My GTX 690 SLI rig

[syst3m7]

And since I'm unable to PM the MOD about closing my thread, I guess I have to post here. I had 3 23" monitors connected to it at first, but figured it's cooler to have an 80" tv monitor instead.. I actually take it as a compliment that it sounds too good to be true that it's mine.. But I built it and it's mine either way. I would like to have had time to reply to people's replies, and get some feedback.

I'm sure there are many haters that hate just because they don't have my setup, but please at least let me respond and actually get to talk to others about my system.


Previous post below...
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2328695

"Link to my youtube video

64GB 1600Mhz Corsair RAM
512GB SSD (OS & games Installed) +6TB of storage
2x GTX 690's (but only running 1 monitor currently (80" Sharp LED TV)
Intel 3930k running at stock 3.2Ghz
CPU & Both video cards are watercooled with hydro-copper (2 radiators)
All inside the Cosmos II case. (the case is so big I'm thinking about using it as the base for my computer desk? LOL j/k )"

EDIT: Someone said my bottleneck is the 1 monitor.. I would think that it would run faster with just 1 instead of running 3. I had it setup for 3 with Quad SLI enabled, but it's set at "Best 3D Performance" now.

 

[blackened23]

edit: nvm

 

[syst3m7]

Hi Blackended23.. Does only having 1 1080p monitor make it slower in anyway?

 

[dac7nco]

So you built this system yourself, but have absolutely zero knowledge about what you are doing? A 1080p screen coupled to a pair of GTX690s assures us that your synapses are misfiring. Congratulations on your pictures.

Get a 30" monitor, sell the giant screen and little monitors, and win.

 

[blackened23]

Hi Blackended23.. Does only having 1 1080p monitor make it slower in anyway?

Yes.

 

[syst3m7]

Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my system, and yes, I want others to know about it. But I figured if I posted among fellow computer enthusiasts, that there would be plenty of people that I could talk to about it. I could tell my family, but they would think I was talking in a different language.

 

[Eureka]

reddit battlestations is that way ---->

This forum is for discussing video cards and video card issues. If you need full system help, general hardware will help you with a problem. If you want to talk about your system, battlestations is a far better place for that. Or cases and cooling.

 

[blackened23]

Okay, no offense or anything, but if you're being truthful here, there's nothing wrong with showing off a WC build or what have you. A lot of people do the same thing. But just come out and say so and post it in an appropriate forum/subforum - there are forums all over the place which facilitate showing off water cool builds and what not, so there's nothing wrong with that.

What's annoying, I guess, is stating stuff like "find my bottleneck" and "it's real and it's mine". I refuse to believe that you have the technical knowledge to build a PC yet then ask if a single 1080p monitor slows the system down. Come on. That's why people interpreted your thread as a thinly veiled brag post, nobody has the technical knowledge to build that juggernaut of a system and then ask something silly such as "do I have a bottleneck?". Just be up front about your build progress and post it in an appropriate forum. And the responses will be more appropriate, you know? In any case, it's a nice build. Personally i'd opt for triple monitor as 2 690's are a waste otherwise, but whatever floats your boat.

 

[syst3m7]

Yes, I built it. I don't consider myself an expert in all areas though, but I wouldn't say that I know "absolutely zero" about it. So I'm left with a few questions....

So you built this system yourself, but have absolutely zero knowledge about what you are doing? A 1080p screen coupled to a pair of GTX690s assures us that your synapses are misfiring. Congratulations on your pictures.

Get a 30" monitor, sell the giant screen and little monitors, and win.

 

[Pandamonia]

2x690 GTX LOL You are actually going to be bottlenecked by the anaemic 2GB Vram

 

[syst3m7]

Sorry for posting in the wrong area, and for not wording it the way everyone else would. Thank you for your help.

Okay, no offense or anything, but if you're being truthful here, there's nothing wrong with showing off a WC build or what have you. A lot of people do the same thing. But just come out and say so and post it in an appropriate forum/subforum - there are forums all over the place which facilitate showing off water cool builds and what not, so there's nothing wrong with that.

What's annoying, I guess, is stating stuff like "find my bottleneck" and "it's real and it's mine". I refuse to believe that you have the technical knowledge to build a PC yet then ask if a single 1080p monitor slows the system down. Come on. That's why people interpreted your thread as a thinly veiled brag post, nobody has the technical knowledge to build that juggernaut of a system and then ask something silly such as "do I have a bottleneck?". Just be up front about your build progress and post it in an appropriate forum. And the responses will be more appropriate, you know? In any case, it's a nice build. Personally i'd opt for triple monitor as 2 690's are a waste otherwise, but whatever floats your boat.

 

[toyota]

2 690 in quad sli at 1920x1080 with a stock 3930k cpu? lol, I will have better minimum framerates than you in a couple of games with my modest pc.

 

[Plimogz]

2x690 GTX LOL You are actually going to be bottlenecked by the anaemic 2GB Vram

meh, @ 1080p it shouldn't be too bad. Except maybe for modded games.

 

[Shmee]

I am changing the title to something better. I will leave this thread open for now, but in the future, please post any concerns about moderation in Moderator Discussions forums.

Nice rig btw! Your bottlneck is probably your stock CPU TBH, aside from only using one monitor

 

[syst3m7]

Thank you, Shmee. I'm still unsure how multiple monitors would run better. Could someone please explain?

I am changing the title to something better. I will leave this thread open for now, but in the future, please post any concerns about moderation in Moderator Discussions forums.

Nice rig btw! Your bottlneck is probably your stock CPU TBH, aside from only using one monitor

 

[blackened23]

Thank you, Shmee. I'm still unsure how multiple monitors would run better. Could someone please explain?

2x 690 is overkill for a single 1080p screen. Even a single 690 is overkill. So triple screen or higher resolution would put your 690s to better use

 

[Eureka]

Thank you, Shmee. I'm still unsure how multiple monitors would run better. Could someone please explain?

Remember that graphics generation is two part:

1. The CPU produces mathematical models of physics (where bullet a can fly to bullet b)
2. The GPU draws objects and textures for those models (draw the bullet)

Now, you're running Quad-SLI... which means you have four GPUs to draw objects and textures. However, your CPU can still only calculate as fast as it can. So while your CPU might be fast enough to produce numbers for 2 cards, when you have 4, all of them would be doing say half the amount of work.

Now, if you had 3 monitors, the mathematical models don't get much bigger, but now there are 3 times the image size to draw. Now all 4 chips will be utilized.

Also, running at stock speed is definitely under-utilizing that chip, considering they get up to 4.5+ghz.

2x 690 is overkill for a single 1080p screen. Even a single 690 is overkill. So triple screen or higher resolution would put your 690s to better use

Not necessarily. Try 120Hz Crysis 3, for example. SLI may not be enough.

OP: On that note, since you have the power, you should look into running true 120Hz screens.

 

[toyota]

yeah he is cpu bottlenecked with one 690 at 1920x1080 never mind two of them. it is funny to think that 690 quad sli at 1920x1080 would be like my using my 660ti to play at 800x600. even with my cpu oced I would not even get 50% gpu usage in many games at that res. plus sli has more overhead. his second 690 is 100% useless in some games and is probably actually running worse in some cases than just a single 690 would.

 

[Shmee]

2x 690 is overkill for a single 1080p screen. Even a single 690 is overkill. So triple screen or higher resolution would put your 690s to better use

This. Higher resolution requires more graphics power, which would put the 4 GPUs to use.

 

[syst3m7]

Ok, thank you, Blackened23. I had my system overclocked to 4.2Ghz for a while, but every once in a while at post, my system would give an error (don't remember what it was), so I just brought it back down to stock speed.

 

[UaVaj]

given the specs. like to see the breakdown of 14000.

80" sharp 1080p = 3799
two 690 hydro = 2400
mb = 250 (estimated)
cpu 3930k = 550
64gb ram = 550
psu = 450
512gb ssd = 400
6tb hd = 200
cm case = 350

total = 8949

so 5051 for water cooling?

 

[f1sherman]

OP don't believe everything you hear - you won't gain a single fps by adding more screens.
That much I can guarantee you

But in some cases you, you might not lose any either

 

[Smoblikat]

Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my system, and yes, I want others to know about it. But I figured if I posted among fellow computer enthusiasts, that there would be plenty of people that I could talk to about it. I could tell my family, but they would think I was talking in a different language.

Your system isnt that impressive, and you come across as arrogant and showy, so I dont think you will get the respect and attention you desire unless you change your attitude.

 

[SKORPI0]

You spent $14,000 on that?

Why use a 80" 1920x1080 monitor with those graphics cards? Just think of it as a blown up 27" 1920x1080 monitor. A 50" 4K (3840x2160) monitor would be a lot better IMHO.

 

[syst3m7]

In all it's actually a little over $15,000. The TV was $6,500 (but paid $6,000 for it) I purchased most parts around this last Thanksgiving. Several HDD's (hastily bought at higher prices) That was also including the 3 23" monitors that I was using, so I guess that shouldn't count anymore. Your price guess's are fairly close to what I paid for each.

given the specs. like to see the breakdown of 14000.

80" sharp 1080p = 3799
two 690 hydro = 2400
mb = 250 (estimated)
cpu 3930k = 550
64gb ram = 550
psu = 450
512gb ssd = 400
6tb hd = 200
cm case = 350

total = 8949

so 5051 for water cooling?