SLI and Crossfire Complications

[thegamerguy1]

So I want to get the best performance possible from my GPU/s, but the performance i need is to costly. This made me wonder that if I could connect multiple GPU's that were less powerful together, would I still get a good performance? For example, If i connected 3 same small GPU's (forgot their names) in SLI mode, each with say 128 bits and 1 Gigabyte of GDDR5 memory, would that end up giving me 384 bits, and 3 Gigabytes of GDDR5 in total?

Thanks

 

[CraigN]

No it would not. It gives you 3 cards with 128-bit memory and 1 GB of GDDR5. The memory doesn't "add" up when you SLI or Crossfire, as each card is limited to only its own memory to use.

 

[williamcummins]

If I recall correctly, VRAM doesn't stack when doing SLI. Plus the raw power you get from 2 cards in SLI is not 2 times the card you stack. It's more like 1.4 - 1.5 times. SLI or Crossfire requires more power, heats up your system and is sometimes tricky to tweak. If you're on a budget, you clearly should go with a single GPU.

 

[sincreator]

VRAM does not stack. 3 x 128bit cards is not near as good as 1 high end single GPU. If you try to game at higher resolutions, 1gb of ram will limit you and force you to turn down settings to be playable. Not only that, but SLI and xfire are sketchy in 3 or 4 card configurations. The drivers are usually fine for 2 cards, but any more than that can be a gamble. A lot of the time the 3rd card will do nothing.

 

[ss202sl]

You're better off spending your entire GPU budget on the best single GPU you can get. Then in a year or so(when you start thinking upgrade), you have an option to get another matching GPU(which should be cheaper), and then utilize SLI or Crossfire.

 

[CraigN]

The above posts are correct, which is what I was getting at.

3 1GB 128-bit cards will not stack up (even remotely) against a single 384-bit 3GB card. I would recommend saving some money up for a middle-range 256-bit card with 2GB or 4GB of VRAM, and then SLi/Crossfire that card later down the road if/when you need the extra performance.

If you're gaming at 1080p, you don't need a 384-bit 3GB card like the 780. You can get by with a GTX 770 or 760 just fine.

 

[thegamerguy1]

OK, got my answer, but yeah if I am only gonna game at 1080 p, whats the best card I should get in terms of price vs performance?The two GTX's that Craig mentioned were hella costly from what I could find.

 

[CraigN]

You could get by with a single 750 or 750 Ti (or AMD 270X) as long as you don't want to play everything on High settings. But the 760 would give you more performance room. There's also the AMD 280X or 285, which might be cheaper than the 260 for similar performance.

 

[thegamerguy1]

Is the GTX 780 the best Nvidia card atm? Whats the best AMD in terms of pure performance?

 

[CraigN]

The GTX 780 Ti is Nvidia's best card. The Best AMD card is the 290X, or if you're $1000 crazy, the 295X2.

 

[thegamerguy1]

Thanks a lot every one especially Craig. Shall look into.