Breaking World Records with NVIDIA 3-way SLI

[imperialreign]

xfire and SLI, IMO, is just too overpriced of an option for the average gamer, considering the performance yield per dollar cost. Only reason I went with a second 1950 is because I got it dirt-ass cheap.

I think, especially for the high end cards - if you buy one at regular retail price, there should be a voucher you can redeem through the manufacturer for a coupon for 50% off a second identical card - limited only to the original purchaser. Otherwise, meh . . .

as far as benchmarks go - that's cool you've managed a score like that - to each his own.

 

[ghost101]

I think, especially for the high end cards - if you buy one at regular retail price, there should be a voucher you can redeem through the manufacturer for a coupon for 50% off a second identical card - limited only to the original purchaser. Otherwise, meh . . .

How are you going to prevent arbitrage?

 

[Mussels]

Tom Baker is one of the old Doctor Who's.

tom baker is THE doctor who.
and his hair is teh flying spaghetti monsters cousin.

 

[imperialreign]

How are you going to prevent arbitrage?

yeah, I know . . . there'd would defi be some kinks to work out

All I'm saying is that I'd like to see both nVidia and ATI offer some kind of incentive, or aide, for making the multi GPU option viable. Overall performance increase per dollar is just rather . . . weak, y'know?

For example, just based of 3m06 scores for me, adding a second 1950 PRO only yielded a 27% overall performance increase, and that percentage is even lower for games. Now, say I had actually paid the retail asking price of ~$200+ for the second GPU . . . that money could've been better spent.

Thankfully, I only paid $70 for the second GPU

 

[Duxx]

/yawn

 

[Ravenas]

I don't know why nvidia is doing tri-sli on a consumer basis. There is really no use for this on the consumer level, if anything it's just overkill.

Wow...What an accomplishment, I wouldn't expect anything less with three cards.

 

[Woah Mama!]

Why are you all being so negative about it? Who said that gaming has anything to do with massive benchmark scores? Benchmarking is a different league that is only for those who want to pursue the highest scores. Much like those who want to out-frag everyone else in an FPS or beat the fastest ever lap in a racing game.

Damn why can't you just say something like "Good for that guy, he accomplished something he set out to do".

 

[AphexDreamer]

Why are you all being so negative about it? Who said that gaming has anything to do with massive benchmark scores? Benchmarking is a different league that is only for those who want to pursue the highest scores. Much like those who want to out-frag everyone else in an FPS or beat the fastest ever lap in a racing game.

Damn why can't you just say something like "Good for that guy, he accomplished something he set out to do".

Hey man everyone has different views and although we might not agree with what the other person says or writes, we must respect there point of view because there is no absolute way of determining wether who is right or not.(at least in situations such as this) But yeah I know what you are talking about, plus not everything is negitve here?

 

[Mussels]

what this SHOULD be doing is smaller cards.

someone getting one of those boards and an 8600GTS or 8800GT should be able to toss in two more - not just the stupidly expensive cards.

Hell, at a consumer level, 3x 7600GT would make a lot of people happy.

 

[btarunr]

^Agree. I wonder why the option to use 3 cards in tandem is given only to the elite. If I'm not wrong, you'll even be able to use four HD2400 XT cards with the Crossfire X driver, when it comes. Wouldn't that be sweet? At least four 2600 XT cards?

 

[AphexDreamer]

^Agree. I wonder why the option to use 3 cards in tandem is given only to the elite. If I'm not wrong, you'll even be able to use four HD2400 XT cards with the Crossfire X driver, when it comes. Wouldn't that be sweet? At least four 2600 XT cards?

Imagin having four Dual Core HD 3870's, Now that would be freakin AWSOME!!

 

[Mussels]

if they manage to do that, upgrading graphics will be the same as upgrading ram is today.

Want more? get another one!
want faster? replace all of em at once!
it might SEEM a pain in the ass, but we do it all the time with system ram, and its no different to that.

 

[btarunr]

Exactly. Picture this: four HD2600 cards would cost $90 each ($360 for four) wouldn't it come close to beating HD3880 (R680) priced at close to $400

 

[eidairaman1]

Bragging Rights is the only thing you get out of it, but beyond that those top video cards will be obsolete within Minutes. Plus no Hardcore Gamer will want to pay the powerbill just to run the damn unit, heh youd have to have your own generator just to run the damn things.

Why are you all being so negative about it? Who said that gaming has anything to do with massive benchmark scores? Benchmarking is a different league that is only for those who want to pursue the highest scores. Much like those who want to out-frag everyone else in an FPS or beat the fastest ever lap in a racing game.

Damn why can't you just say something like "Good for that guy, he accomplished something he set out to do".

 

[jurrasstoil]

Exactly. Picture this: four HD2600 cards would cost $90 each ($360 for four) wouldn't it come close to beating HD3880 (R680) priced at close to $400

Don't forget about the additional (and insane) power consumption.
Draining 100% more power and most of the time just offer roughly 30% more performance is ridiculous.

 

[btarunr]

Don't forget about the additional (and insane) power consumption.
Draining 100% more power and most of the time just offer roughly 30% more performance is ridiculous.

Imagine the flexibility. You upgrade in instalments. Today I have $90 I'll buy one card. whenever I have some money, I'll keep adding to it. Hell, a 2600XT costs just as much as two game titles. you can buy one on a monthly basis just like spending on buying music

 

[Basard]

Yeah, an extra 800 bucks, just for Intel to SKIP a step in production (leaving the multi unlocked), thats pretty lame.

 

[Ravenas]

Why are you all being so negative about it? Who said that gaming has anything to do with massive benchmark scores? Benchmarking is a different league that is only for those who want to pursue the highest scores. Much like those who want to out-frag everyone else in an FPS or beat the fastest ever lap in a racing game.

Damn why can't you just say something like "Good for that guy, he accomplished something he set out to do".

Good for that guy, he was sponsored by nvidia to make a benchmark that doesn't matter to the general consumer at all. It doesn't matter because WE can't access those products simply because not many people will fork over that much money even if they are rich. It's the same as someone setting a benchmark with a "tri quad core setup" (figuratively speaking)...Oh he set a world record with 3 quad cores, you should be congratulating him! GO FIGURE!

I would be congratulating him if everyone on this forum could have access to three cards and then he set a world record.

Rant over.

 

[imperialreign]

Don't forget about the additional (and insane) power consumption.
Draining 100% more power and most of the time just offer roughly 30% more performance is ridiculous.

and the one issue everyone seems to forget about also, is the massive amounts of additional heat being put out within your chasis.

Even just throwing in a second card adds a ton of additional heat - I can't imagine what kind of cooling system you would have to work with just to keep 4 VGA adapters in check. Granted your higher end cards use dual slot coolers on 'em - they still put out ambient heat, also.


Unless you like being able to cook eggs on your case

 

[eidairaman1]

Well you see the AC Compressor Unit at the bottom of the page, so it requires that cooling just to keep Stable. I say 2 cards is more than enough for gaming, Which with Such Cooling Apparatus, majority here cant afford to purchase or maintain.

and the one issue everyone seems to forget about also, is the massive amounts of additional heat being put out within your chasis.

Even just throwing in a second card adds a ton of additional heat - I can't imagine what kind of cooling system you would have to work with just to keep 4 VGA adapters in check. Granted your higher end cards use dual slot coolers on 'em - they still put out ambient heat, also.


Unless you like being able to cook eggs on your case

 

[Woah Mama!]

Good for that guy, he was sponsored by nvidia to make a benchmark that doesn't matter to the general consumer at all. It doesn't matter because WE can't access those products simply because not many people will fork over that much money even if they are rich. It's the same as someone setting a benchmark with a "tri quad core setup" (figuratively speaking)...Oh he set a world record with 3 quad cores, you should be congratulating him! GO FIGURE!

I would be congratulating him if everyone on this forum could have access to three cards and then he set a world record.

Rant over.

Whatever man. I can't be bothered to reply to that because it will further turn this thread into something it is not meant to be. But I guess it already is.

 

[Mussels]

Whatever man. I can't be bothered to reply to that because it will further turn this thread into something it is not meant to be. But I guess it already is.

his point is: anyone sponsored with equipment that no one else has is going to set records. he's got hand picked equipment no one else can touch, so of course he's going to have a huge advantage. He is merely stating his view that the person deserves no congradulations, because he didnt put effort in a fair environment to achieve this world record - he got sponsored with goodies that did it for him.

 

[Disparia]

I wonder how much weight is put into the 3DMark06 cpu score? Can't Tri-SLI, but could SLI with quad quad-core Opterons

Well, once AMD resumes Opteron shipments. Oh well, gives me more time to win the lottery