Which do you prefer, single powerhouse card or SLI/Crossfire?

[Master Guns]

Which do you prefer? Honestly just curiosity.

I myself am under the impression that a single powerhouse card is better and more convenient than 2, or even 3.

[bmjclark]

SLI seems to have issues in a lot of games, so a single card.

[Deleted]

Single card always.

[Deleted]

My first build had SLI 9600GT, which worked pretty good for me. Granted, I did not know as much as I do now. But I actually had no issues.
Since then I had single cards (460 --> 7970 --> 290x), which I think work fine. But I would love to try out a CF/SLI build again.

I do think CF/SLI builds should only be used by people who know what they are doing, know the drawbacks etc.

[Kyzawolf]

The way games have been going, if you get the top-end gpu you'll be good until the next gen at the very least for running games at max/60+fps. There's really no need to SLI.

[Lathais]

A single card solution is always better unless you are at the enthusiast level and just doing it because you can. Otherwise, a single more powerful card is not only usually better but cheaper as well.

[Denpepe]

While I agree that a single strong card is better, from what I read somewhere a dual card setup maybe preferred for those who want to run VR headsets as each card would power one display.

[f0rb1d]

overall: Single card is better.
specific applications where it's known to work: multicard can bet better but not the best priceerformance ratio.
Future Potential Dx12+: multi-gpu chipset compatible. Unable to post URL, search dx12 multi-gpu. This would be the best of both worlds.

[Artorius]

Multi-card setups only make sense when you can't put a stronger card. In other words, when the strongest single GPU card isn't enough.

The current average recommendation hierarchy is more or less:

750ti < OC'd 950 < r9 380 < R9 390 < R9 390X < OC'd 980Ti < FURY/X CF

Where the Fury/X CF is really only needed if you're trying to run things at UHD maxed out with more than 60fps all the time.

[Tradewind]

No preference really, though I have SLI 980 Ti's because I like to stroke myself and using 3x 1440p monitors in surround, but that's fun.

[Denkou]

Single GPU is best for most people, unless you are running super high res or multi-monitor setups. Generally one single powerful GPU will lead to less issues than a multi-GPU setup.

[Bigvizz]

Depends where you're coming from a fresh build single card is always the best bet. If you're looking to upgrade and have a 970 or 390 just buying another one plug it in SLI/Crossfire config and run with it. Better to pay 300$ rather than 600$ for a 980ti or FuryX for that extra performance.

[Master Guns]

Say I have a 970 right now. Would buying a 980 or getting another 970 be better? If I already have the PSU to power them.

[Artorius]

Say I have a 970 right now. Would buying a 980 or getting another 970 be better? If I already have the PSU to power them.

Both are bad options. Waiting for the next cards is better.

[Lathais]

Say I have a 970 right now. Would buying a 980 or getting another 970 be better? If I already have the PSU to power them.

Neither, the 980 is not nor ever has been worth it. It's a very slight gain for a lot more price. Seeing as SLI does not work or is not supported by a lot of games, and the current gen from nVidia does not support ASync Compute at the hardware level, I would not put any money in to it.

If you have a 970 right now, what is it not doing that you want it to do? I mean, an OCed 970 can handle something like Battlefield 4 at 4k with over 60FPS, so I likely would not buy anything at all. It's not really meant as a 4k card either. It also handles Witcher 3 at 1440p and stays above 30 FPS. So really, if you had a 970 now, why would you even be looking to upgrade unless you want an enthusiast build and money is no object then you'd likely be looking at Fury's anyway.

[Denkou]

Depends where you're coming from a fresh build single card is always the best bet. If you're looking to upgrade and have a 970 or 390 just buying another one plug it in SLI/Crossfire config and run with it. Better to pay 300$ rather than 600$ for a 980ti or FuryX for that extra performance.

I think this is when SLi/Xfire really becomes a viable option, when you already have a card and want to add a second one for cheap. Especially true if it's an older-generation card that can still keep up with newer games relatively well. Imagine if GTX 970s drop to $150-200 when Pascal cards come out; I could see a lot of current 970 owners picking up a second one. Obviously this will depend on how much of an improvement the next gen is (from what I hear Pascal is pretty major), but it's a good option for those looking to prolong the longevity of their system.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Only go for multi-GPU if you can't get an equivalent performance upgrade from a single card. So anything above R9 390 or GTX 970 territory.

[Lathais]

I think this is when SLi/Xfire really becomes a viable option, when you already have a card and want to add a second one for cheap. Especially true if it's an older-generation card that can still keep up with newer games relatively well. Imagine if GTX 970s drop to $150-200 when Pascal cards come out; I could see a lot of current 970 owners picking up a second one. Obviously this will depend on how much of an improvement the next gen is (from what I hear Pascal is pretty major), but it's a good option for those looking to prolong the longevity of their system.

Historically speaking, the next gen does not really drop the prices of the old gen that much, as they have already deflated over time. I mean, go look at the prices of 770s compared to 970s currently. The cheapest 770 I can find is $278.99 compared to the cheapest 970 which is $293.99. The most expensive 770 I see is still over $500.

So let's just say someone had a 770 today and wanted an upgrade. Would buying another 770 for almost $300 be worth it or would it be better to sell you 770 for $100 and have $400 to spend on a 390x? I'd take the 390x as it will be about the same power as SLI 770s and also not have the hassle of it not working on some games, for roughly the same price.

[Belize]

Single card, many games tend to be unhappy with SLI

[Denkou]

Historically speaking, the next gen does not really drop the prices of the old gen that much, as they have already deflated over time. I mean, go look at the prices of 770s compared to 970s currently. The cheapest 770 I can find is $278.99 compared to the cheapest 970 which is $293.99. The most expensive 770 I see is still over $500.

So let's just say someone had a 770 today and wanted an upgrade. Would buying another 770 for almost $300 be worth it or would it be better to sell you 770 for $100 and have $400 to spend on a 390x? I'd take the 390x as it will be about the same power as SLI 770s and also not have the hassle of it not working on some games, for roughly the same price.

It depends on the card, really. 290Xs were going on sale for $250 at several times last year, for that price it would be a great Xfire option for someone who already has one. Obviously YMMV and this really depends on what deals you can get, but it's not unheard of to score old flagship cards for really low prices.

The used market is also a good option if you are not opposed to buying used.