• Considering an SLI GPU Upgrade
    11 replies, posted
I built a new computer two years ago and it's been my cool-running baby. With an i7 870, 8 gigs of DDR3 and a GTX 460, plus a Zalman copper Cooler and the MSI Cyclone GTX 460 version with it's supreme cooling system, I've ran it with nary an issue. Just about any game I play cowers before my processing power, and only Crysis 2's DX11 patch with it's massive texture pack have managed to make the sucker chug. But in all this, I've forgotten one thing: my monitor. My Monitor is an HP f1905, and it's served me well, but I fear its age is showing. At 1280x1024, it's slowly being left in the dust by the age of HD. It was already telling how the 1080p option for Youtube videos did nothing for me, since such a resolution dwarfs my screen. Not only that though, but it also tells me that my ability to play such high-tier games is an illusion, since I'm rendering them out in a lesser resolution. I'm certain that were it forced to render 1080p games on my current hardware, I'd find my beloved machine quickly humbled in the process. So if I finally upgrade my monitor, I'd say I might as well up the ante across the board. Rather than spend obscene amounts of money on the hot running NVidia 580's, I'd rather run a pair of GTX 550 TI's in SLI. Mostly I'd choose them because they feature the MSI Cyclone cooling design that I love so much on my 460. Or perhaps I should simply buy another 460? I hear the performance difference isn't that much anyway. I run into a few issues I'm uncertain of, however. Firstly, my motherboard (the ASRock P55 PRO/USB3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard) has two PCIE 2.0 slots, and advertises that it can support Crossfire. This page... [URL]http://motherboards.productwiki.com/asrock-p55-pro-usb3/[/URL] ...claims that it can do both Crossfire AND SLI, but I don't know for certain. If something can do Crossfire, can it do SLI too? Another issue is power. I have a CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V v2.2 for my PSU. I've never had power issues with it, and I'm pretty sure it can handle a 2nd 460 if I tried, but I don't know for certain. If all I end up needing to do is buy another 460 plus the new monitor, it would be one of the easiest upgrades I've ever done with the most benefit. If I end up needing a new damned motherboard on top of it all, I might just let it be, given the Hell I endured just installing the Zalmans cooler the first time. Either way, I know one of these days I'm gonna need to join the age of HD, and quit living under false standards of awesome on an outdated resolution. If you guys can help me get there easier, all the better :)
I would sli some 560's or 560 ti's if you have the budget, they dont run hot, i got a 1ghz overclock on some MSI Twin Frozor II and it hasnt hit 80 yet, and that they are designed for gaming on with a diffrent core thats better for it. Recomendation for a 560 ti (old one) is 750w so if you do go with 550ti's then it will be fine. Wiki's are unreliable so find another source, i'll look into it for you since I have about 2 hours to burn still. Check the boxs proably and it will tell ya. [editline]16th February 2012[/editline] [url]http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?model=p55%20pro/usb3[/url] Nope. No SLI.
God damnit... Also, holy crap, what's with the sudden total lack of capable LGA 1156 boards? Only ones I can find are from Biostar, and are either too expensive for my liking, or have a mountain of complaints concerning BIOS errors. Also, I'll be fucked if I'm putting a cheap-looking banana yellow motherboard in MY machine, thank you very much...
[url]http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-LGA1156-P55-Motherboard-132-LF-E655-KR/dp/B002N2Z062/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1329371091&sr=1-8[/url] Bang?
[QUOTE=Ooops: 404;34721767][url]http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-LGA1156-P55-Motherboard-132-LF-E655-KR/dp/B002N2Z062/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1329371091&sr=1-8[/url] Bang?[/QUOTE] Hmm, possibly... Just looked up a video on this board. Sounds pretty sweet. So running SLI chokes both cards to x8 instead of x16? I guess that makes sense... The vid showed a lot more about the specs than the amazon ad does, so good thing is my 1333 RAM will work with it too. Very interesting... It's also a damn cool looking board too, certainly more dignified than some tacky looking yellow budget-board. So you recommend the 550 ti's over the 460's? That a sure thing, you think?
No I don't [IMG]http://media.bestofmicro.com/S/F/284847/original/3DMark11.png[/IMG] The 460's are better. Thats why I said a 560 or 560ti.
Huh... Well, been thinking. Whether I upgrade the entire machine from the ground up, or just replace the motherboard and buy another 460, I'm going to spend anywhere between 500 and 1200 dollars, plus the PAIN of spending the day tearing out my current board, taking off the CPU heatsink, extracting my i7 from the board, taking off the RAM and GPU, unplugging all the wiring, stuffing the new board into the case, putting the CPU into the new socket, reseating the heatsink and wiring everything together again... ...Well, personally I'm starting to think I should forget SLI altogether and just opt for one of the flashier, beefier single cards. The GTX 570 doesn't sound too bad, actually. Top temps of around 70C, and that's nothing compared to the days when I owned my old 8800GT. Has about the same power needs as the 8800GT too. Tell me if I'd be making a serious mistake in buying that card, or in doing single card over SLI for whatever reason. All I'm saying is it would make life a lot easier just to fork over a bit more than usual for a badass card and just buy a new monitor, than to do things the hard way. I think I'm going to apply myself to the old rule: if you need to replace the motherboard, you might as well upgrade the whole damn thing. CPU, RAM, everything.
[QUOTE=J-Dude;34724396]Huh... Well, been thinking. Whether I upgrade the entire machine from the ground up, or just replace the motherboard and buy another 460, I'm going to spend anywhere between 500 and 1200 dollars, plus the PAIN of spending the day tearing out my current board, taking off the CPU heatsink, extracting my i7 from the board, taking off the RAM and GPU, unplugging all the wiring, stuffing the new board into the case, putting the CPU into the new socket, reseating the heatsink and wiring everything together again... ...Well, personally I'm starting to think I should forget SLI altogether and just opt for one of the flashier, beefier single cards. The GTX 570 doesn't sound too bad, actually. Top temps of around 70C, and that's nothing compared to the days when I owned my old 8800GT. Has about the same power needs as the 8800GT too. Tell me if I'd be making a serious mistake in buying that card, or in doing single card over SLI for whatever reason. All I'm saying is it would make life a lot easier just to fork over a bit more than usual for a badass card and just buy a new monitor, than to do things the hard way. I think I'm going to apply myself to the old rule: if you need to replace the motherboard, you might as well upgrade the whole damn thing. CPU, RAM, everything.[/QUOTE] I would sell your current one and buy another.
[QUOTE=Ooops: 404;34724449]I would sell your current one and buy another.[/QUOTE] My current what? Graphics card?
computer, then build a new one
Yep if thats the route your going.
I think I'm going to wait a while longer before I build a totally new machine. Drastic, and so expensive it has to span several paychecks before all the parts are acquired. At no time in my life have I ever been in the position to comfortably spend $1000 all at once. Besides, there's no way I'd sell my current machine as is, or until I already have everything I need to build the new one. Almost certainly I'd still use my current case and PSU, and maybe even the hdd and dvd-r drives. And my Zalman cooler of course. Any money I DON'T have to spend I won't, because I pretty much work part time at minimum wage. So basically I'd just be selling components. Upping to the 570 is the simplest thing I can do at the moment. I know my machine can handle it, it won't be rocket science, and it's sufficiently advanced enough that if I did go the whole hog later and built a new machine, I could use it for a while in the new rig like I did with my 8800GT before moving to the GTX 460. Or, since I'll be certain to get something SLI ready next time I'm motherboard-hunting, I can just get another 570 once that time comes.
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