How would I go about installing SLI graphics cards?

[eclipse245]

Hey guys,

I currently own, an eVGA 8800GT at 512MB, and I have the ASUS M2N32-SLI DELUXE motherboard...so the Mobo is deffinately SLI compatible..I have Vista Ultimate 32 bit....but I would just like to know how easy or hard it is to run in SLI? Do I just put in the second card in the second slot, and then with the connecting bridge, just connect the two cards? Or what else do I have to do for the system to recognize that I'm running in SLI?


Thanks,

Peter

 

[FoReWoRd]

yup!! simple as 1,2,3


dont forget to update drivers

 

[eclipse245]

yep, I know...there are no certain drivers for SLI though right?

Also I'm guessing this should give me atleast a double or 2/3 FPS increase no?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

SLI will not double your FPS. A 50-70% gain is probably what you should expect

 

[eclipse245]

Yep, that's about what I expected...so I should get a noticeable FPS gain in Crysis and Flight Sim X, would you suggest it?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

I personally don't like SLI or Crossfire configurations since they show good potential only at very high resolutions with AA and AF maxed out. Also, the heat output and power requirement for two video cards is much more than those for a single much more powerful card. I won't recommend it also for that fact that NVIDIA's latest offering are just a month away, so you might be able to get a better card than the 8800GT you have right now.

 

[eclipse245]

I have a 700W PSU...so power is no problem..I have great cooling too....that's not a problem...so what's this Nvidia offering you're talking about?

Also i mean the 8800GT has the exact same chipset at the 9800GT....both G92 chipsets....so I mean 8800GT is still the way to go.

i personally think it'll be great. I mean I will be getting an extra 15-20 FPS with SLI.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

NVIDIA's GTX 260 and GTX 280 are set to release on June 17. The GTX 260 will cost about $450, so if you're willing to save up till then, you'll have a newer, more powerful card as opposed to that 8800GT. Also, ATI's offerings are coming a day later and will have cards priced lower and reportedly delivering better performance than NVIDIA's cards. It's just 11 days away, so I'd wait it out if I were you. The last reason would be that other cards' prices would drop, so you could probably get a more powerful card for less.

 

[mailpup]

I just thought I would mention that although 700W might be enough for two 8800GT cards, it is marginal according to Nvidia. If you check their website here and look at the power supplies they recommend for two 8800GTs, 700W is on the very low side. If your PSU is top quality, you might be ok but if not, you might want to consider a better one to give yourself more headroom. Anyway, just a thought.

 

[Cybersciver]

I'm running 2x8800GT's on an Asus board. Simple install, as confirmed, but you'll also need an utility like nTune if you want to overclock the cards. Best idea is to get an identical card to the one you've got - pick it up real cheap now. Expect a 30-50% framerate boost but not with all games. Works with shooters like Crysis but not ex-consul or strategy games. Nvidia don't spend much on updating drivers for "old cards" and all their cards will be "old" after the G200's arrive. ATI's a better bet if you're prepared to wait and jump ship - their driver program has got its act together now and their new 4870 rocks (hopefully for not too much money). Oh, and you dont need a power supply bigger than 550watt - unless you've got a load of other stuff hooked up.