Radeon X800XL card and MSI Neo PT SLI - good combo?

[Prizrak]

Hi guys. I've been reading benchmarks on SLI cards and never saw any numbers for Radeon cards in SLI mode. Has anyone seen them? If yes, could you provide a link please?

The reason I am asking is I have MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI motherboard and wanted to buy Radeon X800XL video card now and perhaps in the future when the need arises buy another X800XL and use both in the SLI mode. Does anyone see a problem with this?

 

[Appledrop]

only the 6600GT, 6800, 6800GT, and 6800Ultra cards from nVidia can use the nvidia technology that is Scaleable Link Interface. Ati is working on their own SLI type tech, but at present, if you want SLI, you need an nV card of the 4 i listed!

 

[RussianSensation]

Welcome to AnandTech.

The problem is that ATI currently does not support SLI format. The SLI chipset today only supports Nvidia cards (hence Nvidia SLI chipset). Even if SLI chipset supported ATI cards, ATI cards are not SLI ready. ATI is developing their version of SLI, which is AMR I believe. Personally I do not think getting a 6800GT now PCIe and then another 6800GT is a good idea. Why?

1. You'd need to purchase a more expensive SLI board (+$50)
2. You'd need to purchase a more expensive and powerful PSU (+$50)
3. You'd need to purchase a 2nd 6800GT now (prohibitive price for the performance increase you get) or in the future (a better alternative)
4. Problem with point 3 is that not all games support SLI so 6800GT SLI wont be faster than next generation mid-range cards ($250) in all games.

Now take additional costs in 1 and 2 and add the cost of a 6800GT SLI in 1 year from now that'll give you 50 + 50 + 180 (estimate) = 280. Currently 6800GT PCIe is $380.

Now consider getting $280 X800XL today, a non-SLI motherboard and a cheaper PSU. That way in theory you'll have $380 to spend on a new generation card. And most likely for $399 you'll get a card with better feature set and faster across all games (or for sure those non-sli compliant). Ati's sli option seems more attractive because they will let you plug in different speed cards. But this is still far away...

X800XL benchmarks

 

[jbh129]

If you could get 2 xl's to work in SLI right now, you would make a lot of money.

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: jbh129
If you could get 2 xl's to work in SLI right now, you would make a lot of money.

Might be possible if he somehow got his hands on a pre-release ATI AMR motherboard.

 

[imported_Noob]

I wouldn't get an MSI MB. People have had nothing but problems with them. Get either ASUS or Soltek.

 

[cbehnken]

Originally posted by: Noob
I wouldn't get an MSI MB. People have had nothing but problems with them. Get either ASUS or Soltek.

Nonsense. MSI has a very good reputation.

DFI would be a better choice than either ASUS or soltek anyway.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: Noob
I wouldn't get an MSI MB. People have had nothing but problems with them. Get either ASUS or Soltek.

Never had any problems with the 100-odd systems that I've build based on their boards..

 

[hans030390]

MSI mobos SUCK. (i would know)

just get a 6800gt...now an x800xl...

ill get this over quick: 6xxx cards have shader model 3.0, x800 cards dont, and 3.0 will be needed for future games.

SLI is buggy...so just go with one leadtek 6800gt (maybe vanilla) and SLI later.

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: Kensai

Originally posted by: Noob
I wouldn't get an MSI MB. People have had nothing but problems with them. Get either ASUS or Soltek.

Never had any problems with the 100-odd systems that I've build based on their boards..

I agreee, I've used numerous MSI board in system builds without flaw. Athough, I haven't used THAT many, my experience with MSI has been a treat.

 

[Hyperlite]

like how the two intel guys said MSI boards suck? hmmm, thats a sad existance...the MSI neo4 Plat is one of the best A64 boards around.

 

[ZobarStyl]

SLi is only for those wanting the end-all be-all of performance right now, it's not the best upgrade path. And as you've heard, ATi has no working SLi equivalent right now, so the only thing your dual x800XL's could do would be run >2 monitors (which is also cool). Otherwise find a nice non-SLi board and stick one x800XL in it, enjoy.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Noob
I wouldn't get an MSI MB. People have had nothing but problems with them. Get either ASUS or Soltek.

Hint: This isn't 2003 and we aren't using NF2 chipsets. i.e. things change.

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
like how the two intel guys said MSI boards suck? hmmm, thats a sad existance...the MSI neo4 Plat is one of the best A64 boards around.

Hey, I'm an Intel guy. ><
(sig)

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: hans030390
MSI mobos SUCK. (i would know)

just get a 6800gt...now an x800xl...

ill get this over quick: 6xxx cards have shader model 3.0, x800 cards dont, and 3.0 will be needed for future games.

SLI is buggy...so just go with one leadtek 6800gt (maybe vanilla) and SLI later.

What SLI gives you is much more valuable than the nuisance of any of the trivial "bugs" associated with it.

 

[user1234]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation
Welcome to AnandTech.

The problem is that ATI currently does not support SLI format. The SLI chipset today only supports Nvidia cards (hence Nvidia SLI chipset). Even if SLI chipset supported ATI cards, ATI cards are not SLI ready. ATI is developing their version of SLI, which is AMR I believe. Personally I do not think getting a 6800GT now PCIe and then another 6800GT is a good idea. Why?

1. You'd need to purchase a more expensive SLI board (+$50)
2. You'd need to purchase a more expensive and powerful PSU (+$50)
3. You'd need to purchase a 2nd 6800GT now (prohibitive price for the performance increase you get) or in the future (a better alternative)
4. Problem with point 3 is that not all games support SLI so 6800GT SLI wont be faster than next generation mid-range cards ($250) in all games.

Now take additional costs in 1 and 2 and add the cost of a 6800GT SLI in 1 year from now that'll give you 50 + 50 + 180 (estimate) = 280. Currently 6800GT PCIe is $380.

Now consider getting $280 X800XL today, a non-SLI motherboard and a cheaper PSU. That way in theory you'll have $380 to spend on a new generation card. And most likely for $399 you'll get a card with better feature set and faster across all games (or for sure those non-sli compliant). Ati's sli option seems more attractive because they will let you plug in different speed cards. But this is still far away...

X800XL benchmarks

ummm,.....wrong. Apart from being able to support two physical x16 pci-e slots, there is nothing in the chipset which is required for SLI. It's all software - done by the graphics drivers. In fact, it was proven that the NF4 SLI chipset is in fact identical to the NF4 Ultra, except for its identification circuit, and indeed some manufacturers built motherboards which support SLI with NF4-Ultra chipset, and even Intel Xeon chipsets ! Nvidia retaliated by modifying its display drivers to only allow SLI operation if the board has the NF4-SLI chipsets.

So in fact any chipset which can be configured to support 2 x16 pci-e slots can theoretically support SLI, if only the Nvidia display drivers would allow it (the legality of this issue that Nvidia forces you to use a specific chipset for SLI even though you may have a mobo that supports it is debateable).

I hope ATIs multi GPU technology is more open, and allows multiple cards regardless of the chipset, and also does not required a proprietary physical link between the cards. I think the pci-e bus should be sufficient to support the inter-GPU communication. It would be a huge boon for ATI cards right now, as all their current cards will be able to work with this future multi-GPU driver.

 

[LTC8K6]

I wouldn't worry about SLI yet. Wait till it develops more.
I wouldn't worry about SM3.0 yet. By the time you need it, there will be better cards out.

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: user1234

Originally posted by: RussianSensation
Welcome to AnandTech.

The problem is that ATI currently does not support SLI format. The SLI chipset today only supports Nvidia cards (hence Nvidia SLI chipset). Even if SLI chipset supported ATI cards, ATI cards are not SLI ready. ATI is developing their version of SLI, which is AMR I believe. Personally I do not think getting a 6800GT now PCIe and then another 6800GT is a good idea. Why?

1. You'd need to purchase a more expensive SLI board (+$50)
2. You'd need to purchase a more expensive and powerful PSU (+$50)
3. You'd need to purchase a 2nd 6800GT now (prohibitive price for the performance increase you get) or in the future (a better alternative)
4. Problem with point 3 is that not all games support SLI so 6800GT SLI wont be faster than next generation mid-range cards ($250) in all games.

Now take additional costs in 1 and 2 and add the cost of a 6800GT SLI in 1 year from now that'll give you 50 + 50 + 180 (estimate) = 280. Currently 6800GT PCIe is $380.

Now consider getting $280 X800XL today, a non-SLI motherboard and a cheaper PSU. That way in theory you'll have $380 to spend on a new generation card. And most likely for $399 you'll get a card with better feature set and faster across all games (or for sure those non-sli compliant). Ati's sli option seems more attractive because they will let you plug in different speed cards. But this is still far away...

X800XL benchmarks

ummm,.....wrong. Apart from being able to support two physical x16 pci-e slots, there is nothing in the chipset which is required for SLI. It's all software - done by the graphics drivers. In fact, it was proven that the NF4 SLI chipset is in fact identical to the NF4 Ultra, except for its identification circuit, and indeed some manufacturers built motherboards which support SLI with NF4-Ultra chipset, and even Intel Xeon chipsets ! Nvidia retaliated by modifying its display drivers to only allow SLI operation if the board has the NF4-SLI chipsets.

So in fact any chipset which can be configured to support 2 x16 pci-e slots can theoretically support SLI, if only the Nvidia display drivers would allow it (the legality of this issue that Nvidia forces you to use a specific chipset for SLI even though you may have a mobo that supports it is debateable).

I hope ATIs multi GPU technology is more open, and allows multiple cards regardless of the chipset, and also does not required a proprietary physical link between the cards. I think the pci-e bus should be sufficient to support the inter-GPU communication. It would be a huge boon for ATI cards right now, as all their current cards will be able to work with this future multi-GPU driver.

We can only hope. =/