SLI Hype Or Help

[DasFox]

Well I must admit I was dying in the past to build the killer gaming rig. So I went for it, SLI screamer, sporting two 7800 GT cards, boasting the new AMD X2 dual core 3800+, with the shiny new 2 gigs of OCZ platinum memory, purring with the latest Raptor 150 and a power plant by Antec Neo HE 550W PSU all incased in Coolermaster's new Praetorian 730.

Now I step back and look, I must admit sitting in that Coolermaster Praetorian 730, with the cool black sleeving on the Antec power cables all nicely tie wrapped in neon yellow, the rig looks sweet.

http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=case1wc.jpg

I'm thinking there she is the latest in SLI, WOW two video cards, blah, blah blah, but did I fall like others before me that have taken the latest, greatest plunge, into the gaming world of hype.

I have to admit she's fast, but is SLI really a worth while gaming investment, now, or for the future? I know, or at least, so they tell us that the dual cores are worth something. I wonder now, do I have to many bells and whistles, or is it really a muscle machine as I hoped?

To us PC builders she is a dream rig, but was I taken by the hype, or is all this really a performer, worth her weight?

THANKS

P.S. I don't care about bragging rights and sorry that is not what I mean to imply at all in this post. I'm just someone that bought into all of this, literally and just wanted to share with what I bought and how most of us feel when we build a nice rig, that is all.

Becareful gamers because I know the world of x86 gaming has alot of bells and whistles, hype.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I stopped caring about bragging rights years ago, so to me it's a waste of money. I send the money off to my brokerage account instead. Early retirement FTW!

But if you still enjoy trying to outdo your buddies, or "must" run at 1600x1200 with full eye candy then it could be worth it to you.

 

[stevty2889]

In most cases, SLI really isn't worth it. When the next gen cards come out, you get a single card that outperforms the previous generating cards in SLI. If you are running at a resolution lower than 1600x1200, SLI is a waste, as a fast single card can handle 1280x1024 pretty easily.

 

[DasFox]

I don't care about bragging rights and sorry that is not what I mean to imply at all in this post. I'm just someone that bought into all of this, literally and just wanted to share with what I bought and how most of us feel when we build a nice rig, that is all.

I just wanted the input of others, if it's not a bad deal, or I just bought a lot of BS for nothing.

Personally I just thought that having a system like this with the two cards, pumped out more and was a better performer so I bought it.

SLI is in no way a better performer?

So 1600x1200 is the resolution you need to run this at to have any advantage? Personally I don't get the resolution advantage, I mean what is going to be the difference between using the different resolutions 1024x768, 1280x1024, or 1600x1200, when you game?

 

[Twsmit]

SLI is great for high resolution gaming, esspecially with AA and AF. IMO its a waste of time if you are on an average budget or have a 1280x1024 resolution monitor etc... The performance increase is 0%-75% in games, with typical FPS improvements in the 25% - 40% range or there abouts.

For double the price its better to get a high end current card like the 7800GT, and then when you need to upgrade sell off the 7800GT for a $100-$200+ and pick up the latest "geforce 9000 XT PE EE" whatever is out at the time in a year or two.

SLi makes sense for cutting edge high end uber budget systems, not for an average system.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Nothing wrong with spending extra for "the best," it's just with PC parts the extra performance is not worth the huge jump in price. Bragging rights is one of the few real benefits of spending the extra money, so it's too bad you don't care about them.

If you read the Video tab articles on the main AT website you'll see that SLI does help for some games at 1600x1200 so your second card isn't useless, it just wasn't a good value if you're on any kind of budget.

If money isn't an issue for you, SLI is no more silly than spending several hundred dollars on one golf glub, or collecting $100 bottles of wine.

I wasn't calling you an idiot by saying I'd never buy it, just pointing out that "good enough" is a lot cheaper and that I'm happy with having my PC be a few steps below the top of the heap.

 

[DasFox]

Well I didn't build a average system, click my link Das'Rig, I thought I was building a Uber rig, not for bragging rights either, but that I just wanted a great, killer gaming rig was all.

Now I hear what stevty2889 is saying about the latest cards coming out, but when they do I'll try to stay up with it and get newer cards. I mean someone right now playing a single 7800 GT versus someone playing two 7800 GTs in SLI, will not have better gaming performance?

And when the newer generation cards come out then I'd hope to play two of those compared to one and get better performance.

THANKS

 

[DasFox]

DaveSimmons, thanks for the help and input, well the thing is I'm a hardcore PC user and I love gaming and I have been dying for years to have one of those latest greatest dream machines. So the time finally came and I saved my pennies and I built it.

Could I really afford it hell no, but did I just die to have it hell yes and so I built it. I just want to game like I've never, ever gamed before, with one sweet rig to die for and that is simply why I went out on a limb and spent the money on this.

For me, I just brag to myself and smile at myself for being able to finally have this, that's all. I love computing and computer users to much to ever rub something in their face, to me that is not the PC spirit, brotherhood.

I guess then to really get the benefit is to run at 1600x1200 then? If so I better forget getting a Viewsonic VX924 since they only run from what I gather at 1280x1024 and instead look at buying a VP2030b which runs at 1600x1200.

Has anyone used the Viewsonic VP2030B?

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=231796

THANKS

P.S. Also are we saying whatever resolution you run your desktop at this is what you'd run the game at? So the Viewsonic 19" monitors that say they have a optimal resoultion at 1280x1024, you would not run the desktop as this then the game at 1600x1200?

 

[alimoalem]

i'm guessing u spend about $1700 on your rig (i may be off but that's what i estimated )...lol u sure that's average? i thought average was like $800 - $1200. anywho, seeing how u don't really use the 16x12 resolution, it is somewhat of a waste but not totally. later games will use your 2x 7800gt setup at the resolutions u play at now. plus, it does improve frame rates at your resolution, just not noticable ones. it's an awesome rig and i congratulate you on accomplishing your goal. even if it was a complete waste of $300 buying the 2nd one, your goal was reached so no worries. why don't u OC ur 3800?? it's only 10MHz over the rated speed

 

[DasFox]

alimoalem you read that wrong I said I "Didn't" build a average rig.

As far as monitors go I have not bought one yet for this rig, I'm still looking into which one I want to buy and if 1600x1200 is the ticket then yes I want to get one for that.

Right now I'm looking at this Viewsonic VP2030B:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=231796

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcddisplays/proseries/vp2030b/

Unless the VP930B or VX924 can run at 1600x1200, but from what it says on Viewsonics site, the Optimum Resolution for those two is 1280x1024.

THANKS

 

[DaveSimmons]

LCDs only run at their native resolution or lower (never higher).

1600x1200 is good for games because it's 4:3 and some games don't run well in widescreen (like with 1600 x 1050 monitors).

1600x1200 monitors also display lower resolutions well if you're playing an old game that has a max resolution of 800x600 or 1024x768. The 1280x1024 monitors usually don't scale to lower resolutions as well as the 1600x1200 ones do.

 

[DasFox]

DaveSimmons ok so the 19" listed at native of 1280x1024 don't do 1600x1200 correct?

If so then I'll grab the Viewsonic VP2030B, it's native rez is 1600x1200 and looks like a nice monitor.

By the way has anyone used, or knows anyone using a Viewsonic VP2030B?

THANKS

P.S. If 1600x1200 is the gaming resolution to have for the ultimate in performance, then why is everyone hyping the Viewsonic VX924, which can only run native of 1280x1024, unless you can push it to 1600x1200?

 

[bob4432]

i guess it would be whatever you want to play your games at. 1280x1024 1 gt would have probably done you good for a year with everything pretty close to max, 2 will definately let you max everything out now.

personally i quit paying a lot of $$$ for computer stuff because it just decreases exponentially. at this point in time i could probably sell my opty144 for what i paid even though it does 2.5GHz easy on stock V and could push it to 2.7+, not like i could make $100 on it...

also i am and will be limited to 1280x1024 for as long as my lcd lasts, which should be 3yrs at least.

sli does work, but usually the next gen of gpus will beat 2x the last gen...

 

[DasFox]

I'm not really into paying big bucks either, but I really wanted to play games the way the developer meant them to be played, which happens to be on a lot of these newer generation games, pretty high performance.

I figure you pay for it once, then you'll be able to stay in that range, if you sell the parts not to far down the road, so you don't loose to much and you can buy again high end parts to get the next latest thing...

So far all I need is a nice LCD and as I said before, I have my eyes on the Viewsonic VP2030B. I mean if I've spent this much so far on the box, I might as well get a nice monitor to do 1600x1200 on, otherwise it does seem like a waste to have built this SLI setup.

THANKS

 

[Jeff7181]

To us PC builders she is a dream rig, but was I taken by the hype, or is all this really a performer, worth her weight?

You tell me. Pull one card out and come back and tell us if the 2nd one is really worth it.

 

[DasFox]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

To us PC builders she is a dream rig, but was I taken by the hype, or is all this really a performer, worth her weight?

You tell me. Pull one card out and come back and tell us if the 2nd one is really worth it.

Yep sounds like a plan, ok I'll see what I can tell or notice, thanks.

 

[DasFox]

Ahh forget it, I mean it's more hassle then it's worth, there has to be some advantage to two cards, maybe not as great as they'd all like to make us think, but I can't believe either that it is total BS. That then is fraud and people do go to jail over it.

THANKS

 

[DeathReborn]

SLI is worth it if you play a lot of games. It's great to play games at 1600x1200 (my monitors max resolution) and be able to enjoy all the eyecandy. Granted I do have to disable SLI for some older games but the older games which are great fun are what's stopping me from buying a LCD Monitor.

SLI is worth the investment if you want to play current and future games with the eyecandy turned on.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: DasFox
Ahh forget it, I mean it's more hassle then it's worth, there has to be some advantage to two cards, maybe not as great as they'd all like to make us think, but I can't believe either that it is total BS. That then is fraud and people do go to jail over it.

It all comes down to being an informed buyer. You have to read all the hardware sites, ask questions in forums, and really do a lot of personal testing to determine what is right for you.

Many websites show benchmarks of popular games, and often show resolutions as low as 1024x768, where you can see that SLI offers virtually 0 performance increase. Yet, the increase is usually between 50-80% in most cases at 1600x1200 with AA/AF.

Again, as someone wanting to build the best, most decked-out rig they can, no matter the cost, you did the right thing.... however, for someone wanting extreme gaming on a budget would do best to buy an A64 3000+, cheap value ram, plain HDD, and throw all their money at the best video config they can afford.

 

[JAG87]

fox for the love of god, can you go to sleep already?

you did not make a bad decision, and you did not make a good one either.

the only advice I have for you, and anybody else who plans on going SLI on their next system, is get an uber display before you get 2 graphic cards. IF you are getting SLI to run your games at 1024 or 1280, you are simply wasting your money no matter how high your quality settings will be. SLI is only needed to drive games with all the candy at HIGH RESOLUTION. and that starts at 1600 by 1200 only to proceed up.

If you want to max out your settings at standard resolutions (1024 and 1280), PLEASE BUY THE SINGLE FASTEST CARD AVAILABLE.

IF you want to max out your settings at high resolutions (1600, 1920 and the nutz 30 inch dell one) PLEASE BUY AN SLI OR CROSSFIRE SETUP.

 

[bob4432]

fox - don't worry about it. you already have it, enjoy it

 

[DasFox]

LMAO, yeah I'm going to need some tweezers to start pulling the grey hairs.

Thanks for the reply and input JAG87, I keep hearing other stories people saying that 19" monitors ARE the GAMING monitors, so from people telling me this, that is running games at 1280x1024 on 19" are the best in performance and staying away from problems, ghosting, etc...

I keep hearing two sides to the story. Yes I built a high-end SLI box and yes I want to see it in all it's glory, so really I'm not stressing or worried and I have been checking around and reading for the past two months, but LCDs I have to admit I'm weak in and all the hype with them, etc..

Personally I don't really know what's what when it comes to one side saying 19" 1280x1024 is the way and the other side saying to bring out the SLI performance you have to go 1600x and above.

A quote from someone on this:

If you are running 1600x1200 or less you wont see much performance, if any, increase at this time. The better performance increases arent realized till after you go above 1600x1200. Example:1920x1050 or 1920x1200 or higher.

Now according to this person you need to go above 1600x, and do you really?

Now everyone on both sides, yes, will say there is the performance increase, BUT the problem is, at this point in time with the reliability, going with the higher resolutions and being able to stay away from problems, with ghosting and all the likes that can happen in a higher rez.

THANKS

 

[Broly]

The ONLY reason i got SLI is due to very poor framerates on 2560x1600 in many games on my x1800xt.

the 512mb gtx is a bit faster but again it would have suffered the same fate.

I had no choice in my situation. The sli'd 512s will perform as good as one gtx on a 17" MOnitor. SLI is geared for people who have huge screens and wil not compensate resolution

aka me.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Broly
The ONLY reason i got SLI is due to very poor framerates on 2560x1600 in many games on my x1800xt.

the 512mb gtx is a bit faster but again it would have suffered the same fate.

I had no choice in my situation. The sli'd 512s will perform as good as one gtx on a 17" MOnitor. SLI is geared for people who have huge screens and wil not compensate resolution

aka me.

2560x1600??? can you send me a screen capture of a game when playing at that resolution, i would love to see that amount of detail. d#mn that is high

 

[Broly]

Will do bob,
comes with the 30" display native resolution T_T