Crossfire VS Sli

Funkiwi75

Hi

I'm getting bits togeather for a new system, looking at using the Asus M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard, Phenom 9600 and im looking at installing 4 3870x2 graphics cards crossfired, can anyone tell me of a sutable power supply that will have enough power connectors for this many cards.

Thanks

toco123

I think Thermaltake and Tagan do 1300KW psus but its probably better to get a big case and two PSUs. By the way Phenom are patethic.

PogMoThoin

Funkiwi75 wrote: »

...............Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard, Phenom 9600 and im looking at............

:eek:, May i ask why Phenom?

Funkiwi75

What about the Intel version with 4x9600 in sli, is this possable?

Nforce

Doesn't the 3870X2 only have 1 crossfire bridge connection ...therefore you can't run the 4 cards in crossfire?

Thermaltake Toughpower 1.5kw would have enough juice

TerrorFirmer

I think you need to seriously go out and read up on building computers before you go throwing away money pointlessly on something you don't know much about! Even 2 3870x2's would be overkill, unless you're actually gaming at bleeding edge detail with full AA/AF at 2560x1600.

Funkiwi75

The 3970x2 can have 4 linked together, I'm actually doing this system for someone. I would have thought 2 would be enough, and Intel are still in the lead in speed.

jonny72

3570... 3970... 3870..

I reckon if you get the thing built it will be buggy as hell, won't work for half the games..

2 x 8800GTX or 2 x 8800GTS512 is more than enough for any game

Praetorian

It would be an incredibly inefficient computer, power usage wise and gpu efficiency wise. In my opinion 1 very fast gpu or 2 fast gpu's, no more.

Nforce

jonny72 wrote: »

3570... 3970... 3870..

Loobz

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Even 2 3870x2's would be overkill, unless you're actually gaming at bleeding edge detail with full AA/AF at 2560x1600.

I'll give it 12 months and you will be eating your words

KamiKazi

Loobz wrote: »

I'll give it 12 months and you will be eating your words

That may well be the case but the OP is speccing a machine to build in twelve months time he's speccing a machine to build now.

Anti

Who keeps a gfx card for 12 months anyway ?

TerrorFirmer

Anti wrote: »

Who keeps a gfx card for 12 months anyway ?

A better question, who actually keeps their card until they genuinely need a new one? As in, you keep your card right along the way as it copes with high, then medium, then sliding towards low?

I only had my 3870 for two months before I felt the itch...:D

I had an X1800XT for ages, though I usually go through cards once ever 2-3 months...

I get bothered when I can't run games at 1680x1050 max settings...:p

astrofool

The 3870x2 can be run in a pair (for quad fire), but not in a group of 4, and I doubt this generation ever will. Possibly, they'll enable this in the future, but the benefits vs. the time spent developing a system/driver to support it are very dubious.

toco123

Yah.. When going overboard with graphics you would be better with two power supplys and shorting the ATX on one.

Don't get Phenom. Buy a Q6600 or a Q9550.

ATIs new range are rubbish for AA/AF. What size monitor are you getting... because you'd want something like a Samsung 305T to actually enjoy 3 way SLI or 4 ATIs

Funkiwi75

Hi,

Thanks to everyone and all your input, I have anther question:
Most of you are focusing on the graphics card and only a few of you have actually focused on the orginal question which was what PSU would have enough power connectors to power 4 x 3870x2. It seems to be a common thing on forums that people lose track of the question.

PogMoThoin

Funkiwi75 wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks to everyone and all your input, I have anther question:
Most of you are focusing on the graphics card and only a few of you have actually focused on the orginal question which was what PSU would have enough power connectors to power 4 x 3870x2. It seems to be a common thing on forums that people lose track of the question.

You've been told your choices of components are absolutely crazy, 4 x 3870x2's wont work on the same board. This psu will run will run 2 of them, the other 2 will be sitting there doing absolutely nothing. Also nobody on this thread can understand why anyone would buy a Phenom these days with the value for money and overclockability of an Intel chip. Give up, cos you've not got a clue.

toco123

Funkiwi75 wrote: »

Most of you are focusing on the graphics card and only a few of you have actually focused on the orginal question which was what PSU would have enough power connectors to power 4 x 3870x2. It seems to be a common thing on forums that people lose track of the question.

You cheeky 88888!!! I've recommend 3 options to you myself alone.

ill repeat all the reccomendations on this forum again:

1. Thermaltake Toughpower 1.5kw
2. TAGAN 1.3 kw
3. Thermaltake Toughpower 1.3w
4. Buy two power supplys and short the ATX connector on the second one.

They should power four 3870x2 but it doesn't matter because it won't work.


At the moment however with your attitude, i reccomend a 300w mATX power supply.

TerrorFirmer

Ok, no more personal insults please...

Funkiwi75 wrote:

Most of you are focusing on the graphics card and only a few of you have actually focused on the orginal question which was what PSU would have enough power connectors to power 4 x 3870x2. It seems to be a common thing on forums that people lose track of the question.

and as for this, I'm inclined to think you're just trolling at this stage.

astrofool wrote:

The 3870x2 can be run in a pair (for quad fire), but not in a group of 4, and I doubt this generation ever will. Possibly, they'll enable this in the future, but the benefits vs. the time spent developing a system/driver to support it are very dubious.

Says it all, and has been re-iterated by just about everyone else too.

Funkiwi75

Hi,

If you look at my reply I did say 'thank you' I can't help it if everyone takes my questions the wrong way. I appreciate the info from the few of you who have given me some PSU's to look in to.

toco123

You don't get it? Its not info as the build is impossible so we can only guess.

For around the same price as the build you stated, you could get


Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 boxed, 12MB, LGA775, 64bit

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Intel Motherboard, ATX

2048MB DDR2 Corsair TwinX XMS2 CL 5, PC6400/800
2048MB DDR2 Corsair TwinX XMS2 CL 5, PC6400/800

Antec P182, ATX

ATX Corsair TX750W 750 Watt

MSI NX8800Ultra-T2D768E-HD Overclocked, 768MB, PCIe
MSI NX8800Ultra-T2D768E-HD Overclocked, 768MB, PCIe

Samsung HD501LJ 500GB 7200,16 MB Cache

Samsung SH-S203D bulk schwarz



But seeing as your only guessing how to make a computer this information is also useless

papu

toco123 wrote: »

You don't get it? Its not info as the build is impossible so we can only guess.

For around the same price as the build you stated, you could get


Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 boxed, 12MB, LGA775, 64bit

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Intel Motherboard, ATX

2048MB DDR2 Corsair TwinX XMS2 CL 5, PC6400/800
2048MB DDR2 Corsair TwinX XMS2 CL 5, PC6400/800

Antec P182, ATX

ATX Corsair TX750W 750 Watt

MSI NX8800Ultra-T2D768E-HD Overclocked, 768MB, PCIe
MSI NX8800Ultra-T2D768E-HD Overclocked, 768MB, PCIe

Samsung HD501LJ 500GB 7200,16 MB Cache

Samsung SH-S203D bulk schwarz



But seeing as your only guessing how to make a computer this information is also useless

thats a pretty horrible system you should at least be getting 1066 ram if not higer and the new nvidia boards arent as good overclockers as the intel ones by far.

also , ultras are last generation why would you get one? get some 8800gts's or 2 3870X2's

but thats just my 2 cents

toco123

Oh no, its okay I completely agree its a horrible spec.
I wasn't speccing a good computer with good value for money or whateva.. I was speccing one that worked unlike the 4 3870x2. Honestly I prefer Q6600, 2x3870 in CF, 3 or 4 gigs 800Mhz Ram and spend the rest on nice parts you can keep and wouldn't requiring upgrading anytime in the future such as a Logitech G9 mouse, Logitech z-5500, Samsung 2232BW, a nice keyboard etc.

But honestly have you this money to burn or are you just burning our time?

papu

toco123 wrote: »

Oh no, its okay I completely agree its a horrible spec.
I wasn't speccing a good computer with good value for money or whateva.. I was speccing one that worked unlike the 4 3870x2. Honestly I prefer Q6600, 2x3870 in CF, 3 or 4 gigs 800Mhz Ram and spend the rest on nice parts you can keep and wouldn't requiring upgrading anytime in the future such as a Logitech G9 mouse, Logitech z-5500, Samsung 2232BW, a nice keyboard etc.

But honestly have you this money to burn or are you just burning our time?

ha yeah i agree , still tho pc8500 1066 ram can be had for about 50 quid so no need for that 800mhz stuff.

i think hes just pulling our legs tbh , or else he's really naive

DirkVoodoo

Horse, dead, flogging...

Anyway, I think you should just heed the advice of everyone here and give up your Howard Hughes-esque crusade.

The 3870 is only capable of a dual card crossfire x setup, which gives you four, count 'em, four 670 GPU cores. You need not only power, but space between all four PCI-e slots for the dual cooler configuration of each card. So, I am afraid your octagonal setup won't work.

Also of note is this: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3271&p=2

which basically poo-poos the notion of quad SLi as a feasible route due to poor scaling, especially in Crysis.

As mentioned before, you are obviously a novice in this area and so your best bet would be to take a well specced machine from someone here and enjoy some games.

Sqaull20

Wait for the 9800gtx coming out on the 1st of April and Sli them, looks like they will scale very well, leaving every card in its wake...

Pair them with a Quad, decent 680i/650i board ( 780i/790i waste of time imo ), 4gb pc 1066, good 750watt + psu like Corsair/Ocz and a nice case...

DirkVoodoo

And bam! Stick a fork in this thread it's done!

Seriously though, thats some decent advice (tho im still waiting for the GTX benchies before I decide).

TerrorFirmer

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

And bam! Stick a fork in this thread it's done!

Seriously though, thats some decent advice (tho im still waiting for the GTX benchies before I decide).

GTX

Inquitus

Anti wrote: »

Who keeps a gfx card for 12 months anyway ?

Well lets be honest we have all had 8800GTX's or Ultras for well over 12months if we bought them when they came out, and there is still nothing worth replacing them with.......for a week or 2 anyways......and no the 9800GX2 is not a suitable replacement, SLI sux in any form...ditto crossfire, Game Profile driven performance is fail, and unless chasing the benchies I have no time for SLI / Crossfire. Single Card solutions are so much more cost / price / power / performance effective for RL gaming that I don't believe in SLI.

Inqui

toco123

I completely concurr. i started a thread about this about five minutes ago