Cant afford 2x 8800gt's....

[tastegw]

would 2x 8600gts cards be worth the money?

the two im looking at @ newegg.com have a core clock of 700mhz
and a memory clock @ 2100mhz gddr3 , only thing im worried about is the stream proccesors, i really dont know how much of a difference the 112 of a 8800gt is compared to the 32 in the 8600gts.

guess my overall question is,

would i get better gaming from 1x 8800gt or 2x 8600gts's?

if i get the 8800gt it would have to be the 256mb memory gddr3 vs
the 512mb gddr3 from the two 8600gts's combined.

thanks in advance,


system spec's these card(s) will be used in :

evga 590i sli mainboard socket am2
4000+ amd cpu 2.1ghz dual core
4gigs (2x2) A-data pc6400
rosewill 600watt sli certified psu
300gb seagate 16mb cache HD
cheap black case with plenty of cooling.

 

[vnf4ultra]

I'd get the single 8800gt. The 8800's are much better than the 8600 series. In SLI, the vram doesn't combine, so if you have 256mb x 2, then you still have a "256mb card."

 

[tastegw]

I'd get the single 8800gt. The 8800's are much better than the 8600 series. In SLI, the vram doesn't combine, so if you have 256mb x 2, then you still have a "256mb card."

im still learing about about how all this works, can you help me out with this small bit...

in sli mode, what does combine? what are the distinct advantages and what specs do not combine (like the memory i just learned of)

i have $300 left to get a new sli certified power supply (one at newegg with good reviews for $65) so that leaves me with about $200 after shipping and taxes. the absolute cheapest 8800gt i can find is at tigerdirect $219 for a 8800gts (witch is odd that this is cheaper than the gt)

 

[kpo6969]

Just a thought, you could get one of these and spend a little more $ on the psu and have a great set-up (maybe)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102706

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102717

 

[tastegw]

Just a thought, you could get one of these and spend a little more $ on the psu and have a great set-up (maybe)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102706

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102717

no thanks on that, if i wanted to upgrade, id just have to get a better card if i bought one of those, if i get a 8800gt(or gts), and want to upgrade, all i need to do is buy another 8800gt(or gts) to run SLi

maybe ill build a crossfire rig next year, but i am not a fan of ATI's vid cards as im using one now and it blows.

 

[kpo6969]

no thanks on that, if i wanted to upgrade, id just have to get a better card if i bought one of those, if i get a 8800gt(or gts), and want to upgrade, all i need to do is buy another 8800gt(or gts) to run SLi

maybe ill build a crossfire rig next year, but i am not a fan of ATI's vid cards as im using one now and it blows.

No problem, just a suggestion since you had budget concerns.
Comparing an X1300 to a 2900Pro isn't really apples to apples though.
2900Pro (underclocked 2900XT) for $144 (after rebate) is a very good buy, considering it was $249 less than 2 months ago.
The $159 Pro even has a 512 bit bus.
8800GT is a great card (I have one myself). I paid 2x the $ of the Pro for it ($300) though.

 

[tastegw]

No problem, just a suggestion since you had budget concerns.
Comparing an X1300 to a 2900Pro isn't really apples to apples though.
2900Pro (underclocked 2900XT) for $144 (after rebate) is a very good buy, considering it was $249 less than 2 months ago.
The $159 Pro even has a 512 bit bus.
8800GT is a great card (I have one myself). I paid 2x the $ of the Pro for it ($300) though.

i did look at those vid cards you suggested before planning out my system, i just dont want to toss away 150 bucks on a card i know im not gonna keep in the system for atleast 6 months or so.

also, about my current card in my current system, it was the first time i bought a ati card for it, had 3 others ( all nvidia) in the past 3 years. only one burned up due to lack of cooling in this ancient rig. my 128mb fx 5200 out performs my current x1300 512mb ddr2. they only reason i dont use the fx5200 is the shader quality, i just cant get metalic glossy stuff to show up on the screen as they should with the fx 5200.

the fx5500 i used last year (the one that burned up) ran guildwars "very playable" for me, never needed to check the FPS, this 1300 shows better specs than that fx5500 and fx5200, but runs like junk. and one thing that really annoys me is when i minimize a game, the screen has to blink black 2 times before i can continue to work on the desktop. the nvidia cards never did this.

 

[Gavin_Capacitor]

1x 8800GT > 2x 8600GTS. Simple

 

[pdyckman@comcas]

I only read your question, I honestly did not read all the answers. I don't think it's worth to 'SLI' 8600's...no. Get yourself a high quality GPU. A really good one (i.e. 8800 GT). Then , when and if you have the $ and still want to improve on excellence... then do it. I will never understand why folks would 'SLI' 2 mediocre cards. To me, SLI'ing is for the ultimate junction of two hellraisers, no less.

 

[Frostmonkey]

I only read your question, I honestly did not read all the answers. I don't think it's worth to 'SLI' 8600's...no. Get yourself a high quality GPU. A really good one (i.e. 8800 GT). Then , when and if you have the $ and still want to improve on excellence... then do it. I will never understand why folks would 'SLI' 2 mediocre cards. To me, SLI'ing is for the ultimate junction of two hellraisers, no less.

'


I would agree with what's been previously stated - shelling out the $$ for a single high-end card is better than splitting the bill to SLI 2 mid range cards.

Plus, the 8800GT I'm running (the 256mb model) has been amazing - it cost me a little over $200 and it destroys my buddies 8600 in every game we've played together. So from personal experience, I can attest to the 8800>8600 comments.

 

[sghiznaneck]

Agreed. Go with the 8800. Much better card and less heat. Two thing you have to remember when running these cards, they generate a tremendous amount of heat. It's advisable to install one or two fans (if only one, then use as exhaust on the back panel of the computer. If two, one on the side as intake and the other on the back panel for exhaust).
Also, they require a larger amount of juice to keep them running at full capacity during intensive 3D apps. Your power supply may meet the minimum specs, but it could bog down or even cause the app to freeze during heavy 3D apps. It's always better (can't say this enough times) to be 100 to 150 watts over the minimum specs. This will give you overhead room.

 

[Myzz617]

I agree with the 8800GT decision. A recent Article in MAXIUMPC, proved that ATI videocards are preferred by enthusiasts due to a bline taste test.

My concern is implied towards your PSU as well. Im buildin my rigg, and i have a 700W PSU which is plenty. Im confused that you have an AMD preference mobo instead of one that supports Intel. But thats just my opinion that I would go with Intel and Nvidia hardware.

in the end 8800GT 512 card is what you should get, the EVGA one is not bad. Don't forget about microcenter.com

Edit: Newegg, is actually better than microcenter