SLI, When/Is it worth it?

[dseaver]

I have been thinking about building my next rig, and was starting to wonder if SLI is worth it. It seems to me that SLI is worth it when you plan to build a rig when it uses SLI out of the box (aka plan using 2 cards in your rig). Seeing that this can make a rig very expensive, I plan to build a rig using one 8800GTS 512MB card, seeing that they perform well, and I don't want/have an extra ~$330. By the time I need/want to use SLI, a new card that outperforms the SLI setup will probably be out and will cost less, wont there?

Any other thoughts?

Also, when are the 9xxx cards coming out from nVidia?

 

[Nelviticus]

SLI and Crossfire are a bit hit and miss at the moment, some games perform better with them, some perform worse and some just don't work. It's getting better but if there's a particular game or two that you play you need to research how well it performs with SLI.

Unless you're going for a pair of top-end cards I don't think the hassle is worth it. Two lower-end cards are going to be fairly close in speed and cost to a single higher-end one but with added flakiness.

It's not the kind of thing where a straight answer is possible - you really need to look at cost and benchmark results for the cards you're considering. Tom's Hardware is a great site for looking up benchmark figures - they have charts for both single-card and SLI set-ups. You need to ask yourself how much a pair of 8800GTS 512MB cards would cost in comparison to a single GTX or Ultra, and what the performance of each configuration would be.

Unfortunately they don't have the 'new' GTS on their charts yet, but a pair of the old-style 320MB ones benchmarks at 119.1 in Battlefield 2142, which is about 2fps faster than a single Ultra at 116.9. That's at 1024x768; the SLI set-up fares better than the single card at higher settings.

For me, any performance gain wouldn't be worth the increased noise, power and hassle.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[AP81]

Depending on whether you play the newest games, it may be worth waiting for the GeForce9 series to be released. If you don't play high-end games go for a 8800GTS. I you want to play hard, I'd wait for a GeForce9.

GeForce9's will also push down the price of the GeForce8's.

 

[wahnula]

This technology is for the "extreme" segment of the Power User group. It adds complexity to a system, most of us are seeking simple, reliable powerful systems.

SLI is like water cooling, for the folks that go to LAN parties to show off their system and brag about their frame rates, a meaningless stat to me. My advice would be to buy the single fastest card you can afford.

If you have to have the fastest rig with the best frame rates and play the latest games at their highest resolutions, then SLI would be a must.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[paparazi]

When is it worth it?
When money is no object and you want the fastest available.
Anything less ie: two middle ranging cards for instance, is a no brainer (they usually cost around the same as one single that performs the same)
Martin

On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep

 

[ceh4702]

It is never worth it. Worth it implies you are questioning spending the money. To use this technology you dont care what it is worth.

My reasoning for this statement is that you need a more expensive motherboard, you need a larger power supply, then you have to spend more in Electric bills over the life of the device. So in acutality you could just get that $400.00 video card and actually save money in the long run. Of course that would require a gamer to think logically. Just wait a few months and the new games might cost a little less too. Who said gamers were that smart. Only a gamer will wait outside a store for 12 hours waiting to be the first person on your block to get that new game. Things dont have to make sense in the world of video games.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[LawnBoy]

Only a gamer...

You posted this in a forum full of gamers?! Let the flaming commence!

It's something called "bragging rights" and it's not limited to computer games, or sports cars, or dating conquests, or books on world records... It's a common human desire to be/have the "very best" at/of something, if even only for a day. It would be a rare person who has never succumbed to the siren's song.

Just my humble opinion. <grabs flak jacket, heads for the sidelines>


"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[dseaver]

I got the responses i figured from this thread. Unless you are buying the top of the line card X2 in SLI, it isnt as worth it because, for the most part, a single card is more bang/buck. Thanks guys!

 

[ceh4702]

Nothing wrong with SLI if you have the money burning a hole in your pocket. Some people want to be the first and dont mind spending more money to buy the best gear.

Visiontek and some other video card manufacturers are building some video cards with 2 video chips and boards on one video card with 4 video outputs for around $400.00 or so.

You have to appreciate the ability of these video card manufacturers to try different things and bring new video cards to the market.

3870 X2

http://www.visiontek.com/products/cards/retail/3870_x2.html

2600 X2 Quad

http://www.visiontek.com/products/cards/retail/2600XT_quad.html

I dont advocate any specific technology or devices for gaming without looking at a benchmark first and a few reviews. Top that off with actually talking to people using the devices.

Some other websites host a lot of gamers that build computers like:

http://www.anandtech.com/

http://www.pcmech.com/

They might be able to suggest some parts to get good results and not break the bank too bad.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[ceh4702]

I am still playing Final Fantasy XII on my play station 2. What the heck do I know. Dont take my comments too seriously. I do like FFXII quite a bit. I guess with FFXIII comes out I will buy a PS3 or whatever I need to play it.

According to Toms Hardware there are fewer and fewer video games coming out for the PC platform. This is one thing to consider. It is really hard to keep buying new computers to keep up with the best video games. The newer games are pushing the envelope so hard that it is hard to buy the right gear to play them.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.