Upgrade 8800GT for possible 1920x1200 gaming

[WaxHaX0rS]

I currently have a 8800GT, Core 2 E6750, and 2GB RAM (probably upgrade to 4GB soon since ram is so damn cheap). I was thinking of adding a 9800GT in SLI with my 8800GT. I run at 1280x1024 right now but I think I will get a second monitor (probably a 24" at 1920x1200) for Christmas. I would like to run Crysis Warhead and other new games on this at 1920x1200 or 1680x1050. Right now Warhead chokes my card at highest settings for most things (low or no AA, I cant remember, I did it a while ago) at 1280x1024 and it's kind of annoying.

Basically my question is, what do you think of just adding a second 9800GT to my 8800GT?

 

[Keysplayr]

I don't think you can SLI an 8800GT with a 9800GT. You can get another 8800GT and SLI them. Or sell your current 8800GT and go for a GTX260.

 

[Blazer7]

Keys is right -> Can I mix and match graphics cards?

 

[FalseChristian]

But considering that both the 8800GT and the 9800GT are the same card with the same specs are you sure that you couldn't SLI them together?

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: FalseChristian
But considering that both the 8800GT and the 9800GT are the same card with the same specs are you sure that you couldn't SLI them together?

Even if it's just a BIOS/firmware difference. Models have to match. You can have a BFG 8800GT SLI'd with an eVGA 8800GT, or a XFX 9800GT SLI'd with a MSI 9800GT, but you can't have any make 8800GT SLI with any make 9800GT. The Forceware driver will detect different model graphics cards and will not enable the SLI option.

This may change in the future, and I've seen a small step in this direction with 9800GTX and 9800GTX+. Although these may share the same BIOS id's. I can SLI a 9800GTX with a 9800GTX+. It is possible that the only difference between the two is the manufacturing process (9800GTX uses 65nm and 9800GTX+ uses 55nm) and core/memory clocks. But these cards use different voltages for their respective cores. I think it may be possible in the future to mix and match cards. Don't quote me though.

 

[JPB]

I would just sell of the 8800GT and go for something higher. Like a 192 core GTX260 or so.

But yea once again, Keys is right.

 

[Ares202]

I heard somewhere that you can flash your 8800gt BIOS and change them with 9800gt BIOS, this should make SLI work

 

[Blazer7]

Originally posted by: Ares202
I heard somewhere that you can flash your 8800gt BIOS and change them with 9800gt BIOS, this should make SLI work

I don't know if this will make SLI work but I do know that this will void your warranty and that's if you're lucky. If you're not then you may end up with a bad card, take your pick.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Blazer7

Originally posted by: Ares202
I heard somewhere that you can flash your 8800gt BIOS and change them with 9800gt BIOS, this should make SLI work

I don't know if this will make SLI work but I do know that this will void your warranty and that's if you're lucky. If you're not then you may end up with a bad card, take your pick.

Flashing the BIOS used to be pretty common, and while it does void the warranty. If you're intelligent about it and don't try to flash the BIOS while your hardware is overclocked or try to load an incompatible BIOS or flash the BIOS during a thunder storm with your computer plugged straight into the wall outlet there's no danger at all.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Blazer7

Originally posted by: Ares202
I heard somewhere that you can flash your 8800gt BIOS and change them with 9800gt BIOS, this should make SLI work

I don't know if this will make SLI work but I do know that this will void your warranty and that's if you're lucky. If you're not then you may end up with a bad card, take your pick.

Flashing the BIOS used to be pretty common, and while it does void the warranty. If you're intelligent about it and don't try to flash the BIOS while your hardware is overclocked or try to load an incompatible BIOS or flash the BIOS during a thunder storm with your computer plugged straight into the wall outlet there's no danger at all.

There is always some danger. Always. You could have 10 Bios flashes in a row successful, but on the eleventh, you brick your card and nothing you can do will bring it back. This is ALWAYS and inherent possibility and I would not recommend flashing BIOS unless you have money to burn and don't care if you brick the card or not.

 

[cubeless]

if u have a sli mobo then 8800gt sli looks like the deal to me... overall much faster than a single 260 for about $80...

not that i'm biased or anything, but that's what i just went to... got a $120 4850, traded it to one of the kids' friends for his 8800gt and $40, and finally used both slits in my 650sli mobo... it screams...

if u don't have a sli mobo already then the 260 (or a 4870) is the way to go...

 

[cmdrdredd]

Your best bet IMO is a GTX260. I don't like SLI or crossfire solutions as it introduces some of it's own issues with driversets and scaling that make it too much of a bother for me.

 

[WaxHaX0rS]

Originally posted by: cubeless
if u have a sli mobo then 8800gt sli looks like the deal to me... overall much faster than a single 260 for about $80...

not that i'm biased or anything, but that's what i just went to... got a $120 4850, traded it to one of the kids' friends for his 8800gt and $40, and finally used both slits in my 650sli mobo... it screams...

if u don't have a sli mobo already then the 260 (or a 4870) is the way to go...

What kind of games/resolutions/settings are you able to run well with your dual 8800GTs?

 

[WaxHaX0rS]

Hmm, actually the GTX 260 is similar in performance (except the 8800GTs choke at high AA), but it actually may end up being cheaper. You can get the MSI GTX 260 on newegg for $199.99 (is this a good one?). Also, for some reason, used 8800GTs are going for $90+ on eBay, even though you can get a new 9800GT for a bit more than $100. I may just spring on MSI while it's $30 cheaper than other manufacturers and hope to sell my 8800GT on eBay for a bit less than $100. Does this seem accurate?

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: WaxHaX0rS
What kind of games/resolutions/settings are you able to run well with your dual 8800GTs?

SLI 8800GT = 9800GX2 which in most benchmarks still crushes GTX 280 in many games. As long as you don't exceed frame buffer (512MB on GX2 or SLI versus 1GB on GTX 280) the dual approach kills the single top end card.

As for BIOS flashing, I would recommend buying a 9800GT from the same manufacturer as your 8800GT and just extracting the BIOS from that card to flash your 8800GT. If you've either overclocked or bought a factory overclocked 8800GT try to find a 9800GT with similar or lower clocks and you should be fine. NVFlash (5.72) has worked great for me with no problems to report after use on five different G92-based cards (tuned with Rivatuner to determine optimal OC and then flashed to make it permanent).

 

[TridenT]

Get a GTX 280, or wait for the GTX 295 and call it done.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

A GTX260 will cost you $199 @ NewEgg. It will not play Crysis Warhead at 1920x1080 at Very High with AA enabled at playable rates. If you play on High settings (not very high) and no AA enabled, it will be able to play Crysis at 1900x1200 (or 1920x1080) with playable rates.

However, for about $100 more, you can get another 8800GT and go SLI (again, there are 8800GT's at NewEgg for about $100). Two 8800GT's in SLI will play Crysis very well at that high resolution (though not on `very high' and not with AA enabled).

So think about what you want. You have more than one way to achieve the result. And it will greatly matter what your power supply is, before you just throw two 8800gt's together or even go to a higher card like the gtx260....

Very best,

 

[Denithor]

PSU...meh!

As long as you have a 500W model from one of the good makers (Seasonic, Corsair, Antec, OCZ, PCP&C) you will be just fine with SLI 8800GT. I ran a GTX 260 and an 8800GT together on an Antec Earthwatts 500W model with no problems.