19 replies to this topic

[Attalus]

I know, I know...another 'please tell me which is better' thread. I've been painfully ruminating for the last few weeks about a GPU update. I've been considering picking up a VTX3D 6870X2 (I've used a dual GPU card in the past with some good and only the occasional bad experience), so - my question is this. Do I go again and pick up another $390 dual GPU card or do I invest my time at looking at suitable single card options? I've read quite a lot of good things about the 6870X2..the only downside seems to be some heat issues for extended use, I'm a keen gamer but only have little spare time - I generally keep it short and sweet anyway. Has anybody got any advice to help me make up my mind? I've a budget of around $800, but would prefer to stick around the $400 mark. Thanks in advance.

[orcone]

Single card. 1 single card = 100% price for 100% performance. 2 cards = 200% price for 140% performance.

[nesquick]

stretch a little more and get a HD7950 or 7970 you won't be disappointed

[Morgoth]

Single card.

1 single card = 100% price for 100% performance.
2 cards = 200% price for 140% performance.

You should really not add comments like that, my sli experience gave me 80%-100% FPS improvement in any non CPU limited scenario.

2 seconds of google, or several atomican testimonies will argue that flawed comment.

@op
that being said, the preferred method is to buy the best card you can now, add a second later if need be.

Edited by Morgoth, 14 March 2012 - 11:20 PM.

[nesquick]

SLI works though morgoth, CF is terrible.

[Morgoth]

SLI works though morgoth, CF is terrible.

I've heard it's not much compared to sli in a few cases, but I felt Orcone's statement is hardly helpful, nor informative.

Either way, steering the OP away from a dual GPU single card is probably a good idea overall

[p0is0n]

SLI works though morgoth, CF is terrible.

have you ever even owned CF cards?
I found CF scaling, even on 5000 series to be 80%+ on most games.
In the 7000 series its damn near 100% scaling.

keep fanboy comments like that to yourself mate, you aren't doing anyone any favours.

[nesquick]

yep multiple crossfire setups, honestly I don't care if it gives you the shits and you think I am a fanboy because its the truth.

Edited by nesquick, 15 March 2012 - 08:31 AM.

[p0is0n]

yep multiple crossfire setups, honestly I don't care if it gives you the shits and you think I am a fanboy because its the truth.

reluctant to drag this off topic, but just have to know for my own information, so that i can factor it into future decisions.

the truth, according to you, is that SLI just works flawlessly with everything, and CF is shit and doesn't work at all?

thanks for clearing things up. maybe have a read of this.

Excerpt:
CrossFire came out with a huge overall scaling lead over SLI, and removing the one title that didn’t reflect that average would have made the lead even bigger. Superior scaling allowed two mid-priced Radeon HD 6950s to approximate the performance of two higher-cost GeForce GTX 570s, while three HD 6950s took the performance win over three GTX 570s.

Edited by p0is0n, 15 March 2012 - 11:45 AM.

[Dasa]

sli didnt work well in a number of games sometimes even worse than single gpu and nvidia can take over 6 months to fix it havent used crossfire since the 4870x2 and x1900xtx cf before that and it had much the same problems as sli the real truth is ness they are much the same just not in your experience single card is always better if it can provide the fps you need but if it cant then you go to cf\sli

Edited by Dasa, 15 March 2012 - 12:39 PM.

[mark84]

CF isn't all that bad really. Especially since 6000 series where the scaling seems to be +90% performance in most things. As Dasa said, SLI and CF are pretty close now. Each have their quirks or failings but I think they're about the same. As for OP question. If your budget is ~$400 going up to $800 tops, then the 7950 would be the better longer term picks at the moment. If you want more performance right now, maybe some second hand 6970's/50's in CF could be an option.

[p0is0n]

second hand 6950s are going for ~180-200 or less these days, so getting two for ~$400 is quite a reasonable expectation.

[nesquick]

the real truth is ness they are much the same just not in your experience

well im not looking to start some sort of war here but there is a reason enthusiasts spend big bucks on SLI machines and not crossfire machines.

for a single GPU AMD is fine though.

Edited by nesquick, 15 March 2012 - 03:27 PM.

[wynnttr]

well im not looking to start some sort of war here but there is a reason enthusiasts spend big bucks on SLI machines and not crossfire machines.

for a single GPU AMD is fine though.

Source? If it's just your opinion then yeah...
I've seen both SLI and CF high end rigs. It's a matter of do you like green apples or red apples?
What is known is that with the 6xxx cards the scaling is waaay better with the red team.

They're much of the same. Both SLI/CF have microstutter problems and both are hit and miss with some game titles. What works with one really well might not be as good with the other or both might work outstandingly well or not at all.

OP - do a bit of research and see if a CF setup will work with the games you play then make your decision. When CF works it's a huge boost in performance.

[p0is0n]

well im not looking to start some sort of war here but there is a reason enthusiasts spend big bucks on SLI machines and not crossfire machines.

we're talking general performance in gaming, not ultra high end.
there are no secret reasons why "enthusiasts" spend their money on SLI.
1) nvidia generally have the more powerful cards available in a generation, so 4x the most powerful single card would be better than 4x second best single card
2) nvidia generally release their generations cards some months after ATI so naturally it will be somewhat more powerful (plenty of time to examine the competition and tweak)
3) the current most powerful "enthusiast" rigs are all using 7970s because thats the best card right now, it changes with the tech, your point still holds absolutely no merit.

Lastly, to back up my post with proof, something you are unable to do, click here or here to see current HWBOT rankings for 3dmark 11 4x GPU and heaven 4x GPU. Not many green team cards in the list.

im going to leave it at that. not trying to be a dick on purpose, but im sick of your fanboy shit in every thread.

Edited by p0is0n, 15 March 2012 - 04:19 PM.

[nesquick]

im going to leave it at that. not trying to be a dick on purpose, but im sick of your fanboy shit in every thread.

examples? no really, I would like to see me being a fanboy to whatever company your suggesting I am a fanboy of.

do you even know what a fanboy is?

anyway just cause I said crossfire is crap doesn't mean I love nvidia... meh I don't care anyway, you can have fun with massive micro stutter, frame tearing and drivers never working properly.

edit: I can show you some massive fanboy wars on this site if you want to see what a proper fanboy is.

Edited by nesquick, 15 March 2012 - 10:13 PM.

[Attalus]

Thanks guys, food for thought. I must admit, the 7970 looks like the way to go. Last question though- PSU for the 6870X2 says 600 w but recommends 850 w. What about a 1000 w PSU. Is more better in this instance?

Edited by Attalus, 20 March 2012 - 07:32 PM.

[ReapermanRS]

thanks guys, food for thought. I must admit, the 7970 looks like the way to go. last question though- PSU for the 6870X2 says 600 w but recommends 850 w. what about a 1000 w PSU. It more better in this instance?

The Truth About Graphics Power Supply Requirements

6870 x2 is 325 peak, that's just the card so you have to factor in the rest of the components, you could probably get away with 600 but 700+ would be a safer bet.

Atomic’s Most Recommended Psu’s Thread.

Stickies are your friend :)

I'm a fan of Corsair personally but anything on that list that's plus 700 watt should be more than adequate (depending on you system specs of course)

[cohmoddersolo]

If you dont urgently need a graphics card now, I say wait for the new Nvidia cards and hopefully prices on current cards will drop and you've got a wider variety of cards to choose from. I know its the third time Ive said this from other threads, but I just like to keep you informed. ;)

[mark84]

Bit of a late reply but..

The Truth About Graphics Power Supply Requirements

6870 x2 is 325 peak, that's just the card so you have to factor in the rest of the components, you could probably get away with 600 but 700+ would be a safer bet.

If its 325 for the two cards then factor in maybe 125W for the CPU, another 30W for the rest of the PC and a bit more if over clocking. 600W should be quite usable.