Uprade from 8800GT SLI

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pkadair

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Dec 15, 2009
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I currently have:

x6800 Extreme edition 2.9Ghz (max I'll push it is 3.3Ghz)
EVGA 680i sli mobo
4GB DDR1066
Raptor 10K rpm Hard drive
PC Power and Cooling 1KW PSU
Samsung 214T 21" LCD monitor 1600x1200 resolution
Windows 7 x64
8800gt SLI (512MBx2)

I would like to upgrade my video card configuration, but curious to see if I will see much gain. I would like to keep the price of a new card to around $300 or less. Would upgrading from 8800GT's in SLI be worth it in games like Crysis, MW2, GTAIV, etc...?? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
 
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jyjjy

jyjjy

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Feb 27, 2006
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An HD5850 would be a nice upgrade. Any other card will be way too much money for way too little(if any) increase in performance. If you want to stick with Nvidia to go with your SLI motherboard then definitely wait until they release their new cards. Best estimate on their release appears to be 3ish months.
 
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pkadair

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jyjjy,
I appreciate the feedback. Do you think there might be an issue with that ati card in conjunction with that board? Also, would I see an actual notice in performance?

I'd like to be able to play MW2 with all the eye-candy at 1600by1200.
 
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jyjjy

jyjjy

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No, there's no reason to avoid an ATI card other than that you won't have the option of adding another in crossfire later as your board is SLI.
If you do wait for a new Nvidia card then using an 8800GT for Physx would be a good idea. I've seen something about a hack to let you use one with an ATI card as well so it's also possible if you go for an HD5850.
As for whether or not you should actually upgrade I dunno. Two 8800GTs should still be very nice at your resolution really. Have you actually had problems maxing out MW2 with that setup?
 
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pkadair

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Think it could be my Processor? I have a dual monitor setup and I usually run Coretemp and Task manager while in-game to monitor, etc... That x6800 gets up to about 90's under CPU utilization, but that's at 2.9Ghz (stock)
 
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jyjjy

jyjjy

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I would think that CPU is still ok but try the OC and see if that helps. If so it's likely the CPU and not the cards. MW2 really shouldn't be particularly graphics intensive. The engine is basically the same as the first MW with some minor improvements. Have you had problems maxing out other games(outside of Crysis) as well?
 
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pkadair

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Games look great, however when I look around, using the mouse, it is by no means a "fluid" motion. I just thought it was the g92 chips being dated, SLI, or limitations on a C2D at 2.9GHz. I would like to play MW2, GTAIV, COD4, FC2 "Fluidly".
 
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pkadair

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Would you say that would be my best route? Would a Q6600 or similar actually outperform the x6800 at around 2.9 - 3.2GHz? If so, I will definitely go with buying a CPU.
 
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pkadair

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I play at 1600x1200 so my processor is being utilized more. I too can max out MW2, however I would like to see no stutter, lag, or major dips in fps, hence the dilemma.

1) Does an 8800gt sli setup compare to a gtx275 or HD 5850?
2) Will a Q6600 or better show significant performance gains over my current x6800EE?

Thank you, guys, again.
 
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MMclachlan

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I have 8800GT in SLI too, with a Q9550 @ 3.4Ghz. MW2 maxxed at 1920x1080 always 60fps. Your GTs are not holding you back in that game for sure!
GTAIV needs a quadcore at 3Ghz to run anywhere near decent, and it doesn't support SLI, so you will need a quad and a new gfx card to run that game well. Crysis will be gfx bound mostly, but only really a 5870 or maybe a 5850 would actually be a worthwhile upgrade from what you've already got.
You could probably do with a quad core at 3Ghz+ first, then wait for availablity of the 5800 series cards to get better after xmas (hopefully!) and see if nvidia comes out with anything.
 
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pkadair

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MMclachlan, Nice!! I appreciate the recommendations. I was hoping to wait until the next gen nvidia cards release to save some money on my next Card upgrade purchase. I have had both ATI and Nvidia, so no problem switching, etc.. So, what Quad would get me the most bang for my buck?? I shop newegg and have researched quite a bit, just to let anyone know I would like to sit in that 3.4GHz range or better, without EXTREME overclocking. You guys tel,l me the Processor to go with on the 680i SLI board and I will buy it. Thanks again to everyone.
 
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MMclachlan

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680i chipset motherboards don't support 45nm Quad cores. so any Q9xxx or Q8xxx chip won't work in your board. Only the 780i and up support the Q9xxxs so the best option for you is a Q6600 GO edition. These clock well and should get over 3Ghz with a good air cooler. I would be tempted to save a few $$s and try and get one off Ebay as its not likely to last you more than a couple of years anyway. (Before you want to upgrade again that is!)
If you are not afraid of swapping out your motherboard then maybe shop for a second hand 780i board? I changed up from an Asus 680i P5N32-SLi-PLUS to a second hand P5N-T 780i so I could drop the Q9550 in, and ended up making a few £ back on it. All up to you really. After Xams should be a good time to pick up some bits on Ebay cheap tho as everyone offloads their 775 hardware after their new i5/i7/AM3 build!
 
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avenger386

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go with a single 5850
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002R5AB8W
 
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efeat

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Last I heard, MW2 doesn't support SLI/XFire because it's almost a pure xbox port, and the xbox obviously doesn't use multi-GPU.

Your problem with performance mostly stems from Infinity Ward's lack of coding + laziness, rather than your hardware.
 
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pkadair

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Efeat,

Infinity Ward, like any other company, has a financial obligation that must be met every quarter and understanding that categorizes them as a "business". Exponential growth rates enable companies (businesses) to have no loyalty to the consumer. Thus, there will always be an endless supply of suckers, being born every second, to replace unsatisfied customers. That is why any, and all, companies provide such horrible customer service and support. We are in the MATRIX. We are worthless, ultimately.

Basically: Screw the "Sheeple".

That's reality. Understanding that takes only minor reflection.

Now, should I upgrade from:

1) 8800gt SLI setup to something around 300$

AND/OR

2)x6800@2.9Ghz to a quad-core Kentsfield


If so, will I see performance increases justifying the cost?
 
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nforce4max

nforce4max

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Well I got two suggestions that won't be to much work. One is keep one 8800gt assuming your board is a three way and are able to get two GTX260 or better to maintain sli (love the sli aa) while using the 8800gt as a physx in the middle slot. Suggestion two less work and over head is get a 5850 or better while using one or both 8800gt for physx. One of my gamer buddies ended up getting a cheap 9800gt in addition to his dual GTX295 setup for mpeg encoding so either way it is worth a shot.
 
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