Solve : SLi XFX 8600GT XXX Compatability?

1.	Solve : SLi XFX 8600GT XXX Compatability?
Answer» I currently have an xfx 8600GT XXX edition. I'm looking for a graphics upgrade but I thought i could save money by getting another one. The XXX edition seems to have been discontinued, so I have no way of getting the exact same card (unless someone could find it!) I read somewhere that only the unit has to be the same (eg. 8600GT) but I'm wondering if it's worth getting a 8600GT to run with the XXX edition as it may run slower? and is it compatible? is it easier to just get a new card? My motherboard (ASUS M2N32-SLI DELUXE) is full SLI 32x compatible so could £130 for 2 cards in SLi be faster than one card for £130? (just as an example) This is to go with an AMD Phenom II 940 with 4GB 800MHz RAM.The card only has to be the same model - any 8600GT will be fine, but the clock speeds and memory amount of the slowest/lowest card will be used for both. 8600GT cards in SLI generally aren't worth it, but if you already have one and pick another up very cheaply (£30-40 or so) it might be worth it. If you want a better performance boost a new card is a better option though.Although 8600gt's scale pretty well in SLI, I don't really think it would be worth it. Even a single 8800gt (9800gt rather as they're easier to purchase) is likely to outperform those cards in sli. If you're concerned about the speeds, have you considered overclocking? It might be a bit of work/hassle for you but it can help with the bottleneck. The interesting thing is typing xfx 8600gt xxx edition on google the prices were still about $100. FOr that price you can upgrade to a 9800gt. so could getting a 8600gt (normal version) and then overclocking the slower one to the XXX speeds work? the 8600gt is rising in price because it's dying out but i'm not sure its still better to run sli or upgrade. if i don't upgrade my current processor (4800+ overclocked to 5.5GHz) could it be bottlenecked from the CPU? I'm guessing i would need to get one with the same RAM on it (GDDR3 256MB) On eBay they're going for about £50 so it might be worth it. Quote from: Blade285 on February 17, 2009, 02:07:24 AM so could getting a 8600gt (normal version) and then overclocking the slower one to the XXX speeds work? Yes, in that you'll have 2 8600GT cards running at the same speed then. If you don't overclock the second card, SLI will still work though. Quote the 8600gt is rising in price because it's dying out but i'm not sure its still better to run sli or upgrade. Personally I SAY upgrade, but it's up to you. Quote if i don't upgrade my current processor (4800+ overclocked to 5.5GHz) could it be bottlenecked from the CPU? 5.5GHz? That's one for the RECORD books I think. At that miraculous speed, you won't bottleneck anything. Quote I'm guessing i would need to get one with the same RAM on it (GDDR3 256MB) I'm fairly sure SLI would work if the second card had DDR2 RAM too, but those cards are slow. Any more than 256MB of VRAM will also be wasted, so 256MB GDDR3 would make sense.thanks calum. i reckon i'll end up buying a new card. i'm guessing its not worth it (enough) to get an 9600GT, so i'll get a 9800 or higher. the 4800+ is on AiNOS of 10% on my whole computer (HT bus etc etc.) (i love my motherboard!!!) when under load it goes from 4.8GHz to 5.5GHz (i have the common mistake of actually putting the two cores together. its actually 2.4 to 2.75GHz). Using the stock cooler i got it up to 2.9 without changing any voltages but put it down again after a while for security! I see max temps in speedfan of 50 degrees celcius and thats the graphics (after 2 days of use) and ambient about 35 after 2 days. I don't know the CPU temp because speedfan says it's '-64 degrees celcius' and i know it's not -64 or 64. Anyway, i don't know if that's much good, I don't usually overclock.Oh ... I thought you'd probably added the cores, but wanted to make sure. 5.5GHz would have been amazing though, heh. Decent temperatures you have there too. My recommendation would be a Radeon 4830 or 4850 - the 4850 was the king of price/performance, beating the 9800GTX at the same price, but prices have risen lately. The 4830 offers performance better than the 9800GT, and can often be found for a very good price. A 9800GT would be good, the 9600GT isn't bad and is a lot better than the name would suggest - it's not just a small step up from the 8600GT. The older 9600GSO is good (newer ones are crippled) but can be hard to find and/or expensive.I've ordered a PNY 9800GTX XLR8 Edition off ebay. I wanted to STAY with nvidia because of drivers and my motherboard. I have, however, noticed recently that the 4850's are very good. I'll be buying a AMD Phenom II 940 soon- maybe when the prices go down. Thanks for your help. You're welcome, nice card you ordered too.

Answer»

I currently have an xfx 8600GT XXX edition.
I'm looking for a graphics upgrade but I thought i could save money by getting another one.

The XXX edition seems to have been discontinued, so I have no way of getting the exact same card (unless someone could find it!)
I read somewhere that only the unit has to be the same (eg. 8600GT) but I'm wondering if it's worth getting a 8600GT to run with the XXX edition as it may run slower? and is it compatible? is it easier to just get a new card?
My motherboard (ASUS M2N32-SLI DELUXE) is full SLI 32x compatible so could £130 for 2 cards in SLi be faster than one card for £130? (just as an example)

This is to go with an AMD Phenom II 940 with 4GB 800MHz RAM.The card only has to be the same model - any 8600GT will be fine, but the clock speeds and memory amount of the slowest/lowest card will be used for both.
8600GT cards in SLI generally aren't worth it, but if you already have one and pick another up very cheaply (£30-40 or so) it might be worth it.
If you want a better performance boost a new card is a better option though.Although 8600gt's scale pretty well in SLI, I don't really think it would be worth it. Even a single 8800gt (9800gt rather as they're easier to purchase) is likely to outperform those cards in sli. If you're concerned about the speeds, have you considered overclocking? It might be a bit of work/hassle for you but it can help with the bottleneck.

The interesting thing is typing xfx 8600gt xxx edition on google the prices were still about $100. FOr that price you can upgrade to a 9800gt.
so could getting a 8600gt (normal version) and then overclocking the slower one to the XXX speeds work?
the 8600gt is rising in price because it's dying out but i'm not sure its still better to run sli or upgrade.
if i don't upgrade my current processor (4800+ overclocked to 5.5GHz) could it be bottlenecked from the CPU?

I'm guessing i would need to get one with the same RAM on it (GDDR3 256MB)
On eBay they're going for about £50 so it might be worth it. Quote from: Blade285 on February 17, 2009, 02:07:24 AM

so could getting a 8600gt (normal version) and then overclocking the slower one to the XXX speeds work?

Yes, in that you'll have 2 8600GT cards running at the same speed then. If you don't overclock the second card, SLI will still work though.

Quote

the 8600gt is rising in price because it's dying out but i'm not sure its still better to run sli or upgrade.

Personally I SAY upgrade, but it's up to you.

Quote

if i don't upgrade my current processor (4800+ overclocked to 5.5GHz) could it be bottlenecked from the CPU?

5.5GHz? That's one for the RECORD books I think. At that miraculous speed, you won't bottleneck anything.

Quote

I'm guessing i would need to get one with the same RAM on it (GDDR3 256MB)

I'm fairly sure SLI would work if the second card had DDR2 RAM too, but those cards are slow. Any more than 256MB of VRAM will also be wasted, so 256MB GDDR3 would make sense.thanks calum.
i reckon i'll end up buying a new card.
i'm guessing its not worth it (enough) to get an 9600GT, so i'll get a 9800 or higher.

the 4800+ is on AiNOS of 10% on my whole computer (HT bus etc etc.) (i love my motherboard!!!) when under load it goes from 4.8GHz to 5.5GHz (i have the common mistake of actually putting the two cores together. its actually 2.4 to 2.75GHz). Using the stock cooler i got it up to 2.9 without changing any voltages but put it down again after a while for security! I see max temps in speedfan of 50 degrees celcius and thats the graphics (after 2 days of use) and ambient
about 35 after 2 days. I don't know the CPU temp because speedfan says it's '-64 degrees celcius' and i know it's not -64 or 64.
Anyway, i don't know if that's much good, I don't usually overclock.Oh ... I thought you'd probably added the cores, but wanted to make sure. 5.5GHz would have been amazing though, heh.
Decent temperatures you have there too.
My recommendation would be a Radeon 4830 or 4850 - the 4850 was the king of price/performance, beating the 9800GTX at the same price, but prices have risen lately. The 4830 offers performance better than the 9800GT, and can often be found for a very good price.
A 9800GT would be good, the 9600GT isn't bad and is a lot better than the name would suggest - it's not just a small step up from the 8600GT.
The older 9600GSO is good (newer ones are crippled) but can be hard to find and/or expensive.I've ordered a PNY 9800GTX XLR8 Edition off ebay.
I wanted to STAY with nvidia because of drivers and my motherboard.
I have, however, noticed recently that the 4850's are very good.
I'll be buying a AMD Phenom II 940 soon- maybe when the prices go down.
Thanks for your help.
You're welcome, nice card you ordered too.

Solve : SLi XFX 8600GT XXX Compatability?

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