What are the pros and cons of a 690 vs. two 680s?

[Dropship dude]

I've been weighing up the options of either gunning for a GTX 690, or spending the same amount of money (or thereabouts) for two MSI Twin Frozr III GTX 680s. Now, I am aware of some pros and cons for each, but I was wondering if I could get a few pointers as to which is truly the better option.

GTX 690 Pros:
- Makes less noise
- Cooler than a reference GTX 680
- Consumes less power
- Only takes up one PCI-E slot
- Similar cost
- Looks the business
- Highly exclusive

GTX 690 Cons:
- Slower clock speeds
- Lower average framerate performance based on benchmarks and reviews
- Highly unavailable

Twin Frozr SLI Pros:
- Better framerate averages based on benchmarks and reviews
- Far cooler than reference boards, but I do not have temperature figures for them in SLI vs a GTX 690
- Allows for one card to be shut off when not in use
- Similar cost
- Looks the business
- Easy to obtain (could have two by Tuesday if I ordered now)

Twin Frozr SLI Cons:
- Uses more power
- Makes more noise
- Uses up two PCI-E slots

I'm sure there are more pros and cons that I'm not thinking of, but given the options, which would you opt for and why? The SLI/690 configuration is in no means a necessity, but I am using it as a method of prolonging the lifetime of usefulness of the PC by putting in the top-end goodies which should last around twice as long as a single card. I also do a load of HD video editing and rendering, so the overkill is somewhat justified. Somewhat...

Pricewise, I can get the GTX 690 for £799 at the cheapest with a 1-2 month waiting list application, and the Twin Frozr cards for a combined cost of £840 with a two week wait, or £900 if I want them now.

Thoughts?

 

[spixelspixel]

Get 2 670's for 600 pounds instead

 

[panyan]

Get 2 670's for 600 pounds instead

+1

 

[Dropship dude]

Get 2 670's for 600 pounds instead

To be fair, spixel, I could order the cards through my company and get the VAT off of them to use them in a work rig first. I wouldn't be able to do that with the 670s (trust me, I've looked into as many money-saving options as possible) because of my licensing terms and conditions with the regulation allowing the tax to be reclaimed. Essentially, my agreement states that I can only claim on items which will improve my company's productivity, and my current work rig already performs on-par with two 670s. I COULD technically claim it under power savings, but my report would be easier to justify with a bigger step up.

Likely sounds silly to you but as I work for myself, it's something I've become accustomed to. Besides, my personal rig is pretty much my work rig anyway. I just switch in my other drives when I need them.

 

[spixelspixel]

To be fair, spixel, I could order the cards through my company and get the VAT off of them to use them in a work rig first. I wouldn't be able to do that with the 670s (trust me, I've looked into as many money-saving options as possible) because of my licensing terms and conditions with the regulation allowing the tax to be reclaimed. Essentially, my agreement states that I can only claim on items which will improve my company's productivity, and my current work rig already performs on-par with two 670s. I COULD technically claim it under power savings, but my report would be easier to justify with a bigger step up.

Likely sounds silly to you but as I work for myself, it's something I've become accustomed to. Besides, my personal rig is pretty much my work rig anyway. I just switch in my other drives when I need them.

Well 2 670's will offer basically the same performance. If you already have a rig as good as 2 670's then you don't need to buy anything.

 

[Dropship dude]

Well 2 670's will offer basically the same performance. If you already have a rig as good as 2 670's then you don't need to buy anything.

Sorry, I'm confusing matters. I've had a 19-hour coach trip from LaBeaume today so I'm shattered. The rig I currently have is as good as ONE GTX 670, not two. I don't know where the previous claim came from - could have been confusing two 570s instead. The licensing for my tax refunds are limited to one product as I am considered a sole trader, therefore further resources are filed as expenses and cannot be claimed for. In short, I could claim tax on one of each card, so I could save 20% on a 670, 680 or the 690. The saving on the 690 would be greater due to the higher overall cost and the fact it is a single card. At the moment, as a result of this, the 690 is more appealing. However, if I get two 680s (or even two 670s), I can freely take one card out and move it to another station if need be. This would be helpful for holding LAN parties, but could hinder work.

Thoughts?

 

[Rusty0611]

Well 2 670's will offer basically the same performance. If you already have a rig as good as 2 670's then you don't need to buy anything.

No they won't.