8800GTX SLI or Not??

[knownalien]

I have an EVGA 8800GTX and an intel quadcore 6600 CPU. I have always wanted to upgrade to SLI and my card is still adequate. I mostly play at 1280x1024. But I play games like Crysis and Oblivion. I can get the 8800GTX used and have SLI at last, or I could spend that $200 and try to get a faster card than the current one I have and hope that that card is much better. What should I do? I know I want to try SLI for once!! Maybe there is out there a pair of current cards that are not too beyond my budget.

 

[anonymousdude]

For your resolution there is no need for sli not to mention a sli 8800gtx creates a crazy amount of heat and take a huge amount of power. You card should still be maxing out games at your resolution. If you were to upgrade your monitor then maybe sli could be an option, but getting a better single card would be the better choice. For $200 you could get an ati 4890 or the upcoming 5830 or on the nvidia side a gtx 260 although the 4890 would outperform it for the same price.

 

[knownalien]

that's just it. my card won't max out games. perhaps my cpu is somewhat of a bottleneck, but I know Oblivion relies a lot on the graphics card. I can run OB nearly maxxed out, but not crysis. . . .well, the demo anyway. I don't OC either. Should I maybe move to a faster CPU? Mine is nearly 3 years old!! Maybe I should upgrade to the Q9550 yorkfield. I don't want to have to buy new ram and a new mobo.

 

[hallowed_dragon]

Get the ATI 4890 or when it shows up the 5830 as the other poster suggested.

 

[saaiello]

Your best bet would be to overclock your Q6600 It is a great overclocker for quad core. IMO you will be waisting your money buying a Q9550. If you are gonna upgrade go to an I5 or I7 system, but in all honesty you dont have to a mild overclock will squeeze a far amount of performance out of your system. I run a E8200 OC to 3.8ghz with a 9800GT on 1400x900 res no problems max out every game i play except crysis. Like another poster said you will produce a crazy amount of heat and you need alot of power to sli 8800gtx go for a newer single card for 200 you can get a much more powerful card then the 8800s.

 

[Derbixrace]

you cant max oblivion with the 8800gtx??? i could a few years back, paired up with a e6600 on the same resolution :S but i had overclocked the e6600 to 3.5Ghz and the 8800GTX core to 630 linked with shader. cant remember my memory overclock though..

 

[knownalien]

SAAIELLO, what card for $200 would be more powerful??

Derbixrace, I can max out settings, but you know "outdoors" there is always the drop in framerates.