Is SLI worth it?

[cfuk]

i heard that it was split 8/8

[Butcher]

There may well be stability issues with SLi on asus boards, there are not stability issues with the GFX cards themselves, and you'd be well advised not to flash them.

As for 8x/8x vs 16x/4x, the latter won't work because there are still 1-2 2x ports active when you have SLi mode enabled. Also the twin slots are designed for SLi, not for an extra monitor.

[iranu]

rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishey, 0iD (flaccid member=classic), Swafeman, WildmonkeyUK, Xcelsion, and buzz_lips give excellent advise/comment imho.

Agent asks swafeman.

Where have you got those figures from ?

Butcher says

It is a lot faster than one card though, almost twice as fast in some games. Dunno where you got 10-20%, it's a lot more than that in most games that support it.

Iranu remembers thinking, "SLI - twice the price but not twice the performance"

and refers the honorable gentleman Agent (et al) to the following

http://www20.graphics.tomshardware.c...222/index.html

"While the obvious advantage is a tangible performance increase, it obviously comes at double the price of a conventional single-card solution. To be clear: SLI is expensive, and at the present time can only really deliver a noticeable performance improvement in very high resolutions or in games making extensive use of pixel shaders. In short, it is a configuration for the well-to-do enthusiast who can afford two gaphics cards in a single system"

iranu's alcohol influenced brain cannot workout % differences in above, said, independant benchmarks at present moment in time, nor does he have reference to other benchmarks/independant testing but will endeavor to find some.

iranu thanks god he has day off tomorrow (today)

[Butcher]

Butcher owns an SLi system and has seen things with his own eyes.

[Matt1eD]

If you get a good card, your're get decent frame rates in everything. SLI isn't really needed yet - and perhaps in the future (correct me if I'm wrong) we'll have 512MB cards with faster GPUs anyway-.

[Agent]

rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishey, 0iD (flaccid member=classic), Swafeman, WildmonkeyUK, Xcelsion, and buzz_lips give excellent advise/comment imho.

Agent asks swafeman.

Butcher says


Iranu remembers thinking, "SLI - twice the price but not twice the performance"

and refers the honorable gentleman Agent (et al) to the following

http://www20.graphics.tomshardware.c...222/index.html

"While the obvious advantage is a tangible performance increase, it obviously comes at double the price of a conventional single-card solution. To be clear: SLI is expensive, and at the present time can only really deliver a noticeable performance improvement in very high resolutions or in games making extensive use of pixel shaders. In short, it is a configuration for the well-to-do enthusiast who can afford two gaphics cards in a single system"

iranu's alcohol influenced brain cannot workout % differences in above, said, independant benchmarks at present moment in time, nor does he have reference to other benchmarks/independant testing but will endeavor to find some.

iranu thanks god he has day off tomorrow (today)

Like the quote you posted says, SLI will really only come into its own when its used for its intended purpose. Its not really fair to compare it to other cards when its not being benchmarked it what it was designed to show gains in.
You could benchmark a SLI system in 640*480 on Unreal 1 until the cows come home and prove it has no advantage, but when its used in something like 3d Mark (however much I think the program is overused), from your own link, it shows a 6800U in SLI fall around a 1010 marks of doubling the score.
With AA and AF applied, it drops to falling 699 marks of doubling the score of a single 6800U. Link
You also need to remember that it’s a new technology. Drivers have to mature, and not all games (well, very few to be honest) are supported by the drivers.

Its the same as always. There are benchmarks and there are benchmarks. They can be twisted to show whatever the reviewer wants to reader to see.
IMO, SLI isn’t the Holy Grail that some people make it out to be, but it defiantly offers a speed gain when used in certain applications, far over the 10-20% that was quoted

The real question that people need to ask is “Does SLI offer any benefit for me in the games that I play, over one card of a similar cost”. Id imagine the answer would be “no” for most people.
SLI is nice, and I respect Nvidia for creating the technology, but I cant help feeling that its sole purpose was to take the speed crown in 3D mark. The use in the real world is limited to say the least. The idea of buying one card now, and one later on when prices fall seems like a fallacy to me. Cards get updated, revisions happen, products get discontinued. If you buy a card today, what’s the chance you will get an identical card in a years time ? Second hand probably, but new probably isn’t too likely.
Even then, the amount technology advances in year or so is amazing. It would probably be cheaper just to sell your old card and buy a new, faster, more up to date one.

[Butcher]

Don't forget HL2 and Doom3 speed crowns as well Agent. Outside of those games and 3dmark the gainsa re not as significant though, that may change as the drivers mature.

[iranu]

When I linked to tomshardware I should have said to ignore 3dmark - I don't think they tell the true story and seem to be invented for urinating up the wall comps. Personally I was interested to see fps in actual games and then work out the increase in fps as a percentage so people could answer the 10-20% question? I do trust TH to do a comparison hence the link.

Again it comes down to personal preference and what the individual considers to be value for money. In 1990 I spent £1000 on a mountain bike when I was starting college. People told me I was mad "you can buy a car for that!" I didn't want a car. I was racing bikes at the time and wanted a bike, it was my hobby and more importantly my hard earned cash.

I can very much understand individuals wanting the best because they are enthusiasts who get a lot of joy out of their machines. And why not.

Personally I can afford to go out and buy the latest/fastest/most whatever hardware and could go down the SLI route. I have chosen not to as I don't think its good value for money atm. I upgrade when I need to or see such a massive difference that it has to be done.

[cfuk]

so wait a little till it's more affordable and more games support sli?

[Agent]

so wait a little till it's more affordable and more games support sli?

Affordability isn’t the issue as such, as when the cost of SLI drops, so will the cost of the individual, more powerful cards.
It’s also not a matter of the games supporting SLI, but SLI supporting the games. Nvidia have to add SLI specific information to each game in the drivers at the moment for them to work best. Im sure I read somewhere that they will allow the end user to do this soon enough though.

[iranu]

I would consider the SLI route when the support is there and the technology has matured a little bit. It could well work out in the long run e.g.

buy 1x £300 SLI card now and have wonderful gfx, then, in say a years time when the graphics market has moved on and SLI support is there, your £300 card can now be bought for £150 so you get another one and do SLI which gives you the performance (and maybe more) of a single brand new latest card costing £350

[Butcher]

Affordability isn’t the issue as such, as when the cost of SLI drops, so will the cost of the individual, more powerful cards.
It’s also not a matter of the games supporting SLI, but SLI supporting the games. Nvidia have to add SLI specific information to each game in the drivers at the moment for them to work best. Im sure I read somewhere that they will allow the end user to do this soon enough though.

You can force sli in the drivers already, it doesn't always give useful results though.

[Agent]

You can force sli in the drivers already, it doesn't always give useful results though.

Ah cool, cheers
Dont own a SLI system so didnt know