580 sli?

[Paincm]

Im currently in the process of building my own computer and Im interested in my graphics card choice. I chose the 3G Nvidia gtx 580 that is sli enabled. Does the sli come into play ONLY when i have 2 gtx 580s or will a single 3G gtx 580 be able to handle games on high settings?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130655

or

EVGA 03G-P3-1584-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 3072MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

 

[Gamer-girl]

Yes SLI is only important if you want 2 or more of the same card. You will also need a SLI compatible motherboard with at least two PCI-E 2.0 slots x8 with 2 cards.

A single GTX 580 will handle any game that is out right now on high settings @ 1920x1080. You never said what your monitors' native resolution is....

 

[Paincm]

I dont have a moniter yet...

And also, how will I know if a motherboard is sli enabled? haha sorry Im not used to this stuff.

 

[ilysaml]

I dont have a moniter yet...

And also, how will I know if a motherboard is sli enabled? haha sorry Im not used to this stuff.

you must list all your system specs so that we can help you, you'll need a motherboard with 2 × PCIe 2.0 x16, and at least a high quality 1000W PSU to handle your SLI

 

[ilysaml]

Yes SLI is only important if you want 2 or more of the same card.

?????!!

 

[ilysaml]

SLI/CF FAQ
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454-33-crossfire-faqs

 

[Gamer-girl]

?????!!

What does that mean?

I was trying to say don't worry about SLI if you are only getting 1 card

I dont have a moniter yet...

And also, how will I know if a motherboard is sli enabled? haha sorry Im not used to this stuff.

Do you have an idea about the size range e.g 22-23 inch or 24-26 inch or 27 inch or even 30 inch?

If you are buying from newegg it usually says if it is SLI capable but you need to double check the PCI-E slots to see if they will run at x8,x8 or faster. It's hard to say because there is so many motherboards. But if you know which CPU you are going with we could recommend compatible motherboards or you can ask the forums if your motherboard is SLI capable before you buy it.

 

[hunuok]

I chose the 3G Nvidia gtx 580 that is sli enabled.

I think you misunderstand. It is not SLI enabled. You MUST have two of the same cards which are connected with an SLI bridge to enable SLI.

The card you have chosen is a beast.

If you are running a 1920x1080 resolution then stick with a single card.

If you are running a 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 resolution then buy two and then SLI them. The SLI bridge is usually provided with the mainboard.

As for your motherboard, MOST support SLI.

If you are running an Intel CPU (I would recommend Sandybridge i5 2500K), then look at an ASUS P8P67 or Asus P8Z68-V as a starting point for your mainboard.

Good luck.