SLI 6800 256MB or 1x 7800GT

[christopherzombie]

I'm planning my yearly upgrade. I want an SLI rig with 256bit memory, so 6600GTs aren't being considered.

I currently have:

MSI K8N Neo2
A64 3500+ 130nm
Corsair Twin1024 Pro 2-2-2-5
eVGA 6800 Limited Edition 256MB flashed to an eVGA 6800 Ultra - 100% stable for over a year @ 430/1150
Black Dragon full tower
elements zPower 500w PSU

I'm keeping everything but my MOBO and VGA. I don't want to spend more than $450.00-$500.00. Here are my options:

MOBO:
Gigabyte K8N SLI - $90

VGA:
2x MSI 6800 128MB 350/600 w/ DDR1 Ram Refurb - $155

2x XFX 6800 256MB 350/900 w/ DDR3 Ram - $209

1x eVGA 7800GT 460/1100 - $340

I want two 7800GTs, but my budget won't allow this. The refurbed MSI 6800s would be the cheap way, but I'd rather have two 256MB cards, so I don't think I'll consider these cards. The XFX 6800s have DDR3 and are clocked 350/900. I bet I'll get 400/1000 out of them. The 7800GT is my #1 pick. It'll give me more upgrade options in the future... but I want SLI now! If I get the 7800GT, I won't be able to get another one for 6 months. Tigerdirect also has a "no-name" 7800GT for $300. But I'd rather have a name-brand clocked higher than standard nVidia specs.

Does anyone have have the XFX 6800 256MB in SLI?

 

[RussianSensation]

Your best bang for the buck would probably be 7800GT @ $330 right now. You could always get $450 7800GTX, X1800XT if and when it comes out or the new 7800GTX 512 that should be here mid month. So it just depends how comfortable you are with spending on new cards. I'd probably get $330 7800GT put some money aside for next generation graphics card. I do not think the performance difference warrants the extra $100-200 for GTX256/512 or x1800xt cards.

I would highly advise against getting an SLI mobo and all that hassle. Your computer is perfectly fine. Keep all of your components besides the graphics card. No need to throw out perfectly good msi board, corsair memory why?

SLI only makes sense when you can afford to buy 2 cards right away. Look in your case for example, you are thinking of getting 7800GT. By the time you decide to get a 2nd 7800GT, 8800 will be available. That is why I'd recommend SLI only to those who can get 2 x highest cards right away or not bother. I am too lazy to link many benches right now, but I'd wager that 7800GT performs better than 2 6800s. Check out 7800GT Here

That should give you some kind of indicator against 2 6800Ultras.

 

[christopherzombie]

I'm dumping the AGP MSI MOBO so I can get a PCI-Express MOBO. 7800s and X1800s are PCI-E only. $90 is about the normal price for a NON-SLI nForce4 MOBO, so spending $90 on a SLI board isn't a bad move. I'll put the left-over parts to good use. I'm keeping my Corsair Ram.

I understand the 7800GT and 7800GTX outperforms the 6800s. But I'm looking for benches on the XFX 6800 256MB w/ GDDR3 in SLI. I'm not sure one 7800GT will beat two of these cards. And at $400, these cards may be a good upgrade.

Thanks for the recommendation, but I need a bit more feedback.

 

[Keeir]

Well, finding 6800nu is SLI will be difficult... reviewers seem to favour the GTs and Ultras for direct comparison with newer hardware

Given how well the 7800GT and GTX fair against the 6800 GT SLi and 6800 Ultra SLi, I would give the edge to the 7800 GT.. That article linked to by RussianSensation shows that sometimes the 7800 GT will beat 6800 Ultra SLi. The 6800 Ultra (16 pp 400/1100) -smashes- the 6800nu (12 pp 325/700?) in single card performance so I would image that any specifc 6800nu in Sli is significantly worse than 6800 Ultra in SLi

Additional the 7800 GT will cost a noticable amount less to cost to power than 6800nus in SLI and makes it easy to pick up another down the road in a few months.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: christopherzombie
I'm planning my yearly upgrade. I want an SLI rig with 256bit memory, so 6600GTs aren't being considered.

I currently have:

MSI K8N Neo2
A64 3500+ 130nm
Corsair Twin1024 Pro 2-2-2-5
eVGA 6800 Limited Edition 256MB flashed to an eVGA 6800 Ultra - 100% stable for over a year @ 430/1150
Black Dragon full tower
elements zPower 500w PSU

I'm keeping everything but my MOBO and VGA. I don't want to spend more than $450.00-$500.00. Here are my options:

MOBO:
Gigabyte K8N SLI - $90

VGA:
2x MSI 6800 128MB 350/600 w/ DDR1 Ram Refurb - $155

2x XFX 6800 256MB 350/900 w/ DDR3 Ram - $209

1x eVGA 7800GT 460/1100 - $340

I want two 7800GTs, but my budget won't allow this. The refurbed MSI 6800s would be the cheap way, but I'd rather have two 256MB cards, so I don't think I'll consider these cards. The XFX 6800s have DDR3 and are clocked 350/900. I bet I'll get 400/1000 out of them. The 7800GT is my #1 pick. It'll give me more upgrade options in the future... but I want SLI now! If I get the 7800GT, I won't be able to get another one for 6 months. Tigerdirect also has a "no-name" 7800GT for $300. But I'd rather have a name-brand clocked higher than standard nVidia specs.

Does anyone have have the XFX 6800 256MB in SLI?

I had a 6800NU SLI rig, if you search you can see my benches. SLI 6800s performs like one 6800U, the 7800GT is by far the better choice.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: Keeir
Well, finding 6800nu is SLI will be difficult... reviewers seem to favour the GTs and Ultras for direct comparison with newer hardware

Given how well the 7800GT and GTX fair against the 6800 GT SLi and 6800 Ultra SLi, I would give the edge to the 7800 GT.. That article linked to by RussianSensation shows that sometimes the 7800 GT will beat 6800 Ultra SLi. The 6800 Ultra (16 pp 400/1100) -smashes- the 6800nu (12 pp 325/700?) in single card performance so I would image that any specifc 6800nu in Sli is significantly worse than 6800 Ultra in SLi

Additional the 7800 GT will cost a noticable amount less to cost to power than 6800nus in SLI and makes it easy to pick up another down the road in a few months.

Wish granted:
Rollos benches

There's a good review on FS too.

 

[christopherzombie]

Thanks for the input. I like the eVGA SLI MOBO/7800GT combo off newegg for $400. It just started again, thank God. Only gripe is that the combo isn't the 7800GT CO 470/1100. It's the one clocked @ 445/1070. See this for more on that.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: christopherzombie
Thanks for the input. I like the eVGA SLI MOBO/7800GT combo off newegg for $400. It just started again, thank God. Only gripe is that the combo isn't the 7800GT CO 470/1100. It's the one clocked @ 445/1070. See this for more on that.

That's no gripe, those clock differences are meaningless, too small to care about.

 

[christopherzombie]

Yes, but the eVGA 7800GT CO has a copper cooler. The other doesn't. I'm not upset about it. It just would have been nice to get the combo with any eVGA 7800 card.

 

[Crescent13]

Originally posted by: christopherzombie
Yes, but the eVGA 7800GT CO has a copper cooler. The other doesn't. I'm not upset about it. It just would have been nice to get the combo with any eVGA 7800 card.

To tell you the truth, the copper doesn't make THAT big of a difference. If you want a noticeable difference in temperature, buy the zalman vf-700CU. My 6600GT temps went from

56C idle, 78C load

to

47C idle, 58C load

and in a cold room

34C idle, 46C load

The copper cooler won't make that much of a difference.

 

[christopherzombie]

Understood. I just wanted the copper bling-bling under the hood. Anyway, $400.00 for an SLI MOBO and a 7800GT (even at stock speeds) is still a good deal.

BTW, what do you guys think I can get for my:

MSI K8N NEO2

eVGA 6800 Ultra-Limited Edition 256MB flashed to a eVGA 6800 Ultra

Both are boxed with all docs.

 

[BoboKatt]

Man I am glad you started this post. I have the exact same setup -- MSI Neo2 Plat and an AGP 6800 GT (not ultra but close enough). I have been stuck with the idea of having to sell my AGP mobo and video but was having an issue trying to justify making the leap to PCI-Express (sli) and having to lose out completely on trying to sell my AGP 6800 GT and still trying to get some decent coin for it.

I was actually going to wait on Crossfire as even 2 7800GT's don't help much on games that SLI just does nothing for it grrrr..

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I'd go with the 7800 GT, possibly with an SLI board if I could find one that I liked that was only slightly more expensive than the non-SLI board that I liked. If you go SLI it's possible that you could pick up a second 7800 GT a year or two from now and much lower prices and then SLI the two. However, that depends on whether the prices on older PCI-E cards will drop. Much to my outspoken consternation, the prices on 6800 GT's and 6800 Ultras in PCI-E still haven't dropped nearly as much as they should and the 7800 GTs can be found for less than the Ultras (!!! -- Some idiots are buying them at those hyper-inflated prices!)