Solve : SLI Worth it??

1.	Solve : SLI Worth it??
Answer» First off this is just for discussion. I have no intention of building a sli system, even if I had the money I see a few posts here about adding another video card. I was under the understanding both cards had to be the same. Is this true? Also, there is another forum I frequent, and almost everyone on that forum says SLI is a waste of money. The gain, which is minimal, is not worth the added expense and heat produced. They claim that unless you are running a very graphical intensive program on a large monitor (over 24 in.) it is not needed. The new high end cards will run almost all programs/games just fine. I am interested in your opinions. Do any of you guys run SLI? Is there MUCH performance gain? Everything i've read states the cards need to be the same... As far as the performance issue i can't say but one of our Gaming Guru's such as Calum may be along shortly.i dont have SLI, HOWEVER, if i was made of money i totally would. i have read many reviews and ive seen performance increase anywheres from 30-40%. now, to purchase a SECOND $600 card for a 30-40% increase, to me, is a waste of money. if it increased performance 100%, or even 80%, then it might be worth it. Quote I was under the understanding both cards had to be the same. Is this true? some MODELS they have to be the same, other models no. it is best, performance-wise, to use the same model card with the same amount of memory.I think the reasoning is you are better off buying 1 good card instead of 2 mediocre cards. A good card will do most everything you want. I guess if I was made of money, and I had a program that could really benefit from it, it would be ok. The benefit of SLI that I can see is if I already had an SLI mb with a mediocre card, and I had outgrown it. Then I could buy another card like I have for way less than a new top end card, and maybe get by another year or 2.Quote from: hejlik on March 13, 2008, 07:47:19 PM The benefit of SLI that I can see is if I already had an SLI mb with a mediocre card, and I had outgrown it. Then I could buy another card like I have for way less than a new top end card, and maybe get by another year or 2. That's the intelligent reasoning behind SLI, exactly right. large performance gains can be seen, but don't expect even close to 100%. It's always better to buy one good card and another of the same LATER if yo want SLI, than to buy two low end cards, as the second option will cost more for around the same performance, and leaves no upgrade path. IMHO, SLI is worth it, and is a useful upgrade option to have if possible, however it's not something most people need right now if they were to buy a new graphics card.

Answer»

First off this is just for discussion. I have no intention of building a sli system, even if I had the money

I see a few posts here about adding another video card. I was under the understanding both cards had to be the same. Is this true?

Also, there is another forum I frequent, and almost everyone on that forum says SLI is a waste of money. The gain, which is minimal, is not worth the added expense and heat produced. They claim that unless you are running a very graphical intensive program on a large monitor (over 24 in.) it is not needed. The new high end cards will run almost all programs/games just fine.

I am interested in your opinions. Do any of you guys run SLI? Is there MUCH performance gain?

Everything i've read states the cards need to be the same...
As far as the performance issue i can't say but one of our Gaming Guru's such as Calum may be along shortly.i dont have SLI, HOWEVER, if i was made of money i totally would.

i have read many reviews and ive seen performance increase anywheres from 30-40%. now, to purchase a SECOND $600 card for a 30-40% increase, to me, is a waste of money. if it increased performance 100%, or even 80%, then it might be worth it.

Quote

I was under the understanding both cards had to be the same. Is this true?

some MODELS they have to be the same, other models no. it is best, performance-wise, to use the same model card with the same amount of memory.I think the reasoning is you are better off buying 1 good card instead of 2 mediocre cards. A good card will do most everything you want.

I guess if I was made of money, and I had a program that could really benefit from it, it would be ok.

The benefit of SLI that I can see is if I already had an SLI mb with a mediocre card, and I had outgrown it. Then I could buy another card like I have for way less than a new top end card, and maybe get by another year or 2.Quote from: hejlik on March 13, 2008, 07:47:19 PM

The benefit of SLI that I can see is if I already had an SLI mb with a mediocre card, and I had outgrown it. Then I could buy another card like I have for way less than a new top end card, and maybe get by another year or 2.

That's the intelligent reasoning behind SLI, exactly right.

large performance gains can be seen, but don't expect even close to 100%.
It's always better to buy one good card and another of the same LATER if yo want SLI, than to buy two low end cards, as the second option will cost more for around the same performance, and leaves no upgrade path.
IMHO, SLI is worth it, and is a useful upgrade option to have if possible, however it's not something most people need right now if they were to buy a new graphics card.

Solve : SLI Worth it??

Discussion

No Comment Found

Related InterviewSolutions

Reply to Comment