Graphics Card Question.

[tek]

If you've read my other thread you will know I'm looking to build a gaming pc. Graphics cards are probably one of the most important components to choose when building a gaming pc. While looking at the different options I came across the 6800GT and the 6800 ULTRA. The ULTRA is priced at about £300, but for about £240 you could get 2 6600GT and run them together using SLI. The question is, whats better? in terms of money its probably SLI and 2 cards. However, is an extra £60 justified? I'm not sure. Any help?

 

[crazylegs]

Hello Tek


I would go for the 2 6600gt's in SLi configuration...

£60 in my pocket and two's better than one..

Easy now..

 

[tek]

Thing is, are 2 6600GT's in SLI comparable to a 6800GT or ULTRA?

 

[crazylegs]

Tek


Let me put it another way..

If you had one big man of say 18 stone, and 2 medium men of 15 stone who do you think would get the most work done in a given time period...

They say many hands make light work....

 

[tek]

lol ok.. weird analogy but interesting.

 

[crazylegs]

Tek

Yes it is weird but why do you think manufacturers have gone back to placing 2 single Graphics cards in a machine rather than one..

Its not a new thing i had two Voodoo's back in 98..then they steered away from this course for a while but now have come back to the conclusion that 2 will always be better than one...

 

[CSUnited14]

Well i have MSI 6600gt very good card so far. And in about a month im gonna have my second one for the sli and ill let everyone here know how it works .

 

[Alf]

Sorry Crazy legs, 2 6600GTs will not beat out a Ultra.
a 6800GT perhaps but beating out a Ultra is pushing it a little. hey Tek go with a 6800GT, and when prices drop next year, grab anouther one

 

[crazylegs]

Sorry Alf

But i think you'll find the 6600gt in SLi mode is as good if not better than a single 6800 ultra.

Heres an exert from a review from Hard/ocp

Gameplay Evaluation Summary:


Performance

In DOOM 3, we saw the largest improvements in performance with the Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT SLI versus a single GeForce 6600 GT. With a single GeForce 6600 GT, we found that DOOM 3 ran great at 1280x1024 with no AA and 8XAF in High Quality mode. When we put in the Gigabyte 3D1, we found that we could raise the resolution up to 1600x1200, enable 2XAA, and maintain playable framerates. This setting beat a single GeForce 6800 GT allowing a slightly higher gaming experience in DOOM 3. The Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT SLI matched the GeForce 6800 Ultra for quality and had similar performance. Clearly the Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT in SLI allows for a higher DOOM 3 gaming experience than either a single GeForce 6600 GT, an ATI Radeon X800 XL or X850 XT-PE, and even a 6800 Ultra.

 

[CSUnited14]

Hmmm guess im going with sli 6600gts thank you crazy legs hahaha

 

[Alf]

Sorry Alf

But i think you'll find the 6600gt in SLi mode is as good if not better than a single 6800 ultra.

Heres an exert from a review from Hard/ocp

Gameplay Evaluation Summary:


Performance

In DOOM 3, we saw the largest improvements in performance with the Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT SLI versus a single GeForce 6600 GT. With a single GeForce 6600 GT, we found that DOOM 3 ran great at 1280x1024 with no AA and 8XAF in High Quality mode. When we put in the Gigabyte 3D1, we found that we could raise the resolution up to 1600x1200, enable 2XAA, and maintain playable framerates. This setting beat a single GeForce 6800 GT allowing a slightly higher gaming experience in DOOM 3. The Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT SLI matched the GeForce 6800 Ultra for quality and had similar performance. Clearly the Gigabyte 3D1 6600 GT in SLI allows for a higher DOOM 3 gaming experience than either a single GeForce 6600 GT, an ATI Radeon X800 XL or X850 XT-PE, and even a 6800 Ultra.

Mines source says diffrently
"That is why I have a little problem with this product. For roughly the same money you can buy one GeForce 6800 GT, which right now will offer roughly the same performance and simply is better with AA and AF, the difference is like 50 bucks. Since that 6800 GT is SLI capable in the future you can expand your rig with another 6800 GT that would be a way faster solution then today's card. The 3D1 is a one time buy, you can not seat another 3d1 card in there and have 4 GPU's running." www.guru3d.com

but what i do find very odd, is how this card gets a astonishing +14,000 3D marks in 3D marks 03 (not 05), but remeber, your talking about the Gigabyte 3D1 card which only works with the motherboard it came with.

 

[crazylegs]

Since that 6800 GT is SLI capable in the future you can expand your rig with another 6800 GT that would be a way faster solution then today's card.

Alf you could say that about any product, tell me something i don't know...

If we all adopted that stance none of us would ever upgrade, we'd all be waiting for the next bigger better whatever in the future...

 

[Alf]

dont blame me, i got it from the site

 

[GONNA-GET-U]

couldn't tell u whats best but if u got the same proformace and same price i would get 6800ultra as u could upgrade l8er without have to get rid of something and would work out cheaper than buys 2 6600s then l8er buyin 2 6800s.

bit like memory 512 is better than 2x256 and 1gb is better than 2x512.

 

[CSUnited14]

hmmm im gonna do 2 6600gts for now i dont wanna waste so much money on a 2 6800gts seems like i would be wasting my money no need for that much power right now