Question about SLI

[Zogarth]

So, i am currently considering to get 2x GTX 760 in SLI. As this would be my first computer running with SLI i got a couple of questions about exactly how much you would benefit from SLI. I have checked that my power supply can support it, and my motherboard is also compatible.

1: Is it even worth it getting SLI over a single graphics card?
2: Is games optimized for SLI?
3: I herd something about new games getting released not being able to utilize SLI undtil Nvidia has released a driver-update. Is this true?
4: Any other things that would be good to know before running with SLI?

[Saithes]

In most modern games it ranges from about 75-95% boost in performance off of the 2nd GPU. Modern games are indeed optimized for SLI and Nvidia as of recently has been ontop of releasing SLI updates in their drivers for games (see Metro Last Light).

So far I have yet to run into any major game that doesn't utilize my GTX 690's SLI. Even minecraft does to a certain extent lol.

[Zogarth]

In most modern games it ranges from about 75-95% boost in performance off of the 2nd GPU. Modern games are indeed optimized for SLI and Nvidia as of recently has been ontop of releasing SLI updates in their drivers for games (see Metro Last Light).

So far I have yet to run into any major game that doesn't utilize my GTX 690's SLI. Even minecraft does to a certain extent lol.

So would you recommend going with 2x 760? It will only cost me around 650 dollars, while a single 780 will cost me upwards of 900+ dollars.

[Deleted]

I'd get the 770 instead of going SLI, but that's because I hate dual gpu setups.

[Zogarth]

I'd get the 770 instead of going SLI, but that's because I hate dual gpu setups.

Why do you hate dual GPU setups? Also, two 760 will cost me only a bit more than a single 770... and from the different benchmarks i can see, SLI 760 heavily outperforms a 770. Accoring to some reviews, it even outperforms a 780, running just behind a titan.

(Source: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages...review,16.html)

[Saithes]

So would you recommend going with 2x 760? It will only cost me around 650 dollars, while a single 780 will cost me upwards of 900+ dollars.

That's solely up to you. My recommendation if you do is to get an Asus/MSI with a 3rd party cooling solution on it since 760's seem to run quite loud lol.

[Deleted]

Why do you hate dual GPU setups? Also, two 760 will cost me only a bit more than a single 770... and from the different benchmarks i can see, SLI 760 heavily outperforms a 770. Accoring to some reviews, it even outperforms a 780, running just behind a titan.

(Source: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages...review,16.html)

Yeah it outperforms single gpu setups no doubt, my personal preference is just that it's just easier to buy a single high end card, as that will run most games without issue, unless of course you are running 1440/1600p resolutions, at which point you'd want more than the 2gb vram anyway.

[Demoness]

Yeah it outperforms single gpu setups no doubt, my personal preference is just that it's just easier to buy a single high end card, as that will run most games without issue, unless of course you are running 1440/1600p resolutions, at which point you'd want more than the 2gb vram anyway.

Adding more cards in SLI does not increase VRAM... Only choosing a different card or cards with higher VRAM.

[Saithes]

Yeah it outperforms single gpu setups no doubt, my personal preference is just that it's just easier to buy a single high end card, as that will run most games without issue, unless of course you are running 1440/1600p resolutions, at which point you'd want more than the 2gb vram anyway.

Also, 2GB is actually pretty ideal for 2560x1440/1600 as long as the memory bandwidth is sufficient. Beyond that though 3GB+ is what is ideal when you stack on AA.

[Zogarth]

That's solely up to you. My recommendation if you do is to get an Asus/MSI with a 3rd party cooling solution on it since 760's seem to run quite loud lol.

I have never had any cooling problems with my computer at all, since i spend quite a lot on a good rig and to ensure a good airflow. I just saw, that i will most likely also need a new power supply, but i would have to get a new one eventually (A mate said that 600W would be fine, but seems like it will take more like 700-800W). And, i was planning on getting a 3rd party card from asus most likely. I also plan on waiting a month and a half or something, since the initial price normally drops a bit soon after release.

Yeah it outperforms single gpu setups no doubt, my personal preference is just that it's just easier to buy a single high end card, as that will run most games without issue, unless of course you are running 1440/1600p resolutions, at which point you'd want more than the 2gb vram anyway.

Well i currently run with 2x screens both with 1920/1080. But when i game, i only play on my main screen. It is just that this solutions seems like it would perform around the same as a titan, but 40% cheaper, which just seems too good to pass by. Also, i am one of those people that will only play games at 60 fps, and the better graphics the better. I would just avoid wasting unnessesary money, by for example buying a single 780, which would be worse than 2x 760, but still cost more... And from what i can see, all triple A games pretty much get a patch the same day as they are released to make it SLI compatible...

But what is your reasons for disliking SLI? And in what way is it easier to go with a single GPU?

[Saithes]

I have never had any cooling problems with my computer at all, since i spend quite a lot on a good rig and to ensure a good airflow. I just saw, that i will most likely also need a new power supply, but i would have to get a new one eventually (A mate said that 600W would be fine, but seems like it will take more like 700-800W). And, i was planning on getting a 3rd party card from asus most likely. I also plan on waiting a month and a half or something, since the initial price normally drops a bit soon after release.

Oh it's not really about the temperatures but with how loud they run but I guess if you don't mind the extra noise. Since they don't use the Nvidia "Titan" heatsink and instead use the GTX 670/680 variant heatsink they run pretty loud in comparison to Asus/MSI's DirectCU/Twin Frozr. Two Cards = Twice the Noise obviously.

[Zogarth]

Oh it's not really about the temperatures but with how loud they run but I guess if you don't mind the extra noise. Since they don't use the Nvidia "Titan" heatsink and instead use the GTX 670/680 variant heatsink they run pretty loud in comparison to Asus/MSI's DirectCU/Twin Frozr. Two Cards = Twice the Noise obviously.

Meh, i sit with headset on anyway, i would not care less XD And more often than not i have a ventilater blowing in my face which most likely makes more noice than they ever will.

Also, for a new power supply... is Corsair a good brand?

Edit: I will have to leave for bed now, but i will return tommorow some time...

[vesseblah]

Well i currently run with 2x screens both with 1920/1080. But when i game, i only play on my main screen. Also, i am one of those people that will only play games at 60 fps, and the better graphics the better. I would just avoid wasting unnessesary money

If you don't want to waste money, get a single 760 now and think about another in year or two, because...

But what is your reasons for disliking SLI? And in what way is it easier to go with a single GPU?

Heat, noise, power draw and sometimes lacking support. Do you need more reasons to dislike SLI? Single GPU means you'll never be in a situation where drivers do not support your favourite game in SLI mode. It took years before WoW supported SLI so that it wasn't fps loss turning 2nd GPU on. Crossfire still has problems with it.

Also something worth thinking is that high end cards have higher resale value than low end cards. If you'd buy a single GTX770 for example today it can run every single game that isn't CPU capped at more than 60fps on single 1920x1080 screen with settings maxed. If you need more power at some later date you could either add second 770 or sell it and buy whatever new card is available, but lower end cards like 760 will be much harder to sell since nobody really wants old low end cards, only old high end cards that might be still worth something in current games.

[Cyanotical]

Single GPU means you'll never be in a situation where drivers do not support your favourite game in SLI mode.

i have only ever had problems with 1 game, and to be more specific, i have had problems with 1 graphics level setting in 1 game, this fear of multi GPU setups is unwarranted, at least with Nvidia cards, it's fully justified and understandable with Crossfire though

[Killora]

i have only ever had problems with 1 game, and to be more specific, i have had problems with 1 graphics level setting in 1 game, this fear of multi GPU setups is unwarranted, at least with Nvidia cards, it's fully justified and understandable with Crossfire though

Agreed here. The fear of multi-gpu setups mostly stems from older generations. And back then? i'd tend to agree that Dual GPU was a bad idea. But now, with how games are supporting it and drivers are being updated quickly, theres no reason to fear it. Crossfire is still pretty terrible, but SLI is just fine.

In the case of cooling, i'd go for a 3rd party cooling soltuion from Asus/gigabyte/MSI or the EVGA ACX cooling. Your case airfow isn't going to matter if the cooling on your GPU is sub-par. Which reference "blower" style coolers are pretty meh. Ignoring the fact that they're loud when cranked up, the bearings in the fans go bad much quicker than bigger, slower moving fans. you're better off going with an open dual-fan cooling solution such as the ones listed above.

also, any legacy games that don't support SLI can easily be played off of one GPU, so that's not going to be an issue. The 760 SLI should be a good choice.

[yurano]

Agreed here. The fear of multi-gpu setups mostly stems from older generations. And back then? i'd tend to agree that Dual GPU was a bad idea. But now, with how games are supporting it and drivers are being updated quickly, theres no reason to fear it. Crossfire is still pretty terrible, but SLI is just fine.

There are costs to SLI/CF other than compatibility and driver issues. The power supply needs to be upgraded. For a 760x2 system, ~650W is necessary at minimum, ~750W is recommended. Power supplies with the necessary PCIe connections for a 760 cost more (2x8-pin + 2x6-pin). Motherboard support for multi-GPU technologies is necessary. Multi-card systems can't overclock as high as single-card systems due to the impact of additional cooling needs.

All in all, multi-GPU is an enthusiast endeavor; its doable, but there are several considerations.

[Saithes]

There are costs to SLI/CF other than compatibility and driver issues. The power supply needs to be upgraded. For a 760x2 system, ~650W is necessary at minimum, ~750W is recommended. Power supplies with the necessary PCIe connections for a 760 cost more (2x8-pin + 2x6-pin). Motherboard support for multi-GPU technologies is necessary. Multi-card systems can't overclock as high as single-card systems due to the impact of additional cooling needs.

All in all, multi-GPU is an enthusiast endeavor; its doable, but there are several considerations.

SLI just takes preparation is all. It's not necessarily an enthusiasts endeavor as much as it use to be. Higher wattage quality PSU's have been quite affordable these days and any quality power supply 650+ will most definitely have 2 or more PCI-E 6 pins (which the 760 only takes 2 6 pins). You can get a Seasonic X650 for $120 or even sometimes less now. Anyone who buys a high end GPU also isn't going to buy a low powered PSU unless they are an idiot.

Overall other than the concern of getting an SLI certified board... which really isn't a concern on modern Intel platforms (most games orient toward Intel now) there really isn't any other concerns for SLI that wouldn't also be with a high end single GPU.

[yurano]

SLI just takes preparation is all. It's not necessarily an enthusiasts endeavor as much as it use to be.

Maybe, but its a little more than just a walk in the park. It is still slightly more difficult to set up than a standard build and there's a greater chance to get things wrong.

Higher wattage quality PSU's have been quite affordable these days and any quality power supply 650+ will most definitely have 2 or more PCI-E 6 pins (which the 760 only takes 2 6 pins). You can get a Seasonic X650 for $120 or even sometimes less now. Anyone who buys a high end GPU also isn't going to buy a low powered PSU unless they are an idiot.

The cost of a higher wattage PSU and outfitting a case for cooling (nicer case, additional case fans) has to be added to the cost of SLI. Its not just 760 price x2 vs 780 price. The PSU price increase and case/fan/fan controller price increase all have to be added to the 760 side. There is also a need to buy higher binned 760s which will help alleviate some thermal issues.

The Gigabyte 760, MSI 760 and certain EVGA 760s 1 2 require 8 + 6 pin PCIe.

With your level of experience, you might think its stupid to buy a high end GPU without an accompanying PSU, but most new builders have little to no experience (think of how many people buy Raidmax PSUs). All a new buyer sees is: "WoW, double the performance of a 760 for much less than the price of a 780, thats a steal!". Its the job of experienced "mentors" to point out that there are some strings attached.

There's also the issue of buyers overextending their budgets. Many times I've seen buyers pay too much on non-performance parts only to realize later that they've squandered most of their budget and to make their build work, they'd have to spend budget that they don't have. Its difficult for new buyers to understand and process the "big picture" due to lack of experience.

Overall other than the concern of getting an SLI certified board... which really isn't a concern on modern Intel platforms (most games orient toward Intel now) there really isn't any other concerns for SLI that wouldn't also be with a high end single GPU.

Only ZX7 edition motherboards are SLI capable. Z75/Z85 are not SLI capable and neither are B75 and H edition motherboards.

[Zogarth]

Maybe, but its a little more than just a walk in the park. It is still slightly more difficult to set up than a standard build and there's a greater chance to get things wrong.



The cost of a higher wattage PSU and outfitting a case for cooling (nicer case, additional case fans) has to be added to the cost of SLI. Its not just 760 price x2 vs 780 price. The PSU price increase and case/fan/fan controller price increase all have to be added to the 760 side. There is also a need to buy higher binned 760s which will help alleviate some thermal issues.

The Gigabyte 760, MSI 760 and certain EVGA 760s 1 2 require 8 + 6 pin PCIe.

With your level of experience, you might think its stupid to buy a high end GPU without an accompanying PSU, but most new builders have little to no experience (think of how many people buy Raidmax PSUs). All a new buyer sees is: "WoW, double the performance of a 760 for much less than the price of a 780, thats a steal!". Its the job of experienced "mentors" to point out that there are some strings attached.

There's also the issue of buyers overextending their budgets. Many times I've seen buyers pay too much on non-performance parts only to realize later that they've squandered most of their budget and to make their build work, they'd have to spend budget that they don't have. Its difficult for new buyers to understand and process the "big picture" due to lack of experience.



Only ZX7 edition motherboards are SLI capable. Z75/Z85 are not SLI capable and neither are B75 and H edition motherboards.

I will only require to buy a new power supply, which i would need to do soon anyway. Also, my motherboard is: P8Z44-V LE Plus. Also, i have built several computers before and even for my friends, and i am quite confident in doing it. I am not afraid to overextend my bugdet as i do not really have a budget per say... i got saving to buy 4x titans if i liked, my biggest concern is just not wasting money on no performance increase. Even if you can spend it, there is no need to. Also, i have a quite expensive coolermaster case, that has been doing great for years, and i have never had any heating issues at all.

[yurano]

I will only require to buy a new power supply, which i would need to do soon anyway. Also, my motherboard is: P8Z44-V LE Plus. Also, i have built several computers before and even for my friends, and i am quite confident in doing it. I am not afraid to overextend my bugdet as i do not really have a budget per say... i got saving to buy 4x titans if i liked, my biggest concern is just not wasting money on no performance increase. Even if you can spend it, there is no need to. Also, i have a quite expensive coolermaster case, that has been doing great for years, and i have never had any heating issues at all.

Since you've already invested in a SLI ready rig, it'd be a waste to not put in two cards.