Questoins about quad SLI/CrossfireX

  • Thread starter SootAndGrime
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In summary, it is hard to overclock dual-core GPUs, four GPU's are not necessary, and Crysis can only be run on a few select occasions with four GPU's.
  • #1
SootAndGrime
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I have two enthusiast-level ATI Radeon cards in crossfire and I don't understand the necessity of having more than two graphics cards in a system. I can run just about any game maxed out with playable framerates, even Crysis.

There are many inherent problems with having four graphics cards. With heat and staggering power consumption being the most prominent. Four-way HD 6970 or GTX 580's can use 1,400W+ of total system power at full load. The only PSU that I know of capable of powering four GPU's at full-bore (tested) is the Silverstone 1,500W. Also, your typical power socket cannot handle the load and circuit breakers can blow. Requiring an electrician to repair.

Don't forget the chip-melting heat four graphics cards can produce. And since they are right next to each other, they share the heat. This can cause some of the cards to exceed 90 *C in some cases.

Who would actually need four graphics cards in SLI/CF? It's much better to have two dual-core GPU's like two HD 6990's or two GTX 590's instead of having four individual graphics cards. While sacrificing a small amount of performance due to the cards being downclocked. Also, you'll be saving PCIe slots.

It's hard to overclock the dual-core GPU's to match the clock speeds of their single core counterparts. The cards are downclocked for heat/power reasons.

Off-topic, but why is it that no single graphics card is allowed to exceed 400W?

Two or three is more than enough for 99% of applications. Also, the performance scaling after two GPU's isn't very good. A third card might add 40% more performance, while a fourth will give only about 25%.

Trying to run Crysis on 2560x1600 with 32xMSAA with graphics mods installed and on multiple monitors might need four GPU's. But I can't think of anything else.

Does anyone here have four graphics cards in their system? If so, can you give me some input?

4waysligtx480-sg.jpg
 
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  • #2
Why not two HD6990 cards, since each of those cards has 2 GPUs?
 
  • #3
rcgldr said:
Why not two HD6990 cards, since each of those cards has 2 GPUs?

Someone said that if you only have one monitor, then four GPU's actually hurts performance.
 
  • #4
I think there's a few professional flight simulators which use multiple graphics cards to spread out the images in wrap-around for the pilots.

http://digitaledgepc.com/" ? perhaps a regular card can do three monitors. Don't know for sure, but I think two's the limit.
 
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  • #5
Flight simualtor X "FSX" only benefits to a certain extent when it comes to graphics adapter performance.

The rest comes from the system processor.

That said, processor performance graphs are misleading because you will see a six core processor show higher numbers than a blazingly fast two core processor that outperforms the six core processor by a huge margin while in game/sim.
 

FAQ: Questoins about quad SLI/CrossfireX

1. What is quad SLI/CrossfireX?

Quad SLI/CrossfireX is a multi-GPU technology that allows four graphics cards to work together in a single system to improve graphics performance. It is typically used for high-end gaming or other graphics-intensive tasks.

2. How does quad SLI/CrossfireX work?

In quad SLI/CrossfireX, each graphics card works on rendering a specific portion of the image, dividing the workload and improving performance. Special software and drivers are used to coordinate the communication between the cards.

3. What are the benefits of quad SLI/CrossfireX?

The main benefit of quad SLI/CrossfireX is improved graphics performance, especially in high-resolution gaming or other demanding tasks. It can also provide smoother gameplay and reduce lag or stuttering.

4. What are the requirements for quad SLI/CrossfireX?

To use quad SLI/CrossfireX, you will need a motherboard that supports it, as well as four compatible graphics cards. Your power supply will also need to have enough wattage to support all four cards, and your system will need adequate cooling to prevent overheating.

5. Are there any downsides to using quad SLI/CrossfireX?

One potential downside to quad SLI/CrossfireX is the cost, as you will need to purchase four graphics cards and potentially upgrade your power supply and cooling system. Additionally, not all games or applications are optimized for quad SLI/CrossfireX, so you may not see a significant performance increase in some cases.

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