhead too...

 

[RussianSensation]

It will certainly take a while before this happens. X1300 and 7300 cards are not any faster than 4 year old Geforce 4600 card. And we are talking about 4xX1300/7300 vs. X1900XTX series....performance wouldn't be close. You'd need 4x1600XT cards to match today's high-end card. A more likely scenario is having 2 mid-high end cards like 7800GTs beating top of the line card for close to same price.

 

[Budarow]

IMO...regarding today's technology and the use of multiple GPUs/video cards in 1 PC is SOLELY for peeps who want the best performance regardless of cost. Not really practical for the "average Joe" (like me.