Help With SLI & Videocards

[eQUIV]

Ok, I understand the idea of SLI and I have an SLI motherboard. I get that you link two cards together... now, does that mean you really have double the power? And if so how significant is it... for example can two midrange cards connected via SLI outperform a top of the line card?

I currently have a Asus x800 256mb pci.... Now i'm wondering if i bought two GeForce 7300 GS PCI-E GDDR2 256MB would I notice a considerable boost. Or Would I be better off buying an ATI x1600 512MB PCI, or maybe an x1800 ?

Please help as I am an idiot.

 

[Revisedsoul]

you would be better off with the x1600 or x1800 than two 7300

most games you will only get a max of 30% fps increase(i think thats about right)

 

[Asus]

Yeah 1 good card is better than 2 medium cards. The only time 2 cards are better is if you have 2 top end cards since there isn't a better single card out for 6 months. But you pay twice for it now rather than waiting that 6 months and just buying the new card.

 

[Qonfused]

I believe no two cards will equal the power of one higher card. For example, two 7600s will not equal the power of a 7800. Not sure about two 7800s and one 7900, though.

 

[eQUIV]

So then really there isn't really much of a huge advantage to SLI then?

 

[JNightshade]

Unless you're loaded enough to buy 2 new cards every 6 months, no.

 

[bryanf445]

Unless you're loaded enough to buy 2 new cards every 6 months, no.

what he said, so just stick with a high end card now and youll be set

 

[JNightshade]

Yeah. My friend learned this the hard way. Bought a DISGUSTING rig- 2 gigs of RAM, AMD FX-57 processor, and SLI'd 6800 Ultras. A month and a half later, the 7800 comes out, and shits all over his videocards.