[Banscare]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to get some opinions and insight on the direction that Nvidia seems to be taking with their multi-GPU or SLI Solutions. In my opinion this is leading down a road that I care not to venture down.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't want to stick 2,3,and even 4 video cards in my machine. Any new decent video cards are the size VCR's and its starting to get a bit ridiculous.
Right now I'm running 2 8800gts's and aside the fact it cost close to a thousand dollars it takes a significant amount of power and cooling. Being a hardware enthusiast I upgrade once a year. At this rate next year I will need a nuclear power plant to run my box with 3 or 4 9800's or whatever is the best at that time.
Does anyone have insight if Nvidia will ever go back to developing single powerful GPU's? If Moore's law stays in affect (which it always does) you will require 6 massive GPU's and a hefty compatible system to remain on top of the video processing ladder as early as 2010.
Think multi-GPU's is just a trend? God I hope so.

 

[patriothntr]

Re: Opinions on multi-GPU's (Disscusion)

Lets see what comes out in 2 weeks time...it should be pretty sweet on its lonesome...

 

[Banscare]

Re: Opinions on multi-GPU's (Disscusion)

You mean Nvidia's new line of cards?

 

[ebackhus]

Re: Opinions on multi-GPU's (Disscusion)

I was running two 7600GTs in SLI and didn't see any increase. One of them developed a bad fan so I took it out to work on it. After repairing the fan it'd freeze up when I tried to enable SLI. I'm not in the mood to reinstall my OS so I just left the card out.

 

[Houndog777]

Re: Opinions on multi-GPU's (Disscusion)

Admittedly not much of a gamer, but for me, having looked at plenty of performance charts..............SLI does not give much increase in performance.
But it does give a hefty increase in the profits of nVidia, PSU manufacturers etc.

 

[Banscare]

Re: Opinions on multi-GPU's (Disscusion)

.SLI does not give much increase in performance.
But it does give a hefty increase in the profits of nVidia, PSU manufacturers etc.

I bench tested my cards by running the PC game Crysis at the most graphic intensive period of the game first with one and then with two in SLI.

I noticed no difference in loading times but I did notice an absence of short initial hiccups and frame jumps while in SLI. Although I'm going to have to agree with you and in saying the means do not justify the costs.

 

[michaelb15]

ive looked at the SLI a bit, but i dont really think im interested in those.. ive got a GeForce 8600, and it runs all the games I have at a reasonable framerate.. lol even crysis I can run high detail.. which (I thought) was an system intense game..

 

[Tumbleweed36]

You wanted an opinion. SLI = Much ado about nothing.

 

[ebackhus]

You wanted an opinion. SLI = Much ado about nothing.

Sums it up quite well. :laugh:

Now if I could get all the hardware and cabling I need to make a VooDoo2 SLI system I'd do it. I've got the two cards but need a basic 2D PCI card and the connecting cables.

 

[Thething]

SLI and Crossfire are good technologies if todays programs and drivers could fully utilize all that GPU power. Unfortunately many programs are not designed to properly use more than 2 GPUs so the power is wasted:sad:.

I would get a second 3870x2 if the scaling was very good but atm it isnt worth the extra cost.

 

[ebackhus]

Good point. Right now we're still waiting for games and applications to catch up with dual and quad CPUs configurations. SLI offered benefits way back in the early days but was (in my opinion) poorly implemented. It seems like the developers weren't really given the tools necessary to make SLI and Crossfire work well.

 

[Banscare]

I directed a coworker to this thread in hopes that he reconsiders going 3-way SLI.

http://hothardware.com/Articles/NVIDIA_3Way_SLI_Performance_Preview/

 

[ebackhus]

Even if he plans to use a ginormous 30" display the benefits aren't really there. My girlfriend uses my 57" 1080 HDTV for World of Warcraft and it looks awesome. Her PC has an older 6800GT OC and it runs games great. I bet Half-Life 2 would look too cool on there. And Portal... *drools*

 

[Banscare]

Yea I bet thats sexy *pushes up glasses. Those games will run on most average machines though.

 

[Banscare]

Try flash portal and see how far you can get...

 

[ebackhus]

This was a triumph...
I'm make a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.

 

[Night_Wolf]

Well I'm not adding something as part of the debate BUT look @ this

4 9800GX2's in SLI !!

http://fastra.ua.ac.be/en/index.html

Wonder what that will do to Crysis at full settings and 16x AA:grin:

EDIT::The darn things arent in SLI:sigh: