3D monitor and sound card question.

[hunter1190]

Hello,

I am going to order a computer within the next 2 months and I have 2 questions before I finalize my build...remember things could change from now until then so bear with me.

Anyways I am wondering what GPU/s would be more then enough to run a ASUS 27" VG278H 3D Monitor at the best graphic settings and highest FPS. Im thinking a 4GB GDDR5 EVGA GTX 680 CLASSIFIED. I was going to go with a 690/dual 690s but Im not so sure now from what I read on Vram usage so Im thinking 4GB Vram is WAY better then the 2GB from the 690s. I AM going to do 3D surround when possible but atm I am restricted by desk space. I want to future proof my system for when I do go Surround so would 2 4GB 680s be enough? 3 4GB 680s? 4 4GB 680s?

Also I would like to add in whether or not I should get a sound card? Is it really that much of a difference from an onboard card like on a ASUS Rampage IV Extreme? or will I be alright with the onboard card and decent 5.1 speakers.

And PLEASE do not cry to me about it being too much money and I should spend money on something other then a computer. I WORKED for my money and I will spend it on what I feel like. One more thing if i have forgotten anything I wanted to ask I will update when I can

 

[monu_08]

i know that sound crazy spending too much on gpus perhaps u if u afford 2 gtx 680
then u need a high end cpu i suggest i7 3930 version + u need an good psu too
an 800 is minimum for u r setup i would say corsair is the best one u can buy an ax series which good and 2 gtx 680 2gb for good enough for next 5yrs for ur type users
i say boss speaker is the best one

 

[hunter1190]

I can afford dual 690s if I wanted to get them but I think the 4GB 680s will be the better option bc of VRam, I have no shortage of money for my computer lol. Will 2 GPUs be enough to max out the graphics with ease on 1 3d monitor? I am probably getting the corsair 800d unless theres a case that can hold 4 gpus. Remember Im going to use surround but not right away

 

[hunter1190]

Also If anyone has benchmarks for 2-3-4 sli 4GB 680s post a link so I can compare

 

[bystander]

I'd recommend 670's in SLI. I have 680's for 120hz, and it works well and gets me over 90 FPS in most cases, but the most demanding games will still have to have lowered settings to achieve those FPS.

I play Metro 2033 at high settings and have 60 FPS most the time while in 3D, with the occasional drop to the the high 40's, except there is one zone that has awful lag no matter what settings I choose, and everyone has troubles there (in the library with those Apes).

There is no issue on vram for 3D or a single 1080p monitor. It is only a problem with 2/3D surround. The only reason to think about the 4GB cards is if you really want to ensure you won't be short in future games.

 

[monu_08]

hhh if u can then get 2 gtx 690 its dual gpu within one it will better then 2 gtx 680
u have to also get a very very high end cpu seriously i m not joking these cards are giant monster i use these 1 gtx 690 and monster eat everything and max out if u really wanted i suggest get cooler master cosmos 2 for this system and corsair h100 for watercooling and overclocking

 

[hunter1190]

Ok so If I go 3 670s or 680s I will have the best experience ever on 1 3d monitor and I will still have enough power for 3 monitors when I make room for them?

 

[bystander]

Ok so If I go 3 670s or 680s I will have the best experience ever on 1 3d monitor and I will still have enough power for 3 monitors when I make room for them?

I cannot confirm what 3 will do, but 2 is great for the vast majority of games. Only Metro 2033, The Witcher 2 and Batman AC force me to turn things down a bit, but not a lot (I require 50+ FPS for playability). Crysis 2 with MaLDoHD 3.0c even pins me at 60 FPS in 3D.

 

[hunter1190]

I cannot confirm what 3 will do, but 2 is great for the vast majority of games. Only Metro 2033, The Witcher 2 and Batman AC force me to turn things down a bit, but not a lot (I require 50+ FPS for playability). Crysis 2 with MaLDoHD 3.0c even pins me at 60 FPS in 3D.

Ahh...so you are only running with 2 680s atm? I dont care for the batman games but Witcher 2 and Metro got me thinking. Maybe 3 will do better. I have heard 4 gpus are bad compared to 3 gpus so I guess I will go with 3 and let you know how it goes, although it wont be for a while haha and I apologize for my noob questions but I dont know THAT much about pcs anymore bc I went off to college and focus on school instead of games haha but now that Im back in the game Im gonna buy me a monster rig to catch up and learn from my setup

 

[monu_08]

why dont u just grab 2 gtx 690 since 3 gtx 670 are equal to 1 gtx 690 so better get a 2 gtx 690
3 gtx 670= 1 gtx 690
2 gtx 680=1 gtx 690

 

[hunter1190]

Well I have read on multiple sites that 2 690s arent as good as 3 680s and the reasons are:

1) Vram on 690s is only 2Gb and graphic demanding games on surround end up needing more then 2GB so the 4GB 680s are able to handle it better.

2) there are major issues with 4 way sli that include tearing and microstuttering and that 3 sli is where that all evens out or goes away.

If you can give me more information besides 690=3 670s or 2 680s im willing to look at it. As in 2 690 sli vs 3 670 sli vs 3 4GB 680 sli vs 4 4GB 680 sli benchmark comparisons and personal experiences. So far Bystanders information has helped me catch up more then I knew a month ago

 

[bystander]

I personally would start with 2 670's in SLI. If you find you aren't happy with the performance, get a 3rd, but make sure you buy a motherboard which will support 3 at PCIe x8 or better.

When getting 3, you will not be able to separate the card enough for good air flow, which will lead to higher temps and noise. If you won't be overclocking at all, you might find getting factory OC'ed 680's better, as the 670's are only close to the 680's when overclocked to the same clocks as the 680.

It's a lot easier to add a 3rd later, than return the 3rd if you find you don't like it. It also gives you a chance to see the difference.

 

[hunter1190]

I personally would start with 2 670's in SLI. If you find you aren't happy with the performance, get a 3rd, but make sure you buy a motherboard which will support 3 at PCIe x8 or better.

When getting 3, you will not be able to separate the card enough for good air flow, which will lead to higher temps and noise. If you won't be overclocking at all, you might find getting factory OC'ed 680's better, as the 670's are only close to the 680's when overclocked to the same clocks as the 680.

It's a lot easier to add a 3rd later, than return the 3rd if you find you don't like it. It also gives you a chance to see the difference.

Well Im thinking i will get the OC'd 680 classifeds unless there is a new 670 or new gpus out when i order. But until that happens Ill order 3 680s but only use 2 of them then try out the 3rd. Now is there an option to try out 2 way sli and 3 way sli without removing the 3rd card? If not im ok with that

 

[bystander]

Well Im thinking i will get the OC'd 680 classifeds unless there is a new 670 or new gpus out when i order. But until that happens Ill order 3 680s but only use 2 of them then try out the 3rd. Now is there an option to try out 2 way sli and 3 way sli without removing the 3rd card? If not im ok with that

I don't know about switching between 2 and 3way by a setting. I can turn off SLI completely through the Nvidia control panel, but without a 3rd card to test, I have no idea if you can make that detailed of a choice.

 

[hunter1190]

I don't know about switching between 2 and 3way by a setting. I can turn off SLI completely through the Nvidia control panel, but without a 3rd card to test, I have no idea if you can make that detailed of a choice.

hmm ok. If its possible ask some of your friends on here if they know a little more about it. Ill search for more info but thats enough to get me by now

 

[monu_08]

here http://www.overclock.net/t/1220962/vegas-heavyweight-display-and-computer-edition-2012/370#post_16915399

 

[monu_08]

if i were u then i will go with 7970 6gb sapphire toxic version in crossfire it will kick ass
and ati performe better in high resolution as compare to nvidia

 

[hunter1190]

if i were u then i will go with 7970 6gb sapphire toxic version in crossfire it will kick ass
and ati performe better in high resolution as compare to nvidia

I would but I had a bad experience with ATI GPUs many years ago and I dont think I will ever go back to them. Nvidia GPUs have treated me right when I used them so Im sticking with them lol

 

[bigbasedrum]

He wants 3D specifically. Nvidia's solution is better with 3D. Also 6 GB is irrelevant, at the resolutions where it needs that much memory the card isn't able to push playable frame rates. I'd also stick with 3 670's or 680's. Nvidia's multiple GPU solution is not really built for more than 3 cards. Also remember, the 3rd card won't scale as good as when you add in the second card, but it will reduce microstuttering significantly. (Read it in a Tom's article). Also monu is right you would need a good CPU. However, X79 is irrelevant for gaming, except for PCIe lanes, but this problem can be solved my getting a mobo with a chip that multiplies PCIe lanes. My suggestion would be to get the three GPU's (since you can afford them(so jealous! but don't feel guilty indulge your passion!!) plus a nice Z77 mobo such as the Gigabyte G.1 Sniper 3 http://www.evetech.co.za/PC-Hardware/gigabyte-g1-sniper-3-lga-1155-intel-z77-extended-atx-intel-motherboard-128.aspx Sorry live in SA. Just go search for that mobo on Amazon or newegg they'll have it. Plus Intel core i7 3770K. Plus a good CPU cooler. Air or water depending on how high you wanna go. Plus 16 GB ram (2x8GB) from corsair or Kingston ( you can get more if you want you just won't strictly need more) Also make sure you get a HUGE PSU. I'd suggest a Corsair ax1200 just to be safe. Then of course make sure you get Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit(otherwise you can't use all your RAM). Then of course make sure you get a case with ample space. and then your golden!!

You'd also want to overclock the CPU to around 4.0-4.5 GHz. Also make sure the RAM is rated at 1600 MHz or 1866 MHz. More than that could cause stability issues, but if you want to go for faster rated RAM you could, but it wouldn't be necessary.

 

[bigbasedrum]

I see you also mentioned a sound card. Unless you do professional audio work, a sound card wouldn't make a difference rather just get good 5.1 or 7.1 speakers.

 

[bystander]

He wants 3D specifically. Nvidia's solution is better with 3D. Also 6 GB is irrelevant, at the resolutions where it needs that much memory the card isn't able to push playable frame rates. I'd also stick with 3 670's or 680's. Nvidia's multiple GPU solution is not really built for more than 3 cards. Also remember, the 3rd card won't scale as good as when you add in the second card, but it will reduce microstuttering significantly. (Read it in a Tom's article). Also monu is right you would need a good CPU. However, X79 is irrelevant for gaming, except for PCIe lanes, but this problem can be solved my getting a mobo with a chip that multiplies PCIe lanes. My suggestion would be to get the three GPU's (since you can afford them(so jealous! but don't feel guilty indulge your passion!!) plus a nice Z77 mobo such as the Gigabyte G.1 Sniper 3 http://www.evetech.co.za/PC-Hardware/gigabyte-g1-sniper-3-lga-1155-intel-z77-extended-atx-intel-motherboard-128.aspx Sorry live in SA. Just go search for that mobo on Amazon or newegg they'll have it. Plus Intel core i7 3770K. Plus a good CPU cooler. Air or water depending on how high you wanna go. Plus 16 GB ram (2x8GB) from corsair or Kingston ( you can get more if you want you just won't strictly need more) Also make sure you get a HUGE PSU. I'd suggest a Corsair ax1200 just to be safe. Then of course make sure you get Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit(otherwise you can't use all your RAM). Then of course make sure you get a case with ample space. and then your golden!!

You'd also want to overclock the CPU to around 4.0-4.5 GHz. Also make sure the RAM is rated at 1600 MHz or 1866 MHz. More than that could cause stability issues, but if you want to go for faster rated RAM you could, but it wouldn't be necessary.

I think you were thinking of this article: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995-5.html

However, a 3rd card was not tested in the SLI solution, and the SLI solution didn't have much microstuttering at all. It was the AMD crossfire setup that benefited from a 3rd card.

 

[bystander]

I see you also mentioned a sound card. Unless you do professional audio work, a sound card wouldn't make a difference rather just get good 5.1 or 7.1 speakers.

I agree.

 

[bigbasedrum]

Jap thats the article i was thinking about. thanks
And yes i see you're right the AMD's are suffering more from Crossfire. But still if he's got the budget he may as well do it. It can't give worse performance?

 

[bystander]

Jap thats the article i was thinking about. thanks
And yes i see you're right the AMD's are suffering more from Crossfire. But still if he's got the budget he may as well do it. It can't give worse performance?

My aversion to tri-sli is about noise, unless he plans to water cool it. 3 air cooled cards will be pressed up against each other making noise levels high. And as someone with 2 680's in SLI and using 3D Vision, I don't see much reason to have more power. There are few games where you need more than 2.

 

[bigbasedrum]

Ahhh yes that's true. Guess the only way to fix the noise is to get that sound card and really pump up the volume . haha but you make a good point. Besides the extra cost and heat and electricity usage, you'll end up with a hell of a lot of noise. Didn't think about that....