Two monitors: Better to have a video card for each?

[Synomenon]

Ok, I have the option to step-up to a GTX260 Core 216 (896-P3-1265-AR) from my 9800GX2. I paid $284.99 for the 9800GX2 @ Newegg.

When I go to the step-up page at EVGA, it shows $299.99 for the GTX260 Core 216. So that means I would pay only $15.00 + shipping for the step-up, right?

I have two monitors. One 24" Dell 2408WFP (1920x1200) and one 22" Dell SP2208WFP (1680x1050). With the 9800GX2 it was like having a single 512MB 9800GTX for each monitor.

Will a single 896MB GTX260 Core 216 driving both monitors be better than what I had with the 9800GX2?

 

[Lonyo]

There's no need to have 2 cards for 2 monitors, it makes pretty much 0 difference.
I've been running 2 monitors from one card for years without any issues whatsoever.

No idea about the step-up issue.

 

[sgrinavi]

Well....

Your gx2 card will blow the doors off the 260 at your 1900x1200, but that's SLI on a single monitor....

I had two monitors on my GX2, I don't think that each of the ports has its own GPU

 

[Synomenon]

How does it work? I thought each DVI port was driven by its own GPU?

I've gone ahead and submitted my step-up request anyway. I'd rather have a card that exhausts the heat out of the case rather than blowing all the hot air back into the case. I'd also like to see this smoothness everyone is talking about when using a GTX200 card.

I'm #67 right now though in the queue. I hope it doesn't take more than a month to get my step-up card.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
How does it work? I thought each DVI port was driven by its own GPU?

I've gone ahead and submitted my step-up request anyway. I'd rather have a card that exhausts the heat out of the case rather than blowing all the hot air back into the case. I'd also like to see this smoothness everyone is talking about when using a GTX200 card.

I'm #67 right now though in the queue. I hope it doesn't take more than a month to get my step-up card.

Why would you "step-up" from a 9800GX2 to a GTX260? Isn't that more like a step-down in almost every game and situation? Is heat so much of an issue that you want to pay money for a decrease in gaming performance?

I'm not sure about this "smoothness" think you are talking about since I don't have a 260/280 but the choice of stepping up seems odd in your case.

 

[Synomenon]

Well, I've been asking and reading threads here and on other forums and people say that they experience smoother images and gameplay with the GTX200 cards vs. the 9800GX2. There's the scaling issues in some games as well when running SLI mode.

 

[betasub]

I went for the GX2 over the 260, when they were available for a similar price. I chose superior performance in the games I play, at the cost of poorer venting (my CM690 case fans handle that) and micro-stuttering. If OP is hyper-sensitive to micro-stuttering, he may prefer the 260.

 

[Synomenon]

I only run the GX2 in SLI mode when gaming anyway. Anytime I'm not gaming, it's not in SLI mode. I guess I'd rather have a single GPU that can do two monitors at once w/o having to toggle b/w SLI and non-SLI mode AND perform at almost the same levels as the 9800GX2. I've read some reviews and it looks like the GTX260-216 can be overclocked to perform at similar levels as the GTX280.