Games will be the death of me

[BarnyMiler]

I'm just finishing up with my latest gaming machine upgrade. Specs are in my profile. My next purchase will be a 2nd 8800GTS for running SLI, and hopefully a bigger monitor or multiple-monitor setup with a Triple Head to Go thingy.

As if this machine needs a 2nd video card though. It cuts through games like butter as is. I've recently started playing Oblivion again and it's much more enjoyable this time around. It seems like load times are nearly non-existent (thanks to the Raptors, I guess?) and playing with 4x AA and 8x AF on 'High' (not highest) settings at 1680 x 1050 really adds to the imersion aspect. I get lost in the game it seems. I also picked up Quake IV again. I want to finally beat the darn thing!

And don't get me started on: Crysis, Orange Box, Gears of War, Bioshock....the list goes on! I just can't keep up!!!

But the problem is, all this gaming is sucking up my free time. Time I should be spending on side projects for more money or solving the world's problems or anything generally more beneficial to mankind.

Oh well. I'm sure one day I'll look back and miss these days. So I'll just try to enjoy them while I can.

[hat]

Uh, don't get the second card. My uncle has SLI and it is usually disabled because of incompatability issues with some games. Stick with the GTS, and OC it.

[3991vhtes]

you could always say "screw gaming" and use the PC for simple internet usage

[BarnyMiler]

You think so?? I've had good experiences with SLI in the past. In fact, I was around during the early days of SLI when you would use two Voodoo2's together. SLI stood for something else back then (late 90's), but it was still 2 video cards working as one. But more recently, I used to run two 6800 Ultras together and that was good, until one of the cards died on me. But every game I tried, worked fine.

I guess you're right though. I know there are some issues once in a while. During this build, I did contemplate just getting one GTX (or I could just O/C).

And I think I just missed my 90-day 'Step Up' window through EVGA which I could have used to upgrade to a GTX for about the same (a little less actually) as I would have paid for a 2nd GTS.

Something to think about though...

[kwchang007]

Originally Posted by BarnyMiler

You think so?? I've had good experiences with SLI in the past. In fact, I was around during the early days of SLI when you would use two Voodoo2's together. SLI stood for something else back then (late 90's), but it was still 2 video cards working as one. But more recently, I used to run two 6800 Ultras together and that was good, until one of the cards died on me. But every game I tried, worked fine.

I guess you're right though. I know there are some issues once in a while. During this build, I did contemplate just getting one GTX (or I could just O/C).

And I think I just missed my 90-day 'Step Up' window through EVGA which I could have used to upgrade to a GTX for about the same (a little less actually) as I would have paid for a 2nd GTS.

Something to think about though...

Actually instead of upgrading to sli. Why not just wait to see what second gen dx10 cards offer?

[3991vhtes]

Originally Posted by 3991vhtes

you could always say "screw gaming" and use the PC for simple internet usage

this my fellow tpu'ers was a joke

[BarnyMiler]

Originally Posted by kwchang007

Actually instead of upgrading to sli. Why not just wait to see what second gen dx10 cards offer?

I like the way you think. This is probably for a different thread, but I need to check for the realistic street dates of these fabled next-gen cards.

[BarnyMiler]

Originally Posted by 3991vhtes

you could always say "screw gaming" and use the PC for simple internet usage

Yeah, I guess it's too late now, but here's the response I should have given:

I don't know, I think the CPU might be a bit weak for that.

[Chewy]

humm put that stuff on water and OC! my gts will be on water in like 2-3 weeks.. Im not sure what crysis will want but I think a well overclocked gts will plow trought it.. I do good in BioShock.. 35fps and thats with stock OC 550mhz core.. on water we should be able to get 670 or so core... running cool .

9800series Nv cards will be out around Christmas.. it should be very nice too.

You can easily get 600core with the stock cooler, unless you got a lemon card,which I doubt.

[JC316]

Originally Posted by 3991vhtes

you could always say "screw gaming" and use the PC for simple internet usage

Currently that is all I am doing due to my 650I board being DOA. Surfing with the XP 2200 machine and playing N64 for games.

[mullered07]

Originally Posted by Chewy

humm put that stuff on water and OC! my gts will be on water in like 2-3 weeks.. Im not sure what crysis will want but I think a well overclocked gts will plow trought it.. I do good in BioShock.. 35fps and thats with stock OC 550mhz core.. on water we should be able to get 670 or so core... running cool .

9800series Nv cards will be out around Christmas.. it should be very nice too.

You can easily get 600core with the stock cooler, unless you got a lemon card,which I doubt.

35fps ? i get min 40 and around 50 avg ?

[Chewy]

Originally Posted by mullered07

35fps ? i get min 40 and around 50 avg ?

:O I havent gotten around to tweaking vista yet maybe that has a part to play in it.. I have a tad bit higher res too but yeah maybe I should be around the same since my card is 550mhz core and your running yours stock/500. hummm I would like more, but 35 is ok for me.. I prob wouldnt notice the diff with 70.

50 avg nice man. you have everything on in nv control panel? Supersampling, trilinear, elc? I stay at like 35fps... humm lol.. I cant get fraps to work atm though.. ever since I tried that FOV fix.