Quick SLI Problem, Dual Graphics

[Pantho]

My Graphics card overtook 3 months of major overheating, and battering. Got more cooling and its sorted.. but alas the poor old bird is dying, kinda.

Can still run CS:S with 100fps, but can lag if i play music or w/e on my other screen. So.

My Question is:

When using 2 graphic cards, if CardA is only 50% powerfull, but cardB is 100%, will A slow it down?

Like with memory, speed or ram, they all run at slowest?

[Brammers]

If they are the same make and model, they wont slow down. If you have been abusing one of your GFX cards, the abused graphics card may go bang a little sooner.

However as I've understood SLI, it either distrutes the load, or goes at the slowest card. I know Toms hardware covers this sort of thing, but all I've learnt about SLI is not to bother and buy a single card 6 months that matches the power of 2 SLI's at the price of one card.

[Pantho]

Your 2nd point i agree with fully. Its why i got a top of the range card with my PC.

was 12months ago tho, sigh... Have to see what my money's like at christman, i might go to a Nvidea.. Screw ATI

-edit.

Just remember i havnt defraged in along long time, so im wondering if its slowing my pc down.. After looking at the Anaylze.. well rofl, lets go defrag and try it first.

[Delphi]

To run in SLi mode the two cards must be exactly the same, same BIOS and same vendor. Also if they are clocked slightly differently then they will both run at the slowest speed.

TBH at the moment SLi is still an expensive gimmick, not enough games nativey support it to make the outlay worth while. Your better off finding £180 and getting an 8800GT!

/Delphi

[Pantho]

But ive already got 1x1950 .. hmm

I am getting the feeling of telling ATI To fuck themselves.. the way there cards are going.

Christmas time is accoming.. Students love january . Might buy a new card then.

Need the rest of me monies to live on till then

[Pantho]

Mr Delphi sir Or others ...

Can i get your opinions on the following cards ... Im a poor ati fanboy that has become to hate ati, so need advice on nvidea...

Code: Select all

 GeForce 8800 GT core running at 600MHz
- Shader Clock Speed of 1500MHz
- 512MB GDDR3 Memory running at 1800MHz
- 256-Bit Memory Interface
- 112 Stream Processors
- Shader Model 4.0
- Memory Bandwidth: 57.6GB/s
- Designed For Extreme HD Gaming
- Nvidia Pure Video Technology
- Dedicated Video processors free the GPU Shaders to run 3D applications
- Dual dual-link DVI supports two 2560 x 1600 resolution displays
- HDCP Enabled!!
- SLI ready – Upto 2x the performance of a single GPU (Available on with future driver release)
- True High Dynamic Range Rendering Support – Based on Open EXR technology
- World's first unified architecture supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 10
- Built for Microsoft® Windows® Vista™
- 3yr Warranty

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... ubcat=1008

[Pantho]

Deffinetly putting it off till xmas - maybe longer...

Took some temp readings while idle of my cpu.. 89>

Took the heatsink appart, cleaned it.. Down to 40 when booted up, 50-60 while internet etc... I have an insane amount of proccessors which means i got 20% cpu usage 24/7

Anyways point being CS:S FPS From 30 to 200 .. Problem solved

[Delphi]

Ive got the BFG one

Will answer properly later got to go on a course!

[Everlasting Evolution]

Pfft Ati dosent make their own cards anymore they sold out. They were always good to me untill i bought the new ones.. crapped out the first week.

I prefur the Single pci express cards. ATi was my favorite. I havent decided to change yet. after the new one crapped out i put the old one back in and still rideing it