SLi

[Mujuro]

Is SLi (Multi-GPU Technology) really that faster than one GPU card? I am thinkning of purchasing an SLi based system, but before I do, I want to know if it is worth the extra money for the performance it provides? If someone can fill me in on SLi technology, it would be highly appreciated.

 

[Dumb Dude]

According to this nvidia article, it could give you up to 2x the performance.

http://nvidia.com/page/sli.html

 

[[Matt]]

Yes it can be much faster but usually its only faster when the games are run in higher resolutions. At lower resolutions the games frame rate is usually CPU limited so a 2x6800u system would run at 5% to 10% faster than a single 6800u when run at lower resolutions such as 1024x768. For an SLI system you really do need a good monitor thats large enough to run at 1600x1200 and fast enough to run it at high refresh rates so that the card wont be CPU limited. Most gfames at that resolution run at almost double the speed.

An SLI system makes for an extremely expensive initial outlay and in my opinion it simply isnt worth the cash. I would regard the true promise of an SLI system is its ability to run just a single card if you wish. When money is tight you can buy an SLI motherboard and a single graphics card such as a 6800GT and it will perform extremely well and still be regarded as a high end gaming PC. Then when your pockets are again full of cash to spend you can buy another graphics card for a huge performance boost to keep up with future technology.