why de hell do we need SLI?!

[narcotic]

I just want to have a "word" regarding SLI, I see many people very excited about it, but I don't see why... I mean using two gpu boards is a very old idea (my riva TNT was dual board), which was used when graphic cards weren't able to handle the graphics, so each board had to take care of half of the job (if you really interested pm me I'll explain more), these days SLI is just cheap marketing trick, even the cheapest cards today are capable of handeling much more than what the common (NON gamer) user needs. And besides, who de hell wants so much noise???!!! I can hardly stand the noise of my system with one gpu, how the hell can you work with two?
ah... that's what I think.

 

[jamesbond007]

There's only 8092390487298374 Gazillion million zillion threads about this exact topic already. Just try the search function for once.

 

[narcotic]

I don't recall asking how many threads about this topic are there, but thanks for the info.

flamer...

edit: I see you have many posts, were most of them done by flamings? 'cause there are moderators for forums you know, I'm pretty certain they can manage without your anoyance.

 

[JMag]

I have a dual 6800GT rig running right now and honestly the only complaint (and it really isn't a bad one) is that my room no longer needs central Heat

If I am running a Current Gen Game the cards run around 70C each... I am curious as to the BTU rating of my system now...

But you are totally right there is absolutely NO reason to get SLI if you are "NON gamer"... I don't think you needed to explain that... If you are moronic enough to buy an SLI rig and you don't play videogames well then, NVIDIA loves you...

Seriously though I can run all games at 2048x1536, without any frames dropping below 60... which is why I bought it in the first place.
My timedemos with doom3 at 1600x1200 w/ 4x AA 8x AF are 77fps...

For the noise, yeah it is louder for sure, but when you are just running windows you can turn down the fans to minimum... Not to mention I use headphones for games, so I don't even notice the sound...

 

[impemonk]

was he flaming? I don't know man but he wasn't attacking your post or making jest of your post. He was merely pointing out that there are many other discussions on this topic in this forum. You need to choose your words carefully man and not lash out when someone gives you a response.

 

[narcotic]

Originally posted by: impemonk
was he flaming? I don't know man but he wasn't attacking your post or making jest of your post. He was merely pointing out that there are many other discussions on this topic in this forum. You need to choose your words carefully man and not lash out when someone gives you a response.

ah yeah...
maybe I wasn't correctly understood, but I was sort of joking, so if someone got hurt, sorry!

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: narcotic
I don't recall asking how many threads about this topic are there, but thanks for the info.

flamer...

edit: I see you have many posts, were most of them done by flamings? 'cause there are moderators for forums you know, I'm pretty certain they can manage without your anoyance.

I agree with him, its not flaming its called common sense.

 

[Solutions]

Originally posted by: narcotic
I just want to have a "word" regarding SLI, I see many people very excited about it, but I don't see why...
- Because it's the latest technology. This often means its the best.

These days SLI is just cheap marketing trick, even the cheapest cards today are capable of handeling much more than what the common (NON gamer) user needs.
- Marketing trick? I assume you have an SLI rig and have found it to be unsatisfactory? I agree that the oldest video cards can handle today's desktop computing needs but I be damned if your "SLI-styled" TNT will run HL2 worth a damn. SLI wasn't designed, invented, tweaked, or anything else for a non-gamer... jesus, who would spend all that $ just to work in text-based apps or web surfing???


And besides, who de hell wants so much noise???!!! I can hardly stand the noise of my system with one gpu, how the hell can you work with two?
- Easy. Cut off the stock HSF and slap on a liquid block, or play with headphones on... or hell, put the PC on the floor under your desk. I couldn't hear either of my SLI'd 6800U fans while I was gaming (with or without headphones). Not sure why you do... maybe the PC is sitting on your desktop?

ah... that's what I think.

Who ever told you that you NEEDED SLI? Or RAID? Or Dual Channel RAM? The fact is that no one needs any of it but all those technologies certainly help performance. Not all technologies are intended to be used by everyone. Everyone's needs are different. If all you NEED is simple word processing or web surfing then stick to a duron/celeron and re-install your Riva TNT. Seems to me that you have your mind set on disliking SLI but I don't see why....

Whats the deal?

 

[narcotic]

I have nothing against SLI, I was just saying its not new (which is a fact, not an opinion), and that the noise off of my rig can sometimes drive me nuts (1 cpu fan, 2 psu fans, 2 case fans, 1 hd fan, 1 gpu fan), I can't even imagine putting another noisy thing in there. I do game quit alot, but also use my rig for many other things, including programing, and sometimes its hard to focous with all the noise. that's all, nothing personal against SLI (maybe against noise).

 

[SneakyStuff]

From what i've ehard, the stock coolers on the 6800GT aren't loud at all, if that's true I don't see what the big to do is, other than the large pricetag.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
There's only 8092390487298374 Gazillion million zillion threads about this exact topic already. Just try the search function for once.

No sh!t! The search function is your friend, USE IT! I'm not a "repost" nazi, but in this case, it has been discussed SERVERAL times. Like I said, use the search.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: narcotic
that the noise off of my rig can sometimes drive me nuts (1 cpu fan, 2 psu fans, 2 case fans, 1 hd fan, 1 gpu fan), I can't even imagine putting another noisy thing in there.

www.silentpcreview.com

Maybe you should just build a quieter system if your complaint about SLI is the noise. Dual-fan PSUs are noisier than models with one 120mm fan, and you probably don't need two case fans, and you could probably get a bigger CPU HSF and run it with a low-speed fan (or, heck, underclock/volt your CPU and run it fanless). Many of the aftermarket GPU coolers are much quieter than the stock ones.

 

[biostud]

if noise is your largest problem with SLI then:
1. Crank up the volume
2. Install noise reduction isolation
3. Apply custom coolers
4. Apply water cooling

 

[Ackmed]

Originally posted by: biostud
if noise is your largest problem with SLI then:
1. Crank up the volume
2. Install noise reduction isolation
3. Apply custom coolers
4. Apply water cooling

1. Not everyone listens to music while surfing the web, etc.
2. It doesnt make an audible difference.
3. Good sugestion.
4. Not for everyone, or for every case.

 

[TantrumusMaximus]

If there was a board that took 4 video cards I'd buy it! Because I'm a sucker for speed, new technology and being able to run the latest, and future games the way they were meant to be played.

No one out there can argue that there is anything faster than SLI as an option for gamers.

 

[Viper96720]

It will end up being just a fad. In a year the new card comes out beats dual 6800GT's

 

[Rankor]

6800GTs in SLI aren't that bad in the noise department, but 6800Ultras in SLI are loud.

 

[narcotic]

Viper96720, yeah cards will probably keep on getting better, with newer tech, faster processes, ability to plant more transistors whatever... But, there are a couple of problems (1 of which I allready addressed here):

1. power consumption, nVidia today recomends at least 480w PSU if you're gonna use one of its top cards, not regarding the extreme heat this generates, you'll soon need a small power station at your disposal to run a top notch card.

2. Yeah, noise is a problem, but the bigger problem is that fans can only cool you "this" much, so I wonder when they're gonna go with liquid cooling (not to mention gas...) as a standard on top cards.

if the heat continues to rise like crazy, soon enough I'm gonna startup a company which sells pc cases with a special comparment where you can warm food in.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: narcotic
I just want to have a "word" regarding SLI, I see many people very excited about it, but I don't see why... I mean using two gpu boards is a very old idea (my riva TNT was dual board), which was used when graphic cards weren't able to handle the graphics, so each board had to take care of half of the job (if you really interested pm me I'll explain more), these days SLI is just cheap marketing trick, even the cheapest cards today are capable of handeling much more than what the common (NON gamer) user needs. And besides, who de hell wants so much noise???!!! I can hardly stand the noise of my system with one gpu, how the hell can you work with two?
ah... that's what I think.

1)enthusiasts want the very best
2)Sli makes any cpu the bottle neck
3)enthusiats either dont care bout the noise, wear head phones, or if they are real enthusiasts then they will watercool their setup


heres a hint, dont like SLI? dont buy it!.....how simple is that. go buy an ATi or something. no one is forcing dual GPU's upon you

oh and you show me a Gf4 MX4000 run DOOM3 at 12x10 HQ (flatlining 60FPS for most of the play) and then ill happily give you my 6800GT

next SLI + PCi Express + use of quadro cards (if and when this happens, less it already has) = one hell of a sweet CAD rig

 

[VIAN]

I hate it when the bring up the NEED topic.

 

[Zebo]

4. Apply water cooling

Exactly!!

I have 1 GT and you can't even hear my comp from 3 ft away... I could easily throw another in the loop and be just as quiet...It's called watercooling!

Running two 120mm fans at an inauduable 5-7 volts over radiator.

Using a silent pump like Ehiem..

Using an almost silent PSU like Superflowers 140mm or various brands 120mm models who never spin past 500-800 rpm..

Using quiet HD's like seagates and samsungs...make them silent by buying a smartdrive 2002.

Remove all active HSF's on motherboard and replace them with passive..

Buying a heavy case for barrier loading...maybe even line it with dynamat and other noie dampening material.

Etc etc etc

I have high performance and I'm silent.


Prior proper planning prevents piss poor results!

 

[TantrumusMaximus]

Use a case utilizing 120mm intake and exaust fans + a PS that uses a 120mm fan. Get 2 NV Silencer 5 aftermarket coolers and you will be challenged to hear your system over your mouse clicks

 

[Pete]

I've never heard of a SLI'ed Riva TNT. Hell, nV got to where they are today by specifically avoiding SLI in any form and focusing on cutting-edge manufacturing techniques to do with one chip what it took 3dfx two or three or four to do.

Yeah, more fans means more noise. But people going for SLI speed (and power draw and heat) probably don't have noise at the top of their list.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: narcotic
I have nothing against SLI, I was just saying its not new (which is a fact, not an opinion), and that the noise off of my rig can sometimes drive me nuts (1 cpu fan, 2 psu fans, 2 case fans, 1 hd fan, 1 gpu fan), I can't even imagine putting another noisy thing in there. I do game quit alot, but also use my rig for many other things, including programing, and sometimes its hard to focous with all the noise. that's all, nothing personal against SLI (maybe against noise).

If you had nothing against it, you wouldn't have posted this topic. Duh.

 

[REMF]

my only complaint about SLI isn't really about the technology, it's about the muppets that misuse it.

2x 6600GT's - why bother? if you have one now and won't be able to afford a second for several months fair enough. but to those with two shiny new 6600GT's in their rigs right now, i say this; "why didn't you buy a 6800GT in the first place?"

but worse than this; what about the tards (and i have seen a few), who brag about their SLI rigs, and you notice in their sig that they are running 17-19 inch TFT's!?!?! one 6800GT will run any game released in the next two years at 1280x1024, so wtf?

SLI is a great technology, but unless you have a screen that can run at 1920x1200 or above (i think 1600x1200 is marginal but i won't argue against it), you don't need it.

to the guy who is running his CRT in games at 2048x1536; i salute you. you have way too much money, but in the same position i would do exactly the same.

i haven't yet seen this third example of idiocy, but i bet you it will show up:
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- Y teh f00k i'nt my SLI doin nothing?
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- [Muppet wrote:]
- i spent £1500 building an uber-rig, but it is not any faster, what is wrong?
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- A64 3000+
- 2x 512MB DDR400
- 2x Raptor 740
- 2x Geforce 6800 ultra extreme turbo edition gold flying machines
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- [Some Guy wrote:]
- tard.............................................
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